Message 48
Scripture Reading: Exo. 17:12, 16; 1 Sam. 15:2-3, 7-9, 10-29
A basic principle in the Bible is that the spiritual things revealed in the New Testament are portrayed by the pictures, or types, in the Old Testament. This is true in the case of the flesh, typified by Amalek. In his writings, Paul dealt with the flesh in a thorough way. In the entire Bible there are no stronger words concerning the flesh than those used by Paul in Romans 8. In verse 7 Paul says that “the mind set on the flesh is enmity against God” and that it is “not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be.” In the following verse he goes on to say that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In Galatians 5 Paul also speaks strongly and emphatically about the flesh. However, if we had only Romans 8 and Galatians 5, we would still find it difficult to have an adequate understanding of what the flesh is, because in the Bible the term “flesh” is used in several different ways with many different meanings. Thus, it is difficult to know the flesh and to deal with it.
We thank the Lord for the pictures of the flesh provided in the Old Testament. One such picture is that of Ishmael in the book of Genesis. After man had fallen again and again until, at Babel, he reached the lowest point, God came in to call out Abraham and promised to do certain things for him. In His contact with Abraham, God did not require Abraham to do anything other than to leave his father’s country. Students of the Bible realize that God’s contact with Abraham was related to the promise He made to Abraham. In Genesis 12 we have the promise, and in Genesis 15, the promise ratified to become a covenant. In Genesis 17 circumcision became the sign, or seal, of the covenant ratified in Genesis 15. God’s promise to Abraham was repeated to his son, Isaac, and to his grandson, Jacob. God had promised that He would do something for Abraham which would cause all the nations on earth to be blessed. What a great promise this was!
The nature of God’s promise to Abraham was grace. This means that God did not want Abraham to do anything to fulfill this promise. Instead, God wanted to do everything for him. Like Abraham, whatever we are and have is of the flesh. Furthermore, whatever we are capable of doing is according to the flesh. For us to do something to fulfill God’s promise means that we exercise our flesh in some way. This was the reason that God did not require Abraham to do anything to fulfill the promise. God wanted to do everything. This is grace.
However, Abraham acted upon Sarah’s proposal to produce a seed by Hagar. In doing this, Abraham exercised his flesh, and the result, the issue, produced was Ishmael. God wanted Abraham to be terminated. But, at the age of eighty-six, Abraham took Hagar and produced Ishmael by her. For the next thirteen years, God did not appear to him. Then, when Abraham was ninety-nine, God came to rebuke him and to reaffirm the promise He had made to him. At that time Abraham realized that he had been wrong.
The result of the exercise of the flesh is Ishmael. Ishmael is versus Isaac, who is the result, the issue, of grace. Grace is God becoming everything to us. In particular, grace is God as our strength and enjoyment. God had promised Abraham that He would give him a son. But God did not want Abraham to produce the seed. Therefore, God waited until Abraham regarded himself as dead, totally without ability to beget a child. Then, when in the eyes of both Abraham and Sarah it was impossible for them to have a son, God came in to enable them to have a child. According to the record in Genesis, the birth of Isaac was the coming of the Lord. When Isaac was born, God came. This, of course, does not mean that Isaac was the Son of God. It means that Isaac was born not through the exercise of man’s flesh, but according to God’s grace, according to God’s visitation. Isaac, therefore, is the issue of grace. Ishmael, the issue of man’s flesh, is versus Isaac.
Isaac was a person produced out of God’s grace to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. This is a matter of great significance. Thus, it is a very serious thing to be versus Isaac. For Ishmael, the issue of the flesh, to be versus Isaac, the issue of God’s grace, is rebellion, a great rebellion against God’s eternal purpose.
It is very difficult to define adequately what the flesh is. In this message I would like to set forth a particular definition of the flesh: the flesh denotes anything that does not work by grace. Grace is the Triune God becoming everything to us and doing everything for us. The New Testament reveals that grace does not refer to material blessings. According to the New Testament, grace is God Himself not only being our enjoyment, but also doing everything for us. Whatever we do is of the flesh, but whatever God does for us is grace. If I speak in myself without depending on God, my speaking is of the flesh, even if the subject is the Bible or spiritual doctrine. This indicates that even in speaking about spiritual things or scriptural things, we may be of the flesh. Whatever we do, good or evil, apart from grace is the flesh. For example, if a brother loves his wife by the self rather than by grace, his love is of the flesh.
In a sense the so-called good flesh is more hateful to God than the evil flesh. In 1 Samuel 15 we see that God hated the good aspects of Amalek. Therefore, whatever we do without depending on God and trusting in Him is of the flesh, no matter how good that thing may be. Anything that is not done by God is of the flesh. If I visit you in myself and not by God, that is of the flesh. If I pray for others without depending on God, but instead pray in the self, that prayer is of the flesh. Do not think that the flesh refers only to evil matters or to lust. It is obvious that such things are of the flesh. The flesh also includes good things. Notice the words “best” and “choice” in 1 Samuel 15. Saul spared the best cattle and the choice spoil. Related to the flesh are things which are the “best” and which are “choice.” Therefore, we say once again that whatever we do without the Spirit, without depending on God and trusting Him, no matter how good it may seem, is of the flesh. Whatever has its source in ourselves is an Ishmael.
Isaac typifies Christ. Hence, the issue of the flesh, typified by Ishmael, is versus Christ. God’s intention is to work Christ into us. But the flesh works in a way that is versus Christ. The result, the issue, of the flesh is versus Isaac. Whenever we exercise our flesh, we produce an Ishmael, and this Ishmael is invariably versus Christ. Ishmael cuts us off from grace and keeps us from Christ. For this reason, in John 15 the Lord Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing. However, we have done a great many things apart from Christ. But all the good we have done apart from Christ is an Ishmael who is versus Christ.
Ishmael keeps us from fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. We cannot fulfill God’s purpose as long as we exercise our flesh and do not trust in God, depend on Him, or live in oneness with Him.
We are accustomed to do so many things apart from Christ. We all condemn sinful things. But not many condemn good things, even those seemingly spiritual things, which are done apart from Christ. Have you ever condemned yourself because you prayed for a certain thing in the flesh? The issue of praying in the flesh will also be an Ishmael of some kind. This Ishmael is versus Christ and frustrates us from enjoying the grace of God for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
Man’s flesh is versus God’s grace. This means that whatever man does apart from God Himself is a frustration to God’s purpose. This is a serious matter. We must admit that we still do many things through the exercise of our flesh. Some, however, may deny that they exercise the flesh. Yet they do not depend on the Lord either. As long as we fail to rely on the Lord, we are in the flesh and are exercising the flesh. Simply by not trusting in the Lord, we are spontaneously living in the flesh.
We need to learn not to do anything by the exercise of our flesh. Sometimes when my flesh has been strong, I did not even dare to speak to a brother. I realized that anything I would say would be of the flesh. Thus, the best thing to do was not to do anything. At such times I can only say, “Lord, forgive me. I cannot do anything. Because I dare not bring forth an Ishmael, I do not have the boldness to do anything.”
The second picture of the flesh is that of Amalek in the book of Exodus. In this picture we see how to deal with the flesh, a subject we covered in the foregoing message. If we would deal with the flesh, typified by Amalek, we must be identified with the interceding Christ in the heavens and join ourselves to the fighting Spirit within us. In this message we need to see that the flesh is not only versus grace, but that it is also versus kingship. For this reason, the flesh must be thoroughly dealt with before the kingdom of God can come. Where the flesh is, there can be no kingdom of God. Only when the flesh is dealt with is it possible for the kingdom to come.
In Romans 8:7 Paul says that it is not possible for the flesh to be subject to God. The kingdom of God denotes the authority of God by which all things are made subject to God. But it is not possible for the flesh to be subject to God. It is utterly opposed to God’s throne.
In Exodus 17:16 we see that Amalek is a hand against the throne of Jehovah. In the eyes of God, Amalek was considered a hand against God’s throne. This indicates that Amalek tried to overthrow God’s throne, just as Satan once tried to do. Exodus 17:16 says that because there is such a hand against the throne of Jehovah, God will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Heb.). By this we see that Amalek is versus God’s authority.
Every aspect of our flesh, whether good or evil, is an enemy of God’s authority. The flesh does not care for God or for His authority. Whenever we are in the flesh, we regard ourselves as individuals who are not obligated to submit to God’s throne. We think that we have a position and rights of our own. Such a rebellious attitude has its source in Satan. Satan, however, is one with our flesh. Satan’s principle is not to come to us directly, but to come through others or through something in ourselves. For example, Satan came to Eve in the form of a serpent. In Matthew 16, Peter, a disciple who loved the Lord Jesus very much, was utilized by Satan. Satan came to the Lord in Peter and through him. Often our flesh serves as a cloak for Satan. Whenever we exercise our flesh, Satan is hidden within us. Therefore, like Satan himself, the flesh is against God’s authority. According to the portrait in Exodus 17, Amalek is a hand against the throne of God.
When Moses’ praying hand became heavy, there was the need of the support by the priesthood, represented by Aaron, and by the kingship, represented by Hur, who was of the tribe of Judah. Because Amalek is a hand against God’s throne, there is the need for the praying hand to be supported by the kingship in the warfare against Amalek. The kingship is a support to our prayer life. If we are not under God’s authority, but are rebellious, our prayer life is finished. But the more we are subject to God and His authority, the greater will be our desire to pray. When we rebel against God and reject His authority, our appetite for prayer disappears. Suppose concerning a certain matter you disobey the inner anointing. As a result, for a period of time, perhaps several days, you have no desire to pray. Thus, it is crucial for us to learn to honor God’s kingship, to honor God’s authority. Our attitude should be to say, “Lord, I don’t want to do anything without You. I need You as my grace. The flesh is simply myself doing things apart from You. I don’t want to live without You as my grace.” We all need to pray with such a spirit.
We should also pray, “Lord, help me to honor Your authority, Your kingship, and to always be subject to You. Lord, You have the authority. I need to obey You and be subject to You.” If we maintain such an attitude, our appetite and desire to pray will increase. If, for example, we are led of the Lord to go shopping, we shall be filled with prayer as we go shopping. Whereas rebellion kills our appetite for prayer, obedience increases the desire for prayer.
Because Amalek is involved with God’s kingdom, we need the support of both the priesthood and the kingship in order to fight against Amalek. If we try to deal with the flesh without caring for God’s authority, we are wrong. In principle, we ourselves are against God’s kingdom. We need the support of the kingship, of Hur, in our prayer life. Continually we should look to the Lord for grace to be subject to His authority. In this way we honor God’s authority and strengthen the kingship in our experience.
In Exodus 18 we have a type, a portrait, of the kingdom of God. The fact that this portrait is presented after the war against Amalek indicates that when Amalek is dealt with, the kingdom with the kingship immediately comes in. This also indicates that Amalek is versus kingship.
In 1 Samuel 15, another portion of the Word concerning Amalek, we see how King Saul lost his kingship. Although Saul was properly anointed to be king, he lost the kingship because of the way he dealt with Amalek. From this we should learn to be careful in dealing with the flesh. We may deal with it in such a way that we shall lose our kingship.
According to Revelation 5:10, we Christians have been saved to be not only priests, but also kings. We are today’s Aarons and Hurs. We have been born into a royal family, a kingly family. Peter says that we are a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). However, not many Christians realize that they are kings by birth. Those who have some realization of this fact may pay little attention to it. Since we are kings, we should conduct ourselves like kings.
When we contact certain Christians, we sense that they bear the kingship, the authority. But when we contact other believers, we sense that they are lacking in the kingship. They are very far below the level of kingship. Since we have been born kings and shall be kings in the future, it is important for us to exercise our kingship today.
Saul lost the kingship because he did not utterly destroy Amalek. According to 1 Samuel 15:3, Saul had been charged to “go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” Whatever belonged to Amalek was to be destroyed utterly. Nothing was to be spared. Although Saul did destroy the Amalekites, he did not do so in an absolute way.
First Samuel 15:9 says, “But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” Saul spared the best of the sheep and the “choice of the things which should have been utterly destroyed” (v. 21, Heb.). This portrays the fact that, experientially, we treasure the good aspects of our natural life, our natural virtue, for example, and do not wish to destroy them. We all treasure the good points of our flesh. All of us are Sauls. When we are charged by God to destroy the flesh, we destroy the negative things, such as our temper. But few are willing to destroy the good aspects of the natural life. No matter what kind of persons we may be, we all treasure the choice parts of our natural being. However, we should be encouraged by the fact that the Lord is still working on us and within us. From the New Testament we can see that Paul and John were delivered from their flesh. They utterly destroyed Amalek.
We need an intense light to shine upon us to show us that whatever we are in the natural life is Amalek. The Amalek within us must be utterly destroyed. We should not take any excuse for sparing any aspect of the Amalek within us.
Saul tried to excuse his failure to utterly destroy Amalek. First, he claimed that “the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen” (v. 15). I cannot find a verse in 1 Samuel 15 which tells us that Saul wanted to kill all the cattle, but the people refused to do so. I believe that Saul was lying in blaming the people for this. Saul must have been very pleased about his victory over Amalek. He even set up a pillar, a monument, for himself to serve as a memorial of his achievement (v. 12, ASV).
Second, Saul told Samuel that the best of the sheep and oxen had been spared for the purpose of offering sacrifice to God (vv. 15, 21). I do not believe, however, that Saul had such a heart for the Lord. Instead, I believe that he was lying to Samuel about the purpose of sparing the best sheep and oxen.
As I read 1 Samuel 15, I have no trust that in myself I am any better than Saul. I recognize that the picture of Saul portrays what is in me. In the matter of making excuses, we may be even worse than Saul. Every excuse is a lie. This is also true with us. Never try to excuse yourself to the Lord. No excuse can stand before Him.
Do not excuse your failure to utterly destroy the flesh. Do not say that you have a particular habit and cannot do anything about it. The claim that you cannot destroy it is a lie. If we review our past, we shall see how many times we have failed to utterly destroy the flesh. We did not obey God’s commandment to utterly destroy Amalek. Very few among the Lord’s people are absolute in destroying the flesh. This is the reason that in our practical daily life we do not have much sense of the kingship. Because we have not utterly destroyed Amalek, in our experience the kingdom has not come in full.
Recently in a particular meeting I pointed out that we all have peculiar traits which hinder us from enjoying Christ. Another thing that damages our spiritual life is our habits, which preserve the good aspects of the flesh. We are in the habit of destroying the evil aspects of the flesh and preserving the good aspects. Not many among us truly hate the “good flesh.” Nevertheless, we must come to hate every aspect of the flesh, because it is versus grace and keeps us from enjoying Christ. We must also hate the flesh because it is versus the kingship.
Sparing the good aspects of the flesh causes a definite shortage of spiritual authority. Many believers lack the weight of spiritual authority simply because they have not utterly dealt with their peculiarities. Culture, opinions, peculiarities, and habits are all hiding places of the flesh, and these damage our spiritual life. Because we spare the good aspects of the flesh, these aspects consume our kingship, our authority. As those who have been in the Lord for many years and who love Him and seek Him, we should have considerable spiritual weight. We should be filled with the kingship, with divine authority. But in many cases the opposite is true. Because they have not destroyed the “Agag” within them and the best cattle of Amalek, many saints are lacking in authority, in kingship, in spiritual weight.
God would not accept Saul’s excuse that the people had spared the best of the cattle and oxen to offer as a sacrifice unto the Lord. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy everything belonging to Amalek, and Saul was without excuse. God did not want the best of the cattle to be used as a sacrifice for Him. In His eyes, such a thing was evil (1 Sam. 15:19). This indicates that we may regard a certain thing as suitable to be offered to the Lord. But to Him it is evil to present that thing as a sacrifice. Consider as an illustration the case of Cain, whose sacrifice was evil in God’s eyes. Many of today’s Christians are offering things which God regards as evil. They claim to be engaged in spiritual service, but God says that their offering is evil because it has its source in the flesh. Anything presented and sacrificed to God that has its source in the flesh is evil in His sight.
By offering sacrifices to God according to man’s will, Saul committed a presumptuous sin. Samuel said to him, “Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22, Heb.). To offer something to God according to our own will is presumptuous. Even if we present something good, we are still committing a presumptuous sin. God did not command Saul to spare the choice cattle and present them to Him as a sacrifice. Saul was presumptuous to do this. This is sinful.
In 1 Samuel 15:23 Samuel went on to say, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Witchcraft involves contact with demons. Samuel’s word to Saul indicates that sparing our flesh is an act of rebellion which brings us into contact with demons. To offer sacrifice in the way Saul did is not actually to offer sacrifice to God; it is to come in contact with demons. Such rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft.
Furthermore, Saul’s stubbornness was like iniquity and idolatry. The Hebrew word rendered iniquity in 1 Samuel 15:23 means idols of vanity. Saul’s stubbornness was like the worship of a vain idol. He was not truly worshipping the Lord, but was worshipping an idol of vanity. Saul may have thought that he was worshipping the true God, but actually he was serving an idol. Samuel’s word to Saul means that, because of his rebellion, Saul had become involved with demons and with the idols of vanity.
If instead of utterly destroying our flesh, we spare certain good aspects of the flesh, we also shall become involved with demons. Sparing the good flesh and then offering it to God is hateful to Him because in such a practice demons are involved. The idols of vanity are involved also. If we would follow the Lord’s word to utterly destroy the flesh, we shall have the kingship and shall be in God’s kingdom. But if we fail to carry out His word to destroy Amalek, we shall cut ourselves off from God’s authority and become joined to the demons and to the idols of vanity.
It is crucial for us to see what the flesh is and how the flesh is versus grace and God’s kingship. If we are careless in dealing with the flesh, we, like Saul, shall lose our kingship. Then we shall spontaneously join ourselves to the power of darkness. Apparently we are God’s people, but actually we shall be worshipping the idol of vanity. How serious this is! Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as the idol of vanity. May the Lord have mercy on us that we learn what the flesh is and how to deal with it utterly.
The record in the Bible concerning Amalek teaches us that we must be in fear and trembling before God in doing good things. We all are afraid of doing evil. But we may not have any fear in doing good. The portrait of Amalek in the Old Testament shows us that to do good according to our own choices is even worse than doing evil because it is against the very throne of God. Cain’s sacrifice seemed good, but it was actually an act of rebellion against God’s throne and against His economy. Likewise, Saul spared the choice of the cattle of Amalek with the intention of offering it to God as a sacrifice. This was rebellion, which is related to witchcraft, to the contact with demons. Much of what is done by today’s Christians supposedly for God is actually rebellion against God’s economy and involves contact with demons.
Without 1 Samuel 15:22 and 23, we would not realize that Saul’s deed was an act of rebellion related to demons. But Samuel’s word exposed the nature of what Saul had done. Apparently Saul intended to offer sacrifice to God. Actually his sacrifice was related to demons. This reveals the importance of realizing that whatever we do apart from God’s grace and apart from depending on Him and trusting in Him is of the flesh. And whatever is of the flesh is against God’s throne. It will be used by the subtle one, the enemy of God, to hinder God’s purpose.
Many of today’s Christians spare the best aspects of the flesh and offer them to God. Believers are even encouraged to offer the best of the natural life to God. In presenting such offerings, God’s redeemed people do not reject the flesh and they do not depend on God. On the contrary, among many Christians today, the activities of the flesh are encouraged. Only the Lord knows how much of Christian activity today is related to demons and is thus a hindrance to God’s purpose.
Under the light of God’s Word, we must learn that in serving God we need to be in fear and trembling lest we fail to trust in God or to depend on His grace. We should be fearful of doing even the best things in ourselves or according to our own will. We need to trust in the Lord and depend on His grace. We should be even more fearful in doing good than in doing evil. We all know that God condemns evil. Now we must learn that even in doing good, we may give opportunity to the flesh to produce an Ishmael. We may also give ground to Agag, king of Amalek.
