A miraculous victory
Biblical Hebrew explains Israel’s victory
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An Unusual Gesture
In Exodus chapter 17, the children of Israel go to battle against the ferocious tribe of Amalek. Seeing that Israel cannot prevail by military might alone, Moses enlists the help of the Lord. He stands high up on a hill overlooking the battlefield. With the support of Aaron and Hur, he raises his arms up to heaven. So long as Moses’ hands are raised, Joshua prevails on the battlefield below.
Moses’ Faith
Despite extreme fatigue, “the hands of Moses were steady until the sun set” (Exod. 17:12). In the original Hebrew the word for “steady” is emunah אֱמוּנָה. This comes from the root AMN אמן “faith” from which we get the word “amen”. It is only in Hebrew that we can understand that it was the faith in Moses’ heart, rather than the physical posture of his arms, which enabled Israel to prevail.
Foreshadowing the Messiah
The striking image of Moses upon a hill with his arms extended outwards should remind us of another biblical scene of faith: Jesus on the Cross. Just as Moses raised his arms to help Joshua conquer Amalek, Jesus (whose Hebrew name was Yeshua or Joshua) lifted his arms to conquer sin. Witness the wonders that are revealed when you can read the Scriptures in Hebrew - enroll in our live online Biblical Hebrew course today.
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