One day Samuel said to Saul…Now listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation…1 Samuel 15:1-3 NLT
Just to give a little context to the above scripture. Amalek was a descendant of Jacob’s twin brother Esau. The Israelites first encountered the Amalekites in the wilderness at Rephidim soon after escaping from Egypt. “While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.” Exodus 17:8 (NLT)
This attack was unprovoked, and the timing was at Israel’s disadvantage. Joshua led the Israelites to victory, as Moses sat on a hill with his hands raised in intercession.
“After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, ‘Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’” Exodus 17:14 (NLT)
God further reminded Moses: “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!” Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (NLT)
Amalek represents and is a type of the flesh. The flesh constantly wars against the Spirit and therefore needs to be kept in subjection by the people of God.
“…Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)
When God gave Saul the command to utterly destroy Amalek, we are also being told to utterly destroy the works of the flesh.
If we don’t utterly destroy the desires and deeds of the flesh, they can come back to haunt us and even destroy us.
If Saul had completely obeyed the command of God and destroyed the Amalekites, they wouldn’t have attacked David’s camp in Ziklag. “Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.” 1 Samuel 30:1-2 (NLT)
Saul’s disobedience cost him his kingdom and in Esther’s time (Esther 3:5-6), the threat of genocide of all Jews by Haman. Haman was likely a descendent of King Agag, the Amalekite king whose life King Saul spared in disobedience to God’s command.
We don’t fully understand why God give certain commands. Some of God’s commands may be difficult to comprehend with our finite, fleshy sinful minds.
What we however need to understand is that God sees far and beyond into the future than any human being or any computer using Artificial Intelligence. God sees the entire picture, we don’t!
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 