Moses and The Lord's Supper

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while 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 on it, while 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 overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.(Exo 17:8-13 ESV)



I always fence the table (Reformed term to bring those in the congregation to consider the soberness of the Lord's table) with a brief sermon. It has always been the Reformed position that the Lord's table would NEVER be served without a sermon. Pretty much in our service after the Sermon follows the Lord's table. Sunday morning's personal reading was Exodus 17- where Israel is attacked by King Amalek. Now you may be wondering what in the world do Moses' arms have to do with the Lord's table?



I was pretty confused about this passage. Having been in combat, shot at, mortared, etc., I wondered what kind of way to make war is this? Moses was following God's strict instructions. Let me ask the question a different way- how would God best teach Moses that every footstep, every challenge, and every battle could not be accomplished without God. 1 Sam.17:17 couldn't make it clearer:the battle is the Lord's.



Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." In other words, Moses' tired arms were a very clear lesson that God's redemption of Israel was God's doing. When we gather at the Lord's table the simple breaking of the bread and serving of the wine serve to tell us a couple of things (there are more than this, but for now...). First, all of our own efforts, no matter how noble, no matter how noble could never bring us into a relationship with Christ. In other words, we are insufficient to redeem ourselves. The fact that it required and requires broken bread- the broken body of Christ shows our insufficiency. The spilling of of Christ's blood demonstrates our insufficiency to cover our sins (atone for them) and to assuage the wrath of God against sin.



Secondly, the bread and the wine serve as a very clear statement that Christ alone is sufficient to have lived a perfect life in obedience to the Law and endured as a perfect sacrifice for our sin. They are not simple reminders though- they are present realities, also, of Christ's sufficiency as the one who presently feeds and nourishes our souls for our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.



Next time your arms get tired think of Moses...and Christ.