Moses said to Joshua: choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands. Joshua appears here for the first time in Exodus — his first introduction is as a military commander chosen by Moses. The name Joshua — Yeshua, the Hebrew form of Jesus — is introduced in the context of a battle against the enemies of God's people. Moses' instructions divide the roles: Joshua leads the fighters; Moses stands on the hill with the staff of God. The staff that produced the plagues and the sea crossing is now the instrument of military victory — the same object that represented divine power in the confrontation with Pharaoh now represents it in the confrontation with Amalek. The staff is always in God's hands through Moses' hands; the power is always God's.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse