Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 14:47-15:9; Acts 24:1-23

“Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:3)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Context matters, especially in the Old Testament. The Israelites weren’t meant to have a king. They insisted on having one anyway, to be like all the cool nations. God warned them. If all the other nations jumped off a bridge. . . Nevertheless, they persisted. God gave King Saul as punishment to Israel. It probably doesn’t feel great to be the human embodiment of punishment to an entire nation. He’s in over his head. He usually tries to do the right thing, but he does it the wrong way. It’s the same for us with the Law. We want good intentions to count, even though we make a mess of everything.

The Amalekites had a history with Israel. They picked off the weakest of the people as they left Egypt, nipping at their heels, taking the ones who couldn’t defend themselves. They were a plague upon the people of Israel that God promised Moses He would blot out.

And scene: Samuel speaks to Saul. “Thus says the Lord, kill them all.” And not just the men, but the women and the children, too. Also the animals. Devote everything of the Amalekites to destruction. Saul shows mercy to the Kenites. He doesn’t spare the women and children, but he keeps their stuff. He kept Agag their king alive, and kept all the best animals. He wanted to use those animals as a sacrifice to the Lord. While their king watched, humiliation style. The prophet Samuel is furious. This is not what was called for.

Because God doesn’t glory in destruction, even of the wicked. He will not take sacrifice from the blood we spill upon each other. He doesn’t want anyone devoted to destruction. He sends His Son for that, for you, for all. That is to be the sacrifice. There can be no salvation in any other place. As terrible as these things are, recognize the picture they paint. There is destruction apart from the Lord. The Amalekites insisted on not only being apart from God, but on preying upon His children. If they lived, wealthy, until age 100, what would still happen? We are given a physical picture of the spiritual condemnation apart from Jesus. He warns even as He protects His people. Don’t be apart from Jesus. No sacrifice but Jesus can cover your sin, but that sacrifice has already been made for you. It is enough to save and protect you. Recognize what happens here as horrible. Being apart from Christ is horrible, but being under Him is salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain Could give the guilty conscience peace Or wash away the stain. (“Not All the Blood of Beasts” LSB 431, st.1)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch