Single lesson
Moses' Raised Hands and the Battle with Amalek
Exodus 17:8–16
This lesson helps children follow the order of the battle with Amalek, notice what each person did, and see how the passage points to the Lord’s help and the value of steady support.
Before you teach
In this passage, Amalek fights Israel at Rephidim. Moses tells Joshua to choose men and fight, while Moses stands on the hill with God’s rod. The account then shows what happened during the battle, the help Aaron and Hur gave, and the memorial Moses made afterwards.
Students will be able to retell Exodus 17:8–16 in order and explain how Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Hur, and the Lord are presented in the passage.
Welcome: Who did what in this account?
5 minBegin by introducing the main people named in the passage: Amalek, Israel, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and Hur. Tell the children they will listen for each person’s actions. Explain that the story begins when Amalek comes to fight Israel in Rephidim, and that Moses gives Joshua a clear job for the next day.
Exodus 17:8, Exodus 17:9
Read and explain: The battle starts
7 minRead verses 8 to 10 aloud. Explain that Joshua is told to choose men and go out to fight, while Moses says he will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in his hand. Point out that Joshua obeys, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur go up the hill just as Moses said.
Exodus 17:8, Exodus 17:9, Exodus 17:10
Discuss: Raised hands and helping hands
6 minRead verses 11 and 12 carefully. Help the children notice the pattern: when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let it down, Amalek prevailed. Then notice the practical help Aaron and Hur gave. They found a stone for Moses to sit on and held up his hands until sunset.
Exodus 17:11, Exodus 17:12
Make and respond: Story sequence cards
8 minGive children simple cards to draw or label in order: Amalek attacks, Moses speaks to Joshua, Joshua fights, Moses on the hill, Aaron and Hur help, Joshua defeats Amalek, Moses builds an altar. As they arrange the cards, ask them to match each step to the verses and describe the choices made by each person.
Exodus 17:8, Exodus 17:9, Exodus 17:10, Exodus 17:12, Exodus 17:13, Exodus 17:15
Closing: Remembering what the Lord said
4 minFinish by reading verses 14 to 16. Explain that the Lord told Moses to write this as a memorial and rehearse it in Joshua’s ears. Moses then built an altar called “Yahweh our Banner”. Close by reviewing that this event was meant to be remembered, not forgotten.
Exodus 17:14, Exodus 17:15, Exodus 17:16
Questions to explore
What two jobs are given in verse 9, and who receives them?
Look closely at Moses’ words to Joshua and notice that Joshua is told to choose men and fight, while Moses says he will stand on the hill with God’s rod in his hand.
Exodus 17:9
What changed during the battle when Moses’ hand was up or down?
Use the repeated wording in the verse to describe the two different outcomes exactly as the passage gives them.
Exodus 17:11
How did Aaron and Hur help Moses, and what was the result by the end of the day?
Find the practical actions in the verse, then connect them to the statement about Moses’ hands and the time marker at sunset.
Exodus 17:12
Make, think or respond
Battle Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- Plain paper or card
- Pencils or crayons
- Scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Make six or seven simple cards showing the main moments of the passage.
- Read the verses again and ask the children to place the cards in order.
- Let each child explain one card using words from the verses.
- Finish by asking which people helped in the account and how they helped.
This activity helps children sequence Exodus 17:8–16 and identify the actions and outcomes named in the passage.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the cards in advance with simple pictures and let them place them in order after hearing the story.
- For older children, ask them to add the matching verse reference to each card and explain the memorial command in verse 14, the altar name in verse 15, and the statement in verse 16.
An optional closing prayer
You might pray: “Lord, thank you for this passage. Please help us remember what you have said, to do the work you give us, and to support one another faithfully.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Exodus 17
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset.
13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.”
15 Moses built an altar, and called its name “Yahweh our Banner”.
16 He said, “Yah has sworn: ‘Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’ ”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.