Joe: Alright, so what’s the story in Exodus 17?

Bible Expert: Exodus 17 is about the Israelites coming up against the Amalekites in battle. The Lord tells Moses to take the staff of God and his brother Aaron and to station them on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. As long as Moses holds up the staff, the Israelites will have the upper hand in the battle, but if he lowers it, the Amalekites will have the advantage.

Joe: Wow, so God was literally controlling the battlefield with a staff?

Bible Expert: Yes, that’s right. It was a powerful visual representation of the Lord’s presence on the battlefield.

Joe: Fascinating. And what happened?

Bible Expert: Well, Moses and Aaron took their positions on the top of the hill and Moses held up the staff of God throughout the battle. As a result, the Israelites had the upper hand and eventually defeated the Amalekites.

Joe: Wow, so the Israelites won the battle because of the Lord’s presence with them?

Bible Expert: That’s right. The Lord showed his power and faithfulness to his people by helping them defeat their enemies.