The Sword of the LORD

“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. (Exodus 17:8).   Amalek and his people, the Amalekites, were one of Israel’s earliest and most ruthless enemies.  It was Amalek who attacked the Jews without provocation shortly after they had escaped the bondage of Egypt.  They sought to destroy Israel before they even had a chance to step one foot in the Promised Land that God had given them.  In studying Exodus 17, it’s good to have an understanding, therefore, of who the Amalekites were, and what they represent in scripture.    Amalek was a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12), firstborn son of Isaac.  Isaac was the son of Abraham, father of the Jewish people.  Esau was one of a pair of twins, and was born first before his brother, Jacob.  According to Jewish norms, Esau would have been heir to the greater blessing from his father and a double portion of the inheritance upon Isaac’s death.  Having foreknowledge of the nature ...

God is searching for a people who are pure and clean within, so that He can then manifest His glory and beauty to the world.   “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him,” (II Chronicles 16:9).   The psalmist David understood this when he said, “Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” and, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” (Psalm 51:6, 10).   After Saul had been rejected as king over Israel, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse.   Jesse had eight Sons; and when Samuel had come down to Jesse’s house, Jesse had his oldest son, Eliab, come before Samuel.   When Samuel saw Eliab, he said to himself, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before me,”    The Lord spoke to Samuel, however, and said, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I h...

Saul of Tarsus, who is better known as the Apostle Paul, is a very interesting study in the grace of God.   If there ever was one whom the early Church considered unreachable with the Gospel message, it was Paul.     Naturally speaking, Paul was equipped with everything that he needed to become a great man of God.   He was born into a respected tribe of Israel, highly educated in the Law of Moses (which he observed religiously, and considered himself blameless in its precepts).   Overall, he was viewed as a “Hebrew of the Hebrews.”   Just as his father had been, Paul was a member of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees.   This faction was the most influential of the three main Jewish sects of the day.   He was a student of the famous and respected teacher, Gamaliel.   Paul was also born a Roman citizen.   This gave him special privileges throughout the Empire.     Paul was a doer.   He wasn’t content to just sit ...

“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” (Isaiah 37:14).   We all experience times in our lives when things become overwhelming, and we’re not certain of what we should do.  There are times when we have trouble hearing that still, small voice of God speaking to us and directing our path.  It’s then that we need to deliberately take our troubles before the Lord and spread them out in His presence, praying for wisdom, direction and a clear word from Him.  Human beings don’t naturally hand over control of their lives that easily, however.  There is some preparation that needs to take place beforehand to make that transition easier.  That’s why King Hezekiah of Judah’s example in scripture is an important one for us to follow.   Hezekiah didn’t have a good example to follow when he was growing up.  His father, King Ahaz of J...

“And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Him [Jesus] , he fell at His feet, and besought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray Thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.  And Jesus went with him; and much people followed Him, and thronged Him.  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment.  For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched My clothes?...

The disciples approached Jesus one day with an important request.   They said to the Lord, “Teach us to pray.”   Jesus gave to them what has become known as the Lord's prayer.   Churches and Christian believers the world over recite this prayer, both privately and congregationally.   Jesus did not mean for this prayer to be something they memorized and repeated every time that they spoke to God, though.   He meant for it to be a model, a pattern, from which they could shape their own prayers, expanding on it, and making it personal and an expression of themselves.   Studying the various elements of the Lord's Prayer, and understanding the intent behind them, can breathe new life into our own prayers and make them much more focused in the will of God.   On days when my mind wants to wander and I find myself thinking about my grocery list, or the errands I need to run, rather than my prayer, I often use the Lord’s Prayer as a springboard to focus my own ...