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Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

Jethro had an open heart, a soft heart, a prepared heart. He delighted to hear the good news – the salvation story.

Some years ago I read a book entitled, ‘Mine to share’ by Gavin Reid. He argued that effective evangelism occurs when a ‘seeker’ meets a ‘sharer’; i.e, good things can happen when someone with an open heart runs into someone who is prepared to speak the gospel. In terms of the argument of that book, I think we can say that in Exodus 18 a ‘seeker’ meets a ‘sharer.’

‘…the salvation of Israel is the salvation of the world, and the experiences of the redeemed are a testimony to the world.’ Alec Motyer: ‘The message of Exodus’, p.186.

PRAYER: Lord, may it be on this Good Friday, and over this Easter week-end, that many a seeker encounters many a sharer. Cause conversions to take place, and bring many a Jethro into the Israel of God.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.’

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.

Moses added his own verbal testimony to what we might call the visual testimony of his sons (and their names). He didn’t talk about himself and his leadership achievements; he spoke about the Lord.

I remember David Pawson telling a story about hearing a ‘Salvation Army’ girl give her testimony in an open air service. He realised, as he reflected on it, that she never once used the word “I”, but simply spoke about ‘Jesus’ and what He had done for her. May we be so full of the Lord that our witness is just the overflow of that fullness, and He spills out everywhere.

I overheard two men in conversation in a Spanish hotel some years ago. One of them, an American, was telling the other how he had ‘seen God.’ Even though I only caught a fragment, I sensed the overflow of a full heart – not just words. ‘Rivers of living water’ were flowing

By the way, I note in verse 7 Moses’ courtesy towards Jethro. Whoever we are witnessing to, be it members of our families, friends, neighbours, work colleagues or complete outsiders, let us treat them with utter respect, as those made in God’s image. We owe this to them, whether or not they believe.

But, thank God, Jethro did!

After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, ‘I have become a foreigner in a foreign land’; 4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, ‘My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.’

We have no record in the Bible that Moses had sent Zipporah and her sons to Midian, but the Bible doesn’t tell us everything, and we mustn’t misunderstand its silences. Zipporah and the children would have been safe in Midian, but it was now time for the family to be reunited.

I note that Moses had written his testimony into the names of his children. It is important not only to teach our children the truths we believe, but also to tell them about our walk with God, and of His goodness to us. Moses enshrined these things in their names. In fact, their two names together succinctly told his story.

May God help us find creative ways to share our stories about Him. There is such magnetic power in personal testimony.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

I suppose we could say Jethro heard the gospel (Romans 10:14).

‘This chapter is one of the points where we suddenly become aware of the wider world in which our redeemed brothers and sisters, the church of the Old Testament, made their pilgrimage…suddenly, in the person of Jethro, ‘the world out there’ walked right into the centre of Israel’s camp.’ Alec Motyer: ‘The message of Exodus’, pp.185,186. As Motyer goes on to say, Jethro is an example of a Gentile becoming a fellow-member of God’s people and fellow-inheritor of His promises (Ephesians 2:11-22).

It has been pointed out that Exodus chapters 17,18 reflect two aspects of the church’s relationship to the world. In 17:8-13 the world opposes and must be resisted (cf.Phil.1:28), and in 18:3 the world is won by the sharing of saving truth.

God never intended His people to hold the blessing tight to their chests, but to open-heartedly and open-handedly share it with the world (Genesis 12:1-3). The church is to so reflect Christ’s light that many are attracted to this light.

Prayer: Lord God, may the attention of the world come to be arrested by you and your work

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’

15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, ‘Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’

We have spent much of this last week in this passage. Whenever I come back to it, I always feel it has something abidingly significant to say to the church about prayer. It stirs something very deep within me that I can’t always adequately put into words, but I know it’s important.

So let’s reprise the whole story before we move on, and here’s a final observation on it from Alec Motyer:

Jesus ‘ trembled in Gethsemane (Mark 14:33) and though stepping into the arena of extreme trial and suffering, never trembled again. The disciples slept in Gethsemane and never stopped trembling thereafter. Or, in better words, the Lord in Gethsemane made the place of trembling the place of prayer; they were called to prayer but refused the call. Without prayer nothing will bring victory. The essential battle is the battle for the secret place.’ (Emphasis mine).‘The message of Exodus’, p.163.

PRAYER: Lord, I confess that I admire the idea of prevailing prayer, and I have great respect for the intercessors I know (or have heard about); but I also know that prayer can be hard work and demanding to engage in. Help me to overcome my reticence, please, and enable me to seek you with all my heart.

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’

15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, ‘Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’

The intercession battle may have been long and tiring, but the prayer victory was total.

I read recently some words of Martin Luther that seem pertinent: ‘None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience.’

Alec Motyer says verse 16 should be translated literally like this: “For (there is) a hand upon the throne of Yahweh.” The uplifted hand touching the throne, may also cause us to think about the moment when Esther touched the golden sceptre of her husband, the king (Esth.5:1,2). Motyer writes: ‘It was this ‘touching of the throne’ which brought the help the Israelites needed (11; cf.Heb.4:14-16) and was met with the response that the Lord would never cease to be the enemy of those who sought to hinder his pilgrims’ onward march (15; cf.1 Sam. 15:1-9).’ ‘The message of Exodus’, p.163.

There is maybe the double thought that the Amalekites raised their hands in animosity against God’s Throne, but Moses raised his hands in prayer.

Note that none of the people heavily involved in this fight (whether in the valley or on the mountain top) took any credit for the glorious outcome.They did not build monuments to themselves. Rather they gave the credit to God. The victory was His, and it was overwhelming.

There is some wisdom in the counsel to:

‘Work as if it all depends on you, and pray as if it all depends on God.’

‘Work as if it all depends on you’ – there is much work to be done;

‘Pray as if it all depends on God’ – because it does!

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

‘If you do not pray except when you feel like praying, you will not pray much, nor pray when you most need it.’ C.H. Spurgeon.

As we saw yesterday, in this battle – the only one recorded in Exodus – the victory was dependant upon the uplifted hands of Moses. Although this symbolism is not explained in its context, there is no need to think it means anything different to its usual use elsewhere in the Old Testament. It is the customary gesture of prayer or praise (Neh.8:6; Pss.28:2; 63;4; 134:2; 141:2).

The prayer battle can be exhausting. It can take it out of you. How we thank God for those who ‘hold up our hands’ in prayer – those who willingly offer prayer support. We need each other. We may instinctively feel that Moses and Joshua play the lead roles in this drama, but let’s not forget the ‘support cast’. Aaron and Hur did such an important job. You don’t have to be prominent to be significant. Every member of the church is needed. You may not ‘win the Oscar’, but those who do receive such plaudits know, if they are honest, how much they owe to a whole team. (Think about how long it takes to roll the credits at the end of a film: so many people involved who played a part but who will never be famous. Nevertheless, their names, and their contributions matter).

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill (11);

So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword (13).

Here is the power of prevailing prayer.

I believe that although all Christians are called to pray, some are called to a very deep place in prayer  – a place beyond just ‘saying prayers’. That is not to belittle saying prayers by the way. Paul writes that there are “all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). It’s a matter of the Spirit’s leading and equipping (see the first part of Eph.6:18). But in my view, if you read for example, the book about Rees Howells: ‘Intercessor’, you will see that some individuals like him, are led into this deep place. There is something attractive about it, but you are not long into such a season of prayer before you are aware of being in an intense battle. It’s not easy and can be exhausting, as we will see tomorrow.

Nevertheless, let’s not miss the point that this story illustrates the power of such prevailing prayer.

‘The fight may have taken place in the valley but the victory was won on the mountain (10b-12). Joshua did the fighting and conquered the enemy (10a, 13), but it was Moses who won the battle (11-12). This is not to say that the battle in the valley was not ‘real’ and costly…’

However…

‘The sustained prayer of Moses was the secret ingredient securing the military victory of Joshua. This…is an abiding scriptural truth, as the hymn expresses it:

Work as if on that alone hung the issue of the day;

Pray that help may be sent down: watch and pray.’ (Alec Motyer: ‘The message of Exodus’, pp.162, 163).

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.

There are tests that come our way not only in terms of lack, need and shortage, but also in the form of direct attack.

‘There is no such thing in the Bible as easy progress, victory without cost, or access on earth to some supposed higher life where striving sacrificially against foes inside and out is a thing of the past. Such will be heaven, but not earth.’ Alec Motyer: ‘The message of Exodus’, p.162.

In this situation Moses knew who he was and what he was called to do. May we be found in the right place at the right time, and it will not be the same place for us all. It is sadly possible to want to be someone other than God has made you, and to be somewhere other than where He places you. Other people’s roles can appear attractive and we can envy their ‘ministries.’ But it’s a good thing Moses did not try to be Joshua and Joshua did not try to be Moses. Moses had insight into what needed to be done and who needed to do it.