The Church In The Tabernacle ~ CHAPTER FOUR

THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, FOLLOWING THE CLOUD

Some great lessons on the leadership of the Holy Spirit for us today can be had from the experiences of Israel as they followed the cloud.

Moses was the man appointed to guide them, but he never led them apart or away from the cloud. The Ark of the Covenant was to be, when it was built, the most holy, thus, important article in their possession, but until the forty years were finished and they stood on the eastern bank of Jordan, across from Jericho, it moved in the middle of the line of march. It was always the cloud, which led the way.

Jesus said, Mat 18:20 " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." and, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Mat.28:20. Yet he also assured us of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

Baptists, like other religious groups, have men in their pasts of whom they are justly proud. However, we must not forget that the Lord's churches have not endured through the centuries by virtue of the strength of character of men, but we are still around because of this provision made by our Lord. Through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, he has not only maintained his presence with each local church, but has also provided a constant and unerring source of guidance and instruction. By this, His Church is still moving through the wilderness, heading for the Promised Land!

How readily the people forgot their blessings, their rejoicing and their victories! After the Red Sea, only three days passed and they began to murmur. Things were not the bed of roses they had envisioned.
Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Exo 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Exo 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Exo 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

How like so many that are young in the faith! Salvation is the greatest thing they have ever experienced . They entered service at the time of their baptism with zeal and determination which they were sure could never be diminished, but somehow things were not what they expected. The ones to whom they witness aren't eager to hear; The old temptations and desires suddenly try to come back to life. Something is wrong, but what is it?
The bitter waters of Marah pictured the first lesson the Holy Spirit would have us to learn. It is sad to think of the many who never find victory in their Christian lives because they can't seem to leave their figurative 'Marahs'.

After the event of the past few days it must have seemed devastating to the Israelites that anything could go wrong, but they suddenly find there are still obstacles to surmount. They still need God’s help!

Children of God still have a tendency to think, sometimes, that one or two victories make them invincible. Then, when something goes sour, it's so easy to think that something is wrong with the leadership He has provided.

What is the answer when the waters of life become bitter? The same as it was for them at Marah. God showed to Moses a tree. When the tree was cut down and cast into the water, the water became sweet.

Whatever the cause of the bitterness, there is a tree which can make them sweet again. It is that tree upon which our Lord suffered and died, the cross. It was not by accident that Paul spoke of the power of the cross in his own life, Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Though he accomplished many things in his life and ministry and had suffered more than most others are ever called upon to do, yet he learned that it was not only made bearable but joyful through the cross of Christ.
Phil 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The time of our passing from death into life and the occasion of following the Lord in Baptism and uniting with one of the Lord's churches and any other victories are all precious memories, but we must beware lest they cause us to become overconfident or filled with pride.
When we think that we have become all that God wants us to be, it is time to add the cross to our thinking. If we fail to do so, we are destined to sample the bitter waters again and again until the lesson is learned.

It seemed difficult for them to learn the complete dependence upon God for their needs. How easy it was to forget the great supply of the past, when faced with the needs of the present and immediate future!

When all seemed lost in Egypt God had provided the Passover;
When destruction seemed imminent at the Red Sea, God opened the waters;
When there was nothing to be had but the bitter water, He sweetened them.
Then just as they found themselves in the pleasant situation of water, shade and dates at the oasis of Elim, the cloud began to move!
Exo 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
Exo 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

Instead of the pleasant situation of Elam they find themselves in the desolate wilderness of Sin.
How soon they forgot the power God had manifested toward them in the past. Forgotten is the agony of their former slavery in Egypt! Instead they remember the food they had eaten as slaves. It seems inconceivable to us that they might desire to return to that life, but that is exactly what they desired to do, so great was their despair.
Exo 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Before we hastily condemn them for what we are sure we would never do, perhaps we should examine our own thoughts and actions. Have we not all experienced wild swings of spiritual mood?

Peter was, perhaps, the prime biblical example of this human trait being enacted in a child of God. From the determination of, [ "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples."] Mat.26:35, to the swing of the sword, which took off the ear of the servant of the high priest, to the denial with an oath, ["Mat 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Mat 26:71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew."] was but a few hours.

From the rejoicing over the empty tomb to the "I go a fishing." of John 21:3 was but a few days. Surely after all these experiences and then the great victorious day of Pentecost ,Peter would remain steadfast for the rest of his life! WRONG! This powerhouse of a preacher had his power short-circuited again by his own shortcomings as he denied the power of grace in his life and that of others by agreeing with the Judaizers of Antioch!

Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Have we not all had experiences of spiritual highs followed by the depths of despair?
How short was the trip from the Sunday service when God seemed so near and your heart seemed to sing with the music of heaven itself, to the trials of the work day world when everything went wrong and God seemed so far removed from it all!

At times it is but a step from the morning prayers and the feeding on the Word as God seems to speak directly to your soul, to the opening of the daily mail and the despair of finding bills which you know of no way of paying. How suddenly we can leave the place of prayer and praise and find ourselves in a dispute with a loved one. Or, perhaps the elation of speaking to a responsive person about the Lord is followed by the ridicule of a Christ rejector.

It is at times such as these that we must remember that these things about Israel were written for us. 1 Cor 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
And, Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Were it not for the fact that we suffer the same kinds of fleshly shortcomings as they, this would not have been necessary.
They murmured because they could not see how God could possibly have had any good in mind for them in such dire situations.

How well I remember a situation from my own life many years ago. The time spent in Bible School was, in many ways, like Israel’s wanderings. When all seemed hopeless and there was no way in sight to buy food, a preaching appointment would come, a friend would write and enclose a few dollars or the opportunity to work a few hours would present itself. Like Israel, we swung back and forth from complete confidence to total despair. Finally, there was no place to turn. No preaching appointments, no part-time jobs, no food in sight and no way to get any! We had no car and no money for fuel if there had been one.

Over and over, well-meaning relatives reminded us of the promise, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."Mat.6:33. The implication being, of course, that perhaps we weren't supposed to be doing what we were doing and had maybe better give it up and get into another line of work. The fleshpots of the old life were beginning to look more and more inviting!

A brother preacher was about to travel to another state and there were reported to be jobs available there.
Leaving wife and children behind , I went along. The idea was to find a job and return as soon as possible for the family. However, the jobs were seasonal and not yet open. The brother furnishing the ride suggested I ride along and attend the meeting of the State Association of Churches and afterward apply for the job.

As Israel, I felt abandoned in the wilderness. After all, I reasoned, hadn't I left a good permanent job in order to prepare for the ministry? Hadn't I [Note the prominence of 'I'] sacrificed in order to prepare myself? Now, all seemed lost and all the effort wasted.

What was the final outcome of the situation?
There were churches represented at the meeting that needed pastors. Within a few weeks my family and I were established in a fully furnished, three-bedroom parsonage with food such as we hadn't seen in ages! Around us was a small congregation of people who knew how to love and strengthen a young preacher in his first pastorate!

It would be great if I could report that never again did I fall into the same trap of despondency, but after 50 years it is a lesson which needs to be repeated almost weekly!.

But now back to Israel. What happened to them in this situation? First of all, Moses explained to them that God was, indeed, going to supply their needs. Exo 16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Exo 16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
Exo 16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

We too, have a promise of the supply of our need; Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

For them, in the evening, the camp was covered with quail and the people ate their fill. In the morning, a strange sight greeted them. The ground was covered with small, round, white granules, which looked like frost. "What is it?" the people asked one another. From this question came the name by which it is still called, manna. In their tongue it was, 'what is it?'

Skeptics are still trying to discount or belittle this provision of God for his people by attributing it to some sort of natural occurrence in the desert.

Those who claim to be ‘scholars’ have stated with full assurance that the manna was;
1.Deposited by an insect.
2.The sap of a desert tree or bush exuded when the plant was pierced by an insect.
3.The result of some strange atmospheric phenomena.
Prophesying themselves to be wise they became fools!Rom.1:22

None of these theories put forth by man can explain several of the mysterious things said of the manna.
First, if this were a natural occurrence, happening often in the desert, then why the surprise? This is in the same region that their leader, Moses had wandered for the past forty years as he tended the flocks of his father-in -law, Jethro. In fact, it isn't far from the Desert of Sin to the mountain where he saw the burning bush and upon which God was soon to give them a Law. Yet there is no indication that Moses knew any more about the food which God describes as "the Glory of the Lord' than any other Israelite and God had to give the instructions for its gathering and use.

Second, If it were a natural occurrence, it had a strange, built-in cycle of falling. It fell regularly for six days and on the seventh there was none. Ex 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Third, For a product of nature it had unheard-of keeping qualities. It would not keep overnight without becoming filled with worms until the sixth day of the week. On that day, they could gather enough for the Sabbath and it would remain fresh. Exo 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

Fourth, The golden pot, which was filled with manna and placed inside the ark, never spoiled during all their wanderings! Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

Fifth, Though there are some natural substances which men claim is the manna, they occur only for a month or two in the late spring or early summer. This was their staple food for the entire forty years.

Sixth, It stopped when it was no longer needed just as miraculously as it had started.
Josh 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

These were strange things indeed to be connected to natural events. But they are not surprising at all when viewed in the light of the divine supply of their needs by a loving God.

They were not in this desert wilderness by accident. Through the cloud, God had led them there. It was essential that they learn to depend upon him. Had he led them immediately into a land of plenty there would have been no need to look to him for their supply.
They were here also, because they must learn to be the peculiar people he desires them to be. This could not be done while they lived in the midst of those who worshipped idols.

We follow the same pattern today. Those who have been delivered from the power of death by the blood of the Passover cannot long remain in 'Egypt', and the wilderness of this world has nothing to offer us that is good. So we are led apart into areas where we must depend upon God.

The manna was a type of that spiritual food that now sustains the one who has been born of the Spirit of God. The world cannot supply it. Though many try to find nourishment for their souls in literature, art, poetry, philosophy, social programs, religious ceremonies and rituals, these all leave man's soul hungering for something which can feed the Spirit.

This 'something' can only be supplied by our God and only as we are willing to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit into the places where he wants us to be.
Matthew records how Jesus went into the mountain and the disciples came to him there. Those who came were hungry for something they were not receiving from the religious leaders of their day. As Jesus addressed their needs, hear him as he presents this promise,
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Peter then admonishes us to, 1 Pet 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

What, then is this manna which feeds our souls today? It is something the world cannot supply. It is something we must have if our spirits are to thrive and we are to have the strength needed to face the wilderness of this world. Jesus explains it in detail to those who had eaten of the loaves and the fishes after they had found him the following day," John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.'

Jesus is, indeed that bread of heaven and there is no other source of supply. In order to be fed from God's bountiful supply we must be willing to follow where the Holy Sprit will lead and he will lead us to a place of separation.

As we study the Word of God and meditate upon it, and as we commune with him in prayer, Jesus becomes ever dearer to us. There can be no denying that it would have been a great blessing to have been present as he fed the multitude or as he invited the disciples, 'Come and dine' on that morning by the seashore. It would have been a great experience to have peen present on that night as they broke bread and to have heard the words, "take, eat this is my body". Can we really envy them, however, when we have the real manna from heaven, which is his daily strength and companionship, as we commune with him in spiritual things!

Each day, they had to gather their supply for that day. There was no such thing as laying aside a supply for another day. Some tried it and found it full of worms on the next day.

Several years ago, a man told me, in his ignorance, that he had an experience that was so frightening that he prayed so hard that he didn’t have to pray again for three years!

There are still a lot of folks who try to get enough of the Lord on Sunday morning so that they won't have to bother with religion for the rest of the week, but it just doesn't work that way.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, one of the things they were to ask was, "give us this day our daily bread." When he spoke of following him he emphasized, Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Yesterday’s blessings are not sufficient for today; Today's service and communion with the Lord will not sustain your spirit through tomorrow’s trials.

Then, there was the Golden Pot of manna, which was placed in the Ark of the Covenant. There is no record of anyone ever having even a tiny taste of it. In fact they were not even allowed to open the Ark to view those things inside. We have no idea when it was taken out or what happened to it. We do know that when the Ark was carried into the Temple, the Golden Pot of Manna was not there; 1 Ki 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. Yet Jesus makes mention of the Hidden Manna in His letter to the Church at Pergamos; Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

We have enjoyed some precious moments with our Lord! He has met our needs and sustained us through many dry and dreary lands and yet there are depths to him of which we are not yet aware. Perhaps no other man was as close to him or as dedicated to his service as was the Apostle Paul. Surely no one depended on him more. If a daily feeding on the bread of heaven ever strengthened anyone, it was he. Yet Paul expressed as the deepest desire of his heart, "Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

Who will ever really be this close to Christ? Who will ever have such fellowship that they will experience him? Who will eat of the hidden manna? The promise is to the one who overcomes. This is the one who lives the truly victorious life and never gives in to the forces around him.

What must we overcome? It is obvious that we do not face the trials of the martyrs of the dark ages nor the problems facing the early church in Jerusalem. But we do have our own battles to wage.

There is the pressure from those who would draw us away from the truth. There is the constant attempt to cause us to forsake or compromise Bible principles. Forces try to push us into unchristian thoughts and actions. We each have our own special weakness known only to ourselves, the Lord and, yes, the devil! All these things we must overcome, then we will be in a position to claim that wonderful promise, "to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna".

Is it something for which the battle is worth fighting? Consider how precious and essential the daily manna now is for your spiritual well being. Think of how you will then be in a glorified body, with nothing of the world to distract. Then the thought of that special blessing becomes not only worth living for but even worth dying for! This gave untold thousands the strength to suffer for him in the past and when necessary, can still do so.

Just as the manna never failed as long as they needed it, even so the Lord has promised he will never fail us. How often have we felt the pressures of life and its disappointments and felt our strength begin to ebb away until we went to the Word of God and feasted. Or we approached the throne of grace in prayer and felt his presence give us strength.

WHEN I STOP TO PRAY
I have the precious privilege
Of talking to the Lord.
He's promised he would listen
and hear my every word.
I can tell him all my troubles,
I can tell him all my needs.
I can tell him how I love him,
and my hungry soul he feeds.
In trials and temptations
He's my strong and mighty tower.
He's there whene'er I need him,
no matter what the hour.
And though I often fail him
as I move along life's way,
His gentle voice still answers
when I stop and pray.
fcc
 

After Israel has experienced the Passover, the Red Sea, the bitter waters made sweet and the falling of the manna, there were a couple of notable events to come before they were to encamp before the mountain called Sinai.

One was the water from the Rock at Rephidim. They had forgotten already the provision of the past and began to murmur instead of trusting and praying! While their faith was weak God still had the answer. {Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.]

What does this mean to us? 1 Cor 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. He is our daily food and he is also our refreshing water!

They also had their first battle. It was with some of Esau’s descendants, the Amalakites. Did they have anything to gain by opposing Israel? No, but they thought so. This is even as the devil’s crowd today, who really have nothing to gain from opposing God's people , but it is just what they do, because opposition to God is the devil's business.

First, read the account and then we will make an application.
Exo 17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
Exo 17:10 So 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.
Exo 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.
Exo 17:12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; 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.
Exo 17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

In this account of their first battle lies a lesson sorely needed by the Lord's churches of every age, but especially today. As they fought the battle it soon became clear that God was well able to provide victory. There were conditions, however. When Moses held aloft the rod, which had been used so powerfully in Egypt during the plagues, at the parting of the Red Sea and bringing forth water from the rock, the battle belonged to Israel. When he tired and his hands became weak, the rod was lowered and the tide of battle turned against them.

Consider;
1. Moses was their divinely appointed leader. He had not chosen the position, God had chosen him. Of whom does this remind us? Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

If the Church and the pastor have both followed the will of the Holy Spirit, he is in the office because God wanted him there.

2.He became weary because of the limitations of the flesh. This was not because of Moses' state of mind but simply because he couldn't continue unassisted. Jesus recognized the importance of more than one person laboring in a field. He sent the disciples out two by two. He called both Paul and Barnabas to the same work. The examples could be multiplied but this is sufficient.

It is sad when, as so often happens, a Church will call a pastor and then allow him to carry the load without even noticing that after awhile he begins to sag beneath it! I have even known this to happen: As the pastor begins to weaken physically, and emotionally to the point of breaking down, and yes even spiritually, the remedy was, "He's not doing his job. It's time to get a new pastor." Or it is ignored until he has ulcers or a heart attack and then many wonder why, after all he has an 'easy' job.

If this had been the God-given solution, I am sure the cloud could have chosen someone to take the place of Moses. There seemed to be a plethora of people who seemed to envy him his position!

3.Instead of providing new leadership, God had men standing by to help carry the load! Aaron and Hur not only helped with a seat on a rock but also then stood by and supported the hands of Moses until the battle was won.
If only churches could learn this lesson! There wouldn't be the constant search for new leadership that has hindered so many churches through the years. It doesn't take a great deal of research to learn that the churches which have been most successful over a long period of time are those who have kept their pastors the longest. Neither would there be so many pastors in early graves or so physically weakened by the strain, that they crack under it.

It can be such an easy thing, this holding up the hands of a leader. From experience it has been sometimes the prayers of God's people; at others it has been an act of thoughtfulness such as, "Pastor, I think you need to get away for awhile." At others it has been the offer of some brother or sister in the church, "What can I do to lighten your load." Even such a simple thing as doing a personal chore he hasn't had time to do can help to give him a new lease on pastoral determination.
If every member or even a few would make the conscious effort to hold up his hand, not only would he fare better, but the entire church would experience the victory!.