Who Is Amalek???

We read yesterday in Exodus 17 that Amalek came and fought against Israel.  Your question may have been....ok, but who in the world is Amalek??  I'm sure you remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  You may also remember Jacob had a brother named Esau.  Esau had a son named Eliphaz who had a son named Amalek.  That makes Amalek Esau's grandson and a direct descendant of Isaac.  And now you're thinking.....ok, but what in the world does that have to do with me???

Think about it this way. Remember that I told you that some consider Amalek to be a picture of the flesh.  Keep that in mind and read Numbers 24:20.  Amalek was the "first of the nations", which means that the Amalekites were the first nation to trouble Israel.  When we read about Israel leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and drinking water from a rock, the first enemy they had to deal with was Amalek (Exodus 17).  Look also at Deuteronomy 25:17-19.  So think of Amalek as the first - and constant - enemy of Israel.  Could that not also be said of the flesh?  Is it not our first and constant enemy?  Look at Galatians 5:16-17 to see what Paul has to say about that.

God had something to say to King Saul about how to deal with the enemy, and His instructions to King Saul offer some valuable principles for us to follow.  Read 1 Samuel 15:1-23 and then consider the following questions:

• List exactly what the Lord of hosts told Saul to do.
• Who/what did Saul spare and why?
• How did Saul respond when confronted with his disobedience?
• What did Saul lose as a consequence?
• What can you learn from this to apply to your own life?

Think about that today, and we'll continue tomorrow.