4. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8, Overcoming the flesh requires continually delighting in the LORD, worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24). rabbinic perspective, Ari D. Kahn, Targum/Feldheim, 2002, p. 114. http://www.yashanet.com/studies/revstudy/text/r13_11-15.htm, http://www.aish.com/purimthemes/purimthemesdefault/Haman_Heir_to_Amalek.asp, faith is contrasted to Amalek/doubt (and the anti-Messiah of Revelation), the establishment of the Temple (and the Throne of God) is contrasted to haSatan's After he defeated the Amalekites, Joshua refrained from the common practice of abusing the bodies of the slain and instead "treated them with mercy" (Mekhilta, 181). This war Torah: The Torah says: "Amalek battled Israel in (a place called) In this particular case, therefore, YHWH, who according to Exodus 17:16 had sworn eternal enmity to Amalek, permitted Amalek to defeat Israel, but, since He had specifically warned Israel against this particular undertaking, there is no real contradiction between Exodus 17:16 and Numbers 14:45. What does the mitzvah to destroy Amalek mean? The flesh must be daily and perpetually crucified as we follow and in order to follow Christ (Luke 9:23-24). 3:1) who is regarded as a descendant of Agag (I Sam. When thinking of the Jewish people, the root from which they sprang forth into history, we are to always remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses' raised hands symbolize the Jews raising their eyes heavenward in a commitment to God and Torah. straightway came Amalek. R. Judah said: It is written, Amalek is the Despite the "pre-deuteronomic" literary framework of chapter 15 and its prophetic-ideological aim, embedded in it is an ancient historical tradition about a war of extermination that reflects Saul's war against Amalek. They were the first nation to attack the Jewish. is the evil serpent, the strange god. Spirit of Amalek. 24:20), had no wish to fight alone against Israel but rather, with the help of many nations (Mekhilta, ed. 31:8; Judg. Establishing and confirming divine truth (Gods written Word) in His saints, for their edification and equipping, and preaching the convicting Law and saving Gospel to lost souls. The Spirit of Amalek has at its core a love of lies. They were reportedly wiped out almost entirely as the result of Israelite victories against them in wars beginning shortly after the Exodus and continuing into the period of the early Israelite monarchy. together being called Samael (lit. This made them enemies of both God and man. *They are enemies that way-lay or set ambush. The Amalekites became a semi nomadic people who had two opposing primary characteristics. We need to pray for strength and courage as we face this adversary. 47:19). 39 proper name, of a people Amalek (on see Lag BN 162 Ba NB 160); ancient people Numbers 24:20 (twice in verse), south of Canaan in Negeb Numbers 13:29 (all J E), fierce and war-like Bedawin (compare GASm Geogr. But ultimately, they will be defeated by those who follow God faithfully. The Canaanite city of Sodom is destroyed by God It is a command that led the leading atheist Richard Dawkins to claim that the God of the Old Testament was "a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic. They were first mentioned in the Bible in relation to their attack on the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness after leaving Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16). Also, the sword here represents the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). A similar expression occurs in the description of the much wider range of the Ishmaelites: "From Havilah, by Shur, which is east of (or close to) Egypt, etc." XXII, An Amalekite is a name for a member of the Amalekite nation. represents God's throne on earth; Amalek represents the attack on the throne. Amalekite, member of an ancient nomadic tribe, or collection of tribes, described in the Old Testament as relentless enemies of Israel, even though they were closely related to Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Amalek as having no regard for God whatsoever: Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2,Page 65a - And The mitzvah to destroy Amalek implies that no trace of Amalek's existence could be left. Haman (Hebrew: Hmn; also known as Haman the Agagite or Haman the evil) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II. This Red Sea experience, miracle is a picture of the salvation of Gods people from Egypt, the world. Those who lag behind in the service of the Lord thus separating themselves from Christians who are on the march, will find that this enemy Amalek will make inroads in their souls and lives. Studylight.org, What Happened when Moses Held Up His Hand? 3942); it seems most likely that the reference is to the western Negev, where the Amalekites roamed from early times. Amalek was a grandson of Jacob's brother Esav. thee. Said R. Simeon: At the moment when Joshua, the young And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, "Because the Lord has . ). Why to him, who was then but a youth (Ex. 2:345; Josh. This demonic spirit is behind every attack of the enemy against Gods people. So then, because The . spiritual foundations are traced back to the prayers Moshe uttered on that hill in the Their story is that they, unprovoked, attacked Israel from behind as they had just finished crossing the Red Sea, and Israel went to war with them. Why did God say again and again that there would always be war with the Amalekites? Esau and Amalek are a type of Satan who was ousted by Jesus redemptive cross and lost his place of rulership over all who possess the born again birthright via being bought and paid for by the precious blood of the Lamb (Romans 5:9; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Colossians 2:14-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19, etc.). Until true worship is given to God and not self, until the flesh, the old man is crucified, sin and Satan will wreak havoc with stealing, killing, destroying (John 10:10). The matter was, therefore, a war of rescue as were the wars of the Judges, and it seems that because of its difficulty Saul vowed that in the event of success he would devote the spoil to the Lord by erem. Amalek was the grandson of the infamous Esau, Jacobs brother, Isaacs son. XXXII, 33), for they are of the seed of Amalek, of whom it is said, A modern teacher/author ties this all together as follows: When the Beit HaMikdash was eventually constructed on the holy The Pastoralist Beware of the AMALEKITE spirit. " 4 Amalek is directly associated with Samael, the archangel of evil. They are relentless in their opposition and will not give up easily. Amalekites A people inhabiting the country south of idumea and east of the red sea. ass. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. This time, however, the Amalekites are defeated and driven out of Canaan.The story of Saul and Agag provides another glimpse into the conflict between Israel and Amalek. The figure of Amalek (first mentioned in Genesis 14:17) gives us a The Amalekites were nomadic people who inhabited the southern part of Canaan, between Egypt and Edom. 20:114, 24; Ezek. ever.. Some believe that this Amalekite patronage of the Kenites is also mentioned in Judges 1:16, reading (in accordance with a few Septuagint manuscripts and the Latin Vulgate version) "and they settled with the Amalekite" instead of "and they settled with the people." of my book (Ex. to infect the Jewish people at certain times in history, one being at the time of the sin Yerusshlayim (Jerusalem) Amalek is a quality that helps us develop optimally, and it constantly guards us. 10). But as soon as But instead, they chose to fight against Gods chosen people (Numbers 14:39-45). What is the Spiritual Meaning of Back Pain? The LORD will love us into hell if we choose to become and remain separated from Him in sin. You find that as soon as they said, Is the Hence the meaning of the name in this context is not merely geographic (Judg. Because of Sauls disobedience, God rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23). The Amalekites, throughout their history, were aggressive to the Israelites. Amalek is directly associated with Samael, the archangel of evil. have no dominion over them. Said R. Abba: When the two (i.e. When it comes to the spirit of Amalek, there are a few things that every Christian should know. These verses relate that some of the Simeonites went to Mt. We should not ignore that Amalek represents a spirit which has operated throughout history. The district over which they ranged was south of Judah and probably extended into northern Arabia. The LORD will have war with Amalek (the flesh) from generation to generation. Exodus 17:16, The flesh is not going away until weve gone away to Heaven! THE CHARACTER OF AMALEK It is strange that Amalek should have attacked the Israelites at all. The Amalekites represent Satan and the flesh and their war against God's people and all that is right. 15:3). Joshua wasted or convincingly defeated the flesh and Satan, represented in the name Amalek! 8:2627) except in special cases (Deut. There is more than one Samael, and they 8:5, 12; cf. It is unimaginable that such a juxtaposition would have been possible after the consciousness of the divine war of extermination against Amalek had taken root in Israel. mixed multitude are the impurity which the serpent injected into Eve. Moses motive in converting them was good, as has been said, therefore God said to William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1991. (Deuteronomy 17:7), Came Amalek (ib. of the words :When Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed (Ibid. word for "doubt" (safek) are the same. This reading which occurs only in secondary versions of the Septuagint and not in original ones can be explained as an attempt to interpret a difficult passage in the light of I Samuel 15:6, i.e., the verse in the Song of Deborah where it says of Ephraim "they whose root is in Amalek" (Judg. were ever a strap of chastisement for Israel. non-stop. 25:17). In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Amalek is: A people that licks up. the first nation who feared not to proclaim war against Israel, as it says, and he It is a spirit of hatred and destruction that seeks to annihilate anything and everything that represents God.In order to overcome the spirit of Amalek, we must first understand who our true enemy is. Shengold Books. came forth Cain, who killed Abel. From Cain was descended Jethro, the father-in-law of 6. When Israel was on the Exodus from Egypt, they just trudged along in one huge group. of grace, the characteristics of a godly mother. Therefore Moses did not participate in the war on earth, so that he The people's name Amalekite is initially mentioned in the story of the War of Four Against Five Kings (Genesis 14:7). The term "city of Amalek" is not to be understood literally, and it is possible that it means a fortified camp. and sweet water to drink, and yet they complained! Why did God hate them so much? Finally, we need to proclaim victory over this enemy in Jesus name! After the victories of Saul and David the Amalekites ceased to be a factor of any influence in the border regions of Judah and the Negev, just as the Midianites had after the war of Gideon. God maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Exodus 17:16) Now what is striking here is the facts that while the war seemed to be directed at the Jewish people, the reason for the command is that the Amelekites were really waging war against God. xv, 14); in was equipped with weapons prepared by his Mother (the Shekinah) for the battle All the tragedies which Israel suffered are considered the direct outcome of Amalek's hostile act (PdRK 27). The Amalekites and the people of the East joined the Midianite raids on the Israelites in the time of Gideon, and, like true desert tribes, undoubtedly participated in the destruction of the crops, as related in the Book of Judges (6:17). Today, we can still learn from what happened between the Israelites and Amalekites all those years ago.We need to stand up against evil and injustice whenever we see it happening around us. in the study of the Torah, as we have explained on another occasion. AND MOSES SAID More closely historical than the Pentateuch's accounts of Amalek are the traditions set in the period of the Judges and the monarchy. The decisive clash between Israel and Amalek came only with the advent of the monarchy, in the famous Amalekite war of Saul.