Dear Family,
Today is Monday, May 3, 2021. This is Day 2 of Week 6 in our Counting toward Pentecost. It is our 37th day of Counting.
Amalek is Esau’s grandson. Esau produced Eliphaz who produced Amalek through his concubine Timna (Genesis 36:12). The people of Amalek are called “first of the nations” in Numbers 20. Throughout the Bible, Amalekites are seen in negative circumstances. And, in the end they shall perish for ever.
Numbers 24:20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish forever.
We find the Amalekites in many battles in the Bible; and, yet, we never see them fight “fair.” They showed cowardice and cruelty. God said they would be destroyed, partly because they were enemies of Israel. Even more importantly, God took them as His enemies. He said He would war with them.
Exodus 17:16 For he said; Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Israel participated in many battles after Egypt; and, the Amalekites were the first to oppose them. The Amalekites planned their attack from the rear. They fought against the weak, the feeble, and they massacred children.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (17) Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; (18) How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. (19) Therefore, it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
Just prior to hacking Agag into pieces in 1 Samuel, the prophet Samuel reminded Agag (a title for an Amalekite king) that he was a killer of children.
1 Samuel 15:33 And Samuel said, as thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
Amalekites have become the symbol of people who are evil. God allowed Amalek to attack Israel. Why? There are a number of reasons that seem to fit; yet, we do not know for sure because the Bible does not say why directly. One possible reason is that Israel was so unthankful, so rebellious, and so complaining against God and God’s leadership through Moses.
Another reason may be for us today, so that we might come to understand the tactics of our enemies now. We can learn a lot about the mind and tactics of Satan through studying how the Amalekites dealt with other people.
We are in spiritual battles in these last days; and, we need to understand the tactics and the “wiles” of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
May God bless us to be alert and prepared, trusting God for every victory.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God