THE KING’S BUSINESS
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reminder of former deliverances), over looked the struggle from a hill top. That rod was like the cross of Constantine with its legend, “By this conquer” ; when Moses' hand slackened the battle went against Is rael, when it was upraised against Amalek. Therefore Aaron and Hur supported the arms of the “man of God,” and Amalek was routed. We should join our faith and prayer, for “where two or three ask any thing it shall be done.” Thus, too. it is made clear that “the battle is the Lord’s.” For this reason Moses built an altar and called it “Jehovah Nissi” (my banner). And Jehovah recorded His vowr “I will utterly destroy Amalek,” and declared war against him “from generation to genera tion.” Amalek is the type of the flesh, the enemy of God and His people (Rom. 8:8). “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5:17). It hinders our progress and can be overcome only Iby the rod of God and prayer, through the Captaincy of Jesus. Joshua (Jesus) led the battle, for Moses (the Law) cannot overcome the flesh (being weak through the flesh) but “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” can (Rom. 8:2, 3). Therefore Amalek and its king were doomed to total destruction (2 Sam. 15:1-3). Saul the willful and fleshly would have spared Agag, but Samuel slew him. It is Amalek or Is rael that must perish. Haman, the Agagite (Esther 3:1, 10), who seems to have been the last of the Amalekites, nearly annihi lated the Jews (Esther 3:7-15), and we see Jehovah’s judgment of the flesh in Haman and his ten sons on a gallows fifty cubits high (Esther 7:9, 10; 9:14). III. J ethro ’ s C ounsel .— 18:13-27. This chapter shows how litigious a peo ple Israel was; how busy a man Moses was, and how ready to discharge his office at any personal inconvenience; also how ready he was to heed reasonable advice. The first step was taken to organize Is rael’s national unity, into thousands, hun dreds, fifties and tens, with “able” men over them. Such an organization of the Chris
tian forces, with officials held to account, for the edification of the Church and the evangelization of the world would work wonders. The Mormon grip is due much to this. Moses, like Moody, learned rather to “put ten men at work than to do ten men’s work.” IV. A t S inai .— 19:1-25. The Camp. The way through the can yon to the Mount of the Law (Horeb) is described as an avenue to an immense sanctuary, between solemn, silent, awe-in spiring monuments; and as opening into a broad plain, inclosed by mountainous cliffs and peaks, with watered and verdant wadies intersecting;' and Horeb rising abruptly, a massive altar of stone; the whole place a cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of bishops. This spot, there on the Peninsula today, fills the demands of the story, and there is no other in the region. Here the millions of Israel could find en campment, water, and pasture; here was the abrupt mountain pile that “might be touched” ; here the summits to flame with lightning flashes, and to hurl to and fro from peak to peak the reverberating thun ders; here the sanctuary where * * * from above the Voice might utter the dear and far heard sentences of the law; and here the heights where Moses and Joshua might hear the shouting, and whence, emerging round the cliff, the shameful apostasy of the people might be seen, and the tables of the broken covenant be hurled (Exod. 32:17-19). And so the Lord God made the mountains to stand, silent monuments of the ages, incontestable wit nesses to the truth of His inspired record. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and dark ness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: . . . . but ye are come unto mount Sion, • . . and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.—Hebrews 12:18-24.
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