TAKING THE WEIGHT
Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Exodus 17
Very soon after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and escaped bondage in Egypt, they found themselves under attack by a fierce desert tribe ... the Amalekites The Israelites were no match, they needed help from God. So Moses stands on the top of the hill with his hands lifted up to heaven, the rod of the Lord in one of them. The life of God comes down into Moses as his hands are lifted up to receive, and overflows to the Israelites fighting in the valley below. But when Moses' hands drop, he's no longer in a receiving position. The life of God doesn't seem to flow in and the Amalekites, who are much stronger, prevail over the Israelites.
So they roll a large stone to the brow of the hill ... Moses sits down ... and Aaron holds up his one hand and Hur his other so that the life of God flows continuously and Israel wins the battle.
By lifting up his hands Moses was receiving the glory of God. But this glory has a certain weight. It's a free gift from above, but Moses has to carry it in his uplifted hands.
Moses is a symbol of the Body of Christ which is meant to stretch forth its hands to heaven to receive the glory of God so that evil may be conquered,
the captives freed,
the sick healed,
the dead raised.
God’s glory, has weight. The hands of the Body will grow weary unless there is an Aaron and a Hur to steady those hands and keep them uplifted.
Whenever the Body of Christ is "alive with God's glory",
- its hands are up,
- it is receiving power from above,
- it is carrying the weight of this glory which God sends it.
And this always means that there are many Aarons and many Hurs steadying its hands ... taking the weight of Moses' hands into their hands. It all hinges on people who are committed enough to the call of Jesus to take the weight.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
"My yoke is easy, and my burden is light". You won't be crushed by my yoke. You won't stagger and stumble under my burden."
- It's not nearly as heavy as the guilt you carried around for so many years ... before it was washed away in the Lamb's blood.
- It doesn't weigh nearly as much as the fear, the anger, the despair that pressed down on your life for so long before it was washed away in the Lamb's blood.
This yoke, by comparison, is easy … it's light, but you do have to take it and carry it.
Jesus is saying to us,
"Get under this yoke with me just as Aaron and Hur got under Moses' hands and held them up.
Share with me in carrying the weight of glory into this world."
What many of us have not understood is that if we want the glory of God in our lives we have to carry the weight of that glory. If we want to be part of the redemptive purpose of God on this earth at this hour,
- and free the captives,
- and heal the sick,
we have to carry the weight of God's free grace.
How do we do this? ...very simple; If Moses up on the hill with his hands stretched toward heaven represents the Body of Christ receiving glory from God, then each one of us becomes an Aaron or a Hur holding up his hands. Each of us picks up the weight of the Body of Christ in some specific way ... some ministry, some service that I will carry with my heart, with my prayers, with my very hands.
For those among us who have already accepted responsibility, it's a matter of committing ourselves before God to take the full weight of it.
i.e.
“I’m going to pray for these people every day.”
"I'm going to drive these people in my car every week."
"I'm going to go to the nursing home once a week."
"I'm going to visit those shut-ins once a month."
"I'm going to commit myself to stay in touch with three people who seem discouraged."
"I'm going to take the full weight of this thing and carry it. And I'm going to pray for these people on a daily basis."
For those among us who haven't found anything to take hold of ... any service to commit themselves to ... it's a matter of saying,
"Lord, I'm willing. Show me one area where I can take responsibility. Direct me to one person you want me to serve in some way.
Fit me in to one weak area in this Body that needs my help.
- I will be responsible,
- I will pray,
- I will be consistent."
In all of us there is a fear of being tied down to anything. We don't want to take the weight. We'll pitch in when we're in the mood or when it's convenient, or when it's fun, or when we’re not too pressed for time.
But when Jesus says,
"Get under my yoke."
he's saying,
"Take the weight ... commit yourself to this thing on a daily basis."
Or when he says,
"If anyone will come after me let him deny himself; take up his cross dally and follow me" ... he means commitment to carry the weight daily, consistently.
The minute we say,
"Yes Lord, put your yoke over me, I'll carry it. Fit me in with whoever you say, I'll work with them. Assign me, I'll serve.".....
The minute we do this we find this weight to be a weight of glory ... the doorway to supernatural freedom. Power from on high comes down into these "Moses' hands", as we hold them up and battles are won, captives are freed, lives are changed.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. II Corinthians 4:7
Here's the testimony of a man who has learned how to carry the glory of God around in his daily life ... heavenly treasure in an earthen vessel ... so that lives are touched by God ... healed and changed. What does it cost him?
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, (---he keeps going), perplexed, but not driven to despair; (---he keeps going), persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; (---he keeps going), always carrying in the body (the weight of) the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
II Corinthians 4:16-17
Is he complaining? Not at all. He's rejoicing!
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison..... II Corinthians 11:16-17
One day Paul is going to carry a weight of glory, beyond all comparison, and so are we. Our preparation, our training, is to learn to carry the weight of glory now, in this life, by taking the weight of the Body of Christ into our hands and holding on.
The sifting that's going on in the Body of Christ at this hour is very simple. The Spirit is asking,
"Who's going to take the weight?"
Some say, "Here I am, give me the yoke."
Some say, "See you later."
Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek tomorrow, I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Exodus 17:8-12
God is raising up people among us who are willing to hold up Moses' hands ... not just for five minutes or an hour, but to hold those hands steady until the going down of the sun ... the end.
Ask yourself,
"Is there any place in God's kingdom (not my kingdom ... God's kingdom) where I have committed myself to take the weight?"
If you have taken the weight, may the Lord strengthen you and prosper you and make you fruitful.
If you haven't, may the Lord help you to take hold of one of Moses' hands today ... lift it, hold it, steady it, until Amalek, the kingdom of darkness, is destroyed and the captives are freed and the glory of God is visible on this earth.
You are the light of the world ...( take the weight of that light .).. let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. I Corinthians 12:5-8