Exodus 17:8-16

Moses' Hands Held Up

Read the passage

8After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”

10Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.

12When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

13So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.

14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

15And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner.

16“Indeed,” he said, “a hand was lifted up toward the throne of the LORD. The LORD will war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

The Amalekites attack Israel at Rephidim. Moses tells Joshua to choose men for battle while he stands on the hilltop with the staff of God. Joshua fights, and Moses goes up with Aaron and Hur.

When Moses holds his hands up, Israel prevails; when he lowers them, Amalek prevails. His hands grow heavy, so Aaron and Hur place a stone under him to sit on and support his hands, one on each side. They remain steady until sunset, and Joshua overwhelms Amalek's army.

The raised hands express dependence on God while the battle is fought below. The account does not record a spoken prayer, but its conclusion makes clear where the victory belongs. Moses builds an altar and names it The LORD Is My Banner. The people rally under the Lord who sustains and defends them.

God also tells Moses to write this as a reminder and recite it to Joshua. He declares that He will blot out Amalek's memory, and Moses speaks of the LORD's war against Amalek through the generations. The attack is taken seriously by Israel's covenant Lord; its judgment belongs to Him.

Joshua's fighting and Aaron and Hur's help all matter, yet none is the source of power apart from God. Even Moses needs others to support his tired body. Dependence on the Lord includes receiving the ordinary help of people beside us.

Questions

1 What happens as Moses raises or lowers his hands?

AnswerIsrael prevails while his hands are raised, and Amalek prevails when he lowers them. The battle is linked to dependence on God.

2 How do Aaron and Hur help when Moses grows tired?

AnswerThey give him a stone to sit on and hold up his hands, one on each side, until sunset.

3 What must Moses preserve for Joshua?

AnswerA written reminder of the event and God's declaration that He will blot out Amalek's memory. Joshua is to hear it recited.

4 What does Moses name the altar?

AnswerThe LORD Is My Banner. The name credits Israel's victory and allegiance to the Lord.

What This Means for Us

Aaron and Hur do something simple that Moses cannot do for himself. They notice his exhaustion and supply support. A person carrying a visible responsibility may need that kind of practical care more than another expression of admiration.

Offer help that fits the actual burden: cover a task, bring a meal, arrange transportation, or stay with someone while they rest. Pray for them as well. This account of God's war against Amalek does not authorize us to turn our own opponents into targets of holy war; it calls us to depend on Him and serve faithfully where He has placed us.

Prayer

We pray: God of strength, thank You for the people who sustain us when our hands grow tired. Make our household willing to serve in different ways, ask for help without shame, and stand with those facing danger. Amen.

Your reading

Keep your place.

Save this passage to your private reading history.