God's Paybacks

The LORD then said to Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven." - Exodus 17:14

Even though we may be familiar with the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt (who hasn't seen The Ten Commandments), some of the details have often been overlooked, such as the attack of the Amalekites.

The Amalekites, descendants of Esau, saw a golden opportunity to rout their traveling cousins (the Israelites) as they headed to meet God at Mt. Sinai, and attacked them. Of course, Israel won the victory (by God's hand) through Moses' uplifted arms, and the entire event was recorded for later reference to remind Joshua of God's power. The remembrance also came with a promise: the Amalekites would one day be completely annihilated. Centuries later, the prophet Samuel directed King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites and though Saul failed, God did not.

The lesson is this: God's "paybacks" are guaranteed for those who oppose His people and His purposes.

We are not the center of worship. Worship is about God's glory, His name being lifted up, and His praise being expressed. If we are the center, then it's not worship, it's idolatry. - Kevin Harney