DEFEAT DISCOURAGEMENT

Text: Exodus 17:8-16

Civil War soldiers placed great importance on the flags of their regiments, and men would sacrifice their lives defending a regimental flag to protect it from capture by the enemy.

Soldiers strongly believed they represented their home state (or even their local region in the state), and much of the morale of Civil War units was focused on that pride. And a state regiment typically carried its own flag into battle. Soldiers took a great deal of pride in those flags. The regimental battle flags were always treated with great reverence.

Because the regimental flags had genuine strategic importance in battle, designated teams of soldiers, known as the color guard, carried them. Often two other soldiers were assigned to guard the color bearers.

Being a color bearer was considered a mark of great distinction and it required a soldier of extraordinary bravery. The job was to carry the flag where the regimental officers directed, while unarmed and under fire. Most importantly, color bearers had to face the enemy and never break and run in retreat, or the entire regiment might follow.

Histories of the Civil War contain countless stories about regimental flags being protected in battle. Often the stories around the flag will recount how a color bearer was wounded or killed, and other men would pick up the fallen flag.

According to popular legend, eight men of the 69th New York Volunteer Infantry (part of the legendary Irish Brigade) were either wounded or killed carrying the regimental flag during the charge on the Sunken Road at Antietam in September 1862.

With the regimental flags generally in the middle of the fighting, there was always the possibility that a flag could be captured. To a Civil War soldier, the loss of a regimental flag was a colossal disgrace. The entire regiment would feel shamed if the flag was captured and carried away by the enemy.

The enemy of DISCOURAGEMENT may allow us to lose our flag in battle, but with our staff in our hand we must fight the good fight of faith and take it to Jesus over in the Glory Land!

I. You will DEFEAT DISCOURAGEMENT when you…Recognize the LORD as your ADVOCATE

Exodus 17:8 ‍Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.‍

Amalek (valley dweller, a depression) was a descendant of Esau’s son who fought with Israel (God prevails)

Ÿ Distant cousins, they fought like the Hatfields and McCoys

Ÿ Discouragement is a cousin to sin that keeps Believers down

Ÿ Discouraged, Israel complained to Moses for water

Ÿ He smote the rock that brought forth water for them to drink

Rephidim = “resting places”. a station of Israel in the wilderness between Egypt and Sinai. (Strong)

Ÿ While they rested they came under attack again

Ÿ It’s just like the enemy to fight us when we have been complaining

Ÿ God sent the Amalekites to bring strife as Israel gave Moses

When you murmur and complain he’ll send discouragement

Exodus 17:9 ‍And Moses said unto Joshua‍‍, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. ‍

Ÿ Moses was the prophet and lawgiver whose name means “drawn”

Ÿ He was not only “drawn from the water, but drawn to GOD”

Ÿ The rod was used as a banner to encourage the warriors of God

Ÿ God used the rod of Moses to show signs to his people

Ÿ It was the symbol of their deliverance over the Egyptians

Aaron’s rod (serpent) swallowed up the Egyptian serpents

The rod was used to turn the water to blood

The rod was used to turn the dust into lice

The rod was used to send thunder, hail and fire

The rod was used to bring the plague of locusts

The rod was used to part the sea and cross on dry land

The rod was used to bring water from the rock in Horeb

It tends much to the encouragement of faith to reflect upon the great things God has done for us, and review the monuments of his favours. (Henry, M.)

Ÿ Joshua (Jehovah is salvation) was his successor in training

Ÿ He was given the task to choose men to fight in the battle

Ÿ Moses chose to stand on a hill with the rod of God in hand

The rod should remind you that God is in control of the situation

Exodus 17:10‍So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.‍

Ÿ While Joshua went forth into battle the others would intercede on behalf of God’s chosen people

Ÿ God calls some of us be warriors while others are intercessors

Moses was not only a standard-bearer, but an intercessor, pleading with God for success and victory. (Henry, M.)

Ÿ Aaron (light bringer),brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.

Ÿ Hur (hole) a chief assistant to Moses went along to the hilltop

We have a great high priest who is our advocate that will stand in the gap and plead for us before a holy GOD (1 John 2:1)

II. You will DEFEAT DISCOURAGEMENT when you… Rely on the WORD as your ASSISTANT

Exodus 17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.‍

Ÿ When the rod was lifted Israel prevailed

Ÿ We must keep our eyes on the prize to be victorious

Ÿ Intercessory prayer uplifts those engaged in battle

Ÿ Although the battle is the Lord’s the enemy may prevail at times

The church’s cause is, commonly, more or less successful according as the church’s friends are more or less strong in faith and fervent in prayer. (Henry, M.)

When you fail to pray the word of God, the valleys will overwhelm you

Exodus 17:12a ‍But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon;

Heavy translates: hard, difficult, burdensome, very oppressive. (Strong)

Ÿ Moses did not have the strength to continue alone

Ÿ Intercessory prayer is met with difficulty over a period of time

Ÿ Prayer is hard work “the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41)

Praying the word will help you fight the good fight of faith

Exodus 17:12b …and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.‍

Ÿ unable to hold out alone Moses received help from these two men

Ÿ we must be willing to ask for help in time of trouble

we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:5)

Ÿ One member may give prophecy while another may minister, one may teach, one may exhort or encourage, one may gives or one may show compassion.

Ÿ To see Joshua in battle and Moses on the hill must have been encouraging to the congregation of Israel

Christ is both to us—our Joshua, the captain of our salvation who fights our battles, and our Moses, who, in the upper world, ever lives making intercession, that our faith fail not. (Henry, M.)

Praying for one another gives us strength to overcome discouragement

Exodus 17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.‍

Ÿ Joshua’s army consisted of men who were like many of us

Ÿ They were undisciplined and barely armed

Ÿ accustomed to bondage and mistreatment by the Egyptians

Ÿ given to murmur and complain about their circumstances

Ÿ but God disables, defeats and downs the enemy to the ground

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every

tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their

righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)

Though God gave the victory, yet it is said, Joshua discomfited Amalek, because Joshua was a type of Christ, and of the same name, and in him it is that we are more than conquerors. (Henry, M.)

Ÿ As we arm ourselves with his word in us we have the victory

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through

God to the pulling down of strong holds; (2 Corinthians 10:4)

It is the word of God that is your weapon of warfare against discouragement

III. You will DEFEAT DISCOURAGEMENT when you…Raise the LAMB as your ALLIANCE

Exodus 17:14a ‍And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua:

Ÿ It is a good thing to keep a written record of the Lord’s victories

Ÿ We need reminders from time to time of what the Lord has done

Ÿ This will encourage us when we are faced with similar situations

Ÿ The Lord will not forsake his chosen people

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)

Ÿ The written record is for future generations

Ÿ Our children and our children’s children will read it

Ÿ Let it be known to all generations that God will fight for his people

The fact we have read it today is a testimony to the word of the Lord

Exodus 17:14b …for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

Ÿ Valley dwellers will not be found in the kingdom of heaven

The Amalekites are unknown historically and archaeologically outside of the Bible except for traditions which themselves apparently rely on biblical accounts. (New World Encyclopedaia)

Exodus 17:15 ‍And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi‍:

Ÿ Moses took charge of giving God the glory for the victory

Ÿ He built an altar to honor the LAMB that would be slain

Ÿ An altar is a place of sacrifice where we must let everything go

Ÿ We must sacrifice the praise of men for the praise of God

Ÿ The altar was inscribed Jehovahnissi‍: (that is, The LORD my banner)

The presence and power of Jehovah were the banner under which they enlisted, by which they were animated and kept together, and therefore which they erected in the day of their triumph. In the name of our God we must always lift up our banners. (Henry, M.)

Ÿ Consider the words of the psalm writer, David:

We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. (Psalm 20:5)

When you uplift the Lamb in your battle he receives the praise

Exodus 17:16 ‍For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

This was written for direction to Israel never to make any league with the Amalekites, but to look upon them as irreconcilable enemies, doomed to ruin. Amalek’s destruction was typical of the destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom.

Ÿ The church is to make no alliance with the enemy of discouragement

Ÿ It is an enemy that is doomed to be annihilated

Ÿ Every generation has had a battle with the spirit of discouragement

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

It is the church triumphant that will never lose its power over discouragement by retaining an allegiance to the LAMB that was slain! For Worthy is the lamb to receive glory, honor and power.