and fight the army of Amalek.” He sighed, exhausted. “Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
In the morning, Aaron and Moses went to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield. Hur came with them. Moses held up his hands and Joshua and the Israelites gave battle cries and launched attack. Aaron saw how they cut through the Amalekites advancing on them. But after a while, the tide of the battle turned. Aaron looked to his brother to call on the Lord and saw Moses’ hands at his side. He rested for a few moments and raised his hands again, and immediately the Israelites seemed to gain strength and advantage.
“I cannot keep this up long enough for the battle to be won.” Exhausted, Moses’ hands dropped to his sides.
“Here!” Aaron called to Hur. “Help me move this rock.” They rolled and shoved the rock until it was at the crest of the hill overlooking the battle. “Sit, my brother, and we’ll hold your hands up!” Aaron took his right arm and Hur his left and they held them up. As the hours wore on, Aaron’s muscles trembled and burned from the effort, but his heart remained strong as he watched the battle below. The Israelites were prevailing against their enemies. By sunset, Joshua had overcome the Amalekites and put them to the sword.
Moses rallied long enough to pile up rocks for an altar. “It will be called ‘The Lord Is My Banner.’ Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord today. They have dared to raise their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation. We must never forget what the Lord has done for us!”
When they returned to camp, Moses went into his tent to write the events meticulously on a scroll to be kept and read to Joshua and future generations.
When they set out from Rephidim and headed into the Desert of Sinai, a messenger came from Midian. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was on his way to meet him and was bringing Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
Miriam came into Aaron’s tent. “Where was Moses going in such a hurry?”
“His father-in-law is here with Zipporah and the boys.”
She hung the water bag. “She would’ve been better off staying in Midian.”
“A wife belongs with her husband, and sons belong with their father.”
“Does Moses have time for a wife when the people are always clamoring for his judgments? What time do you have for your own sons?”
Aaron broke bread with his family members each evening. He prayed with them. They talked about the events of the day and the blessings of the Lord. He rose, in no mood to listen to more of Miriam’s complaints about what might happen in the days ahead. She liked managing his household. All well and good. He would leave her to her duties. But there was room enough for everyone beneath God’s canopy.
Miriam made a sound of disgust. “The woman cannot even speak our language.”
Aaron did not point out that Miriam had not helped Zipporah while they lived beneath the same roof in Egypt. Zipporah would learn Aramaic just as Moses had, and so would Moses’ sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
Joshua came to Aaron’s tent. “Moses’ father-in-law has brought offerings and sacrifices to God. Moses said to come with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with them in the presence of God.”
So, was Joshua now acting as Moses’ spokesman?
When Aaron arrived at Jethro’s camp, he was gratified to see Moses’ smile. It had been a long time since his brother had been so happy. Zipporah did not take her eyes from Moses, but she looked thinner than Aaron remembered. Gershom and Eliezer were speaking rapidly in their mother’s tongue as they vied for their father’s attention. They looked more Midianite than Hebrew. That would change, given new circumstances. He watched his brother hug his sons against him, speaking tenderly to them.
For all the familiarity and affection between
In the morning, Aaron and Moses went to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield. Hur came with them. Moses held up his hands and Joshua and the Israelites gave battle cries and launched attack. Aaron saw how they cut through the Amalekites advancing on them. But after a while, the tide of the battle turned. Aaron looked to his brother to call on the Lord and saw Moses’ hands at his side. He rested for a few moments and raised his hands again, and immediately the Israelites seemed to gain strength and advantage.
“I cannot keep this up long enough for the battle to be won.” Exhausted, Moses’ hands dropped to his sides.
“Here!” Aaron called to Hur. “Help me move this rock.” They rolled and shoved the rock until it was at the crest of the hill overlooking the battle. “Sit, my brother, and we’ll hold your hands up!” Aaron took his right arm and Hur his left and they held them up. As the hours wore on, Aaron’s muscles trembled and burned from the effort, but his heart remained strong as he watched the battle below. The Israelites were prevailing against their enemies. By sunset, Joshua had overcome the Amalekites and put them to the sword.
Moses rallied long enough to pile up rocks for an altar. “It will be called ‘The Lord Is My Banner.’ Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord today. They have dared to raise their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation. We must never forget what the Lord has done for us!”
When they returned to camp, Moses went into his tent to write the events meticulously on a scroll to be kept and read to Joshua and future generations.
When they set out from Rephidim and headed into the Desert of Sinai, a messenger came from Midian. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was on his way to meet him and was bringing Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
Miriam came into Aaron’s tent. “Where was Moses going in such a hurry?”
“His father-in-law is here with Zipporah and the boys.”
She hung the water bag. “She would’ve been better off staying in Midian.”
“A wife belongs with her husband, and sons belong with their father.”
“Does Moses have time for a wife when the people are always clamoring for his judgments? What time do you have for your own sons?”
Aaron broke bread with his family members each evening. He prayed with them. They talked about the events of the day and the blessings of the Lord. He rose, in no mood to listen to more of Miriam’s complaints about what might happen in the days ahead. She liked managing his household. All well and good. He would leave her to her duties. But there was room enough for everyone beneath God’s canopy.
Miriam made a sound of disgust. “The woman cannot even speak our language.”
Aaron did not point out that Miriam had not helped Zipporah while they lived beneath the same roof in Egypt. Zipporah would learn Aramaic just as Moses had, and so would Moses’ sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
Joshua came to Aaron’s tent. “Moses’ father-in-law has brought offerings and sacrifices to God. Moses said to come with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with them in the presence of God.”
So, was Joshua now acting as Moses’ spokesman?
When Aaron arrived at Jethro’s camp, he was gratified to see Moses’ smile. It had been a long time since his brother had been so happy. Zipporah did not take her eyes from Moses, but she looked thinner than Aaron remembered. Gershom and Eliezer were speaking rapidly in their mother’s tongue as they vied for their father’s attention. They looked more Midianite than Hebrew. That would change, given new circumstances. He watched his brother hug his sons against him, speaking tenderly to them.
For all the familiarity and affection between
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