Serve Like Hur!
Exodus 17:8-13
I recently read that bees visit over 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. They have to fly about 55,000 miles in order to make that one pound of honey. That same article stated that it takes about 560 bees to make 1 pound of honey. Imagine if one bee decided to go off on his own and make honey all by himself? Do you think that would be a good idea? Of course not! Alone, he would only be able to produce a few drops of honey in his lifetime.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (says) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one. We are more effective when we work together as a team. We are the Body of Christ and Jesus expects us to work together to accomplish the Great Commission. If we are to be successful in spreading the Gospel it is imperative that we work together.
Each of us have different gifts, talents, and callings. Certain gifts are more visible than others. Some are called to serve out front while others are called to serve behind the scenes. But this does not mean that one is more important that the next.
Not everyone can preach like Charles Spurgeon, or sing like David Phelps, or reach the masses like Billy Graham; every local church will not be like Bellevue. However, each of us has a place in the Kingdom of God which is far more than we could ever deserve. Therefore, we should content to serve God wherever and however He has called and equipped us to serve Him.
In our selected text Israel is journeying to the promised land. As they traveled, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Moses set out to respond to this unprovoked assault. In these verses we hear some names that are very familiar to us. There is the leader Moses, the warrior Joshua and the high priest Aaron. However, there is one name that may cause you to scratch you head and say, “who?”. As Moses and Aaron ascended the hill along with them went a man named Hur. We know very little about this man. Though his biography is not chronicled on the pages of the Word of God, we can learn a great deal from what is recorded about him in this passage.
- I would like to examine Exodus 17:8-13 and encourage you to “Serve Like Hur!”
During this battle Moses lifted his hands and his staff up from the top of that hill. While his hands were raised, Israel prevailed. But, when his hands fell down, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. After some time, Moses' hands became weary. So much so that he could no longer hold them up. Aaron & Hur came beside Moses and held his hands up until the victory was won.
This passage shows us that alone we can only do so much. One person can only do so much, likewise one local church can only do so much. But when we work together with others, there is no way to measure what God can do in and through His people.
We have some great Christians in this church. Furthermore, there are some great churches in our area. With that being said, we could be even better. The more people who are willing to join together for the cause of Christ, the greater impact we can have on our communities, our state, our nation and the world as a whole.
As we consider our purpose as servants of the Lord we must keep in mind that we are all in this together. We are all serving together for the advancement of God’s Kingdom (or at least we should be).
Therefore, we need some people who are willing to stand and support others. We need faithful Christian servants who will continue to serve when there is no glory, no attention and seemingly no appreciation for their efforts.
- As I mentioned, there is much that we can learn from this obscure character named “Hur”. For this reason, I would like to examine some of the characteristics that make people like this man so important to the Kingdom work. Consider the truth that we must:
I. SERVE VIGILANTLY
Vigilance is defined as “watching for possible danger or difficulty”. Hur was vigilant, he noticed something important about the battle. As he stood on that hill with Moses & Aaron he was watching the battle below. He saw the great victory when Moses' hand was raised. He also noticed the defeat that came when Moses' hand fell.
We must be vigilant servants of Christ. It is not enough to participate; we must be perceptive of our surroundings. The Amalekites attacked Israel without notice. Israel was focused on the promised land, now all of the sudden they are fighting a war.
There are many positive things that could be said about our church. The last few years have been very special, I certainly hope that things remain positive in the future. People are being reached, lives are being changed, relationships are being restored and Christians are growing in their faith.
Any time that positive things are happening among God’s people, we can be sure that our Adversary is planning an attack. Therefore we must heed Peter’s warning in I Peter 5:8. There he says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".
It is important for us to remain vigilant. We must constantly be on guard against our enemy and compassionately lookout for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must resist the urge to be selfish and only lookout for ourselves. We do not need people in the church who are only concerned with their specific area of ministry. Moreover, we do not need people who are affiliated with this church in name only. There are far too many people who claim to be a part of this church that rarely (if ever attend). There are also many others who may attend sporadically but they do not contribute to the work of the ministry in any way. This (and every New Testament Church) needs members who are active, vigilant, alert and watching out for their fellow-soldiers in the battle.
While it is important to watch, simply watching is not enough, we must also be working. That was the case for Hur, He was not just present and perceptive, he was participating! He didn't just notice the problem, he was concerned about the situation, so much so that he was willing to spring into action. His actions illustrate the fact that we must:
II. SERVE CARINGLY
v12 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.
As Hur assessed the situation, the realized the cause of Israel's defeat. He saw that Moses was growing weary. Hur didn't push him out of the way and attempt to take his place. Instead, he stood beside him and supported him. Hur was a faithful servant of God and a fellow-solider in the battle.
We need men and women like that in the church today. We need people who see the need and are willing to meet the need. We need some people who see other servants of God growing weary and are willing to help bear the load. We need people who are willing to enable others to continue their service to the Lord and the church.
Hur was not concerned with notoriety; he was focused on service. May that be our heart’s desire today. Let us see the need, meet those needs and do so continuously.
- This assembly does not need people who are here one day and gone the next. We don't need people who are present in the good times but disappear at the first sign of trouble. We need people who are faithful and devoted. This brings us to the next truth I would like to consider and that is that we should:
III. SERVE STEADFASTLY
v12b 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.
Hur was present, perceptive, participating and he was also persistent! Moses was standing there interceding for the people of the Lord. Aaron was on one side. and Hur was on the other. They supported their leader until the sun went down and the victory was won.
We need some people who will be steadfast and unmovable. We need some people who will labor until the job is done. We need some people who will fight until the battle is over.
You may not have a specific title, you may not receive any recognition but you are valuable to this church, you are valuable to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and most importantly you are valuable to the Lord.
It is probable that Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and the other warriors of Israel received more notoriety for this victory. But it would not have been possible except for a man named Hur. We need some servants like that today
- We need some vigilant, caring, and steadfast servants in the church today. But Hur also shows us the importance of selfless service. If you are to serve like Hur, then you must:
IV. SERVE SELFLESSLY
v13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Hur was not in this for himself, he was there for the Lord and His people. On the surface, it may not seem like Hur's task was that important. But without him, Moses would not have been able to carry out his duties. If only Aaron had been by his side he may have grown weary as well.
If Moses' hands fell, Joshua would not have been able to lead. The Army of Israel would not have been able to attain the victory. Had it not been for Hur, it is likely that the battle would have been lost, and Israel would have been defeated. There is no way to accurately measure the value of people like Hur!
There is a need for selfless servants in the church today. Though no one else may have even noticed Hur's actions that day, the Father did. Though no one notices your faithfulness, Jesus does. On that day when you hear Him say "Well done thou good and faithful servant!" all of your labors and all of your struggles will be well worth the effort.
Every deed done in the name of Jesus will be blessed and rewarded in eternity. Your peers may not recognize your effort but rest assured that Jesus knows and he will reward your faithfulness. He said in Mark 9:41, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward”.
Not everyone can stand and preach a sermon. Not everyone is a gifted vocalist. Not everyone can play the piano, guitar or drums. Not everyone has the ability to teach a class. But every Christian has a place in the Body of Christ. Your position may not be visible as others, but it is no less valuable.
Your church needs you; your fellow Christians need you, and the lost world needs us to be actively working together concerning the Great Commission. Never forget that we can do more together than we can apart.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (says) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Those honey bees that we discussed in the introduction all work together and produce gallons upon gallons of sweet honey. If and when we all work together we can do great things for the Kingdom of Christ.
We all have a part to play and there is room for you to serve. You may say "But I don't know what I can do." Perhaps God would have you to lift up the arms of someone else. Follow the example of Hur. Make it your aim to be present, perceptive, participating, and persistent. When it comes to our efforts concerning the advancement of God’s Kingdom, never forget that we are all in this together. Let us “Serve Like Hur!”
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