The Value of a Supporting Role

I want to give you a little background for today’s scripture from Exodus 17.

The Amalekites were a fierce desert tribe, unhappy about strangers coming into their territory and they became one of Israel’s enemies in the early periods of their history. Shortly after the Exodus, as recounted in today’s passage, the Amalekites attacked Israel, but Israel succeeded in repulsing the attack. The battle took place at Rephidim – the last stopping-place of the Israelites on the Exodus from Egypt before they reached Mt. Sinai. The enmity between the Israelites and Amalekites became so deep that it lasted for generations.  Listen:

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March 9, 2014
Exodus 17:8-13, The Value of a Supporting Role
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
[vimeo 88651344 w=500&h=375]

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[powerpress]

“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 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.”

When I was a junior and senior at Colby College I was Head Resident of a residence hall.  That means I kind of looked after the students in my hall, arranged fun events, listened to folks who were having trouble, and had to enforce the rules about quiet hours and other things. Telling drunken college students they had to be quiet or that the party was over was not an easy part of the job. But I had an advantage no other Head Resident on campus had. My roommate Greg, was a hockey player and was arguably the toughest, most intimidating guy at Colby, and he didn’t mind mixing it up. While I have never intimidated or frightened anyone in my life, people knew when I came to tell them it was time to be quiet that I had support behind me that, while usually not even mentioned, they didn’t want to confront.

When we met as freshman roommates at Colby, Greg and I were by most outward appearances, very different people.  He was Irish-Catholic, tough, street smart, fairly frequent with profanity and could do 70 push-ups in a minute.  I was sheltered, built like a pencil, and somewhat resembling Richie Cunningham from the 70’s TV show Happy Days.

Our friendship developed quickly we came to like and respect each other. We had talks late into the night about religion and faith, sports, girls, and school. One night, after a little over a month at Colby, we were talking in our dark room as we each lay in our beds. Greg asked me if anyone was giving me any trouble and I said no. Greg said to me, “If anyone ever gives you any _____, let me know and I’ll beat the _____ out of ‘em.” 

That remains one of the single most precious expressions of support and friendship that I have ever had or ever will have in my life. That was Greg’s way of telling me that I mattered to him and that he cared for me and would support me and even fight my battles with me or for me if necessary. When someone says they will fight for you, support you, when they hold up your arms – you never forget it and you deeply appreciate it. We all need people like that in our life. We all can be people like that for others. That is how God’s will is accomplished in and through us. That’s what the story from Exodus tells us.

Israel is threatened with destruction and for God’s will to be done trustworthy human leadership is needed along with active community defense and people literally willing to lend a hand. It’s a combination of divine and human energies that is decisive. If any person were missing or failed to do their part – the cause would have been lost. It is a true team effort.

Moses was the primary leader of the Israelites in their Exodus from Egypt, during their wanderings in the wilderness, and as mediator of the law. In addition to all that, now he has to direct their war with the Amalekites. Without his leadership, inspiration and vision – the Israelites would never have made it as far as they did.

Joshua, who we meet here for the first time, is ordered to pick men and to go out and fight and he is obedient to the leader in authority over him. Without the determination and physical courage of Joshua and the warriors – the Israelites might have been destroyed.

The Staff of God…was a symbol of Moses’ leadership and evidence of the God’s authority for his actions. With the staff of God Moses had performed wonders in Egypt and even instructed Aaron to use his staff for similar purposes (Ex. 4:1-5, 7:8-24, 14:16). At the beginning of Ex. 17:1-7, Moses struck a rock with the staff of God and provided water for the Israelites in the wilderness. The staff of God represents the power and presence of God with God’s people in their time of need. Unlike all the other instances of its use (at the Red Sea, striking the rock at Horeb for water), the outstretched staff in the hand of Moses is not immediately fully effective during the battle. When he holds up his arms and the staff, the Israelites prevail, whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites seized the initiative.

Moses’ hands grew weary – the weight of leadership is weighing him down, his strength is waning, he is getting older after all. Fortunately, Moses is not alone. Along with Moses on the top of the hill are Aaron and Hur. Aaron – was Moses’ brother, a leader during Israel’s early days and the first of its high priests. Hur – was another leader who held up the arms of Moses and helped Aaron to judge the people while Moses went up to Mt. Sinai in Exodus 24:14. Those are the only two times Hur is mentioned.  The success of the battle depended on Moses’ holding up his hands, which he did thanks to Aaron and Hur. We shouldn’t discount and I don’t know that we can overestimate the value of a supporting role. Our success is in many ways dependent upon the support of others. Many committed, faithful, loyal people like our staff secretaries Cindy Caldwell and Sandy Light, our Church Administrator Jane Wallbrown, our pastors, sextons, Financial Manager, and our many terrific lay leaders help to hold up my arms every week. Truly any success I’ve had in ministry is because of Jill holding up my arms in so many ways. Nathan and Greg have given of their time and talents too. Having support makes a big difference in life.

A newly ordained preacher and his young wife were talking about being more supportive and considerate of each other. The wife promised she would stop being so critical of his sleep-inducing sermons. He, in return, promised to honor her privacy and stop looking through her dresser drawers. The preacher was true to his word, never looking through his wife’s dresser drawers, and the good wife was never openly critical of her husband’s sermons. Their marriage progressed smoothly.

After 50 years, their children gave a great party to celebrate the golden anniversary of the preacher and his wife.  Many people came to congratulate the happy couple and showered them with gifts. That evening as they were putting their anniversary gifts away, the preacher saw that his wife had left one dresser drawer slightly open.  He tried as hard as he could to withstand the temptation, but he finally opened the drawer and looked inside. There he found 3 eggs, and $10,000, in bills of varied denominations.  He was greatly puzzled by this, and went to question his wife.

“Oh,” she said. “Well, you remember when we spoke of being more supportive and considerate of each other all those years ago?”

The preacher, feeling profoundly guilty, answered, “Yes.” “Well,” she continued, “I promised to stop criticizing your boring sermons, but every time you gave a sermon that was a real snoozer, I put an egg in that drawer.”

The preacher smiled. “Well, that’s not so bad. 50 years of sermons and only 3 eggs! But what about all that money?”

His wife quietly responded, “Every time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them.” 

It’s hard when we feel like there is no one to help support us. When a spouse or loved one dies, we lose some one who has been holding up our arms and we feel weaker, more vulnerable, and our weaknesses are more exposed. That’s why it’s so important for us to have and to be – people who hold up arms and provide support. And this takes time. In the scripture, it takes time for Moses to become weary and for Aaron and Hur to figure out how they can be most helpful. It takes time for Joshua and the warriors to win the battle.

It even takes time for the staff to do its work (human beings may be harder to influence than water or rocks). The staff of God is not a magic stick – there is not lightning or power flowing from the staff, striking down the Amalekites in some Raiders of the Lost Ark fashion. Moses goes to the top of the hill during daylight hours to be an inspiration to the men fighting in the valley below. The sight of Moses with the staff of God in his hand surely was an encouragement and contributed to their morale and effectiveness as they fought and struggled.

This is the first battle the Israelites have fought since the Exodus. Moses standing with the staff on the hilltop assures Joshua and his men of Moses’ confidence that God is actively involved in their struggle. The struggle with the Amalekites which begins with this battle is not finished in a day. It would continue for generations. As one scholar observes, “Even for God, such things take time, given the divine way of working in and through historical realities and not always dependable people. The indispensable role of the human beings involved means that the outcome of the stages along the way is not predetermined.”[1] The staff of God is only effective as the people involved do their part. Victory and success are the result of the interaction and mutual support of the leadership of Moses, the obedience and courage of Joshua and the warriors, the wisdom and practical support of Aaron and Hur, and the staff of God – symbolizing God’s presence and power at work among God’s people.

Last Sunday, as always, the Academy Awards presented Oscars to the Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. These awards are given to the people who aren’t always the best known or biggest stars, who don’t necessarily have household names or make the largest salaries. They often are forgotten after the awards. But without them, a movie wouldn’t be as good, without them, the stars wouldn’t have anyone to play off.

We live in a culture of celebrity, we follow stars, we want to be #1, to be the best, we want to be Best Actress, Best Actor – I don’t know many people who would describe their life’s aspiration to be Best Supporting Actor or Actress. It’s seen as a lesser achievement. But not everyone can be the star. Only two people can win the highest acting awards in a year. Frequently when someone wins an Academy Award they proceed to thank everyone under the sun until the music starts playing because so many people have contributed to their success. That is truly the way it is. Any success we achieve is likely due to the support of other people who enable us to do what we do best through sharing themselves and their time, energy, love, gifts, and sweat.

I began by telling you about my friend Greg. We ended up doing the same double major in American Studies and History, taking many classes together, helping each other study and excel. Greg and I forged a bond of friendship during our four years in college that exists all these years later, even though we don’t see each other as much as we’d like. Greg and I are friends to this day and he’s an Assistant Coach in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. We still support each other.

Ecclesiastes, the preacher, wrote, “And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” 

There is tremendous value in a supporting role. Who is holding up your arms?  Whose arms are you holding up?  God spoke through Isaiah 41:10 and said to people whose arms were weak and felt like the battle was lost:

“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God;

 I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” 

The most valuable supporting role of all is the one God plays for us in Christ.

God’s loving support for us is shown in no greater way than when Jesus had his arms lifted up and nailed to a cross so that we might be free to use our arms to love and support others in his name.

I wanted to speak about The Value of a Supporting Role today because our lead secretary Cindy Caldwell and her husband Fred are heading to Colorado Springs later this month. Cindy has been a fixture in our office at BBC for 14 ½ years. She has been a loyal, mature, dependable, unfailingly kind presence and a valued member of our staff. People who called the church or stopped in with questions or needing help always found in Cindy a gracious listening ear and a helping hand with their project or question. Cindy’s deep faith is appreciated by those of us who worked closely with her and we knew that when Cindy said she would pray for us about something that she would do so diligently.

Cindy didn’t want to be standing here today, she didn’t want any fuss or fanfare; however, it’s appropriate for us to acknowledge and thank her for her 14 ½ years of fine, faithful service and to give all of you a chance to express your appreciation for a job well done. We have a gift for Cindy and we hope you will use it to get something for your home that will remind you of your time with us at Brewster Baptist Church and how much we valued our service together in Christ’s name.

Blessing:   May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Questions for Reflection or Discussion

In Exodus 17 there are a number of different people we hear about who all play a role in victory being won: Moses, Aaron, Hur, Joshua, and the unnamed men who are engaged in the battle in the valley. How would you describe what each person contributes to the cause?

Each of us has been supported, encouraged, helped, and assisted at different times throughout our lives by family members, friend, teachers, and coaches. Each of us has the opportunity every day to be supportive, encouraging, helpful, and to assist others.

Who are you supporting? Who are you helping to achieve success, to see the power of God at work, whose hands are you holding up?

Who is supporting you? Can you identify any people in your life and in your circle of relationships who are helping to hold up your hands and fighting for you?

Take a few moments and compose a list of names of people whose support meant a great deal to you throughout your life. How many people can you identify, remember, and put on your list?

Consider writing at least one person on your list to let them know of your appreciation for their support.