Gospel Reflections #916: It is not what we can or cannot do

1 Samuel 15:3 "Go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that belongs to Amalek."

This is the command for "total annihilation" against the Amalekites, given by God to King Saul through the prophet Samuel after Saul failed one trial.

This passage can feel extremely harsh and sometimes shocking from a modern ethical perspective.

It is seen as the execution of God's centuries-old "judgment" against the Amalekites, who had cowardly attacked the exhausted Israelites from behind during the Exodus. 

This likely symbolizes the final judgment at the end of time.

The common interpretation is that it was a "surgical" measure to prevent the extreme sin and idolatry of the Amalekites from infiltrating Israel and corrupting their faith.

This passage symbolizes "God's justice" and "the complete rejection of evil."

God demonstrates that ultimately, severe judgment will be passed on sin, yet it is also God who gives Saul another chance.

Our faith matures not by our own will, but by allowing God's wisdom and power to fulfill His will.

It is not what we do, nor what we can or cannot do, but by turning toward God and keeping our eyes fixed on Him that our path of faith is perfected by Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.