The man stood on the hilltop.
He lifted his arms, his palms up towards the blue sky, and watched the battle begin to rage in the valley beneath him.
Perhaps the sun was strong that day; if it was, then it beat down on his shoulders with a merciless heat as the first hour passed by. Perhaps a few clouds passed by and dropped some rain, and he turned his face upward to catch some cool drops. Perhaps there was a wind, a slight breeze that carried up the sounds of clashing metal and thudding footsteps.
Whatever the weather was like, his arms soon started aching. His muscles began to burn as if a fire had been lit along them, slowly consuming every strained fiber as it went. Soon they faltered, and his hands came down for a short moment of rest. And the battle below turned for the worse. Israelite soldiers who had been gaining ground suddenly found themselves surrounded by sharp swords and ruthless attackers. The Amalekites surged forward with a cheer — and the Israelites answered with their own fierce push as Moses’ hands went up again.
Who knows how many such moments it took for Aaron and Hur to finally catch on?
Aaron’s eyes must have flown back and forth from the battle to Moses’ hands, breathless as the movement of his brother’s staff matched stage-for-stage the outcome of the battle in the valley. When there was no longer a shadow of a doubt, they must have hurried as fast as their legs would take them to roll a stone out for Moses to sit on. Whatever happened, those hands had to stay up!
It must have been quite a sight to see on that hilltop, had any of the soldiers lifted their eyes. Three men, one sitting, two holding up each of his hands with all their might, hour after endless hour until the sun went down (see Exodus 17:8-13). Maybe the psalmist thought in part of this historic moment when he wrote, “I lift my eyes up to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2). Hands on a hill up, help from heaven down.
It’s certainly what I was thinking of now as I tried out the same thing. Well, that, and “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Heb. 12:12). Moses may not have known what lactic acid was, but I do. And I can still feel it. But what gets me is, I don’t know how many hilltops I’ve stood on with my hands hanging by my side, watching a battle rage in the valley below — sometimes not my own — and stood helpless. Clueless. Or worse, indifferent.
“Bear up the hands that hang down,” John Wesley said, “by faith and prayer, support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.”
This is a workout that I need more badly than those 33-minute rounds on the elliptical. And, dare I say, one with far more significant results.
By Amy at Sharing a Cuppa
Leave a Comment
Abbie says
“watching a battle … and stood helpless”
I’ve been there – and several times recently – where I’ve felt helpless in a situation, forgetting the most powerful thing I can do is pray. God is powerful. Why do we forget that?
Amy at Sharing A Cuppa says
I’m sure there are myriad answers to that question from my life alone… but you made me think of certain entries in my journal (spaced out over time) that say, “PRAYER WORKS!” It’s the astonishment of a child with an upturned face… thankful that her Father hears.
Hopefully it’s a lesson that will sink in deeply this year! 🙂
Heather @ At The Picket Fence says
Powerful thought provoking words Amy. How often have I been guilty of letting my (or others) hands hang” Thank you for your beautiful post this Sunday morning!
Hyacynth says
Wow. Such awesome scripture connections between the Psalms and the battle in exodus.
This is the kind of work out I need too. Your words are powerful and lasting in my mind. Thank you.
Kristi says
Thank you. Tears in my eyes as I know I have battles before me now!! Thank you!!!!
Amy at Sharing A Cuppa says
This humbled me so much, Kristi. Sent up a prayer for you this morning and thought of 2 Kings 6:15-17… thank *you* for being an encouragement to me, too!
Ugo Chris-Aluta says
Thank you for this wonderful piece. So many battles I’ve sat out and just watched…Father, forgive me.
kris says
This was so good.I was just readig those scriptures the other day. What a powerful reminder!yes, PRAYER WORKS!!! AMEN! great post.
Kristen@Chasing Blue Skies says
Amy, this is stunning. Your words are gentle but fiercely passionate~His power shines through! Lifting my hands with you, Sister! God bless and keep you and yours.
Emma says
Thank you so much for this! The timing of this blog post was incredible seeing as I’d made a decision only this morning to “hold up my hands as I watch a battle not my own”.
You have really encouraged me to keep praying as God IS indeed powerful and I only regret that it has taken me this long to lift my hands and watch Him work!
God is so good.
Margaret says
“I don’t know how many hilltops I’ve stood on with my hands hanging by my side, watching a battle rage in the valley below — sometimes not my own — and stood helpless.”
I love this story, but never thought of it like this. Thank you…
Tina says
Yes, God has given us the call to take up arms in our battles! I have never thought of it this way. Thank you, Amy for bringing this to my attention. I too have faced battles and stood there with my hands down and dumbfounded. I needed this! God Bless you!
Cameron Hovell says
This is blasphemy.
Amy says
Hi Cameron,
Thanks for taking the time to read the entry. I very much appreciate that you were concerned enough to leave the comment. Affirming those concerns, I want to say here that I am not in any way purporting to add to Scripture. Reading it over, however, I now see how it is possible for it to have been taken in such a manner.
The passage stands alone as truth, and the imagined details that I sketch above are strictly those — thoughts that came out of a simple-minded desire to view the event as a historical one, and not merely as a quaint Bible story, as I am sometimes apt to do. I am truly sorry that you found nothing edifying in it, and regret that you in fact found the opposite — something that caused alarm.
Thank you again for the check. It will make me look long and hard at the things I write in the future, and step carefully so as not to dishonor our Lord.