Moses, Aaron and Hur

As I read through Exodus (and I am really enjoying it) this passage once again got my attention.
Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (Ex.17:10-13)

As someone who participated in an Eastern Orthodox wedding ceremony and had to hold a crown over the groom’s head for about an hour, I understand the difficulty Moses must have had in keeping his arms up. As a Christian trying to live in obedience to my Lord, I understand how extremely difficult it is to be victorious in this pursuit. Only a fool believes that he will succeed in the Christian life apart from the community of other disciples. And even a greater fool thinks he can lead others to victory without other believers supporting and leading him. As much as I affirm the personal element of our faith – personal commitment to Jesus, personal spiritual disciplines and such – it must be complimented by participation in community. None of us can keep our hands raised all day long. We need someone to fetch a rock so we can sit down and someone else to support our arms while the battle is still going. Our family has been part of a small group in our church. In the short few months that we have been meeting together, there has already been a lot of rock moving and hand propping. And, I like to think, a couple victories.