COME AS A CHILD LESSON 136 DOES GOD APPROVE OF WAR?

DOES GOD APPROVE OF WAR?

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Last week we left the People of God at Rephidim, near the foot of Sinai, fighting the Amalekites, and I promised this week to consider how God must feel about wars.  

This lesson will be a short veering away from the direct study of the Exodus, but I feel a pause here may be useful for all of us when we continue our studies on down the road.  The subject of war will present itself over and over in the life of the Israelites, especially war with the descendants of Amelek.

 

I will start this brave venture by realizing the obvious and stating it out loud; who am I to say what God feels?  It takes a whole lot of nerve to try to sort this question out because nobody really knows the mind of God; but I think God wishes for us to seek His ways and to care about His feelings and thoughts on various different subjects.  Hence; I tend to march bravely on through these types of landmines; trusting God to steer me in the right direction and show me the way.

Obviously, God was with the Israelites in the battle at Rephidim; and God was the sole reason they won the great victory.  We know that every time Moses held up the staff of God the Israelites won, and every time he lowered it, they went into defeat.  There could be no other logical conclusion but that God supported this particular war.  

Does this mean God approves of ALL war?  

In my humble opinion; I think God wishes there were no need for war at all; but since there is always a wayward human to start a war (such as Amalek's descendants in our story); I must assume that God believes in defending a just cause.  Not every war is for a just cause.

Keeping that in mind; I believe that God only approves of “just” wars.  A just war would be defined as a war where one party fights a perpetrator in order to eliminate a form of evil that is being caused by the perpetrator. 

God is holy.  Holiness and evil cannot exist side by side; thus riding the world of evil is very necessary.  It is shameful that riding the world of forms of evil would come down to war in order to achieve goodness and holiness; but people can be so evil that sometimes it does.

 

War should not be approached casually.  War should not be a big chess game that we play with human lives.  It is a huge and weighty decision.  The first question that should be asked when considering war is: Is it truly God’s will for us to go to war?   

Many, many wars have been fought that were NOT the will of God and Satan has used the examples of these wars over and over to achieve his purposes; which are the same purposes as Amelek; to destroy the people of God.

    

Through the history of mankind there have been many selfish human battles that had nothing at all to do with God’s will or defeating evil.  There are constant political wars being fought in order that mere men may gain power and financial reward.  My own country has been guilty of many such battles and I find this fact heart breaking.  We stand in the shadows though, when you look at the whole picture of evil nations fighting for evil reasons.  These wars originate from people with too much control, people who idolize themselves and think they can make the decisions that only belong to God. 

The second question to ask when approaching a war situation would be:  Are we fighting for a just cause?  Corresponding with the same question is the third criteria to consider:  Will fighting this war actually make the world a better place?

We can look back in history and clearly see that the fighting in Rephidim against the Amalekites was a just war.  The Amalekites were hoping to wipe Israel off the map before the nation ever became a real nation!  This was the very nation that God had planned to use to bring a Messiah into the world.  

What if the Amalekites had won?  

Where would we all be today?

We do not have to dwell on those thoughts because we are loved and cared for by a Holy God and Father who always has our best interest in mind.

  

The power and logic of the Amalekites clearly came from Satan and His intentions are always evil.   The Children of Israel were simply fighting for survival.  Their only motive was self-defense.  They did not start the trouble; it was not a human power struggle; but they were simply defending their right to exist.  This is just!  No one has the right to swing down upon another country or culture and eliminate them for their own convenience and control.  That is sheer evil.

The Amalekites were evil through and through.

 

These Amalekites were the descendants of Esau.  Remember how Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup?  All he could think about was the moment he was in and his own hunger.  Esau had no self-control and nothing held a true value for him.  Life was his for the wasting.  Nothing was sacred.  His descendants were like him.  They lived for the moment and the food they wanted to put into their bellies.  Nothing more.  They had no respect for others.  These people had long ago opted out of God’s covenant.  They wanted no part of it; though as sons of Isaac, they were entitled to be in the covenant with God.  They chose to walk away.  They chose to spit in the face of God; not caring one bit about their heritage.  

In doing this evil thing; they cursed the generations that came after them.  None of these generations have shown a change. Rampant evil still exists on the earth.  When people are willing to change; God is merciful and forgiving.  Jesus died for the Amalekites too; hoping that they would and could be transformed.  There has been no evidence through the many generations of such a change; yet God still holds out His hand; wishing to see such a thing; hoping that they chose to change the events of the timeline of history that God can already see at the end as He stands outside of time.  

 

The Israelites had politely requested to pass through the land of Edom where the Amalekites were living in nomadic groups.  They did not rudely intrude.  They sent messengers ahead who stated they came in peace and would stick to the King’s Highway and pass right through, without taking even food or water.  All they wanted was safe, peaceful passage.   

The Amalekites hated Israel though, with a hate that has lasted through the generations of mankind.  It has never left them.  Over and over, even after the Israelites came into the promise land, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites; looted their homes, murdered the men, raped and murdered their wives, and killed their children.  This deep-rooted evil way of life and hate never left them. 

When God gave the Israelites the first victory at Rephidim; God commanded that Moses write it down as a record.  God asked for Joshua to pay special attention.  I believe this was symbolic.  I think Joshua represents all commanders of war that go to war for a just cause, fight a godly battle and leave victorious because they listened and obeyed the God who sent them into the battle.  

Such men do not fight for the sake of hate, power or sport.  They only fight for a just cause, one to defeat evil in the land and to bring glory to God on the earth.

 

The Israelites, fighting such a war in the wilderness in order to survive as The People of God; have definitely made the world a better place.  The name and glory of God was honored and the nation that would bring Messiah to earth was preserved.  Perhaps this battle might have been one of the most important battles in history. 

Thus it just seemed necessary to me that we take a long pause too (just as Israel did after that battle) and consider what we know of God and how He approaches war.  We will see many, many more wars as we go through the old and new Testaments.   Sometimes; we will even be called to participate in wars.

So many have twisted the words of the scriptures and made it seem as if Christianity is evil because it has chosen from time to time to take a stand and fight for good over evil.  People making such statements are only considering the loss of human lives and not considering the good that comes to humanity whenever good prevails over evil.

 

I’m sure God takes no joy in the loss of lives, whether they are good lives or evil lives; yet there is a necessary time to defend your beliefs with the giving of your own life if required.  Jesus is our main example of such an honorable occasion.  

Christ was willing to lay down His life in the spiritual battle against evil, so that we could have a better world from which to live.  The journey to the cross was actually a very deep spiritual battle; which has been proclaimed "the battle to end all battles."  It achieved God’s main priority; a choice to rid the world of evil and injustice through mercy and kindness.  

Those who respond to this choice of the cross cannot be harboring evil and hate inside their hearts.  Unfortunately, there are many who do not respond, even to the message of the cross.  They cannot comprehend such a God, and they falsely claim that God has declared genocide against the Amalekites because He is an unjust and unfair God!  

This is far from the truth when you actually look at the whole picture!

We must remember that God has the advantage over our own human concepts because He is standing outside of time and we are still inside of time.  We cannot see the end.  We do not know how everything wraps up.  God does!  He stands outside of time and says; if people will be loyal enough to Me and My causes; I’ll change this point of history for them and abolish an evil end at this point in time.  He leaves the final outcome in our hands.  We all chose our own destiny.

God could see ahead when He gave the order to Saul to wipe out the Amalekites, women, children and even animals; so that none of them would ever exist again.  Saul failed on his mission and mankind has had to live with the results of wars with the ancestors of Esau ever since.

Was God declaring genocide on innocent people?  

Hardly!  Generation after generation of the Amalekites have been at war with Israel and God.  They always start the battles; and it is always for two reasons; hate and evil.  They are the ones who want to commit genocide.  They wish for anyone associated with Israel or God to be annihilated from the earth forever. 

The Amalekites have always believed in genocide.  They are the evil side of this battle; not the Christians who carry the goal of peace on earth.   

God has given us glimpses into how we will be judged in eternity.  He has said in Matthew 7:2:  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  God’s orders against the Amalekites were only returning upon their heads the way they treated others; specifically Israel and The People of God. 

Think for a moment beyond Rephidim and Saul.  Think of the story of Esther and of the evil villain named Haman.  He was a descendant of Esau, an Amalekite, a descendant of Agag (the name for the rulers of the generations of the Amalekites.) Haman was evil and he hated and detested anyone who had descended from Israel, and anyone who followed the ways of The God of Israel.  God clearly disapproved of Haman; and Haman met his end by the hand of his own ways; just as the other Amalekites who troubled the people of God.

By the time we get to the story of Haman on the timeline of God’s people it becomes apparent that the Amalekites clearly represent those who are hopelessly evil and wicked; those who will never change from their hateful ways and follow the ways of a good, caring and loving God.  They are those who have no interest in covenanting with a loving and saving God.

Again I must point out that the only just wars are the wars that God has truly led men to fight.  Men cannot know the outcome of such wars; only God can see into the future.  Who is to say that the evil man stirring up the war is not like Paul, who converted and changed from a murderous hater to a loving and kind servant of God?  Yet again; the evil leader may turn out to be like Hitler, who decided on his own that one race could be superior to all.  Who is to say?  Only God knows.  Hence; if you go into battle without the support of God Almighty; you will lose and people will suffer needlessly.  Yet; there will be times when God will lead good and godly men to take up arms against evil and fight for their families and their nations.  The crucial thing is to make sure God rides ahead of you into battle.  Be very sure when you enter a war that you are following the will of God!

To say that God doesn’t approve of “just” wars would be laughable when you consider the fact that the scriptures plainly speak of a final battle, one led by Jesus Christ Himself. 

It seems that bible prophecy actually reveals NINE wars leading up to end times.  Most people only know of one – Armageddon.  Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of the war of Gog and Magog.  Most believe this will be a battle between Russia and a host of Muslim nations invading the land of Israel.  Most scholars think this may be the next big war we see on the horizon.  However; the scriptures say that when this war happens Israel will be living securely in un-walled villages.  This certainly isn’t the case today.  Israel is constantly under attack, nothing feels secure and there is a wall running through the country for protection from their enemies.  The villages are certainly not “un-walled;" leading many to consider that this particular war may NOT likely be the next war.

Some think a future war mentioned in Psalm 83 will precede this war of Gog and MaGog mentioned in Ezekiel.  The prophecy states that once again someone will come against Israel in order to wipe Israel out as a nation; yet another Amalek.  Some think Israel will be victorious in defending their borders and after this war the nation will expand their territory and enhance their natural resources.  Scriptures found in Zechariah and Amos tend to back this theory up.  (Zechariah 12:6 and Amos 9:15.)  For a while Israel will feel safe and secure, then it is possible the Arabs will turn to their ally; Russia and the war of Gog and MaGog may result at that time.  Perhaps the Russians will state they wish to help the Muslim nations destroy Israel; but they will actually be seeking to control the oil reserves of the earth that are found in the Middle East. 

This has long been their desire.  

Ezekiel 39:4 states that these invading armies will be supernaturally destroyed by God.  It will happen through earthquakes, pestilence, fire, hail and brimstone and confusion on the battlefield.  (Similar to how God treated Egypt when they were holding His people captive and would not let them go, also similar to the plagues we read of in Revelation at the end of time.)  Some think, as a result of this victory, the Jews will recognize that God has defended them and they will turn to accept Christ.  144,000 Jewish people will convert and be used of God in the time of tribulation.  Many think the tribulation will not officially begin until right after this war takes place, though events of our current day tend to make us feel like we are already there!  

It is said that Israel will spend seven years destroying the weapons used in this war.  (Possibly taking care of ridding the world of its nuclear waste?)  All we can do right now is speculate. 

No one actually knows!

Only God knows the true end of this story of wars and evil on the earth.  

What I CAN tell you is that at the end of the story of war and evil is a thrilling new beginning!  God will bring us into a world of peace.  It will be a world of no wars and our leader will be The Perfect Lamb of God.  He will give us all that we desire forever and we will dwell with Him throughout eternity.  

Whatever we must go through to get there, whether it be in war or peace, will be worth it all.

AN APPLE A DAY - DO YOU HAVE A STRONG INNER-CIRCLE?

DAY 114 OF 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

DO YOU HAVE A STRONG INNER-CIRCLE?

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We have covered a lot of ground in this blog post about the benefits of leading a healthy life.  For the last few articles we have discussed foods and the importance of good nutrition in our daily diet.  

This time I would like to take a small turn in another direction and discuss how important it is to be associated with a very close circle of loved ones that you consider to be as close as family.
 

A study of 1,500 people conducted on older people for ten years proved that those who had a large network of close friends outlived their peers by at least 20%.  It has been proven over and over that it is healthy to have good friends. 

Consider the fact that friends are there to encourage you to take better care of yourself.  Things that you might overlook become more obvious to them and a good friend will be honest with you and make recommendations to help you change to healthier practices.  

In a study of women who had breast cancer it was found that those that participated in a support group had a much higher survival rate than those who went through it all alone.  They also seemed to have more ability to cope with and control their level of pain than those who suffered alone. It was thought that the strong social support these women received helped to relieve the stress associated with fighting a devastating disease.    

In a study of women who suffered from ovarian cancer it was found that those with lots of social support had a much lower level of the protein that is linked to the more aggressive cancers.  Their chemotherapy treatments were more effective because of this. 

The trend in America these days is for older people to become more socially isolated.  This is not a healthy trend.  Ask any doctor or psychologist and they will suggest the average number of close friendships in a person’s life should be at least nine or above.  Is that surprising to you?

As strange as it sounds at first, It would seem from the research that social friendships are even more important in the survival rate than a spouse, children or other family members.  Though these direct family relationships ARE very important in our lives, they do not affect the rate of survival in old age as much as social friendships and support groups.  

That too may seem surprising to you; but consider the facts I mentioned earlier about support groups.  I’m definitely a VERY STRONG supporter of the natural God-ordained family unit, and I am constantly lobbying for it’s survival; but for our discussion today, I’m not necessarily talking about blood relatives.  

It may very well be the case that most people can be this close to their spouse, child or parent; and that is awesome if it is true for them; but there are other solutions out there for those who cannot (for whatever reason) cultivate this quality of relationship with their immediate blood relatives.
 

For that reason I am referring in this article simply to those that are the members of your deepest inner circle. These would be the people you choose to let come and go inside the dailyness of your life on a very regular basis; those with which you chose to celebrate holidays and special occasions, those with which you communicate and turn to when you are troubled, those you consult for needed advice on a regular basis; and those with which you can celebrate the joyful moments of life as well as your sorrows.  

Whether you are single, a single parent raising a child alone, a couple without children, a couple with a house full of children of assorted ages and sizes, or an older senior either living alone or married; you need this small inner circle of other human beings that you are close to and are comfortable being around for good health, happiness and total sanity.

 

Jesus had this arrangement going on in His life as a human being.  He considered Peter, James John and Andrew to be his closest of friends.  They were always involved in the most intimate and monumental moments of His life as a human being.  He loved ALL the disciples; but these were the ones he opened up to the most, the ones he leaned on for constant support, the ones He worshiped with, wined and dined with, went to weddings and funerals with.  

He stayed in their homes often.  They camped out with Him.  They invited Him to go fishing with them.  He returned the favor!   He knew and loved their families.  He entered their houses and ate meals with them without invitations or pretense.  He offered and prepared meals for them also.  He was always comfortable in their presence.  They felt free to express their deepest feelings and emotions around Him.  They knew they could always trust Him.

Two Mary’s; The Mother of Jesus, and a long time family friend whom he had helped through many difficult situations, were also very close to Jesus.  They were also within this little circle of people that He treated like close family.
 

Jesus had other brothers and sisters that He loved too; but the six people I named above were the ones he counted on constantly, day in and day out to always be there; to care for his needs, to laugh with and to cry with; to participate in sorrow with Him or to celebrate happy times with Him.  This inner circle of close friends also shared friendships with all the other disciples.  They looked forward to group events with the whole crowd.  Yet; these six were the ones He could just sit in silence with; without saying a word and not feel a bit strange about it.  These were the ones He held dear in his heart; though his heart was as wide as the ocean and full of love for everyone.
 

These types of close relationships are what true family is really all about.  Everyone needs family around them.  It is crucial to our health and well being.  Human beings need other human beings in order to be happy. No man is an island!

Unfortunately, for one reason or another; such family situations that normally come about often change.  People die.  People change.  People move away.  People move on to other lives; and many, many people on this earth are left without this support I’ve come to call true family.  Many live alone; with no one to talk to or no one to share their life’s ups and downs. 

Even those who are married and/or have children at home, or those who live with parents or other relatives or friends, can sometimes find themselves feeling isolated.  There are people around constantly; but they are not making any connections.  Either you or them are not interested enough to understand each other or communicate with one another.    You have polite conversations.  You exchange courteous gestures when appropriate.  You seem to get along well on the surface; but something isn’t quite enough to make you feel loved and cherished in their sight and in your relationship.  These relationships are nothing like those relationships where you have met someone special and instantly related to them and their world, or have had no fear of being your plain old boring self in their presence.  You try to keep up appearances with such people; but you long in your heart of hearts to be around someone who does not care what your appearance is like; they just love you for what and who you are, and they appreciate your own unique personality.  In other words; they are looking at you through God’s eyes instead of the eyes of the world.  Such people as this are gifts from God.  They are not to be taken for granted and when they come along; you should never neglect them or take them for granted.  These are who you need inside your inner circle of friends.

If your marriage is like the friendship I just mentioned above; you are truly blessed.  If your children can laugh and have fun with you as well as come to you for advice or just enjoy listening to music or walking through the park with you, no strings attached; you are blessed.  If your parents love you unconditionally, and never ever worry about the impression you are going to make on their important friends from work or the people from their Senior Center, and they do not constantly remind you of how many times you’ve messed up your life with stupid, thoughtless mistakes; you might have been blessed for a lifetime with perfect family love.  If you have a close friend that would drop their most important event of the year in order to come over and cheer you up; just because……you are deeply blessed and loved!   

None of the scenes I’ve just mentioned are the usual patterns of most lives.  They are all exceptions to the normal run of the mill lives we all tend to lead.  These are just the pictures of a  perfect world that needs to play out in our lives as well as our imaginations from time to time.  Often, many never really know of these things at all.  They cannot even claim one of the examples given, much less all of them; and that is just totally unhealthy.   If they are not very careful they will be sitting behind a wall all alone because of a locked-up heart.

So what can be done about this uncontrollable epidemic of loneliness and abandonment and rejection that half the world experiences every day?  

How do we all begin to get healthy with our relationships?

For starters, I am glad to be able to report that Jesus has lived in the place of lonliness too.  He suffered in that dark place of aloneness without one friend at his side many, many times as He walked the dusty roads of earth.  In the Garden when he was so distraught that he sweated great drops of blood; the disciples fell asleep.   They were not at His side; and they were not praying the prayers that He desperately needed at that time.
 

At the cross, The One who came into this world with angel songs and shepherd’s smiles and the hugs and caresses of a dedicated Mother and Father, had no one come to his side through the whole ordeal.  Even His Heavenly Father, that He had always communicated with and had a perfect relationship with, had to turn His head away and leave Him there alone for a brief period of time. Jesus felt all alone often.

At the foot of the cross no one shouted out his innocence or came to his defense.  The two Mary’s were there in the crowd for most of his suffering (to their credit); but the inner circle of close friends as well as the outer circle of close friends and relatives ran and hid and were only afraid and concerned for their own lives.  Peter, the one who was so very close to Christ, the one who openly vowed to be there till the end, through thick and thin, even denied that he knew Jesus! 

Jesus basically went through the time on the cross all alone, except for two outcast strangers.  Two criminals who deserved death actually were forced to be there at his side as he breathed his last breath as a human being.  

I am very sure Your Savior can identify with your feelings of being alone and abandoned or uncared for.  The answer is to turn to Him and let Him lead you to a better place.  He is the one person you can ALWAYS count on to be there, and as He Himself often said:  He is THE WAY, THE LIFE AND THE TRUTH.  Please do not ever take that for granted.  

Talk to him.  Tell him how you feel.  

Feel comfortable in the silence knowing that He is there ever ready to listen if you decide to break that comfortable silence.

Sing to Him.  

Pray with Him.  

Worship Him.  

He should always be your very best friend; the One that is closer than a brother.  

This one thing is the cure to all lonely hearts.  Rest in it.  Jesus is the bridge from miserable, sad and alone to hopeful, joyful and well-loved.  Cross the bridge.  Bridge the cross. There is something very special on the other side!  If you do not "cross" it; you will fail to find it.

Will your situation or your circumstances change because of it?  Not instantly; but if you talk to Him, He will tell you how to find new community and family in your life.   If you listen to what He has to say;  He can coach you right back into good healthy relationships with other caring and sharing human beings.  

Pick up The Word and begin to read.  These are His instructions.  Almost every passage will be a clue to what you need to do next to cure the lonely times of your life. 

Follow Jesus.  Imitate Him in all that you do in forming your next relationships.  

When Jesus began His ministry he found twelve to go with Him on the journey.  They did not pick Him, he picked them.  People do not just volunteer their friendships.  You must go out and seek their acceptance.  Do you know twelve worthy individuals that you would like to call close friends?  Start there. 

If you like, write their names on a list and begin to approach them one at a time.  Call them into your life by inviting them into your world, and if they seem comfortable, ask them to support you in all that you are doing. 

Don’t be surprised at those who disappoint you.  Many turned away from Jesus too (remember the story of the rich young ruler); but Jesus did not want the uncommitted to be His closest companions; He needed those who were willing to give 100 percent to the relationship.  Keep crossing people off the list until you find twelve that are truly committed and loyal.
 

Be willing to consider those who seem to be “the least likely.”  That is what Jesus did too.  Who would have thought that fishermen and tax collectors would make good disciples and close friends?  Is that not the strangest mix ever?   Jesus didn’t look at their positions in life or their knowledge, wisdom or education.  He looked at how good their hearts were.

Were they faithful, honest, loyal, caring and dedicated to the cause?  This was what made these twelve men shine.  Consider these qualities in your acquaintances and notice how the “least likely” have been good to you, or how they might have been those who stood by you in times of trouble and need when others did not.  

Have you overlooked the best candidates?

If Jesus had been friends and shared with certain people and they chose not to respond, His next response was not to persuade or try to impress, but to shake their dust from His feet.  Some will never come around.  Some will only be true until the wind blows them into another direction.  Don’t waste energy trying to make it happen.  You are losing time in seeking the faces of those who WILL respond.  Approach a potential friendship with hope and welcome.  If they do not respond and reciprocate; simply move on.  It will be their loss.

Now don’t get so arrogant with this exercise that you think I’m suggesting you form a following to worship you!  We all need constant reminders, just as Satan did, that we are not little gods to be worshiped!.  The worst type of  idolatry committed constantly by humans is self-worship.    If you truly want companionship with others; you must learn the attributes of being a true friend yourself.  

What are those attributes?  

Again; I must point to Jesus. Take up your cross and follow Him!

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  That pretty much sums up the best tip on being a friend that is as close as family.  Follow the golden rule and don’t sway from it.  

How good of a friend was Jesus?  He was willing to lay down His life for His friends.  Now that is a friendship that you do not walk away from!  

Close friendship takes work on both sides; and this is probably the main reason that many are so lonely.  Be willing to do the work yourself before you expect it to be returned by others.

May I suggest you do the work and make the time, no matter how hard it seems?  Your good health and happiness will be the result in the end.  You will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life.

   

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 135 HOW TO DEFEAT THOSE UNWELCOMING AMALEKITES

HOW TO DEFEAT THOSE UNWELCOMING AMALEKITES 

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We left the Israelites at Rephidim  living with the miracles of the water from The Rock to satisfy their thirst, and The Manna from Heaven to fill their bellies.  What more could they want?  

I guess the answer to that question would be: protection.

The Amalekites were active in the area where the Israelites had camped.  These descendants of Esau were nomadic wanders in the land.  They would attack and maraud innocent people passing through, robbing them and raping and killing their women and children.  They would take all of their possessions to add to their treasures and consume their livestock for their own use.  The Egyptians had given their gold and silver to the Israelites to bribe them to leave quickly and end the plagues.  They were traveling with much wealth and livestock.  The Amalekites were sure to have noticed this as they watched them pass by from their hidden mountain passes.  

When Moses spotted the Amalekite spies he knew they were planning to attack.  He told Joshua to choose some of the Israelite men and go out to fight the Amalekites.   As they were preparing for battle Moses, Aaron and Hur climbed up onto the top a large mountainous hill and Moses held up the Staff of God.

Joshua and his men bravely took on the Amalekites.  As long as Moses held up his hand that contained the staff of God, the Israelites were winning; but if Moses lowered his hand the Amalekites were winning.  Moses’ hands grew tired so Aaron and Hur took a stone and put underneath Moses for support.  Then Aaron and Hur, one on each side held up the arms of Moses.  This way Moses’ hands became steady and Joshua won the battle with the Amalekites.

My first thought upon reading the above information was that the stone used to prop up Moses must have been The Rock that had provided the water for them.  This was a very powerful Rock!  Could it have been the one they used? If so it would symbolize the power of Christ working through Moses.

My next thought was that they won the battle because a team of three were overlooking Joshua and his men from a higher distance.  It was a symbolic picture of The Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit doing a work in the people of God.  As long as the power of God is induced into the situation, there is victory.  If the power of God is neglected, and the people get too tired and weary to care, and the battles are lost. 

After the remarkable victory of this battle, God says a rather odd thing to Moses: “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

Why would God say such a thing?  Even though the Amalekites were known to be greedy, unfair and destructive, often taking innocent lives and consistently robbing and plundering those who traveled through the land; why would God proclaim such a harsh and severe judgment against them, showing absolutely no mercy; even thinking the women and children from these people should be destroyed, as if they were hopeless of ever changing?  That doesn’t sound like our gracious and merciful, loving and kind God, does it?

 There appears to be many reasons for this decision, although we may only know half of the reasons, since God can see into the future and we cannot.  God’s ways are so much higher and wiser than ours could ever be.  Part of the weight of this decision handed down from heaven is just the fact that we must blindly trust that God knows what is best for us.  He doesn’t have to explain anything – after all; He is God! 

I’ll ask you to remember my remark at the beginning of this lesson too.  It may be part of the reason.  God had provided almost everything that the people needed to survive; they had water and they had food.  It was miraculous out in the desert land where they were dwelling for this provision to be given.  The one thing that they were lacking was protection.  Now; because of this battle; God had also publicly put his hand of protection on them.  

The Amalekites were well trained in their low-down way of making a living.  They had a reputation for being ruthless, heartless and mean.  They took pride in their murderous ways.  The Israelites were really no match for them in battle.  They were not equipped for war.  Before this battle they had been slaves, unable and forbidden to handle weapons.  They had no plans for attack; yet, God had given them a battle plan through their leaders, and God had protected them and given them another miracle in the victory of this battle. 

We must notice that the name “Amelek” was the name of the fierce leader that the Amalekites took their nation’s name from.  Amelek was a descendant of Esau who had inherited that wandering, nomadic spirit of rebellion that started with Cain in the Garden of Eden.  In order to protect the innocent and clean the evil from the world God had once sent a flood to destroy all men with such a spirit.  Now, for some reason, that same such spirit was back on the earth; and it came through Amelek.  Through Amelek and his descendants, evil was once again growing and populating the earth.  These were the very first enemies that the People of God had to face in the wilderness.  The ancient plot of good versus evil took shape at the very beginning of the journey of the people of  Israel on their way to the Promise Land.  

  If Israel did not carry out God’s battle plans, the Amalekites would keep coming back again and again in order to plunder and destroy them.  They did not realize it at the time; but carried within the capacity of the nation of Israel was the salvation of all the people of the earth.  Could such a treasure be destroyed before it even had time to flourish and grow into a mighty nation?  Could God let our salvation be quickly defeated by an evil greedy nation of rebellious people who did not care one thing about God and His plan of salvation?  Surely not!  God, standing outside of time, could see what mere men could not see.  He knew this was the only answer for the survival of His people. 

The Amalekites, similar in many ways to the people the Israelites had escaped in Egypt, worshiped pagan gods and filled their days with pagan practices.  They did not care for the ways of the God of Israel.  If allowed to thrive without supernatural intervention, they had the power to destroy all the things God had been teaching the people, just as had happened to them in Egypt, should the people be taken captive by them.  God did not allow this, and He warned His people against such a thing.  

God did not order the extermination in the battle against the Amalekites in order to be cruel, but simply to prevent a greater evil from occurring in the future.  Any time that you hear the name Amelek and face anyone associated with that name, you are really encountering God's greatest enemy that backs up the power of Amelek; Satan.  Satan would have gladly ended the conflict with God right there in the wilderness through the Amalekites dwelling at the foot of Sinai; but God did not allow Him to do so. 

Unfortunately, not all of the Amalekites were in this group that came against Israel in the wilderness.  There were more of them scattered in the land and hiding out in other places. Israel would encounter them again and again as history turned its pages. God wanted this “first time” to be noted and remembered.  If you are going to win a battle against evil; you must beware of the correct identity of the enemy.  He told Moses to write it down in a scroll.  That meant THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER!  So Moses did what God instructed and wrote it all down; then he built an altar and called it The LORD Is My Banner.

Moses proclaimed the following words to The People of God:  “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against Amalekites from generation to generation.”  God must have given Moses yet another glimpse into the future in order for him to make that statement.  It has turned out to be a true prophecy, happening over and over again. 

Generation after generation of The People of God have fought against the spirit of the Amalekites all throughout time.  It is obvious that the enemy of God is the spirit living within and controlling such people who would think nothing of destroying the precious children of God and abolishing God's ways from the earth.  

The name Amelek has now become synonymous with evil and evil ways.  This first encounter was definitely not the last encounter with such a spirit of people. 

From the scriptures scattered throughout the bible It seems that God has plans to bring yet another, last, end-time, victorious battle against Amelek and the spirit of evil that he portrays.  Once more there will be a supernatural and victorious battle fought, and it will be a final one to end this name of Amelek forever and wipe it completely from the face of the earth.  We must all stand like Moses, with lifted hands before God and join in the battle cry.  We must trust the Three-In-One God who will equip us for battle and led us to victory when the time approaches.  God will help us to overcome, just as He helped Moses, Aaron and Hur.  We must stay firmly planted on The Rock, just as Moses did, with our arms lifted high in worship toward our Mighty God.  On that day, God will stretch out his staff and save the flock of His people.