Question Author
Beso:
//Truthabounds seems to have lost interest in this thread. Surprisingly, for someone prone to such wordy postings they are entirely silent. //
You wish!! I have many other interests in my life and unlike many here, I don’t spend hours and hours nit picking and knocking other peoples beliefs and ideas. If you don’t want to believe in God – so be it. Who am I to try and change your mind? Wouldn’t dream of it.
My question was just that – a question to start a discussion. A discussion in which I have participated, but over the past few days I have other things to occupy my mind and time.
I believe in God absolutely and irrevocably.
Naomi: What the religions teach is not what the Bible teaches. Have you not yet discovered that for yourself? Oh dear! You are slipping.
As to 1 Samuel 15 v 1 – 3:
Because of their hardened and unreasonable hostility toward God’s people and because they “did not fear God,” the Amalekites came under a permanent ban. Since they worked in opposition to the purposes of the Universal Sovereign, he decreed their utter extermination in time.
Just a little history lesson here for you.
Who were the Amalekites and why did God exterminate them? Well The Amalekites were “the first one of the nations” to launch an unprovoked attack on the Israelites after the Exodus, at Rephidim near Mount Sinai. As a consequence, God decreed ultimate extinction for the Amalekites. (Ex 17:8-16;) A year later, when the Israelites attempted to enter the Promised Land contrary to Almighty God’s word, they were repulsed by the Amalekites. Twice during the days of the Judges these adversaries of Israel shared in assaulting Israel. They did it in the days of Eglon king of Moab. Again, with the Midianites and Easterners, they pillaged the land of Israel seven years before Gideon and his 300 men defeated them.
Because of this persistent hatred, during the period of the kings God ‘called to account’ the Amalekites, commanding King Saul to strike them down, which he did “from Havilah as far as Shur, which is in front of Egypt.” However, Saul, overstepping God’s order, spared Agag their king. But God was not mocked, for “Samuel went hacking Agag to pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.” (1Sa 15:2-33) Some of David’s raids included Amalekite villages, and when they in return attacked Ziklag and carried off David’s wives and goods, he and 400 men overtook them, recovering all that had been stolen. (1Sa 27:8; 30:1-20) During the reign of Hezekiah, some of the tribe of Simeon annihilated the remnant of the Amalekites.
The Apostle Paul wrote that “All the things that were written aforetime for our instruction that through our endurance and through the comfort from the scriptures we might have hope” yes, when we read the Hebrew scriptures ( or OT) there is a lesson. That lesson is that the time is fast approaching when all those who are against God and his people will soon have to take account for their actions. Which side are you going to be on?