“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NIV
Are there times you feel your contribution to God’s work on earth is so minuscule that it is meaningless?
You’re not looking for glory or recognition or praise, but you’d like to feel like what you do matters. You want to be an effective, flourishing, fruit-producing believer contributing to God’s work on earth.
You see the efforts of others producing grand results. They speak, and God uses their messages to move hearts and change lives. They write, and thousands read their words and testify that God used those words to move their hearts to Him.
Their stories are compelling and point to Christ and the redeeming mercies of God’s grace. As much as you treasure your story and what God has done in your life, you think it’s too simple and straightforward to be an impactful testimony to others of God’s greatness.
You’re not jealous. You’re not angry. Most of the time, your heart overflows with the joy of God. You believe and trust God with all your mind, heart, and soul. You are His, and He is Yours. And you are thrilled and grateful every time you realize that you are growing in your walk with God.
But nothing that you do, your opportunities to serve, or your one-on-one conversations with other believers and non-believers ever seem to produce much in the way of meaningful results—at least, in results that are obvious to you or that you can see are building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
It’s at those moments that you and I despair that our meager Kingdom contributions matter little in God’s grand eternal plan.
So I ask you, dear friend. Have you ever considered Hur?
“Hur, who?” You ask.
Hur’s story is in the Bible, but it’s not a huge attention-getter. In fact, it’s easy to overlook Hur altogether.
Let me introduce you to Hur, if you’ve never met him.
In Exodus 17, after the dramatic episode in the Wilderness of Sin, where God provided His whining, rebellious people with refreshing water from a rock (verses 1-7), Israel attracted the attention of a warring king.
The king of Amalek saw Israel as a threat to his people and his land. He gathered his army and viciously attacked a weary and unprepared Israel.
Moses instructed Joshua to gather the men who could go into battle to get ready to face the Amalekite army.
Then Moses, his brother, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. This event marks the first time we meet Hur. Why Hur was not enlisted to join the fighting men is not explained. Perhaps it was his age or his physical condition that kept him out of the battle; whatever the reason, he was not engaged in the fighting action.
Perhaps it was because Moses and Aaron trusted him completely and felt he would be the most effective prayer partner as they appealed to Jehovah for Israel’s victory in the battle.
Perhaps Hur was invited to provide protection and watch care over Moses and Aaron, should the enemy spot them isolated from the army and go after them.
Whatever the reason, Hur was not in the heat of the physical battle. But he played a critical role in Israel’s victory.
At the top of the hill, looking down on the battlefield, Moses raised his arms in prayer, entreating God’s power, mercy, and victory for Israel in the battle.
When Moses raised his arms, Israel advanced in the battle and fared well. But when Moses became tired, his arms began to drop, and the Amalekite army would start gaining ground.
Aaron and Hur found a large stone and set Moses upon it. Standing on either side of Moses, Aaron and Hur held Moses’ arms upright until the sun set and the battle was over. Scripture says that “Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword” (Exodus 17:8-13 ESV).
There is no reference in Scripture to Hur before his role in this battle. The only other references later to Hur are mentions of him as the grandfather of Bezalel. Bezalel was selected and equipped by God to carry out His artistic design to create the interior of the Tabernacle and all its furnishings.
Besides having a gifted grandson, all we really know about Hur is that he stood all day, holding up the arms of the man God chose to lead Israel to the Promised Land.
Hur may have watched the active battle from the top of a hill, but he played a vital role in the spiritual warfare that took place on that hill and the battle taking place in the plain below. No, Hur was not one of the two main characters in that hilltop scene, nor was Aaron.
The intercessory prayer and appeals to Jehovah for victory in the battle came from the lips of Moses to the ears of the Almighty. But Moses couldn’t keep his arms raised in supplication, submission, and intercession without the help of Hur and Aaron. Aaron wouldn’t have been able to do it by himself. Hur couldn’t have done it by himself. Both men were necessary to help and encourage Moses in his passionate prayers and appeals to Jehovah for the Israelites.
Perhaps God demanded that posture for Moses’ prayer so that both armies would see and realize that it was the God of Israel who was responsible for Israel’s victory.
The victory brought glory to Jehovah God and continued to build the reputation of God and His people as they moved towards the Promised Land of Canaan.
To some, Hur’s role in the battle may have seemed small and inconsequential, but without his encouragement and physical assistance, Moses could not have fulfilled his role as intercessor.
“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things–things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end.” Hebrews 6:9-11
We may feel at times that our role in the Kingdom is lowly or of marginal importance. But friend, I tell you if you are where God wants you to be, when He wants you to be there, ready to do whatever He tells you to do, when He tells you to do it with a heart of love and complete submission to your Father—You are a Kingdom builder of the first degree.
There are no unimportant roles in God’s economy. If God decides there is a job to be done, and you are the one He has chosen to do it, if you submit in faith-filled, loving obedience, you are a warrior for the cause of Christ.
And one day, after our LORD and Savior leads His great army into the battle that ends all wars, you will stand as a triumphant warrior in the undefeatable army of the Almighty One before the throne of God, where you will receive a victor’s crown.
We must remember, in God’s economy, there are no unimportant roles. If God has called you to teach in AWANA’s, or pray with a stranger in a hospital waiting room, or take a meal to a sorrowing family, or speak on grand platforms, or sing praises in arenas—whatever your calling, it is important to God. And your obedient, joy-filled, and heart-committed response is of utmost importance to Him, as well.
So, who was Hur? He was a man of faith, a trusted partner in a sacred battle, and a willing encourager and committed helper to God’s chosen leader of Israel.
Maybe most people don’t know Hur’s name or his story, but God does. And, maybe, most people won’t know our names when our earthly life ends. But if we stay the course and obediently serve, we can know with assurance that the Almighty God of the Universe knows our name and will welcome us to our eternal home as faithful warriors of the Faith.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV