Moses is known as the man who led Israel out of Egypt. Everyone has—or is—a proverbial Moses in their lives: a parent, a leader, a father figure, a boss, a spouse, a sibling, or a loved one.
Sometimes, people are their own Moses, leading their ‘nation’, which could be their family, their organisation, or simply different aspects of their lives trying to reach the promise land of achievement, goals, and dreams.
At some point in life, we have to be our own Moses; we have to champion the course of our lives and those who depend on us while trying to get our lives together. And just like it happened to Moses, our proverbial hands sometimes tire.
Here’s the focus of the story: Israel’s enemies tried to attack Israel in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. The war raged on for hours and was very fierce.
Moses stood on the mountain to pray for Israel while the soldiers went to the valley to fight.
As long as he lifted his hands, Israel was winning. He could see the Israelite soldiers crushing their enemies as his hands were lifted in intercession and worship.
But as the war raged on, Moses’s hands started to weaken, so perhaps to stretch or rest, he brought his hands down for a while. As he did so, he noticed something strange, the enemy soldiers began to conquer the Israelites.
While it was probably great for Moses to notice that his prayers had a visible and immediate effect on the war, it must have also been scary and burdening to realise that if he ever put his hands down, the war would go negatively.
I believe anyone in a leadership position has felt this way at some point: finding a unique key, a ‘wonder’ hack if you could call it, that creates a huge difference in your family, your business, your organisation, or even your community seems like something only you can do.
What happens when you are exhausted or unable to perform that one thing? What happens when you need a break and it is impossible to leave everything and get away? What happens when your ‘Moses’ is tired, but is still desperately and unavoidably needed?
The blessing/light at the end of this dilemma is that Moses was not alone. Aaron and Hur were there with him. They also noticed that when he raised his hands, Israel won the war, and when he dropped his hands, Israel lost. They stepped in by giving Moses a rock to sit on, and then they held up his hands on the left and on the right.
What a blessing to have an ‘Aaron’ and an ‘Hur’ close by, those who surround you, look out for you and are ready to carry you when your only option is to carry on.
Perhaps it’s ‘A.I’, or a dishwasher, or a washing machine—just kidding, but seriously, there is an Aaron and a Hur close to you. It could be a person, a spouse, a colleague, a neighbour, even your children or roommate, or it could be a life hack that makes everything simpler and more efficient.
Just like a ram was caught in the bush to substitute for Abraham to sacrifice in place of Isaac, there is someone or wisdom who has been provided at such a time as this; all you need is to look up or look around.
It’s okay for a leader or a strong person not to always feel strong. Rest, pause, and delegation are a must, not a luxury. It was said of Moses that ‘his eyes were not dim, and his strength was not abated’. In other words, Moses was in great shape for his age and very strong.
Strong people get tired, and even strong people sometimes fail. They get frustrated and could even fall sick, and that is okay. It does not mean they are broken or incapable, unable to carry on their tasks, or less than the heroes they once were; it simply means they are human and should be allowed to be tired just like anybody else.
I would suggest that you do not make it a habit of doing all your duties alone. Try to always keep someone in the loop. Try to guard and keep your inner circle close so that if there is a problem or challenge, even if they may not be able to take the reins or stand in for you, they can lift up your hands with counsel, support, encouragement, or just their presence.
Practice receiving help from trusted sources; learn to be comfortable saying ‘I am tired’ or ‘Can you help me?’ to those who love you – and can keep their mouth shut.
Perhaps you are a Moses whose hands are already down, so much around you is suffering, and you don’t know how to get back up or where to start. I have good news for you: Aaron and Hur are coming.
They are right around the corner. When they see you, they will cover you and help you keep your hands up so you can keep winning.
If you think you have no one, let me be your Aaron, let this post be your Hur.
I say to you, hang in there. You got this. You will not fail; you will not lose. Do not give up. Help is coming, wisdom is coming, and strength is coming!
I’m rooting and cheering for you; you are not alone!
——————
Kindly share this post, and comment on how it has helped you.
Please feel free to contact me on all social media platforms, comment, share, like, and subscribe to YouTube, Facebook, ‘X’, or Instagram with the handle Tomi Sule Emmanuel.
