This act of Moses, reaching up his hands toward God, was to teach Israel that while they made God their trust, and laid hold upon his strength, and exalted his throne, he would fight for them, and subdue their enemies. But when they should let go their hold upon his strength, and should trust to their own power, they would be even weaker than their enemies, who had not the knowledge of God, and their enemies would prevail over them. Then “Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi; for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” If the children of Israel had not murmured against the Lord, he would not have suffered their enemies to make war with them. {1SP 229.3}

Denne handling fra Moses, at række sine hænder op imod himlen, skulle lære Israel at når de stolede på Gud, og greb fat i hans styrke, og ophøjede hans trone, ville han kæmpe for dem, og underlægge deres fjender. Men når de skulle til at gribe fat i deres egen styrke, og stole på deres egen kraft, ville de endog blive svagere end deres fjender, som ikke kender Gud, og deres fjender vil få overhånd over (230) dem. Så “huggede Josua amalekitterne og deres krigsfolk ned med sværdet. Da sagde Herren til Moses: »Optegn dette i en bog, for at det kan mindes, og indskærp Josua, at jeg fuldstændig vil udslette amalekitternes minde under himmelen!« Derpå byggede Moses et alter og kaldte det: »Herren er mit banner!« Og han sagde: »Der er en udragt hånd på Herrens trone! Herren har krig med Amalek fra slægt til slægt!« Hvis Israels børn ikke havde knurret imod Herren, ville han ikke have ladet deres fjender føre krig imod dem.