Faithful on Fridays Blog

Episode Three

Perspective is a funny thing; it’s based on what you know depending on your information outlet. Some facts are irrefutable: 1,400 Israelis dead, 5,300 injured, and 229 hostages remain hidden. Hamas has strategically based their terror operations headquarters beneath a hospital and some schools while their genocidal threat continues. Israel has shown restraint for over three weeks, but war has arrived with a goal of dismantling the Hamas regime.

Let’s look at this from a Biblical perspective. God’s enemies, led by Satan, have continuously tried to annihilate His covenant people, keeping them from their gifted land. 

And I (God) will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God. Genesis 17:8 

The Canaanite tribes weren’t going to be driven out easily, and the Amalekites were the first to go to war with Israel. 

After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Exodus 17:14 

Attempting to wipe out God’s people from God’s land continued through King Saul’s reign; he was commissioned by God to bring total destruction on the Amalekites. Their Godless living and idolatry wouldn’t be permitted to influence followers of Yahweh, Israel’s God. Unfortunately, Saul’s choice to disobey orders (1 Sam. 15:7-23) and completely destroy this tribe brought devastating results. He didn’t destroy all of the Amalekites in their war but kept their king alive: Agag. That decision continues to affect Israel to this day since his seed is found in Persia (today’s Iran) by the name of Haman, the Agagite (Es. 3:1). That’s not coincidental since in the book of Esther he continued the goal of wiping the Jewish people ‘off the map’ with total annihilation.  

Today, Gaza is located in ancient Canaan, the violence of Hamas is driven by the same evil, Haman spirit, and God’s promise to erase their memory remains. This is a Biblical perspective, which explains a lot when you possess a spiritual viewpoint, not just a natural one. Yes, war is devastating to both sides, but allowing Satan to continue his plan against God and His people through Hamas, possibly Hezbollah, and Iran is unacceptable. That’s the spiritual perspective of why there’s no cease-fire. 

Then Balaam (a prophet) looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: “Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!” Numbers 24:20

Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall never forget. Deuteronomy 25:19

This is equally a spiritual battle as well as a natural one, consequently, our Biblical perspective is crucial.