In one of the more vivid scenes in the Old Testament, Israel is fighting for its survival in a vicious battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13).
Joshua leads the soldiers of Israel and fights valiantly on the battlefield, while Moses climbs up on a hill overlooking the battle and lifts his hands in intercession, calling upon God for His help against the enemy.
Scripture says that whenever Moses held up his hands in prayer, Israel would take control of the battle, but whenever he tiredly lowered his hands, the momentum swung to the Amalekites.
Seeing the issue, two faithful men named Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses, placing a rock underneath him so he could sit, and held up his hands for him so that he wouldn’t need to rely on his own strength.
By God’s divine help through Moses’ intercession and Joshua’s sword, Israel won the day.
There are a lot of great things that men can pull out of this story, including the power and priority of prayer and the importance of perseverance, but surely one of the great takeaways is how Aaron and Hur come alongside their exhausted leader and help him cry out to God.
It’s a beautiful picture of brotherhood, faithfulness, and help—when one of us is struggling, we can rally around the one in need.
At the beginning of the Bible, Cain famously kills his brother Abel, and when God rhetorically asks Cain where his brother is, Cain replies, “I don’t know…Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)
The implicit answer in this story (and confirmed by the entire narrative of Scripture) is yes. Yes, we are to be very concerned about our brothers.
We are created individually but not alone. We are set in families and communities where we have a God-given duty and calling to care for, protect, serve, and help one another.
We are created individually but not alone.
Men do this for their families, of course, but there is a special place in a man’s life to be a good brother to other men, even if they are not his literal brother.
There is something about men walking alongside other men, using their strength to strengthen a brother in need, offering support, encouragement, practical help, and any other service for those who need it.
The apostle Paul put it this way:
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
Or we might consider the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
These biblical verses and the stories above are all different ways of saying the same thing:
We need one another.
Men often like to use images of lions or wolves to describe manhood, and we see many online posts and memes to that effect.
No doubt it is because lions and wolves are powerful alpha males at the top of the food chain; they are strong, courageous, and seemingly afraid of nothing. There is no surprise that these animals stir something in men!
And yet it is ironic and interesting to note that lions and wolves are also famously never, ever solo creatures—they thrive in their prides and packs.
Masculinity can certainly be inspired by the power, strength, and bravery of the lion or the wolf—but perhaps it might also be inspired by the other cooperating team members these animals live with throughout their entire lives.
Our job as men is to be on the lookout for guys in our life who are struggling, whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally, financially, spiritually, or otherwise.
Wherever we see the struggle, like Aaron and Hur, we can come alongside them and hold them up, supporting them with our words, time, and actions. Aaron and Hur couldn’t fight the battle for Moses or Joshua; what they could do was come alongside him and offer their strength and support.
On the other hand, men also need to get better at asking for help when they need it. This is not always our strong suit, but a man who silently struggles helps no one, especially and including himself. There is help out there available! We must be brave enough to seek it.
When brothers help out struggling brothers, we reverse the trend that began with Cain, and we live out God’s design for His people, where He calls us His sons and invites us into one family—a family that strengthens, serves, and supports one another.
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