Susie

I've LOVED your responses on the two questions:

1. What's your wall of protection around your life?

2. Is there anything in your life that needs a "holy destruction" as described in Deuteronomy chapter 3.

The foundation for a solid wall of protection

around your life

is, of course, a strong

growing

intimate 

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Your parents can also provide a strong wall of protection—

and some of you mentioned that.

Youth group,

Bible study,

and

church

are also great sources that provide

a strong wall of protection.

But the wall begins

with our relationship

with Christ.

Now about that "holy destruction"

we talked about. . . .

We read a sobering story

about a holy destruction 

gone bad

in 1 Samuel 15.

It went bad

because Saul only halfheartedly

attempted the holy destruction.

He didn't carry it through

with 100%.

Here's the recap:

God spoke to Saul through Samuel the prophet saying,

"Destroy the Amalekites—

the people who snuck up behind you

and attacked your weakest

and most feeble when you were

wandering in the wilderness." 

(See Deuteronomy 25:18 for that part of the story).

"Make sure you destroy 

every man,

woman,

child

and

beast.

Leave nothing behind."

So Saul gathered 200,000 footmen

from Israel

and 10,000 footmen

from Judah,

marched on the Amalekites

and utterly destroyed them . . .

all except for one.

He kept Agag, king of the Amalekites,

along with some sheep.

As Saul returned victorious to Israel,

he saw the prophet Samuel in the distance.

"Blessed be the name of the Lord!" Saul said.

"I have obeyed all of His commandments!"

"Really?" Samuel said.

"Then how come I hear the sound of sheep bleating."

"Oh. Well . . . uh . . . we saved the best of the sheep

and the oxen 

to bring back as a sacrifice to Jehovah!" Saul declared.

Samuel looked at Saul and said,

"To obey is better than sacrifice.

Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft and idolatry.

And who's he?"

(Wow. Rebellion—disobeying God—is as bad as

witchcraft and idolatry? Rebellion—disobeying God—

is serious stuff!)

"And who's he?" Samuel asked.

"This is Agag, king of the Amalekites. 

I brought him back as a trophy," Saul answered.

Samuel grabbed a sword and hacked Agag into pieces

right there on the spot,

threw down the sword in utter disgust

and said, 

"Saul! You have disobeyed.

No longer will you be king—neither you, 

nor your descendants.

The kingdom is taken from you."

Pretty harsh, you may be thinking.

Saul was rationalizing.

He was trying to make wrong make sense. 

We do the same thing, don't we?

Instead of completing a holy destructionwith 100% effort . . . 

we only half-heartedly take a whack at it.

 But I can make it make sense! 

Surely God wouldn’t want me to destroy the BEST sheep! 

God doesn’t always make sense. 

He's the One who says:

• The Last shall be First.

• Wanna be great? Learn to Serve!

You see, it's not our job to understand God.

Our job is to simply OBEY Him.

OK, maybe I can understand the need to kill the animals, but what’s wrong with bringing Agag back as a trophy to march in the victory parade?

At the very end of 1 Samuel, and in the first chapter of 2 Samuel, 

we see Saul 20 yrs later on Mount Gilboa fighting the Philistines. 

Wounded in battle, he heard the voice of his attacker behind him.

 “Who are you?” Saul cried out.

 “I am an Amalekite,” came the answer.

 GASP!

You see, the period between the time Saul brought Agag back until the time he talked to Samuel was probably less than a week, but in that time, Agag must have escaped and fathered a son.

Now, 20 years later, he appears and attacks Saul.

We THINK we have sin under control, 

but whenever we keep a little trophy hanging around 

to show how powerful we are, we’re playing with fire.

“R-rated movies used to be a problem” you may say. “Romance novels used to be a problem. Drinking used to be a problem. But I have it under control now. No need to block it completely out of my life. I can turn it off, stop doing it, whenever I want. Partying? I can handle it."

Watch out!

You are not as strong as you think you are.

When God says, "This needs to be destroyed"

DESTROY IT!

 

That’s why a Father who loves you says, “Destroy completely every Amalekite. If something is wrong, if something is tempting, if something is pulling on you carnally, if something is attacking you from behind, annihilate it. Don’t play around with the Amalekites, because if you leave even one, he’ll come back and get you!

I'm asking the question again, Girls:

Is there anything in your life that needs

a holy destruction?

Love you!

Susie Shellenberger