Then Came Amalek

"THEN"—just at the time of Israel's murmurings, just when they had chidden with Moses and had tempted Jehovah! And so it is, when God's people murmur and are disbelieving they expose themselves to the assaults of the foe, and then comes Satan! Yes, while their complaints still linger on their lips, sudden and unexpected, like a flood bursting down a hillside, like a lion leaping upon its prey, comes Satan!
Professor Palmer, in his Desert of the Exodus, speaks of a hill whereon, in great
probability, Moses sat with uplifted hands at the battle of Rephidim. In some parts of the desert of the Exodus there is fertility,
and around the best watered parts we may well believe the Amalekites would rally, and "when the hostile body had encamped within a short distance of the oasis they would no doubt watch for an opportunity of attacking them unawares in order to take them at a disadvantage.”
Not far from the locality where it is supposed the battle of Rephidim was fought is a rock, which the Arabs regard as the site of the miracle that supplied Israel with water;
and to this day they cast pebbles, in the name of Moses, when they come there, in memory of the water which flowed from the rock.
We seem to see the foe creeping up to the camp of Israel, and then, suddenly bursting over the hill-sides, the warriors leap down the rocks and fling themselves upon the host.
The Lord was Israel's strength and shield, but Israel had said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Ah! "then came Amalek." Yes, let go faith, and Satan is upon us.
It was hardly three months since Israel were slaves in the bondage of Egypt, and how could they withstand these desert warriors? Israel were untrained for war, and were moreover encumbered with their women and children and their cattle. ‘They seemed, indeed, to be hut a prey for the foe; they had advanced far into the mountains and valleys of Horeb, and now Amalek seemed to have them for his own. Amalek would slay the warriors of Israel, and take the flock and the herds, the women and the children, a prey for himself. But behold the hill-top! See Moses is there with uplifted hands, and against those hands uplifted in intercession to Heaven, the sword and the spear shall not prevail.
Satan keeps a keen watch on God's people. He is ever on the look out for their murmurings, their unbelief, their questioning of God's faithful, untiring care. Let God's pilgrims make light of His unfailing grace and goodness to them; let the trials of the way tempt them to say, "What is God still for me? Is He still my Defender, my Shield?" and, lo!—then comes Satan. And were it not that our Lord Jesus Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us, we should be scattered to the four winds of heaven.
And how true to Satan's ways this very day is this coming of Amalek. He overwhelms the men who should stand for God, and then he carries captive the weak and the young. Now there are ever warriors in the company of God's people who are called to the front. "Moses said unto Joshua Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek." Joshua, as we know from the book that bears his name, was the energetic fighting leader of Israel. Joshua's is the book of the sword, as Moses's books of the wanderings are those of the rod; and thus, though Israel had but begun their pilgrimage when this call to fighting came, it is Joshua whom God appoints to direct the battle. The great difference between this struggle and the wars 'of Canaan is, that here Amalek came to attack Israel, whereas in Canaan, Israel came to attack and drive out the Canaanites. But view the ways of Satan against God's people as we may, the issues of our conflicts are settled on the mountain top—decided by what Christ is for us. And let Satan's assaults be what they may, God calls us to resist the devil. Resist him, and he wilt flee from you; take tamely his energies against us, and Satan will certainly get us under his power.
“And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." "Take....the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," says the scripture, for against that Satan cannot stand. Yet, think not that after a battle, and by grace a victory, Satan is overwhelmed, for "the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." Right on to the end there will be conflict with Satan. He is an untiring adversary. Ever on the watch himself, and ever on the look out for unwatchfulness on the part of God's people. Vet, let none be discouraged, for though God try us and allow us to be tried, He is ever for His people, and if God be for us, who can be against us?”
Bible Lessons for the Little Ones
(Read Matt. 8:14-18; and Luke 4:33-42.)
SEE whether you can find on the map the place where the city of Capernaum once stood. You know it was in Galilee, beside that beautiful lake in which Peter and Andrew, and James and John used to fish.
It was in this city that all the wonderful things of which we have just been reading were done by the Lord Jesus. We have read a little history, which God has given us, of how the Lord spent one of His days, while He was here in this world, doing always what God wished Him to do, and showing us what love is in God's heart to those who have never done anything to please Him, or make Him love them, but always turned away from Him.
This was the Sabbath day, and the Lord Jesus had been, in the morning, in the synagogue, teaching the people. You have just read, in the gospel of Luke, of the wonderful work which He did there, and how astonished all the people were when He commanded the wicked spirit to come out of the man, who was crying aloud in the synagogue, and the spirit came out of him, and hurt him not. This wonderful work was done before all those who were there, and as they left the synagogue that day, and went to their homes, all the people were speaking to each other about it, so that the fame of the Lord went out into every place of the country round about.
The next wonderful work of power and kindness which the Lord did was not done before a great many people, but in the house of two of His disciples, where a sick woman lay. St. Mark tells us that directly the Lord went out of the synagogue, He went to this house, the house of Simon and Andrew, and that James and John were with Him. They had all been present while He taught in the synagogue, and while He set free the poor man who had the wicked spirit from the dreadful power of Satan which had held him fast. We may fancy that the disciples spoke low and moved gently as they entered the house, for they knew that Peter's wife's mother was very ill indeed. Have you ever known anyone who has been ill of a fever?
If you have, I am sure you must remember how anxiously all the friends of the sick person spoke, for often people do not get well when they have a fever; and if they do not die, the fever takes away their strength, so that they are very ill and helpless, even for a long time after the fever has quite gone, and they are getting better.
The poor woman who lay ill in the house at Capernaum to which the Lord went with His disciples had a great fever, so we know that all her friends must have been very sad and anxious. What could they do? They did the very best thing, and the instant the Lord Jesus came into the house, they told Him about her. The Lord loved Peter, and felt for him, and cared very much about the mother of his wife being so very ill. Just as He had rebuked the wicked spirit which had power over the man who cried out in the synagogue, so now, as He stood beside the bed where the sick woman lay, He rebuked the fever. Just as the wicked spirit had left the man whom it had tormented, at the word of Christ, so now the fever let go its hold upon the sick woman, and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
What does that mean? To minister means to serve. It means that the instant the Lord touched the hand of Peter's wife's mother, and rebuked that great fever which had laid her so low, she got up, quite strong and well, and began to go about the house and do all she could to serve and wait upon the Lord Jesus and His disciples. So two people were blessed and healed that day in Capernaum, and the hearts of a great many were comforted and lifted in praise to God.
But the day was not over yet. In that country, after the sun has set, it soon becomes dark, but just at the time when the sun begins to go down, the great heat of the day is past, and the air becomes pleasant and cool. In the cool evening time of that Sabbath day great crowds of people came to Jesus; they had heard of what He had done in the synagogue and in the house of Simon and Andrew, and so they brought to Him many that were possessed with devils, and He cast out the spirits with His word. And all who had any sick with different sorts of diseases, brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. When the wicked spirits cried, "Thou art Christ the Son of God," Jesus would not allow them to speak. What they said was quite true, for God had spoken from heaven to the Lord Jesus, and said, "Thou art My beloved Son"; but He did not allow the devils to say who He was, because they knew that He was Christ.
Thus, on that day in the city beside the lake, the words which God had spoken by His prophet Isaiah, a great many years before, came to pass.
You read those words in the last of your verses from the gospel of Matthew: "Himself look our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." We know of whom the prophet spoke. No one could ever feel for those who were sick and suffering in the same way as the Son of God did. No one ever felt so sorry as He did when He saw the sorrows of others. It is true that when He saw people in great trouble, He knew that by one word or one touch He could change it all, and bring gladness instead of mourning; but still He suffered with those whom He saw suffering, and felt deep sorrow when He saw what sorrow sin had brought into the world. This is what it means when we read that He had compassion upon sick, or sorrowful, or hungry people. How wonderful it is to know that the blessed Lord feels just the same now, in heaven where He is, and that the youngest child may still go to Him with anything that troubles him, and tell Him all the truth about it, and be sure that He is listening, and will give help and comfort, when perhaps the trouble is so great that no one else could be of any use.
I WILL put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jer. 31:33)