Bible Study for the District            Thursday, September 28, 2006 

Welcome to the bi-weekly Rome-Carrollton Bible Study. We are in the process of making this an interactive Bible Study so please be patient with us.  Until then, if you are interested in being apart of this study you can email your response/questions to rocangc@bellsouth.net and they will be shared with all who have responded.

Please feel free to answer the questions on line and provide your own synopsis of the study and what you have garnered from this passage to be shared with others on the District.

 

Exodus 17:8-16 - The Message

8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."

10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

14 God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."

 15-16 Moses built an altar and named it "God My Banner." He said,

   Salute God's rule!
   God at war with Amalek
   Always and forever!

Background:  The Israelites have escaped from Egypt, been freed from slavery by the hand of God, have cross the Red Sea on dry ground had manna and quail from heaven, had bitter water turned sweet and just before this passage of scripture, grumbled against Moses saying, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” Moses responds by following the direction of God, striking a rock and producing fresh water for the thirsty Israelites.

Moses called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” As is usually the case, God continues to answer this question in the next section of scripture in which the Israelites are attacked by Amalek at Rephidim. Moses sends the men out to fight while he holds us the staff. However, his arm gets tired and when he lets his arm down the Amalekites prevail and when he keeps his arms up, the Israelites prevail. Aaron and Hur see the dilemma and put a stone under him and Aaron and Hur hold up his arms. They defeat Amalek.

Observation: This passage of scripture speaks volumes about leadership. Know that the people will always complain, even under the best of situations because they are short sighted in their vision and cannot always see the hand of God in their midst.

Second, if things are going well, be forewarned, the Devil will be causing a disturbance very soon.

Third, it is important that a spiritual leader understand the need for a team to bring about victory and that time should be spent collaborating with others in the church and communicating the vision and the presence of God at every juncture.

Questions:

Why does this threat follow so quickly after the constant grumblings against Moses and God and God’s deliverance?

Why do the people still have a slave mentality?

What is going on here in the heart of Moses?

What is the possibility if he continues alone?

What was gained by Aaron and Hur’s assistance?

What does this say to the church today?

What does the passage of scripture imply about servant leadership?

How does it cause us to examine our own Leadership Style