- 71-
it has been suggested by a recent commentator, that the object ofholding up the hands
was not prayer, but the uplifting of the God-given, wonder-working rod, as thebanner
of God, to which, while it waved above them, and only so long, Israel owed their
victory.With this agrees the name of the memorial-altar, which Moses reared to
perpetuate the event-Jehovah-nissi, "the Lord my banner." But neither does this
explanation quite meet the statements ofScripture. Rather would we combine both the
views mentioned. The rod which Moses held up wasthe banner of God -the symbol
and the pledge of His presence and working; and he held it up, notover Israel, nor yet
over their enemies, but towards heaven in prayer, to bring down that promisedhelp in
their actual contest. And so it ever is.
Amalek opposes the advance of Israel; Israel must fight, but the victory is God's;
Israel holds the rodof almighty power in the hand of faith; but that rod must ever be
uplifted toward heaven in presentapplication for the blessing secured by covenant-
promise.
If the attack of Amalek represented the hostility of the world to the kingdom of God,
the visit ofJethro, which followed Israel's victory, equally symbolized the opposite
tendency. For Jethro camenot only as Moses' father-in-law to bring back his wife and
children - although even this would haveexpressed his faith in Jehovah and the
covenant-people, - but he "rejoiced for all the goodness whichJehovah had done to
Israel." More than that, he professed,
"Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for He has shown Himself great
in the thing wherein they (the Egyptians) had dealt proudly against them (the
Israelites)" (Exodus 18:11).
As this acknowledgment of God led Jethro to praise Him, so his praise found
expression inburnt-offerings and sacrifices, after which Jethro sat down with Moses
and Aaron, and the elders ofIsrael, to the sacrificial meal of fellowship with God and
with each other. Thus Jethro may beregarded as a kind of first fruits unto God from
among the Gentiles, and his homage as ananticipating fulfillment of the promise;
(Isaiah 2:3) "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, andlet us go up to the
mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us ofHis
ways, and we will walk in His paths."
A very marked advantage was immediately derived from the presence of Jethro. Just
as after theconversion of the Gentiles to Christianity, the accumulated learning and
research of heathenism wereto be employed in the service of the Gospel, so here the
experience of Jethro served in the outwardarrangements of the people of God.
Hitherto every case in dispute between the people had beenbrought to Moses himself
for decision. The consequence was, that Moses was not only in danger of"wearing
(^)