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[0:00] So, I hope you have a Bible, you can find Exodus, the second book in the Old Testament, Exodus chapter 17. And we've already preached two messages out of this chapter, and this passage of a very unique and interesting situation where Moses goes up on a mountain and holds his hands in the air while Joshua fights with the enemy Amalek in the valley below.

[0:36] And while Moses' hands are up, Joshua prevails, but as his arms and hands grow weary and tired and heavy, the Bible says, then Amalek prevails.

[0:47] We've already looked at a sermon there about Moses and a decision he made there without any mention of God's instructions. Moses made a decision to tell Joshua to get up there and fight.

[1:00] And we looked at some material there thinking about when God is silent and what we can do and how to react in situations when we need to do something and we don't have an answer from God. And then last week we looked even more detailed at that battle down there in the valley and saw Joshua fighting for his life and fighting for Israel and the women and children and looked to some things that we could learn from Joshua's fight.

[1:26] It was, I put the wrong paper aside, that's a different one. We watched how God blessed Joshua's obedience, how he didn't question and he didn't say, why God don't you just do it?

[1:38] Why don't you send some hailstones? Why don't you do what you did in Egypt upon these Amalekites? But no, Joshua got his sword and got to work. He also, we learned that being down is not the same thing as being defeated.

[1:50] And although there was real moments in that battle that Joshua felt Amalek prevailing against him, he continued to fight. And he continued until the Lord gave the victory.

[2:01] We learned that victory doesn't come without a fight. You're not going to get a victory if you're not willing to stand up and fight. And the Christian life's full of fights. And we're going to learn a little bit more about that today because today we're going to look at the enemy.

[2:13] And we're going to take a look at this story again and learn something about Amalek. And we'll start this passage, this time we'll begin from verse number 1. Typically we've read from verses 8 to 16.

[2:26] But here we'll just read verse 1 to 8 and get a little bit of the background before Amalek shows up. So follow with me, Exodus 17. In verse number 1, And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of sin after their journeyings according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim.

[2:46] And there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

[2:58] And the people thirsted there for water. And the people murmured against Moses and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people?

[3:12] They be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee the elders of Israel and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, and take in thine hand and go.

[3:25] Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did it in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Mesa and Meribah because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?

[3:44] Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And we know what took place thereafter. Then came Amalek. Now, I want to preach this morning to you about the attack of Amalek.

[3:58] And I think there's a lot here that we can gain from this passage. Really, we're going to learn some things about the enemy, Amalek, his attack, and some specific things that I think we can apply in our lives when we get attacked by the enemy.

[4:14] And I'm not saying that generically. It almost sounds generic when you get attacked by the enemy. But no, that's real. If you're a born-again Christian and seek to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you've entered into a battle, into a fight.

[4:27] God likens your life, your Christian life, to a fight. That's not by accident because he knows something. You're going to be faced with opposition. The very first thing you might be faced with is your flesh.

[4:39] It's telling you, No. We don't do that. We don't get up and go to church every Sunday. No. We watch TV as long as we want to watch TV.

[4:49] We don't shut it off and read our Bible. No. We answer everything that beeps on our phone. We care about everything else. Our flesh is going to be probably the first opposition we face when we get saved and we start walking with the Lord Jesus Christ.

[5:03] That's a real enemy. It's real. The world's a real enemy. Because as you come out from among them and start to be separate in the Word of God and grow in Jesus Christ, you're going to see I'm different.

[5:15] I'm so different than the world. They think differently. They speak differently. They listen to different things. They like different things that I'm supposed to. And God's given me a new life in Jesus Christ.

[5:26] And you find yourselves being at enmity with the world. And then, of course, the one that's called the enemy, the deceiver, the devil. He's not going to let you get by unscathed.

[5:38] You're going to face some real enemies. And if you're not facing anything, then it's probably because you're just foolish. You're blind. You're not living for Christ. You're defeated already and just think, it's not that bad.

[5:50] Well, you're probably not a soldier for Jesus Christ walking with the whole armor of God on and the shield of faith and fighting off the fiery darts of the wicked. Probably not.

[6:01] But I want to learn some things about the enemy in this passage. It'll show you this stuff applies right down the line. And it'll help you if you need help. And if you want to learn something about your enemy, this is going to help you.

[6:11] I promise you. Now, by way of introduction, let's notice this in verse 8. It says, Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. It doesn't say, then came Israel and fought with Amalek, does it?

[6:24] Israel is making their way through the wilderness. God is leading them with that pillar of fire by night or that cloudy pillar by day. And when it stops, they stop and set up camp. And then he moves.

[6:34] And you can read in, I think it's in Numbers, he just gives the whole layout from this place to that place. They encamped here. They departed there. And all the way through their journeys up to coming into the promised land. This is not Israel going up and seeking an enemy.

[6:51] And they're not on the war path. Not yet. They're not seeking to conquer nations in the wilderness. Who's going to get in our way? No, that's not what's happening. And they're not on a crusade. They're just simply following the Lord.

[7:03] They're not slaves anymore. They're happy about that. They're not in Egypt. They're not serving with rigor and servitude, the Bible says. The hard bondage of what was called the furnace of affliction in Egypt.

[7:18] No, they've escaped and been delivered by the mighty hand of God. And he's just leading them on through this wilderness. They're not looking for a fight. It doesn't say, then came Israel and fought with Amalek.

[7:29] No, then came Amalek and fought with Israel. And so it's good by way of introduction for you to get this in your head and understand this truth that trouble will find you in your Christian life.

[7:41] It's going to show up. And it's never been promised to you that it's going to be easy. Never. And if it's too easy, then either you're not doing something right or just brace yourself.

[7:53] Because it's coming. It's coming. Christian life is not a walk through the park or a bed of roses for the believer. It's a fight. And some bogus preachers might pretend that everything's going to be health and wealth and things are just going to be, God's going to bless you.

[8:11] And if he preaches that because you like to hear that and you get sucked into that, you're missing the boat. God didn't promise you an easy life. He promised you grace. And he promised grace to be sufficient for all the things you'll deal with.

[8:24] He promised in the trials and temptations he'll make a way to escape. He promised you'll be able to bear it. But he didn't say it's going to be easy. As a matter of fact, the Bible says it's given to you on behalf of Christ two things, that you believe on Christ and number two, that you suffer for his sake.

[8:42] What a blessing. I get to believe on Jesus Christ and I get to suffer for him? That's what's been given to you. The Bible says that. Do you believe your Bible? Or do you believe the preachers that like to talk about money?

[8:54] Paul said this two times in 2 Corinthians. He said, we are troubled on every side. You think he's just exaggerating the point? No. That man went from here to there to there and it was opposition and fights.

[9:10] And he even acknowledged himself that one of the biggest fights he was ever in in his life, Romans chapter 7, is sin that dwelleth in me. Paul had to deal with his flesh. He had to deal with the world, the opposition of it, and devil.

[9:23] Satan hindered me one time, he said. He's trying to reach the church at Thessalonica, but Satan hindered us. He gives the credit to Satan sometimes. So it's the very nature of living a spiritual life is to attract attention, spiritually speaking, and battles along with it.

[9:40] And I want us to come to grips with this and accept it because you'll be better prepared to withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand when you expect trouble to find you.

[9:51] But when you think, well, I'm saved now, it's going to be all peace and happiness and God loves me. And when your mind is there, when it comes, you're going to fall hard. And you might not even get back up from that because you're deceived.

[10:04] Now you're bitter. Now you're not sure what's going on. You've been misled. But the other day, well, what I want you to do is expect some trouble.

[10:14] The other day, Samuel and I were over here at Veterans Park. We're playing disc golf. Yeah, really? Amen. And so we're throwing these frisbees at these things.

[10:25] And I made a stupid throw like I do quite often to where my disc just went way off course. And I tried to dumb throw up high around a tree, and it didn't do what I wanted to do.

[10:35] And so because these other people were letting us play through the hole, I thought, I just felt this obligation to hurry up, go get it, and get it done with so they can keep playing. So I take off. Of course, before that, I threw another disc just because.

[10:49] And I said, grab that disc for me, Samuel. And so he's going toward it. And I take off down this hill toward my disc off in a distance, and I'm running. And the hill over there is just loose rocks. It's so gravelly and loose rocks that you don't just take off on a sprint.

[11:04] You go cautiously, but you've got to keep your feet moving. You try to stop, it's just going to go out from underneath you. Well, Samuel decides, and I'm not blaming him, but maybe a little bit. He decides that he wouldn't just keep my disc.

[11:16] He says, here. And he throws it to me as I'm already taken off down this hill running. And I see the disc flying toward me, and I'm moving down the hill, and it's flashing in my mind. Let it go. You can just slow down and come back and get it.

[11:31] But I'm also thinking, I don't want to stop and come back up this hill and pick up this disc because I'm trying to hurry. And so I'm watching the disc. I'm watching my footing. I'm watching the disc.

[11:42] I'm glancing. It's still coming. It's behind me, but it's coming closer. And I reach back for it. And as I reach back, my feet go out from underneath me. And down I went. And I got heavy scun up on this forearm a few weeks ago.

[11:55] It's almost healed now. But it looked like I was a skater for a while. It looked like I had some road rash on my arm, and then I was out with the boys in the corner. Anyway, about a week ago or a few days ago, we were at the same park.

[12:11] And I was going down a similar hill. And I thought, I'm just going to take it easy this time. And I'm going to be a little more careful because I know what happens when you fall hard on this hill, on the loose rocks.

[12:24] It doesn't go well for you. And, you know, at that time, I kind of, what the Bible called, walked circumspectly a little bit more. I was a little more cautious because I thought, there's trouble.

[12:34] And it could be that quick that I fall into it. And I want to warn you this morning, church, by even way of introduction, that trouble is going to find you in one form or another.

[12:46] And we walk among a crooked and perverse generation. And the wicked will continue to fire their fiery darts your way. And there's still a roaring lion that's seeking whom he may devour.

[12:57] So expect trouble. Don't go off into the Christian life just like, this is the greatest. Because it could be the downfall of you if you don't have your mind right. Now, let's look at three things about this attack of Amalek and show that there's real application to us today.

[13:13] Number one, look in verse number eight. It says, then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Notice the timing of the attack. Then. Then. That gives us timing.

[13:25] Then came Amalek and fought with Israel. I want you to see two things. Amalek attacked when Israel was infant and when Israel was ignorant.

[13:36] And I'll explain that. Then came Amalek when Israel was infant. As a nation, they barely got it together. They're only, they're under three months removed from Egypt.

[13:49] They did not come out here, this strong dictatorship with Moses. They've never governed themselves as a nation. They've been under Pharaoh and his hard hand all those years.

[13:59] And they've finally gotten out under the leadership of this man that has a rod that turns it into a snake. And God's doing these mighty things. And we're following him. And we're out not in Egypt anymore.

[14:11] But they don't know what it's like. I mean, they're attacking Moses in this passage. They're just a bunch of babies is what they are. They're infant. They're an infant nation fresh out of Egypt.

[14:23] They're following God's leading. They're away from Egypt. And they're heading toward what they believe is a better life, a better future that was promised to them. But they're not grown. And they're not trusting God the way they should.

[14:35] They have all the tags of a young Christian. All the tags of a young Christian. They're not looking for trouble. And it's hard enough just learning to trust God. This is all new for them.

[14:46] Trusting him for their food. Trusting him for their water. Trusting him for protection. Trusting him with their children and their wives and their livestock. And they're reacting pretty wrong in this situation.

[14:59] But understand, they're young. They're not grown. They're not experienced. And they're not looking for trouble. They're not picking a fight with Amalek. Amalek's the aggressor. Israel didn't ask for this.

[15:10] And they didn't earn it because they're so wicked either. But here it is. And they're young. And they're immature. Then came Amalek. When Israel was infant.

[15:22] And notice the end of verse number 7. The last words that we learned there. Where they're tempting the Lord saying, Is the Lord among us or not? Is God even in this thing? Do you see that?

[15:32] Don't they sound like a baby that hasn't really experienced things? They don't have a lot to look back on and hold on to? This is all just a few months in. And miraculous stuff, yes.

[15:44] But just a short time of their lives. Most of their life was in Egypt. Just a little bit was with the Lord. Their infant.

[15:56] Then came Amalek. To try to knock them out before they get any further. And any closer. To what God has for them. Notice also the timing of the attack when Israel was ignorant.

[16:09] What do I mean by that? Turn to chapter 19. Look at chapter 19 verses 1 and 2. And let's understand something else.

[16:19] And how accurately this applies. Verse 1 says, In the third month, when the children of Israel were come forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

[16:32] For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness, and there Israel camped before the mount. Huh. They're just a short distance.

[16:44] At Rephidim, they're just a short distance away from Mount Sinai. What is Mount Sinai? What do we know about that place? Well, in chapter 19, Moses goes up on that mount.

[16:57] And the lightnings, and the thunderings, and the voice of God. And we can read later in Deuteronomy, Moses says, You remember that day on that mount? He told them to remember some things, and he said this word, especially.

[17:09] He wanted them to especially remember that, at this moment of Exodus 19, when they heard the voice of God. And it says in that chapter, it's in Deuteronomy 4, I don't want to take you there yet, or for time's sake, but it says that you saw no similitude, but you heard the voice of God speaking out of the mount.

[17:27] That was a special day, a special place. And from Exodus 19 on, you get the Ten Commandments in chapter 20, and then it's all the judgments, and the statutes, and the precepts of God to his people, and the tabernacle.

[17:38] That's a new thing for them. The presence of God dwelling in a place among them, and it orders all of that. And then in Leviticus, you get what was delivered Moses to the priesthood.

[17:50] All of this starts to become expounded, and displayed to them, to where now they know God. They know how to approach God. They learn of the holiness of God. They learn of the danger of presuming that they can just go in and get...

[18:03] They are learning all of this at Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai. Now consider the timing of this attack. Just a short distance away, so close to where they're going to have the word of God delivered to them.

[18:20] Up to that point, they don't have God's laws. They don't know how to govern themselves. This is all new. They're infant, and they're also ignorant. They knew the power of God through his miracles, and his great deliverance, but they knew nothing about his holiness.

[18:35] Nothing about how to approach him. Nothing of what he expects from them, and what they can expect from him. The timing of this attack of Amalek was coming just before such a great, and such a monumental moment in the nation of Israel, where they'd receive from the very finger of God the law that would govern them, and set them apart from all others.

[19:01] And in Exodus 19, where they'd become a holy nation, where God, in verse number 5, he wants to make them a peculiar treasure unto himself, a kingdom of priests. But they're ignorant of all of that.

[19:14] That's just, that's right there at the mount. I know they could see the mount from Rephidim, but they don't know what's coming yet. They're ignorant of the word of God.

[19:24] Then came Amalek. Then came Amalek. Before, an attempt to take him out, before they received the word of God, before it would come, they'd come plainly to understand his ways, and get grounded in him, and in his truth.

[19:41] Then came Amalek, when Israel was ignorant. Church, understand the timing of the attack of Amalek here. It's intentional. Whether you're a young believer, or a young person, Amalek attacks, when you're, pardon the expression, when you're young and dumb.

[20:00] He shows up, when you're prone to foolish decisions. When you're prone to reacting emotionally, and not grounded in truth. When you're prone to reacting carnally, because that's all you've ever known.

[20:13] You haven't yet learned how to apply the scripture to your life. For a teenager, they just know, go to church, mom and dad say, do this, don't that.

[20:24] And if they've never gotten, heard the voice of God in their own heart, if they've ever sought him from the word of God, and developed a personal connection and relationship, they're just young and dumb.

[20:35] Ignorant. And Amalek attacks. And he shows up, the timing is important. The timing is on purpose. Up to that point, like children, or even newborn babes in Christ, just kind of following a leader, but not really knowing the word of God yet.

[20:53] And not having heard the voice of God themselves. I believe it's the duty of a church to look out for the infants. To look out for the ignorant.

[21:04] To disciple them, and to teach them, and to lead them by example. And stay close to them, and in touch with them, to help them get past these early years. And past these early attacks.

[21:16] So that they can go on, and grow in the Lord, and in the word of God. The timing of the attack. Now let's notice something else. We're going to come back, but keep your place if you can. Go to 1 Samuel 15.

[21:27] A little more light, on this attack. And I want to study here quickly, the manner, of the attack. There's something about this as well.

[21:43] The timing of the attack, and then the manner. In 1 Samuel 15, we have King Saul here, and the Lord is giving him a directive here, to wipe out Amalek, to utterly destroy him.

[22:02] And notice something God tells Saul. We'll start in verse 1. Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee, to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore, hearken thou unto the voice, of the words of the Lord.

[22:15] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel. Notice this. How he laid weight for him, in the way, when he came up, from Egypt.

[22:30] How he laid weight for him, in the way. Well, we didn't learn that, from Exodus account, from what Moses wrote. But now we know something else, about the attack of Amalek.

[22:41] Amalek was laying weight, for Israel. Amalek was planning, and calculating this attack, waiting them, to get to this place, in their journey, toward the promised land of God, waiting to get to Rephidim, and then attacking them.

[22:57] This was not an announcement, of war by Amalek. Maybe, maybe this is why, Moses didn't have, a message from God, on the thing.

[23:08] He sees the ambush, and says, Joshua, get men, and go out, and fight with them. Because he had to. It was an ambush. He laid weight, for Israel.

[23:20] There's no time, for Israel to prepare. You know, my wife likes to, wait for the kids, to come out of the bathroom, or their bedroom, and stand behind the door, and she loves to get, that little, out of them.

[23:34] And she just thinks, it's hilarious. And I'm like, Carla, you're so simple. But she loves to do that. And they're never safe. They think she's sleeping, she goes to bed earlier, than they do, but she might not be.

[23:49] She might be, behind their door. She loves to do that. That little sneak attack, just thrills her. And then sometimes, they start picking that up too, and do it to each other, and then try to do it to her, and then, she never loses.

[24:01] But, that's the way that goes. No, it wouldn't be very effective, if she said, hey kids, I'm going to scare you, before you go to bed tonight. Make sure you look in your closet, because I might be in there. She doesn't announce it, does she?

[24:13] Why would she ever announce it? It'd be ineffective, right? It'd be completely ineffective. You know that, El Amalek here? Laid wait, for Israel. Use the element of surprise.

[24:25] It's a great way to attack, when you're not expecting it, when you're not prepared for it. And just the same, the devil, your enemy, will never announce his attack. He's not going to warn you, hey, Christian, a strong temptation's coming your way, this afternoon.

[24:41] I'll see you there. You're not going to get that announcement, or that preparation. That subtle serpent's going to be low in the grass. He's going to pick his spots along life's way, and strike when you're unaware of his presence, when you're not expecting it.

[25:01] And even though you can expect trouble, I said that to start, you should expect trouble, you can't anticipate when the trouble's going to come. And you can't anticipate what the trouble's going to look like, in what form.

[25:15] It can catch us off guard. And we can, I don't think we can ever precisely be prepared, or plan for the trouble. What we can do, like David said, my heart is fixed, oh God.

[25:26] My heart is fixed. We can fix in our hearts, that we're going to serve God. We can determine, before the trouble comes, whatever it be, God, you're faithful. I can trust you. I'm not giving in.

[25:38] I'm not quitting. I'm not running. You can determine in your heart, no matter what sort, or no matter what magnitude it is, because expect it.

[25:48] It's going to come sooner or later. It's important to expect it. And so, the manner of the attack, we learn something else, about Amalek. He's deceitful. He lies in wait.

[25:59] He doesn't announce it. He uses the element of surprise. And then the third thing, and there's something to this one for sure. Come back to Exodus. It says, in verse 8, that Amalek came and fought with Israel, in Rephidim.

[26:12] I want to look at the place. The place that Amalek chose, chose to lay wait. There's some significance to this. Absolutely. Notice where Amalek attacked.

[26:24] What do we know about Rephidim? Well, in verse number 1, we learn something. The last part of the verse says, that they pitched in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.

[26:35] No water in Rephidim. It's a dry place. No water. It's not easy to survive when there's no water. That's such a basic element and necessity of life.

[26:50] Why did they stop in Rephidim? Why would they stop in a place where there's no water? It's not going to be comfortable. It's going to take a lot out of you. Things don't grow in Rephidim when there's no water.

[27:03] It's a great place to attack. Notice the effect that Rephidim is having on the children of Israel. In verse number 2, they did chide with Moses.

[27:15] And Moses says, you're tempting the Lord. In verse 3, the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses. They're chiding. They're turning on Moses.

[27:27] In verse number 3, they're accusing him and saying, why did you bring us up here to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? Is that why we're here, Moses? Are you trying to kill us?

[27:37] What an accusation. It's not bringing out the best in them, is it? Rephidim. The effect it's having on God's people. So much so that Moses cries to the Lord in verse 4, and he says, that these people be almost ready to stone me.

[27:54] You see what they're so distressed? They're turning violent. Moses is not overreacting and crying to God like a baby. This is real. The pressure's building. The stress is growing.

[28:06] This is a bad situation because they're in Rephidim and there's no water there. They're losing it. The people are losing it. Ready to get violent. And as I mentioned in verse 7, it says, they tempted the Lord, saying, is the Lord among us or not?

[28:22] What an attitude from this people. The effect that this place is having on them. Laying weight at Rephidim is no accident. It's a perfect place for an attack.

[28:34] You know why? Because the people are distracted. The people are frustrated. The people are not trusting God. They're turning on their appointed leader and the door is wide open for an attack.

[28:47] A calculated attack that Israel never saw coming. The place is just as calculated as the timing and the manner. And we can learn something here.

[28:58] Our enemy has methods of attack that are ready and prepared against you just awaiting your arrival to a hard place in life. You don't expect He'll come at you when you're strong, do you?

[29:12] You don't expect He's just going to try to take me out when I'm on the mountain glorifying Christ for all the victories in my life and for how good He's been to me. You don't expect Him to just try to take you out there, do you?

[29:25] Not very effective. But no, it's in Rephidim that He lays weight. He weights low. He picks His spot carefully. The devil doesn't lay in the open path poised to strike where you can see Him coming 20 feet away.

[29:40] No, He lays in the path where the thorns are growing over the path. And where you're trying to get through but you're getting pricked by the thorns and you're getting caught up and distracted and have to go back and that one hurts a little bit and now that one hurts and I'm trying to address this situation.

[29:55] I'm not going forward right now because I'm caught up in something and underneath all of that there comes the fangs of that subtle serpent. He waits for you to come to Rephidim.

[30:08] He waits to attack in Rephidim. Be careful, Christian, if you're in Rephidim today. Have your guard up. I didn't say stay away from Rephidim. You can't.

[30:18] It's part of the wilderness journey. It's part of getting to the promised land is going through some Rephidims. But Christian, understand the situation.

[30:29] When you're distracted, when you're frustrated, when things aren't going great, that is prime time for the attack to try to take you out and take you down.

[30:45] So have your guard up. Be sober. Be vigilant. Walk circumspectly and when there's cares, cast them on him right away. Rephidim is a dangerous place.

[30:58] Don't allow the devil to tip the scales against you because there's other things working against you and he'll use it to knock you out. Rephidim's not the place to have a loose tongue.

[31:12] It's not the place to start complaining and to react in stress. It's a place to call on Jesus Christ and get to the throne of grace.

[31:22] Why? Because you can obtain mercy and you can find grace to help in time of need. But if you're not going to the throne of grace, no mercy, no grace for you, you're going to be struggling.

[31:34] You're wide open. You better do, like David said, lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. You better lift up your eyes and see Mount Sinai's close. I'll be there soon.

[31:46] I want to experience the word of God and experience the power of God in my life. I'm close. I'll get there. Not too far away. Learn that the place was also calculated.

[32:03] And our enemy has those methods. In conclusion, why are they in Rephidim? In verse 1, the Bible says that the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness to sin after their journeys according to the commandment of the Lord and pitched in Rephidim.

[32:20] They're in Rephidim because God led them there. There's no water for them because God let them pitch their tents in a place that was going to be tough before Mount Sinai, before the attack.

[32:35] God led them right to a place where Amalek was going to attack them. Yes, God led them there. Could God not have avoided that dangerous place, that dry place?

[32:46] Could God not have taken them on something else? No. Yeah, he could have, but God led them there. It's not part, or this isn't the land of milk and honey. This is part of the wilderness journey and God let them go right into it.

[32:59] Now, I mentioned this verse. I'm just going to turn and read it for time. 1 Corinthians 10, 31. Listen to the verse carefully. Considering that God led them into Rephidim, there hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.

[33:17] But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

[33:32] God led them to this horrible place, right into this ambush. And with it, he didn't suffer them or allow them to be tempted above that they were able.

[33:45] He did make a way to escape. And they did escape Amalek. But boy, did they ever show the signs of their immaturity, didn't they, early in the chapter? Didn't they show the signs of their ignorance?

[33:58] Is the Lord among us or not? Just like a young baby in Christ. I want you to consider before we close that the attacks of Amalek aren't the same for every Christian.

[34:09] I'm not being detailed in any way or trying to pinpoint your problems or trials in life because they're not the same for everybody. And some man will be able to resist the carnal lusts of his flesh, but then he'll fall for the snares of success.

[34:26] And some man won't have any trouble abstaining from worldly appetites or those kind of temptations, but he gives in to pride or gives in to envy or to discontentment.

[34:40] The attacks aren't all the same. But understand this, if the Christian life is a highway, there's a snare at every exit. And any time you decide to get off that highway and take a little break, there's a snare laying in there for you.

[34:55] It's like there's Rephidim there. There's a devil there with a snare that's going to, when you get off, he's going to try to keep you from getting back on. He's going to attack you when you're tired. He's going to attack you when you're vulnerable.

[35:07] And let's learn this morning from the timing, from the manner, as well as the place that Amalek fought with Israel. Although the attacks are real and although the attacks are dangerous for us in the Christian life, understand this and believe it with all your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than Amalek.

[35:28] He's greater than any attack, than any enemy. If you walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, he will carry you through. You trust him, he will not lead you in a place that you can't get out of.

[35:41] If you get yourself in a place you can't get out of, then you call on him and he'll come to you. Call in repentance and call humbly and he'll come and get you out. He's done it for me.

[35:52] Praise the Lord. But the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than Amalek. When a child of God walks by faith, when they put on the whole armor of God, like David cried out, the battle is the Lord's.

[36:07] Trust him and obey him to bring you through it and to bring you eventually into a place of safety, into a place of water, a place of rest.

[36:18] Then came Amalek and fought with Israel and rephed him. There's a lot going on in this story, isn't there, between Moses, between Joshua and then here looking closely at Amalek. And Christian, you might be struggling, you might be that young believer in the Lord, understand the trouble is going to come, be prepared for it, plan on having it and know that you're going to have to walk with God and know that you're going to have to lean on the word of God and you're going to have to lean on other believers to help guide and navigate you through these things so that you can be strong and be grown and then help somebody else along the way, get them through rephedim.

[36:52] If you're in rephedim, be careful. It's not a place to develop a nasty spirit or to allow the stress to get to you. It's a place to go to the throne and get the grace and mercy that you need.

[37:04] Let's bow our heads together. In a congregation like this and many different walks of life and many different ages, without a doubt, there's somebody in rephedim.

[37:16] Maybe there's somebody that's getting close. Maybe there's somebody that's just trying to get out of it. Understand the enemy this morning. They say, keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer because you need to know what your enemy's capable of.

[37:34] You need to be able to size them up. The Bible gives us evidence of the enemy and of his tactics and other battles we'll face. I pray this morning that you'll heed the words of God and that this study of that enemy and how he operates, you can make that application and understand it.

[37:54]  I've got to be careful.