Fri.’s Devo - Battle Won by Praise

Read: Exodus 17:8-19:15; Matthew 22:34-23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 6:27-35 The warriors of Amalek attacked the Israelites probably for the water God had sent them. The Amaleks were from the lineage of Esau. Moses stood on top of the hill holding up his staff. As long as he held his staff over the battle, the Israelites would be winning but when he dropped his staff the Amaleks would prevail. Finally Aaron and Hur had to hold his arms up until the day was over and the Israelites had won. God told Moses to write it down… God would erase the memory, remembrance, and scent of the Amaleks from under heaven. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi because the Lord had sworn that he would have war with the Amalek from generation to generation. Jethro heard about all Moses had done and where he was camped, so he came with Moses’ wife and children to meet him. Moses told Jethro all God had done for Israel and Jethro praised the Lord as the God greater than all the other gods. Moses had two sons: Gershom which means “I have been a foreigner in a strange land,” and Eliezer which means “God of help.” These names summed up Moses’ life up till then. Jethro stayed with Moses and observed how Moses governed his people. He watched as Moses decided disputes all day long and advised him to teach other men who feared God and hated bribes in God’s laws. They could handle the small cases for him while he just dealt with the larger cases. Moses took Jethro’s. Forty days after they had left Egypt, God called Moses up on Mt. Sinai. He told him that if the people obeyed his commandments and kept the covenant with Him, they would be his own special treasure from all the people on the earth. The would be his kingdom of priests, his holy nation. He called the people together and told them what God had said and they agreed to obey God’s commands. God would come to Moses in a thick cloud and allow the people to hear him talk to Moses. First they would need to consecrate themselves and wash their clothes. They must be ready in three days. This would end up being 50 days from the Passover they had celebrated in Egypt making it Pentecost. God told Moses to mark off a boundary around the mountain that the people could not breach or they would die. The ram’s horn would sound from heaven when the people were to assemble. In Matthew, The Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees so they set off to trap him. They asked Jesus which was the most important commandment and Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Then he added that the second was equally important which was to love their neighbor as they love themselves. He knew that that one would get them. That didn’t go like they had planned so they asked him who’s son the Messiah would be. They answered their own question with “David’s son.” So Jesus asked them why David called the Messiah his Lord in Psalm 110:1. How could the Messiah be his son and his Lord? That shut up the Pharisees. Then Jesus exposed the religious leaders for what they were…hypocrites. Jesus told the people that they might say the right thing but they didn’t even practice what they preached. Jesus told them to not call anyone ‘Father’ but God or anyone ‘teacher’ but the Messiah. Everyone was equal as brothers and sisters. (I bet the religious leaders were shaking with anger when he said that.) Lord, help us to see each other as our equal brothers and sisters. Thank you for the many battles you cause us to win as we praise you.