Moses' Raised Hands and the Battle with Amalek

At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel. Moses told Joshua to choose men and go out to battle. Moses said that the next day he would stand on the top of the hill with God's rod in his hand.

Joshua did what Moses said and went to fight Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill, just as Moses had said.

During the battle, something important happened. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. What happened on the hill was tied to what happened in the battle below.

Moses' hands grew heavy. So they put a stone under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur stood beside him, one on each side, and held up his hands. His hands stayed steady until sunset.

By the end of the day, Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. Then Yahweh told Moses to write this as a memorial in a book and repeat it to Joshua, because the memory of Amalek would be blotted out from under the sky.

Moses built an altar and called it 'Yahweh our Banner'. He said that Yahweh had sworn there would be war with Amalek from generation to generation. Moses marked this hard day with worship and remembrance.