真正決勝的戰役 (關國瑞牧師)
在世上戰爭是免不了的，神有時候就透過戰爭來讓我們學習如何去倚靠他。今天的經文是描述以色列人在離開埃及之後的第一場戰役。他們在埃及幾百年都沒有經歷過戰爭，自由自在過著和平的日子，沒想到敵人會來攻擊他們。那時他們埋怨，神就回應他們，但是他們對戰爭毫無經驗。對這個戰役，在今天的經文中：
一、沒有記載爭戰的人數，「因為耶和華使人得勝，不在乎人多人少。」(撒上14:6)
二、沒有記載爭戰的方式，「因為爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華。」(撒上17:47)
三、詳細記載了摩西在山上的舉手，這是禱告嗎？
每個成功興旺的教會人才及各種條件都不一樣，但有一樣肯定相同的，他們一定都倚靠禱告。爭戰的勝敗，和屬靈事工的必須，唯一相同的是禱告！
出埃及記 17:8-16 (和合本)
- 那時，亞瑪力人來在利非訂，和以色列人爭戰。
- 摩西對約書亞說：「你為我們選出人來，出去和亞瑪力人爭戰。明天我手裡要拿著神的杖，站在山頂上。」
- 於是約書亞照著摩西對他所說的話行，和亞瑪力人爭戰。摩西、亞倫與戶珥都上了山頂。
- 摩西何時舉手，以色列人就得勝；何時垂手，亞瑪力人就得勝。
- 但摩西的手發沉，他們就搬石頭來，放在他以下，他就坐在上面。亞倫與戶珥扶著他的手，一個在這邊，一個在那邊，他的手就穩住，直到日落的時候。
- 約書亞用刀殺了亞瑪力王和他的百姓。
- 耶和華對摩西說：「我要將亞瑪力的名號從天下全然塗抹了，你要將這話寫在書上做紀念，又念給約書亞聽。」
- 摩西築了一座壇，起名叫耶和華尼西，
- 又說：「耶和華已經起了誓，必世世代代和亞瑪力人爭戰。」
Exodus 17:8-16 (NIV)
- The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
- 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.”
- So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
- As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
- 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.
- So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
- 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.”
- Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.
- He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”