Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.  And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”  And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Israel Defeats Amalek, Exodus 17:8-16, ESV Version

A hand upon the throne of the Lord

This story is rich with truth for those of us who believe in the power of prayer. First, it is a classic picture of the power of intercession. Moses, by extending his staff, was extending the authority of the God of Heaven’s Armies over the battle being waged between Israel and her enemy. We see in this story an example of the precious privilege of the intercessor to participate in distant battles through prayer, reminding God of his power and promises, and as Christians, applying the power of the cross to the difficult situations facing friends and families. But this story also illustrates the human weakness of the intercessor  through the weariness of Moses’s arms.  How wonderfully sustaining is the presence of praying friends at this point. How gracious of God not to send Moses into this spiritual battle by himself, but to provide two friends to support and strengthen him and hold him up. This story teaches clearly not to underestimate the importance of prayer partners and building unity in prayer! It also demonstrates the great leveling power of the cross: those who supported Moses were equally as important in winning the battle as their appointed leader. This story is also familiar because it introduces the use of  one of God’s precious revealed names: Jehovah Nisi (The Lord My Banner), used only in this story. Nes (nês), from which Nissi is derived, means “banner” in Hebrew. Nes is sometimes translated as a pole with an insignia attached. In battle, opposing nations would fly their own flag on a pole at each of their respective front lines to give their soldiers a feeling of hope and a focal point. This is what God’s promises are to us in prayer: a banner of encouragement to give us hope and a focal point. But it was only today when reading this passage in the ESV translation that I came upon this wonderful phrase that Moses used to describe Jehovah Nissi:

And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD!”

“A hand upon the throne of the Lord”  is the literal meaning of the words translated in the King James, “because the Lord has sworn.” These words convey an amazing picture. What we would have seen if we were on that mountain was Moses standing (then sitting) with his hand extended, holding a physical staff. What was actually happening if we could see in the Spirit was that Moses’s hand was touching the throne of God, and through his faith, all God’s power and authority was pulsing through that connection. What a glorious intimate picture this is of our access to God, an access that Jesus as our High Priest has opened up to us on this side of the cross in even more powerful ways.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

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While we were praying the phrase “smelling salts” came into my mind and it seemed like such a perfect image for the effect of the presence of the life of Christ in a believer ministering to someone else in a difficult place.

According to Wikipedia, smelling salts (ammonium carbonate) have been used since Roman times and were widely used in Victorian Britain to revive fainting women. The salt was often dissolved with perfume in vinegar or alcohol, soaked onto a sponge, and then carried in a decorative container (Jane Austen anyone?).

God has designed an even more powerful remedy for his fainting children: the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ and the salt of His grace.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Cor 2:14

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Col 4:6

Do you have a friend who is discouraged and ready to give up? Or do you feel that way yourself? Try this wonderful first aid: remind your friend or yourself of what you know about Christ, how out of love He suffered and died so that you could be free. And remember His free grace: unmerited favor, that does not depend on how good you are but how good He is!

Those victorian ladies knew how to take care of themselves and each other. And we have something better!

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In Haiti, the presence of Voodoo is a pervasive undercurrent in daily life. But its influence becomes especially pronounced during the months of October and November. Fet Gede (All Souls Day) is a national holiday in Haiti celebrated on November 1 and 2. Many Haitians will visit cemeteries to pray to ancestors; offer food, drink and flowers; and light candles for the dead. Celebrations and dancing continue often for the entire night.

The celebration of Fet Gede and All Souls Day combines Voodoo practices with a Catholic religious holiday in a way that magnifies the forces of darkness. As a result, the weeks leading up to this celebration can be particularly difficult for those holding fast to the Word of God and His truth.

Please take time to pray this week for those on the frontline of spiritual battle in Haiti. Here are some ways you can pray.

• Pray for protection over the minds and hearts of the children, that they would be able to continue to attend to their work in school and that the Holy Spirit would guard their minds and spirits as they sleep. Pray that sleep would not be disquieted by nightmares and fear.
• Pray for physical health and protection from disease. In the past, we have often seen in increase of sickness, and even accidents causing physical harm. Ask God to surround the children and staff of The Lighthouse with His Love and His light, that no weapon formed against them will prosper.
• Pray for protection for the staff and all those that serve at Maison de Lumier. Pray also for their families and children. Ask God to give them discernment over the works of the enemy, that they would be clothed with the full armor of God, and that they would be strong and courageous and full of faith.
• Proclaim the victory of the cross over all that concerns The Lighthouse. “Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the World.”

If you would like to know more about Voodoo and how it affects the Haitian worldview, read the details below.

 Why Voodoo in Haiti?

The influence of Voodoo is a pervasive factor in Haitian life and culture. Most visitors from America have only a comic book understanding of Voodoo that trivializes it into something childish or even funny. However, Voodoo is actually a living part of the inheritance of the people of Haiti from their African roots and indigenous religious practices and has serious repercussions for those living under its influence.

Some commentators have described Haiti as “90 percent Catholic and 100 percent Vodun.” Of course this ignores the real followers of Jesus who know the true and living God through Jesus Christ. According to the CIA World Factbook, the religious demographics of Haiti are: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16%, none 1%, other 3%. But within these statistics, it is a fact that most Haitians are involved in Voodoo, some deeply and other marginally.

Understanding how Catholicism combined with African religious practices in the history of Haiti helps to understand the cultural barriers that prevent Haitians from receiving the true liberating gospel of Jesus.

A key fact to know about Haitian history is that the form of slavery practiced in Haiti by the French was particularly heinous. Amy Wilentz brings this out clearly in her book Farewell Fred Voodoo. Unlike the slavery practiced in America, the French land owners did not see the slave as an investment to be cultivated, or even as a beast to be cared for like sheep or cattle, but as fuel to be consumed. It is reported that 1/3 of the imported slaves died within a few years. Slaves were not encouraged to marry and have children, but were simply replaced by new slaves when they died.

At the same time, slaveholders were under pressure because of their Catholic allegiance, to Christianize this “disposable fuel.” The result was that the slaves gave lip service to Catholic forms, but were driven deeper into their own practices brought over from Africa.

Many of the Africans brought to Haiti as slaves came from tribes such as the Fon and Ewe in Nigeria, Benin, and the Congo, tribes that had a highly developed spiritual worldview. In this worldview, the creator god is largely unknowable. Instead, worship is directed to lower spirits call Lwa who control various aspects of life. Each lwa has a distinctive personality. Voodoo practices are focused on gaining the favor of specific lwa through acts of devotion, ceremonies, offerings, and by cultivating personal relationships with the Lwa, even to the point of spirit possession. During Voodoo ceremonies, the Lua are often invited to come and manifest themselves.

Fet Gede, the Haitian Day of the Dead, focuses on a spirit named Baron Semedi who is head of the Gede family of Lwa. Baron is a particularly evil Lwa. He is noted for disruption, obscenity, debauchery, and having a  fondness for tobacco and rum. As lord of the dead, he can also remove curses that cause death and receives offerings to do so.

The combination of Fet Gede with the All Souls Day  illustrates how the world view brought from Africa adapted to Catholicism through a process known as syncretism, a word which describes how contradictory beliefs are combined within a culture. The various Lwa became associated with specific Catholic saints who also in the Catholic worldview, represented intermediaries between men and a God who was disinterested or too busy to be involved in personal affairs.

The actual practice of Haitian Voodoo is complex because of the large number of Lwa, grouped in distinct nations and families with different characteristics and preferences. But the essence of the worldview is simple and based on a set of lies that form a spiritual and cultural stronghold. Voodoo starts with an indifferent God. Christianity starts with a loving God, who demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Voodoo looks to many spirits to influence events and give one power. Christianity proclaims one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. Jesus is the true Lord and Giver of Life, who opens the way to eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Pray for the Spirit of God to move in demonstration of power and might as Haiti celebrates Fet Gete. Our God is mighty to save.

Resources for Further Study

A series of “Mission Monday” posts by Casey Zachery made on the Real Hope for Haiti site about the Haitian world view and the influence of Voodoo

Wikipedia Article on Haitian Voodoo

Farewell Fred Voodoo by Amy Wilentz

The personal experience of Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, a PhD holding professor at the University of Wisconsin and also a Voodoo high priest, speaking on NPR

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