Spurgeon Morning and Evening April 16 PM

Biblical Context

This verse comes from a story in the book of Exodus. The people of Israel, led by Moses, had just come out of slavery in Egypt and were on their way to the promised land. They had faced thirst, hunger, and complaints, but God had always come through. In chapter 17, they faced a new enemy: the Amalekites. This wasn’t just a minor skirmish; it was a serious attack on God’s people.

Moses told Joshua, a young leader, to pick men to go fight. Meanwhile, Moses went up a hill with Aaron and Hur. Moses held up the rod of God, and as long as his hands were raised, Israel won. But when his hands dropped, the Amalekites started winning. Aaron and Hur didn’t just stand by; they saw Moses getting tired. So, they found a stone for him to sit on and then held up his hands, one on each side, so they could stay raised until the battle was over and the sun went down. This battle showed that victory came not just from fighting on the ground, but from spiritual support and prayer.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word ‘steady’ in Exodus 17:12. In Hebrew, the word used here is related to אֱמוּנָה (emunah), which we often translate as ‘faithfulness,’ ‘firmness,’ or ‘reliability.’ It’s about something being firm, not shaking. When the Bible says Moses’ hands were steady, it means they were held up firmly, without wavering, for a long time. This wasn’t just a physical act; it showed a determined spirit, a firm resolve in prayer. It also ties into the idea of trust – Moses was steadfastly trusting God in his posture of prayer, and that’s what made his hands firm.

The Mighty Power of Prayer

Exodus 17:12 says, “And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” You see, the battle wasn’t just won by Joshua’s army. It was won in a much deeper place. The prayer of Moses was so mighty that everything really did depend on it. Imagine that! The enemy got more messed up by Moses’ petitions than by all of Joshua’s fighting.

But here’s the thing: both were needed. It wasn’t one or the other. You can’t just pray and do nothing, and you can’t just fight without calling on God. In your own soul’s conflict, you need force and fervor, decision and devotion, valor and vehemence. They must join up, and then things will go well. It’s like you’re fighting on two fronts – one in the visible world and one in the invisible world.

Wrestling with Sin in Private

You have to wrestle with your sin. It’s not a fight you can skip. But the major part of that wrestling, the real tough stuff, you’ve got to do alone in private with God. Think about it: it’s far easier to fight with sin when everyone can see you, like in public. It’s way harder to pray against it when you’re all alone. The old saying goes that Joshua never got tired fighting, but Moses did get tired praying.

Why? Because the more spiritual an exercise is, the harder it is for your flesh and blood to keep it going. It drains you in a different way. That quiet, hidden struggle against your own sinful nature, the constant asking God for help – that’s where the real battle is often fought and where you can feel the most weariness.

Holding Up God’s Promises

Prayer, like Moses’ prayer, holds up the token of the covenant before the Lord. Moses held up his rod. The rod wasn’t just a stick; it was a sign of God’s working with Moses, a symbol of God’s rule in Israel. You need to learn, when you’re praying, to hold up God’s promise and His oath before Him. God can’t deny what He’s already said. He won’t go back on His own declarations.

Think of it like this: You can hold up the rod of promise, and you’ll have what you will. It’s not about forcing God’s hand; it’s about reminding Him of His word, knowing He is true to what He says. When you base your prayers on His promises, you’re standing on solid ground.

When Prayer Gets Tough

Moses grew weary. Even he, the one who talked with God face to face, got tired. Then his friends helped him. This is so important for you to remember. When your prayer flags, when you feel like you’re losing steam, you don’t have to quit. Let your faith support one hand, and let holy hope lift up the other. Your prayer, sitting on the stone of Israel, the rock of our salvation, will keep going and will win. You’ve got to be careful not to get faint in your devotion. If Moses felt that weariness, who among us can escape it?

You’ll face moments when it feels like your spirit is just too tired to pray. That’s when you lean on faith, believing God will still act, and on hope, looking forward to what He’ll do. And you lean on the unwavering truth that God Himself is your rock and your salvation. He’s there to hold you up, even when you can’t hold yourself up anymore.

Persevering Until the End

Let’s cry out for special strength, then. We’re not meant to do this alone. May the Spirit of God, who helps us in our weaknesses, just like He allowed help to Moses, enable us to continue with our hands steady. We want to be like Moses, keeping our hands up “until the going down of the sun.” We want to keep going until the evening of life is over, until we come to the rising of a better sun.

That better sun will rise in the land where prayer is completely swallowed up in praise. Imagine that! A place where you don’t have to ask for anything anymore, because everything you have is perfect, and all you can do is give thanks. Until then, you need to keep fighting, keep praying, and keep trusting that God’s Spirit will give you what you need to make it to that day.