7.3.26 – God's Forever Enemy: Amalek, Part 4

The spirit of Amalek is everywhere. But is he still physically present? Was the book of Esther the end of Amalek? And how do we recognize when he attacks us spiritually? According to Exodus 17:7, Amalek emerges whenever we begin to doubt that God truly cares for the details of our lives—especially when we are in need or feeling weak. These doubts often surface when we stray from the teaching of the Torah. And it is at those moments, as Deuteronomy 25 reminds us, that Amalek likes to strike.

This is where the gospel becomes the remedy for our condition. Yeshua is the obedience that Saul failed to embody. Saul's partial obedience left Agag alive, but Christ's perfect obedience was complete. It is finished—not mostly finished, not nearly finished. He did not bargain over which part of the herem to spare; He gave Himself entirely, without reserve. This is the Christ-centered heart of the story: the complete obedience that breaks the pattern and fulfills the decree—the One who finishes what our history could not.

How did Yeshua achieve victory over Amalek? He remained close to His Father, the Giver of the Torah, the One who planted the seed in the world, who desires only what is best for us, who never sleeps nor slumbers, who guards us as the apple of His eye, and who always keeps His word.

Without a doubt, we know that Amalek was never able to overcome Him. He has gone before us to break the decree. But the question for us today is not: What happened to the Amalekites? The question is: What are you leaving almost destroyed? And will you trust the One who finished it completely—to finish it in you?

The only way to defeat Amalek is by the sword—the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word. As you enter your preparation day, on this 42nd day of counting toward the firstfruits of the wine, may each of us reflect on what we have left almost destroyed, and may we use the sword of the Spirit to cut it to pieces.

Happy Preparation Day, and Shabbat Shalom.

Alan

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