I look around the world, it's like it's happening all over the world. Euro used to be strong and now look at it. They're all talking about pulling in the belt, and starting to cut back, and having to stop their spending. So when you're going through lack, it is the time to reach out to God, and to ensure that you're in a place of faith, and you do what you can do; then declare what's going to happen in your future, and call it into being, got to operate in a faith way. Okay then, so we're going to look into this Old Testament. I want you to see the first battle, because God actually let them go into a battle; and the battle, because it's the first one, it means it's a significant one. It forms a foundation for understanding how all battles will be fought, so we're going to look in Exodus Chapter 17, Verse 8 through to Verse 16, so let's just read it right now. We can't lose the battle. We can't lose the battle unless we give up faith in God. If you give up faith in God, well you can't win, can you?
So now Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. Now Rephidim was the place where God had provided an abundance of water. In fact they had so much water, it gushed out and formed a great river, so it was a great place Rephidim. But at that same place, which was a great place of blessing, now became a great place of conflict. So the very place that had been a place of blessing for them now was a place of huge conflict, and they had to face it. Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua: choose us some men and go out and fight with Amalek. Fight! Don't roll over, fight. Don't pray, they won't go away. Fight them! Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And so Joshua did as Moses said to him, and he fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron and Hur went up the top of the hill. Nice for them up on the top of the hill isn't it? And so it was - not down there fighting the battle you know? Top of the hill, I suppose if they're going to hurl arrows, the ones on the hill will be the ones to spot.
So when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. And Moses' hands became heavy, got tired, and so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on either side, and the other on the other side, and they held them up because they were smart. They noticed something. They noticed when his hands were up, we're winning; when his hands are down, we're losing. What does that mean? People are losing their lives, getting cut, and arms slashed and legs slashed, and limbs being slashed off, so it's a good idea to help this fellow hold his arms up. There's something about holding his arms up that works. And so Moses' hands became heavy, so they supported his hands, one on the other side and one on the other side, and hands were steady until the going down of the sun - so it was all day this battle was fought, it wasn't a short battle.
So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. What's good? A sword, edge of the sword, you know - and the Lord said to Moses: write this for a memorial. So isn't it interesting, so this is the first battle which means it's significant. There's something to learn in it. The second thing is, God wanted them not to forget it, so He said: write it down. I want you to write it down, record it. I don't want you to forget this. Write it for memorial in a book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, and I will utterly block out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. So He said: this battle is not over yet. You've won round one, but this is going to be ongoing, He says: but don't you worry, because I'm going to clean it up, and you're going to have a total victory, and there'll be no trace of Amalek left. How about that? That's a good promise from God isn't it?
So maybe you're just on round one of your fight. Don't worry. God says He's going to clean it up for you, if you'll just stick with the battle aye and learn from it, learn the strategy. Okay then, so they did that; and then He said: Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner, and he said: because the Lord has sworn - the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. So we're going to just have a look at the battle because one, it's the first one, and that's always significant in the Bible. Everything that's first is very significant. The second one is because God said He's going to want them to remember it, not forget it, because God doesn't forget stuff. He wanted specifically to remember, so there's some keys in here. I'll get to the keys shortly, but I want you to understand the battle, because if you don't understand the battle and what actually they were up against, it's a little difficult to understand why it's so important to follow the strategy.