40-Day Prophetic Bootcamp
Day 38: The Violent Taketh By Force
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I heard it once said: “A wise man will kill what killed his father – but a foolish man will allow what killed his father to kill him….”
There are strongholds in our lives that we must conquer so that they will not conquer our children.
According to biblical accounts one of Israel’s most notorious arch nemeses is the Amalekite. The children of Israel first encountered the Amalekite after they crossed the Red Sea. The Book of Exodus relates that Joshua fought against Amalek, under the direction of Moses. Amalek was not destroyed in this battle, however, at the end of this war Moses reminded Israel that the Lord would one day blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19:
“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 cut off 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 memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”
In commemoration of the victory, Moses built an altar which he called “YHVH-Nissi,” and proclaimed that:
Exodus 17:16:
“The Eternal God will be at war against Amalek throughout the ages.”
Conquer It Before It Conquers You…
1 Samuel 15:9a:
“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good.”
The Lord commanded King Saul to cut-off the Amalekite, but in his disobedience Saul spared King Agag the Amalekite, and all that was good.
God sits in the heavens and He sees what we do not see. People do not come with warning signs. We must trust the cautions of the Holy Spirit. God sees that there are situations that we must conquer before we are conquered!
God knew that the Amalekites would attempt to waste Israel and they surely tried every chance they got. Likewise, the Lord knows the tricks that the evil one is up to in your life. We must conquer those things that are meant to conquer us. There are some situations that we allowed to occur once that we must never let happen again….
Moses said in Deuteronomy 25:17:
“Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt….”
Although the prophet Samuel killed Agag, King of the Amalekites {1 Samuel 15:33}; the Amalekites were not completely destroyed; since at the end of Saul’s reign they were still raiding towns during the time of David. {I Sam. 30:14}. After, Saul refused to obey the Lord; throughout history we see Amalek moving from generation to generation, motivated by the evil one to wage war against the righteous.
Esther 9:24:
“For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur that is, cast lots, to crush and to destroy them.”
Haman was an Agagite, a direct royal descendant of King Agag, the Amalekite. Had King Saul obeyed God and wiped out the Amalekites there would not have been a Haman to fight.
Haman’s hatred towards the children of Israel was not only ancient it was supernatural. We must remember that when we are facing life’s battles, the enemy’s hatred concerning God’s children is not only ancient it is supernatural. From the beginning of time Satan has been at work to destroy humanity; God’s most marvelous design. The bible tells us that the events that occurred in the bible are examples to us of how we should live in these latter days.
1 Corinthians 10:11:
“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”
The bible is filled with lessons about God’s sovereign providence, as well as principles of ultimate justice and vindication against our enemies.
God will never leave His children in the hands of the enemy. His divine assistance will overcome all advantages of number and strength of those that come against us.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, tells us that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. There is a time for peace and a time for war.
The Violent Take It By Force:
In Numbers Chapter 22, the Children of Israel set up camp in the plains of Moab. The children of Israel, being covenant people, were blessed by God. They were so blessed that they attracted the attention of Balak, the King of Moab.
Numbers 23:1-8, says that Balak, the king of Moab, was so distressed because of the greatness of the children of Israel that he sought Balaam, a rogue prophet, to curse Israel in order to remove them out of the land.
Yet, the children of Israel belonged to God. No one can curse whom God has blessed. The children of Israel worshipped God. They were in relationship with God.
The children of Israel were too great for their enemies because of the greatness of God. They were untouchable – Because God is untouchable. Israel’s covenant relationship with God caused them to walk in great renown and the nations feared them.
As covenant people, all Israel had to do was abide in God’s presence and keep His covenant. As long as Israel was obedient every battle was a victory. Every nation that came against Israel was made low. Every curse that Balaam spoke turned around for a blessing. This is the same covenant that we as grafted-in children share as sons and daughters of Abraham.
A lifestyle of worship is the key to victorious Christian living. Living a lifestyle of worship is the best stance of spiritual warfare that you can take against the forces of darkness.
Living a lifestyle of worship doesn’t mean that you won’t have battles to fight. David could drop the foreskins of 200 Philistines at the feet of King Saul…. never leave God’s presence… and write a Psalm about it.
Living a lifestyle of worship guarantees that someone greater is fighting on your behalf. We cannot be successful in the battles we face in life, without maintaining a lifestyle of worship.
Our Own Worst Enemy:
Numbers: 25:1-3:
“And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.”
When Balaam was unsuccessful in cursing Israel, Balak found the source of Israel’s immunity – their covenant relationship with God. So, Balak sent the daughters of Moab into the camp of Israel. These women seduced the men of Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry – causing Israel to sin. Thus a door was open to the enemy to scatter Israel on the plains of Moab. The only time that the nations where allowed to overtake Israel is when they broke covenant with God.
Likewise, the greatest assignment of the enemy against our lives is to distract our attention away from our relationship with God. These assignments will come in many ways. But we must set our faces like flint on the awesome power of our God, His love for us, and our devotion to Him.
Assignments:
PRAY – Keep building your spiritual endurance by praying without ceasing.
JOURNAL – Reflect upon the times in your life when you had to be brave and make a BOLD stand for the Lord. What is God saying to you about COURAGE? Wait in the presence of the Lord. Hear what God is saying to you. We are training our ear to hear from God. Speak out in prayer concerning that which Abba has shown you. You are strengthening your prophetic voice.
Prayer:
Let’s go deeper in prayer. Through the power of intercession Yeshua equips us to ENTER and POSSESS the Land – and conquer the strongholds keeping us from FREEDOM and FULLNESS. Please CLICK HERE for powerful prayers and resources.
Worship Experience:
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