“Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them…neither let us commit fornication…neither let us tempt Christ…neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured…now all these things happened unto them for en-samples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (I Cor. 10:7-11)
Israel’s activities, good and bad, are recorded for our example. We can learn from their mistakes and rejoice in their deliverance; their history is a continuing parable of our own struggle against sin.
The nation’s first experience with warfare is filled with excellent lessons.
The battle with Amalek
The incident is found in Exodus 17:8-16. Actually, the whole chapter is a parable of the work of sin in the world.
From verse 1, we see that the people of Israel murmured against Moses because of their thirst for water. In fear of his life, Moses cried to God for guidance. In vs. 5-7, he is instructed what to do in order to relieve the people’s thirst. Moses struck the rock once and water came forth to refresh the Israelites.
The incident is left on a bad note, however, for Moses “called the name of the place Massah (temptation), and Meribah (provocation), because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”
“Then came Amalek…” This attack seems to be a direct result of Israel’s sin of tempting God and chiding His servant Moses.
This battle has some very unusual and interesting features:
- We know that it happened soon after the murmuring at Meribah because we are told that Israel pitched in Rephidim (v.1) and in Rephidim (v.8) is where Amalek attacked.
- Amalek attacks Israel on one day and Israel doesn’t fight back until the next day (v.9 “tomorrow”).
- Moses goes to “top of the hill” (v.9 and repeated for emphasis in v.10).
- A prominent feature is that Israel prevails when Moses’ arms are in the air and Amalek prevails when his arms are down (vs.11- 12).
- The battle lasted until “the going down of the sun.” (v.12) Why mention this detail?
- Why did God make a specific decree against Amalek? (v.14)
- Verse 16 speaks of God making war with Amalek from generation to generation. This sounds like a personal war between God and Amalek. Why is that?
As we consider these points, we will see how God views sin and our daily struggle with sin nature.
Lessons for us
In I Cor. 11:4, we are told that Christ was the rock from which the people of Israel drank, finding refreshment and life.
Israel wandered in the wilderness, murmured about their miserable state and were saved when Moses struck the rock and it brought forth life-giving water. So, too, we wander through life’s wilderness in the misery of sin’s grip as it threatens to snuff out any hope we might have. Then we come to the rock which is Christ. He was crucified for our sake; struck once, as was the rock. Those who drink of the life-giving water he supplies are saved from the death grip of sin nature.
“…now once…hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself…Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…” (Heb. 9:26,28)
While the rock represents Christ, Israel is emblematic of us. They had been led out of Egyptian bondage just as we leave the bondage of the way of the world. They were baptized in the Red Sea: we are baptized into Christ. Israel was refreshed with the waters of the rock: we are refreshed with that supplied by Christ. Israel had warfare with Amalek: we battle with sin.
Amalek represents sin
The first clue that Amalek represents sin is in the manner of his attack. “…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…” (Deut. 25:18) Sin does this to us. It attacks from unexpected directions; it does the most damage to those who are unprepared and its victims are most usually those who are faint and weary in the Truth. They become faint by concentrating on the rough journey through life instead of strengthening themselves by looking forward to the promised rest.
After the one day of attack, Moses goes to the top of the hill. From I Cor. 10:2, we see that Moses is a type of Christ. This attack came shortly after the incident of the rock which symbolized the crucifixion of Christ. Representing the immortal Christ, Moses separates physically from sin — that is, from Israel’s attack on Amalek, but he is still in full view of the people. We also find that Christ, being at the right hand of God, is separated from his people who do battle with sin. Yet figuratively, he is in full view of all his people as they seek his help and guidance through prayer.
Moses lifts his hands heavenward as though petitioning God’s help on Israel’s behalf. When his hands are up in this fashion, Israel is victorious; but when his hands are down, Amalek prevails. Likewise, we can avail ourselves of God’s help through Christ. When we do so, God has promised that He will not forsake us as we do battle with sin. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25)
Amalek as a type of sin is further indicated by Num. 24:20. Balaam gives Amalek the distinction of being the first nation to attack Israel after coming out of Egypt. Sin is our first and foremost enemy in the Truth.
And as the battle against Amalek was not complete until the going down of the sun, so, too, our battle against sin and sin nature will not be complete until the end of our mortal days.
One victory over Amalek did not end the warfare. Battles were to continue over many generations. This is true of God’s people as, with God’s help, they battle with sin from generation to generation.
Amalek works through others
As we do our readings in Judges, we will find the Amalekites are mentioned seven times. They were then smaller and found it to their advantage to align themselves against Israel with larger, more powerful nations. In Judges 3:12-13, it is Moab, Ammon and Amalek. In Judges 6:3; 6:33 and 7:12, it is Midian and Amalek. They are never mentioned first; they are always hiding behind another nation. So it is with sin in our lives. Many times we do not come face to face with it but we find it manifested in others. Thus, we sometimes are fighting the branches instead of the roots of sin. Whether it be at work, or in our neighbors or in the world’s entertainment, rest assured that sin, both internally and externally, seeks our destruction.
Amalek was a thorn in the side of Israel from generation to generation until David reigned and established a prototype of the kingdom of God.
Amalek subdued
Saul could have had the honor of shackling the Amalekites but he was not sympathetic to the thinking of God. He was told to “utterly destroy all that they have.” But Saul “would not utterly destroy them.” (I Sam. 15:3,9) He saved alive the king himself “and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good…”
In destroying the men, women and children, Saul only destroyed the figurative branches of sin. He left the roots, symbolized in their King Agag, and the riches of sin in saving the best of the herds. Furthermore, he had the affront to offer the excuse that he was going to offer the root and riches of sin as a sacrifice to God.
From further history, we find that Saul also left some remnants of the Amalekites alive. They must have been scattered from the main group and hard to get at, for they attacked David when he was at Ziklag (I Sam. 30:1). Saul’s attitude toward the Amalekites clearly reveals a man who was not after God’s own heart. He had no grasp of the divine intent to “utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex. 17:14)
It is ironic that an Amalekite claimed to have slain Saul. While that claim was false, the true Amalek, sin nature, did lead to Saul’s losing his kingdom and ultimately his life.
From David’s time on, the Amalekites were not a significant factor. We read in I Sam. 30:17-19 of 400 who escaped from him but they were effectively imprisoned in Mt. Seir until their destruction in the days of Hezekiah (I Chr. 4:43). In the fulfillment of the type, “that old serpent” shall be bound for the 1,000 years of the kingdom age. While it will come to the fore again for a brief period, rebellion against God will finally be destroyed utterly. Then will be fulfilled the promise that “I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven…because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from genera-ton to generation.” In the meantime, we must wage the warfare now.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One