His Staff Is Our Comfort , Sarah Susan

Exodus 17:11-13, “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 Amalekites army with the sword.”

Usually people are very tensed in battles, no one knows what the outcome will be…..Their life is in jeopardy…severe danger /hazard …In the battlefield, the men fighting are at the heights of stress and tension/ agony. Ultimate aim is to defeat and destroy the enemy..No matter what …..But the Israelites had great comfort, even in the face of the fierce battle, the savage war that they all were being supported by prayer …What a privilege, it was for the Israelites that they had a leader who was upholding them all in prayer –intercessory prayer…Though all the others were perishing in tension, these people had great source of comfort ….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” Moses assured Joshua and all his fighting men that he would stand on their behalf with the staff of GOD in his hands….the staff of God which parted the Red Sea; the staff when struck the rock and water gushed out and quenched the thirst of lakhs of the Israelites; the staff when stretched, God sent an east wind which brought locusts that invaded Egypt …This staff in Moses hands was anointed by God to perform endless miracles and finally God delivered Israel from bondage of Egypt….

Now we are also in continuous warfare /battle with the dark forces, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”, Ephesians 6:12 …Though it seems terrible, we have a great intercessor… Indeed we are more privileged than the Israelites …since we have a high priest who can sympathize with all our weaknesses, whose hands never grow tired, whose hands need not be held by any other person….This intercessor intercedes for us round the clock …Hebrews 7:25, “He was a priest not on the basis of relation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of indestructible life“… The staff in his hands -the cruel cross of Calvary on which he died, gives us great peace.

David summarizes his total life in brief and sweet Psalm 23 where he narrates his experiences .”Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil …Thy rod and thy staff comfort me”,  Psalms 23 Right, David does not speak of the valley of death but “valley of shadow of death” ….It is a continuous process…The shadow of death or following of death throughout our life…Amidst this frightful/horrifying encounters also, His staff is our comfort … While the rod disciplines, the staff comforts….A staff in the hand of a shepherd is of great importance in taking care/managing/administering the sheep..

Also it is used by people to lean upon…It is a comfort to have something to lean upon when you cannot stand the situation…Genesis 47:31 speaks of an old ,exhausted person, Israel who worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff …Yes, this staff provides endless relief and solace ..So the staff in the hands of Moses which symbolizes the Cross of our Lord Jesus is our great comfort /consolation/ solace /satisfaction and we are more than conquerors,  even in the most dreadful valley !  “But Thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”, 1Corinthians 15:57 by Sarah Susan