It's The Long Game

“And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.” (1Ch 4:43 AV)

It only took about eight hundred years and sixteen kings later for the curse upon the Amalekites to come to completion.  The Amalekites were cursed because of their attempted attack on the children of Israel as they journeyed from Egypt to Canaan.  They were the first of the pagan nations to set themselves against Israel for the purpose of extinguishing them.  Because of this, God stated His people would constantly have war with them, eventually conquer and extinguish them.  What the enemies of God and his people pursue, often comes back on their own head.

There were times when Israel could have had complete victory over the Amalekites and had the blessings of that victory a few centuries earlier.  However, the kings at the time (Saul being one), felt it was more appropriate to pacify and enemy than to destroy them as God commanded.  Taking the history of was and eventual victory as a whole, we can see an illustration of the battle which the believer has with the flesh.  It is a long ball game.  One has to be prepared for years and years of fighting to gain the upper hand.  There will be failures.  There will be times when the flesh gets the upper hand.  The Amalekites were a nomadic people of opportunity.  They had no political allegiance that didn’t first gain them some profitable advantage.  They took what they needed or desires.  The Amalekites were cruel roving robbers who showed no mercy upon their prey.  This is why it was so hard to defeat them.  There was no central command.  There were no permanent cities.  The war went on for eight hundred years until the last of them were destroyed.

The downside is victory came a little bit too late.  Under the leadership of Hezekiah this enemy was eradicated.  It would be Hezekiah’s son who would commit the unpardonable sin resulting in Judah’s captivity.  They won the war.  But not in enough time to enjoy it.  Take heart, though.  We may feel as though we are losing the war.  But keep fighting.  It is better to win later than not win at all.  Play the long game.  Patience in the defeats and zeal in the victories will eventually topple the enemy of the flesh and the world.