”While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”“
Exodus 17:8-16 NLT
This was a pivotal moment in the lives of the new nation of Israel. They had faced threats before. Namely that of the environmental concerns, like lack of food and water. They had also faced issues from their past. The Egyptians pursued them relentlessly until their entire army was destroyed in the sea. But the Amalekites were a new type of threat. They were a new oppressor. They represented the future. As such, God dealt with them differently. Unlike the grace he showed Pharaoh by petitioning for his people to merely be allowed to worship, God decrees that no more insolence will be allowed against himself or his people. He sends his people to slaughter the Amalekites and sends a message to the watching principalities. This message is that he is different and sovereign and the new person in charge. No more insolence will be allowed. To showcase this, he makes it so the battle is demonstrably his own victory and not those of his people. Indeed, they fail upon their own limitations. Only when they rely on each other are they able to sustain the power of God against the Amalekites. This is God’s premiere event. The future no longer belongs to the other gods. The future is his and belongs to those with whom he wishes to share it.
JOSH McGARY.COM 