Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!
(NIV)
Yesterday I had a really bad morning. In undergoing this horrible morning, I succumbed to a very bad attitude. And when I say, "very bad attitude," I am talking major sinful heart.
I was angry at the Lord. I know I have no right to be angry with the Lord, but there you have it. I was mad. And I told Him, "And now I have to read Deuteronomy, and I'll bet I will get nothing out of it. Nothing. Because it is Deuteronomy." Never mind that I often count Deuteronomy as my favorite Old Testament book. Never mind that I have been deeply blessed through many passages out of Deuteronomy. There was something wrong with me and wrong with my heart, my attitude, my mind, my perspective.
I read Deuteronomy 25, and all the way through I thought, "See, nothing to help me. See, no word from God for me here."
And then I read the verses above, the last verses in the chapter. They hung with me. "When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven."
There is always a spiritual application from Deuteronomy. God spoke to the Israelites about their physical enemies who fought against them over the possession of the land, concrete real-estate. We have enemies, too. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
My struggle is against sin, the sin that gets me when I am down, that besets me when I am weak. When my body hurts and tragedies are happening all around me and I feel like the Lord does not hear my prayers, when I feel like a helpless pawn that Almighty God just messes with to accomplish His purposes without mercy or compassion for my experience, this is a time when Satan can do to me spiritually what the Amalekites did to Israel physically: "When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind..."
In heaven, God will remove us from the presence of sin, the devil and temptation. He will, after a manner of speaking, "...blot out the memory of Amelek from under heaven."
This is what it means to be free. This is cause for thanksgiving. This is the mercy of the Lord poured out on a sin-oppressed woman who is looking forward to His coming with hope.
