Put Agag to Death

1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1  

“Then Samuel said, ‘Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.’ Agag came to him confidently, thinking ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’ But Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.”

1 Samuel 15:32, 33

The Amalekites descended from the grandson of Esau, Amalek. They lived off the plunder of their raids and were the first to attack Israel as they came out of Egypt. Moses declared the name of the Amalekites would be removed and their descendants completely destroyed. Some have seen the Amalekites as a type of the flesh or our sinful nature. Saul refused to kill Agag or the best of his plunder, despite the Lord’s command. Instead, he justified his sin and rationalized it.

Do we similarly find ways to rationalize our indulgences and addictions?

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

Galatians 5:24

Are we willing to put “Agag” to death, or will we let him live?

“Lord Jesus, you died to destroy the power of sin and death. I choose to live in that victory and crucify the sinful nature, for your glory.”