Why did Moses stand on the hill with the rod of God's authority lifted up? It's been suggested that by doing so he was declaring the power of God by lifting him up in praise as the victor over his enemies. It is important to recognize that when we are fighting temptation, lack of faith or discouragement, we also need to recognize the power of God and lift him up in praise. Our worship may also include the lifting of hands to the Lord, as he commanded the Levites to do (Psalm 134:1-2). David worshipped God in this way when he was exiled in the desert and under attack by King Saul (Ps. 63:4).

Moses grew tired, and needed support from Aaron and Hur in order to keep his hands up. We can worship alone, but like Moses, our praise can be more powerful when we are worshipping with others. This is one of the reasons that regularly participating in worship is so powerful in our lives.

Worship and praise are powerful weapons in spiritual warfare ... and even more so when they are part of corporate worship.

Jim Jensen