Then came Amalek & fought with Israel in Rephidim

Amalek we’re descendants of Esau the twin of Jacob

Amalek literally means squeeze or wring.

It has an etymology of wringing or twisting a birds neck to kill it

It has an etymology of gaining by violence through pressure

In Exodus 17 they attack the Israelis in the hinder-parts

The hinder-parts are an assault from behind

It’s also vivid of an attack when were down on our back & weakened physically
by disease or financial losses.

The Amalekites lived in the valley. (Low life’s)

Exd. 17:8

The possession of water (wells, etc.) was a cause of contention
In the ancient times where people live in arid desert environments

The Israelis had gotten a river of water that was now gushing from this
rock in Rephidim

Rephidim means rest.

The Amalekites wanted that water & were willing to fight to gain possession.

But to do this meant they must first disposess (humiliate & drive)
Israel away through an attack.

Num. 24:20

Then Moses said concerning Amalek that—“Amalek feared not God”
They didn’t fear the consequences
That thought of consequential relationships was not a part of their perspective

Deut. 25:17-18

Paul wrote that we’re to: (suggestive that our lower flesh nature is like Amalek)

Live freely, energized & motivated by God’s Spirit.

Then we won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.

For there is a root of sinful self-interest fights with this freeing spirit,

And this free spirit is incompatible with selfishness.

These two ways of life are antithetical, so that we can’t live
one way & at then another way, according to how we feel

Why need to choose to be led by the Spirit & so escape the
erratic compulsions of a performance -dominated existence

Gal 5:17-20 paraphrased

We’re to abstain (refuse & avoid) our fleshly sensual urges

(the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, our lower nature)

we’re not to live in the valley (being low life’s)

These feelings, these low negative prompts from our old self

wage war against our soul

(our soul is our inner being that wants to walk & be close to Jesus)

1 Peter 2:11 paraphrased

God has given us His precious & exceedingly great promises,

so that through them we can escape from the moral decay

(the rottenness & corruption) that is in our lower nature

because of covetousness (lust & greed for what others have),

and become sharers (partakers) of the Christ’s nature

(our new nature of God’s Spirit)

2 Peter 1:4 | AMP (adaptations)

The battle was fought by

Moses going up on a hill with Aaron & Hur

He went up to gain a perspective of the battle in the valley by Joshua

He held his hands & arms up (a picture of prayers)

When his hands grew heavy Aaron & Hur lifted them up.

When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed & when he let down

his hand Amalek prevailed

Exd. 17:11

The uplifted hand was emblematic of prayer & supplicating of God:

Hear our voice & supplications, when we cry to You, Lord when we

lift up our hands toward Your holy oracle

Ps. 28:2

Paul wrote

I will that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath & doubting

1 Tim. 2:8

Like “Moses’ our hands grow heavy. We grow weary of supplicating to God!

Jesus said

We ought always to pray & not to faint

Luke 18:1

We fail quickly when our hearts get “heavy” with stuff in us

that wrings our spiritual neck.

And as soon as we lose the spirit of dependency on God

our fleshly lower nature (low life valley living prevails)

Aaron & Hur were with Moses, they

Stayed up his hands, the one on one side & the other on the other side.

We need to hang out with people of faith.

Through God in His grace He provides for us supported on each side

“Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities.

For we know not what we should pray for as we should;

but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings

which can’t be spoken”

Rom. 8:26

“And another angel came & stood at the altar having a golden censer;

and there was given unto Him much incense, that He should offer it

with the prayers of all believers on the golden altar which was before

the throne”

Rev. 8:3

Jesus Christ always receives our supplications & offers them to God

as a sweet perfume fragrance of His own perfections.

Exd. 17:13 notes that Joshua discomfited (humiliated & defeated)

Amalek & his people with the edge of the sword.

The “sword” the Word of God

For the Word that God speaks & is alive & full of power

(making it active, operative, energizing & effective)

it is sharper than any two-edged sword,

penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul)

and [the immortal] spirit & of joints & marrow

(of the deepest parts of our nature)

exposing & sifting & analyzing & judging the very thoughts

and purposes of our heart.

Hebrews 4:12 AMP

It is not by prayer alone that we can fight the flesh

(our low life nature)

The Word, is needed.

The Psalmist wrote,

Your Word us what I’ve filled my heart & life with that I might

not sin against You

Ps. 119:11 paraphrased

We have to consider (get this new perspective riveted in our minds)

That we ourselves are dead to sin & our relation to it is broken,

Now we’re alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:11 | AMP

We have to Shun (avoid, reject & evade) old lower life

(lusts & desires & passions)

flee from them & aim at & pursue righteousness

(all that is virtuous & good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word & actions)

and aim at & pursue faith, love & peace

(harmony & agreeability & reasonableness with others)

in fellowship with all (believers) who call on the Lord out of a new heart nature.

2 Timothy 2:22 | AMP adapted

There is a fight to be fought

Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of our new life to which we been called too

1 Timothy 6:12

I have fought the good (worthy, honorable & noble) fight,

I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 | AMP

So fight, not as not running in uncertainly (without definite aim).

We fight aimlessly boxing like one beating the air & striking

without hitting our adversaries

But [like a boxer] we buffet & beat our body

(handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships)

and we subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming

to others we know Jesus & His Word, that we ourselves should become unfit

( and not stand up to our tests & be unapproved & rejected as a counterfeit)

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 | AMP adapted

Amalek was not destroyed completely.

He wasn’t vanquished on this occasion.

There is no way of destroying or eradicating our low life valley living nature inside of us.

We like Joshua discomfit it (humble it) but it still survives.

Why, does God permit the this nature to remain in us?

We need a deeper & personal realization of the havoc

of how sin has affected us. We have to understand our

total depravity to appreciate God’s amazing grace which has saved us as wretches.

This makes us humbled (discomfited) before God

This keeps us more dependent on Him in our battles.

This makes uS appropriate to ourselves God’s all-sufficient

grace & causes us to learn that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses,

Then we appreciate His keeping-power, as without Jesus

we can do nothing & we sink down to a low life existence.

Remember what Amalek did to you on the way

How Amalek did not fear God,

but when we were faint & weary he attacked us…you must not forget.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 | AMP adapted

What is the fix against faintness & weakness?

My Grandma Blanch Newton Stickney would repeat this passage to me in her 80s

“God gives power to the faint & to them that have no might He increases strength.

The youths shall faint & be weary & the young will utterly fail;

But they that wait on the Lord (by prayer & God’s Word)

Will renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they will run & not be weary; they will walk & not faint”

Isa. 40:30,31

God, Who will transform & fashion anew this body of our humiliation

to conform to & be like the body of His glory & majesty,

by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself.

Philippians 3:21 | AMP