Your Divine Force Field

One of the things that I quickly had to come to grips with when I entered the pastoral ministry was that there were people who didn’t like me. Yeah, I know, hard to believe! Not because I was unlikeable (not in every case, anyway), but simply because I represented something at a subconscious spiritual level within them that rubbed against the fur of their fallenness. I’m not alone in this experience. Anyone who steps out to do God’s will gets attacked. Why? C.S. Lewis hit the nail on the head: “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” That means if you’re doing God’s will, you will be attacked. But it also means that if you’re doing God’s will, you will be victorious!

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 17:8-9, 13

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” … So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

One of the things that I quickly had to come to grips with when I entered the pastoral ministry was that there were people who didn’t like me. Yeah, I know, hard to believe! Not because I was unlikeable (not in every case, anyway), but simply because I represented something at an invisible, subconscious spiritual level within them that rubbed against the grain of their fallenness.

It was likewise helpful for me to learn that I was not alone in this experience. All pastors deal with unhappy people.  And furthermore, anyone who steps out to do God’s will get attacked. Let me say it another way:

THEY WON’T LIKE YOU!

Jesus predicted as much, didn’t he? Now we don’t need to go out of our way to tick the people of the world off, but the truth is, the world will hate us because we represent the Savior, whom they crucified. And the sooner we get over our neurotic need to be liked, we can get on with being the distinct witness God has called us to be and the world desperately needs us to be.

In the case of the Israelites, escaping Egypt by the mighty miracles of God and being led to the Promised Land by the mighty hand of God didn’t preclude enemies who would attack them early and often in their journey of faith.

In this case, the Amalekites, who lived on the northern edge of the wilderness through which Israel travelled, stood between the promise and the fulfillment for the people of God. They didn’t like Israel, for no other reason than the reason you and I will get attacked: we belong to God, and since Satan hates God, and everything of God, he attacks what is most precious to God—you and me.

As the story goes, Moses sends out a young general named Joshua to fight the enemy while Moses, aided by Aaron and Hur, stand on an overlooking hillside to lift his hands in supplication for the battle. And of course, God grants his people a stunning and overwhelming victory.

End of story. Yet there are important lessons to take away from this account. Here are a few:

1. You will be attacked when you do God’s will. Just mark it down and don’t be surprised when it happens. If we naively assume that doing what God asks will be unimpeded, you are on the road to disheartenment. To be forewarned is to be forearmed—an important principle in the spiritual warfare you will face.
2. You will be attacked by the people you would least expect to attack you. The Amalekites were actually distant cousins of Israel—Amalek was the grandson of Esau. They should have acted favorably toward the Israelites. They didn’t. Psalm 83:4, 7 reveals the Amalekites motives: “Come, let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” There is some belief that these very Amalekites lived on clear down to Esther’s day when their offspring Haman was still plotting to do away with the people of God hundreds of years later. In the case of Joshua, the record of this battle was written so that he would know that the Amalekites were to be completely annihilated. (Exodus 17:14) Sounds harsh, but the point being, the kingdoms of this world will never think kindly toward the kingdom of God. Again, doing God’s will sometimes stirs unresolved issues of godship even in the lives of people who should know better.
3. You need support in the battle. Joshua had Moses. Moses had Aaron and Hur. You need somebody, too. So do I. I cannot tell you how many times in facing attack in the ministry that God gave me an Aaron and a Hur to hold up my hands. They were life to me in that moment of attack. You were not meant to do this alone, so ask God to give you spiritual partners who will hold up your hands in those critical times.
4. You need to record God’s faithfulness in giving you victory against attack as a testimony. Moses instructed Joshua to literally write the account down. (Exodus 17:14). Why? For among other reasons, because it will give you confidence and courage when the next attack comes. The “next” attack? Yes, there will be others. But do not be disheartened (but I am getting ahead of myself).
5. You need to remember that God is your banner. Moses’ outstretched hands represented his appeal to God: Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:15-16) When you are in God’s will and you are getting hammered for it—whether by Satanic forces from the invisible realm or Satanic inspired forces coming from real people—your appeal is to God Almighty. And he will give you victory!

Here is the deal: when you are doing God’s will, you will be attacked. When you are doing God’s will, you will be victorious!