VICTORY OVER AMALEK

Text: EXODUS 17:1-16

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INTRODUCTION:

1. If you have studied the book of Exodus you have probably noticed that the book is full of typical teachings (cf. I Cor. 10:6,11).
2. For example, Moses is a type of Christ, Pharaoh is a type of Satan, and Egypt represents the world.
3. Israel in bondage to Egypt pictures the sinner in bondage to sin, and Israel delivered from their cruel task-masters speaks of our redemption.
4. Their wilderness experiences also provide valuable lessons for us and we will do well to read them, and to study them, and to learn from them.
5. There are two key figures here in Exodus 17, Moses and Amalek (17:8). I trust everyone here knows about Moses. But perhaps there are some who are not familiar with Amalek.
6. Amalek was a grandson of Esau. Therefore, he was related to the Israelites who were descended from Esau’s twin brother, Jacob (Genesis 36:1,10-12).
7. Scofield says Amalek was a "type of the flesh in the believer (Gal.4:29)."
8. In other words, when we walk in the flesh, Amalek will get the victory over us (cf. Num.14:41-45).
9. Mark it down, all of us have to face Amalek at one time or another. The Bible says, "Then came Amalek…" (Ex.17:8). Some of you may have already faced Amalek today!
10. How we conduct ourselves determines whether or not God will give us the victory over Amalek.
11. The Bible gives us some principles here that will help us in our struggle with Amalek. Before I give you these principles, I would like to draw your attention to 17:16, where it says, "The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." The battle is the LORD’s, not ours. He will give us the victory if we do things His way.

1. WE MUST WALK BY FAITH, AND NOT BY SIGHT

1. Whenever we get our eyes off the Lord, we are likely to complain and murmur. This was the problem with the Israelites (Ex.17:1-4).
2. Again, let me remind you that God has recorded all of this for our edification (cf. Heb.3:7-19).
3. The Israelites pitched their tents in Rephidim, a dry and barren place (Ex.17:1). But before we go any further, let us note that the LORD directed them to Rephidim (17:1).
4. Beloved, sometimes we find ourselves in a dry and barren place but that is not the time to blame others (especially when it is God that put us in that dry and barren place). The Israelites started to "chide with Moses" (17:2).
5. Moses was God’s appointed leader. To chide with Moses was the same thing as chiding with God Himself (cf. 17:7).
6. And they started murmuring (17:3). Instead of chiding and murmuring they should have been praying.
7. When Moses was vexed beyond measure, he did not lash out but "he cried unto the LORD" (17:4). We need to be more like Moses.
8. As usual, God delivered His wayward people (Ex.17:5-7). In I Cor. 10:4, the apostle Paul says "that Rock was Christ."
9. Quoting Isaiah 32:2, the songwriter wrote "Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land."
10. We are in a weary land. And sometimes we feel overwhelmed by it all. Thank God Jesus is a rock in a weary land and a "shelter" in the time of storm (cf. Ps.61:1-3).
11. Notice that the rock had to be smitten (Ex.17:6). If Christ had not been crucified, we would not be saved. The water only came out of the rock after it was smitten. This is simple but yet it is overlooked by many. They think they can get to heaven without the cross.
12. The water represents the Holy Spirit, which could only be poured out after the atoning death of Christ (John 7:37-39).
13. There are many thirsty people wandering around this wearisome world, but they are never satisfied with what they can get out of life. They need to come to Christ because only He can satisfy (cf. John 4:10-14).
14. Those Israelites who were thirsty had to stoop down to get a drink. It is the same way today. If people want to get right with God, they need to stoop down and humble themselves, and then they can get things right with God.

2. WE MUST SUPPORT GOD’S PROGRAM

1. Today God only has one program and that is the local NT church. Any Christian who is not actively involved in a local church is out of God’s will.
2. Yet people skip church; they don’t tithe; they do not win souls; and they really could not care less if the church closed down. And all the while they claim to love God, and they claim to be saved, etc. They are deceiving themselves!
3. Back in the days of Moses there was no local NT church. Our Lord did not establish His church till 1,500 years later.
4. But God always has a program, and back then God was working with the nation Israel. They were to be a testimony before all the heathen nations.
5. And God always has a leader to work His program and during this time period it was Moses. Eventually Moses would die and Joshua would take over (Ex.17:9,14). But at this time Moses was their leader.
6. Now look carefully at Ex.17:10-13. When Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands, God gave them the victory. But when Moses’ hands went down, "Amalek prevailed" (Ex.17:11,12).
7. It is the same way in the local church. I thank God for the people He has sent to our church. Keep supporting our local church. This is God’s work. Help me keep my hands up and God will give us the victory over Amalek.
8. Please keep in mind that Israel did not win this battle because of their great fighting skills. In fact, they were not experienced soldiers at all. This was their very first battle. Later on, they developed into great soldiers but in the beginning they knew very little about warfare.
9. When we first get saved we know very little about the battle we are in with the world, the flesh, and the devil. "Then along comes Amalek…" (17:8). What do we do? We need to stay close to the Lord. We will not lose the battle with Him at our side.
10. Please remember that Amalek attacked Israel when they were weak and weary. They had been wandering around the wilderness without water. They were tired and the Bible says Amalek smote the hindmost of them, "even all that were feeble" (Deut.25:18).
11. In other words, he attacked them where they were most vulnerable. What a warning for us! He attacked those in the rear who were lagging behind. What a warning for those lagging behind – Watch out, brother, Amalek will pick you off first!

3. WE MUST STUDY GOD’S WORD (17:14).

1. After God gave Israel the victory over Amalek and his people, He told Moses to write it down "in a book" (17:14). That book is what we call today the Bible (cf. Deut.25:17-19; Josh.1:8).
2. The Lord promised the Israelites that He was going to utterly annihilate Amalek. How would the future generations know this? Because it would be written in God’s Book (Ex.17:14).
3. Some day God is going to cast the devil into the lake of fire. How do we know that? Because it is recorded in God’s Book, the Bible.
4. Some day the Lord is coming back to earth to judge the wicked and to set up His kingdom. How do we know that? Because it is recorded in God’s Book, the Bible.
5. Did you notice how Joshua beat back Amalek? "With the edge of the sword" (Ex.17:13). We need to be able to handle our "sword." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword."
6. Ephesians 6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
7. If we are walking in the Spirit and if we take the sword of the Spirit, we can handle Amalek, but if not he will whip us every time!

CONCLUSION:

1. In the book of Numbers we are told a second time that the children of Israel complained that they had no water.
2. The first time Israel murmured about being thirsty God told Moses to smite the rock and the water gushed forth (Ex.17:6).
3. In Numbers, however, God gave Moses different instructions (Num.20:8).
4. Moses was to speak to the Rock because the rock had already been smitten.
5. Christ is the Rock and He died one time on the cross for our sins. As He hung on the cross He said, "It is finished." He need not be smitten again.
6. Christ died on the cross so that you and I might have eternal life. Have you received this eternal life?