April 20, 2016
I Samuel 15:2, 3
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
God’s word concerning the Amalekites to King Saul in I Samuel 15:2 and 3 is as follows:
Thus says the LORD of hosts: “I will punish Amalek for what he did
to Israel, how he laid wait for him on the way, when he came up from
Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have,
and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nurs-
ing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”
Why did God tell Saul to so annihilate the Amalekites that there would not even be infant or nursing child left? And this is not the only time God ordered the extinction of people! (See Deuteronomy 2:34; 7:1, 2, 16, 23; 13:15; 20:16, 17; Joshua 6:17; 10:28, 35, 37, 39, 40; 11:20, 21; Jeremiah 12:17; Ezekiel 9:5-7). If “…God is love…,” as it tells us in I John 4:8, is it a different God in the Old Testament – a capricious God who gave such destructive orders? How do we reconcile how He is presented in the New Testament as compared to the Old?
As said in the last blog, Jesus was born into an evil world system controlled by the devil Himself! (See Luke 4:5, 6; II Corinthians 4:4). But the Messiah was promised for centuries before Christ appeared on earth, starting with the Proto Evanelium of Genesis 3:15. Satan has done all in his power to thwart that promise from coming to pass! And we have been looking at some of the ways the devil has tried to do this. Let’s continue from where we left off – the rebellious Israelites who so angered God that He told Moses, “…let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” But Moses interceded for the nation, and God spared them! Such is the power of godly intercession!
• In the books of Joshua and Judges the record of Israel’s failings are numerous. It amazes me that God even put up with that nation! But God’s plan of Protecting The Seed to bring forth the redemption of mankind and all creation through Jesus Christ was not to be deterred!
• The Jews sinned yet again is asking for a king so they could be like the other nations! (See I Samuel 8:5-9). They got Saul as their first king, but then God chose David – from the tribe of Judah. It is from that tribe and from that kingship that Jesus Christ would come and rule forever! (See II Samuel 7:12, 13; Isaiah 9:6, 7). But David sinned grievously! He committed adultery with Bathsheba, then had her husband Uriah murdered to cover us the adultery (see II Samuel 11:1-27). Thank God David was not only a great sinner, but also a great repenter! (See II Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:1-11; 51:1-19). God even said this of him in Acts 13:22, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” If David had not repented of his sins, the devil would have thwarted God’s plan to bring forth the Seed.
• Solomon succeeded his father David as king. But Solomon – and several of those of his descendants who ruled after him – turned from following God (see I Kings 11:4-8). One descendant, Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) was cursed by God in Jeremiah 22:24 through 30. In verse 30 God said, “Write this man down as childless…for none of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.” If Satan has succeeded in his plan to stop the lineage of Christ to David’s throne, Jesus would never reign eternally! But the Lord fulfilled the promise of Jesus’ eternal kingship, not through Solomon descendants, but through another son of David, Nathan! (See Luke 3:23-38 – especially verse 31).
• The people of the southern kingdom of Judah went into captivity in Babylon for 70 years because of their sin of idolatry! (See II Chronicles 36:11-21). In that captivity, Haman – a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag (see II Samuel 15:8, 9; Esther 3:1), planned to destroy all the Jews in the Persian kingdom! (See Esther 3:8, 9, 13). This would have most likely halted the line of the promised Seed! But God had other plans, and turned the tables upon Haman through Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai. Haman and his ten sons were the ones who was killed! (See Esther 7:9, 10; 9:13, 14).
• Fast forward five hundred years! “…Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king….” (Matthew 2:1). King Herod, feeling threatened by the magi’s report of One “…born King of the Jews…” (Matthew 2:2), ordered to be “…put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under…” (Matthew 2:16). Herod – a descendant of the Amalekites, and inspired by Satan – tried to rid himself and the world of the King of the Jews! But God intervened! He gave Joseph a dream: “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee into Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” (Matthew 2:13). Again, God was Protecting The Seed!
The devil could not stop the promised Seed from coming! But in the next blog, we will see how Satan continued to work to destroy Jesus Christ and stop Him from fulfilling His purpose of redemption!