WE read in the book of Exodus that a battle once took place between the hosts of Amalek and the children of Israel, as led by Joshua. Moses had gone to the hill-top with "the rod of God" in his hand; "and it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed." After a while, however, Moses' hands grew heavy. He sat upon a stone, and Aaron and Hur, who had accompanied him to the hilltop, "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. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people."
The Bible presents few more striking instances than this of the importance of cooperation on the part of those who are working together for a common cause. The army of Israel was fighting valiantly, but it must fight, like all well-regulated armies, under the command of one, and not according to the individual opinions of each man in the ranks. The intrepid Joshua was their captain, but he was at his post of duty only in response to the command of Moses, the acknowledged leader of the Jewish people. Moses, in his turn, had taken his place on the hill-top, or speaking more metaphysically, he had reached a higher state of spiritual exaltation, wherein a clearer view was gained of the omnipotence and omnipresence of God. His part was to hold out the rod, the symbol of divine protection, and so long as he did this the vast army of wrong thoughts which menaced his people were rendered powerless.
But after a while, what happened? Even that which sometimes happens to us in this day and age when we have struggled so long with a problem that it begins to seem very real to us. As Moses watched the progress of the battle, heard the shouts of the enemy, and saw their alarming preponderance of numbers, fear and discouragement and a great sense of personal responsibility so tcok possession of him that his hands grew heavy. Then,—0 infinite compassion of divine Love!—in his hour of need friends came to him, even as they come to us, to inspire with fresh courage. With the help of Aaron and Hur, "the one on the one side, and the other on the other side," his hands were held up until with the setting sun the hosts of Amalek fled.
