Dear Family,
Today is Wednesday, May 18, 2022, Day 4 of Week 5. This is the 32nd Day in our Count to Pentecost.
The conditions of their Egyptian slavery caused Israel to cry out to the God of their forefathers. Israel had been freed from their slave masters for about a month when God allowed the Amalekites to attack Israel in the wilderness. It seems that the Amalekites were not concerned with any economic exploitation of Israel, nor any of the value that could accrue if they overtook some of the Israelites and made them slaves again. Instead, the character of these people was hardened against the helpless and the weak. History records they were vicious in their attacks.
Why did Amalek attack? What were the motives? Revenge, riches, fear, power? Or, perhaps it was sheer hatred? Perhaps, it was an approach condemned by Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus’ condemnation involved treating people as if they did not matter, as if they were worthless, useless creatures.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you; That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say; Thou fool [worthless one], shall be in danger of hell fire.
The devil uses many ways to take away the God ordained dignity of our humanity. We are all made in the image of God, and we are all of great value to Him (Matthew 10:31, Luke 12:7).
Why is God so against the actions of Amalek? There will never be peace between Amalek and Israel! and, one important reason is God’s command to wipe them out completely because of their motives and behaviors. Not only does the Amalekite approach dehumanize the victims, it also dehumanizes the perpetrators.
In contrast, God requires that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us beware of the Amalekite approach which can begin in anyone who treats other humans disrespectfully. That’s a very small seed of the true enemy! Yet, it is still a seed! Have no part of it!
According to the book of Deuteronomy (25:3), judges could only sentence 40 stripes or less as punishment to a guilty person, and the judge had to witness the execution of the sentence. This requirement was aimed at retaining the guilty person’s worth as a human being. Secular history records how INHUMANE people have become themselves as they inflicted the vilest of torments on others (Haman, Genghis Khan, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Jeffrey Dahmer, and others)
And, in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 6:10, we find that “revilers, “i.e., those who have chosen to verbally abuse others and count them as lowly and worthless) cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
God’s Word shows He will never tolerate this level of hatred and hateful treatment of others. Rather, God insists that we love others as ourselves. Let us be VERY careful to keep all seeds of the Amalekite approach away from ourselves.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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