It is written by THE SPIRIT in Exodus chapter 17:
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner;
16 for he said, “Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
The word “Rephidim” means place of rest. The name “Amalek” (doubt, haughty, evil eye based on the Hebrew letters) represents spiritual blindness acting arrogantly in the world. The children of Israel were not looking for a fight but were pursuing rest. Amalek initiated the battle by coming to fight them. Joshua was charged with fighting Amalek while Moses was to lift up the rod toward Heaven. After Joshua defeated Amalek and his people, FATHER revealed the reality that HIS power defeated Amalek and that in the end the remembrance of Amalek would be totally blotted out. Until then, the Amalekites would cause havoc among the Israelites.
FATHER revealed HIMSELF as Jehovah-Nissi which means The-LORD-Is-My-Banner. We fight our battles through THE LORD, under HIS power and authority, and we are known by others as being with HIM rather than on our own for the THE LORD is our victory. In addition HE has further revealed HIS banner over us is Love (Song 2:4) and we should rest in HIS Love.
In Genesis chapter 6 it is written by THE SPIRIT:
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
The name Noah means “rest” and this is where we find grace. In Esther chapter 9 we also see that the children of Israel are finding rest after the defeat of Haman:
16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
To provide perspective, Haman was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite and an Agagite is a descendent of Agag who was the king of Amalek, spared by Saul but slain by Samuel. Once again we see that peace cannot be achieved until the descendants of Amalek who are those with spiritual blindness acting arrogantly in the world. We are to be a light unto the world and this light will ultimately overcome spiritual blindness.
As we trust in FATHER we able to walk in peace no matter what is happening around us and we are able to rest. As I rest in work, I am able to work stress-free for I do not allow the challenges to cause me to lose peace. Men will try to cause us to be stressed by placing unreasonable demands on us but we must let FATHER guide us through our interaction with them and allow FATHER to intervene on our behalf. HE is still Jehovah-Nissi and will win the battles we face. In Genesis chapter 3 we find the curse of disobedience:
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Before the fall Adam worked without sweating or being stressed but after the fall stress would be a part of his life. To reverse the curse, Jesus sweat in even a greater degree as it is written in Luke 22:
42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
At the cross Jesus eliminated the need for us to be stressed by becoming the curse for us thus enabling us to work in peace and without stress. The Hebrew word `amal means painful toil, heavy worrisome labor, weariness, trouble, vexation, and includes being figuratively of the mind. Amalek is associated with this root word. The enemy will come when we are resting and at peace. How we respond will determine whether we win or lose the battle. Will we trust in FATHER to be our Banner and allow HIM to overcome the enemy or will we take it upon ourselves to sweat and toil over whatever issue arises?
It is written by THE SPIRIT in Psalm 110:
1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Our Lord Jesus Christ is at rest while FATHER is defeating His enemies and so should we be at rest in this same manner. It was not required of Jesus to make His enemies His footstool but FATHER said to rest while HE made each and every enemy the footstool. In Hebrews chapter 1 this passage is quoted and we are given more information:
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
FATHER sends forth HIS angels to battle with the enemy on our behalf. I can personally attest to an angel intervening on my behalf in the fourth attempt on my life when I was nearly run over by a commercial van. I was pulled off my bike and pulled back from harm’s way. The bike was dragged underneath the van for thirty feet. I laid on the pavement at total peace.
We are to rest before we see the manifestation of victory knowing that FATHER is Jehovah-Nissi and each of HIS Names discloses an unfailing characteristic of HIS personality which will respond to our need as we seek HIM to intervene in our lives. Our footstool is where we place our feet in a time of rest. In Ephesians THE SPIRIT tells us our feet is where the preparation of the gospel of peace is referred to. As we are in rest during these times of trouble, we become a testimony of the Gospel of peace to others. As people see our response to turmoil they will seek out the solution we have discovered. Let our testimony draw them to Christ!
In John chapter 14 Jesus spoke:
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
Jesus has given us a gift of peace and The Most Holy Spirit has been given to us in order that we be taught these Truths and cause us to be in remembrance when the enemy attack us. As we are led by THE SPIRIT in a greater manner the Amalek’s of the world will no longer move us and we will trust in FATHER to make the enemy into a footstool where our peace cannot be robbed.