11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. (Exodus 17:11 – 13, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline and Dependency
Reflection:
When we are grappling with issues related to discipline it is sometimes easy to dismiss the value of depending on each other. However, we were created to live in community. In Genesis 2:18, we see the creation of woman so man would not be alone. Ecclesiastes 4:12 points out that three are stronger than one or two. In Mark 6:7, Jesus sent the disciples out in groups of two. In our Scripture passage today, we see the value of Aaron and Hur to Moses when he grew tired. Even as an introvert I find it beneficial, even imperative, to partner with others in my disciplined faith walk.
I come from a large family and have a core group of girlfriends, so I have the privilege of asking 2 or 3 to pray for me, hold me accountable or offer encouragement, so I can remain disciplined in a particular area. There are times they reach out to me to offer help or invite me to do the same for them. I find strength in this partnering.
Conclusion:
Discipline is best pursued in community. Who can you be an Aaron/Hur to today? Who can be an Aaron/Hur to you? Take time to pray for wisdom in this area and ask the Lord to show you an area of discipline you need increased accountability for or encouragement in. How have you benefitted from partnership with other Christians? I would love to hear from you.
Contributor: Bridget Jeffries
March 25, 2025 at 7:18 am
I am still on my church’s prayer team, so I receive requests for prayer often. I often don’t know who it is I’m praying for. Ever since our church went online during Covid, things have been different. I don’t even get to see these people anymore that I pray for. I strongly believe in the power of prayer, so I know I’ll continue to pray for them.
I usually send personal request for prayer to my family, but I don’t have “outsiders” that I ask for prayer, as I usually keep my issues/problems to myself. Though I have visited other churches, I have yet to find a church home that I feel as comfortable in, as my church before it went online. My prayer is that I find one. Maybe then I will develop friendships where I feel comfortable to ask for prayer. Having prayer/ accountability partners is a blessing.
March 25, 2025 at 8:17 am
I think I am more of Aaron and Hur to my friend, my children, my husband , loved ones and even to strangers. I think I am comfortable and happy to serve or help others. Of course I know very well the Aaron and Hur to me. First is my husband, then my daughter and my son. I must say my Aaron and Hur could also be someone or a relative who has strong faith in God. I always believe the ones who encourage and help me often are the ones I am relating/ communicating with everyday. My pastor and friends from my bible study groups are all Aaron and Hur for me. To me, having fellowship with church family and fellow Christians are of paramount importance. They are part and parcel of my life especially when I was moving every two or three years to a different country when we were not retired from work yet. Finding a church, bible study and fellowship group is always a priority. They are part of my Christian journey. I’m not only encouraged by them, but their prayers, advice and camaraderie contribute to my growth as a Christian. Pastors and elders of my church also play an important role in my journey to life.
March 25, 2025 at 11:06 am
To me this passage beautifully illuminates the need for both personal effort (discipline) and community support, particularly in periods of intense trial. In my own life, I have firstly my wife, and am truly blessed to have in her a woman of deep faith. Then I have a few men, who have been pivotal support for me in intense times of testing, which do come. These men’s spouses have also been invaluable as we journey and weather the storms of life together as couples. Given my global career and journey, two of these couples are overseas, but the intervening time and distance anre immaterial, as we are there for each other as and when needed. These bonds are so important, as opportunities for our Lord’s love to be made so especially tangible, be it towards us or from us to others. The Christian journey is truly one to be done in community. I can’t imagine it any other way.
This, too, is a serious mark against other monotheistic religions (Judaism and Islam). Our God, who is the ultimate source of love and of relationship, knows love and is relational because He has always existed in triune form. How can one know love and be relational if one has always existed alone? We thank and praise God for who He is, He who said, “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness, ….” [27] So God created man in HIS own image, in the image of God HE created him; male and female he created them.” (from Genesis 1:26-27 NIV, emphasis added).
March 25, 2025 at 9:35 pm
My family (spouse included) are my Aaron/Hur. They pray for me in aspects that I hadn’t even thought to ask them about. I pray constantly for those around me, but I believe I could do better at explicitly telling them so that they know I am there to help them “raise their arm.”