ANOINTED FOR WAR
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
5/8/2016
Picture this:
The battle rages. The fight is age-old. The Kingdom of Light is in unwavering conflict with the Kingdom of Darkness. You were born into this war – born on the wrong side – a soldier in the ranks of evil. But you were rescued somewhere along the way. Amid your darkness, while your heart pumped hatred for enemies whose love you could not understand, a daring flight behind enemy lines was made for your soul. A valiant effort to take enemy ground, to infiltrate and extract you from the vile conditions of your birthplace was undertaken by the Champion of the Kingdom of Light, and you live now as a turned agent of war. A mind cleansed of the lies and deceit you breathed-in at every moment now thinks in clarity and precision. Your motherland holds intense hatred for your treachery – this you know for a truth. You have betrayed your lineage and culture, and your fealty has been sworn forever to the true King of Kings. You may have been removed from the ranks of wickedness, but you were not taken out of the fight. Rather, new armor has been set upon you; a weapon placed in your hand that is feared and missing in the dark kingdom from which you came. Armed and ready for war, you are sent back into the fight with the command to “Stand!”
The battle rages. The fight is age-old. The Kingdom of Light is in unwavering conflict with the Kingdom of Darkness. You were born into this war – born on the wrong side – a soldier in the ranks of evil. But you were rescued somewhere along the way. Amid your darkness, while your heart pumped hatred for enemies whose love you could not understand, a daring flight behind enemy lines was made for your soul. A valiant effort to take enemy ground, to infiltrate and extract you from the vile conditions of your birthplace was undertaken by the Champion of the Kingdom of Light, and you live now as a turned agent of war. A mind cleansed of the lies and deceit you breathed-in at every moment now thinks in clarity and precision. Your motherland holds intense hatred for your treachery – this you know for a truth. You have betrayed your lineage and culture, and your fealty has been sworn forever to the true King of Kings. You may have been removed from the ranks of wickedness, but you were not taken out of the fight. Rather, new armor has been set upon you; a weapon placed in your hand that is feared and missing in the dark kingdom from which you came. Armed and ready for war, you are sent back into the fight with the command to “Stand!”
The battlefield is littered in fallen foes – foes who would not be turned, and their unseen-but-deadly commanders with them. Through a haze of choking smoke and air-flung dust, the frontlines are feet away. Your fellow soldiers are on the move – ever forward, ever victorious. The enemy presses, but is pushed back. The burning arrows flit past your armored form, smaller bolts clanging off the shield you hold up before you as you enter the scene of sword and sin. The armaments of battle surround you – a field of war that has known no peace. Danger is the day’s portion, but the gleaming helmet resting over your head proves your perseverance will bear an eternal triumph.
You hear the cries of your companions of righteousness in the holy tongue, “L’Chaim!” Another echoes this in English, “To life!” You cinch your belt tighter at this welcome truth. The battle is in full swing! Flashing of sword steel and cries of enemy armor riven into shards under its weight meet your ears. There is no joy from this assault, but His boundless joy yet empowers you on to see this task to victory. With unity and a fluid harmony of movement orchestrated by a single Spirit of truth the line of light advances against villains on the march. Beneath the ringing of war, under the thud and clamor of endless attack, a resonating speech can be heard among your fellow soldiers: a prayer to the King of Kings, for victory, safety, and healing for the wounded. The constant prayer forms an underlying cushion of hope as your feet tread forward through the scorched and blackened earth – a Good News must be mentioned, the deeds of life made known to all!
You hear the cries of your companions of righteousness in the holy tongue, “L’Chaim!” Another echoes this in English, “To life!” You cinch your belt tighter at this welcome truth. The battle is in full swing! Flashing of sword steel and cries of enemy armor riven into shards under its weight meet your ears. There is no joy from this assault, but His boundless joy yet empowers you on to see this task to victory. With unity and a fluid harmony of movement orchestrated by a single Spirit of truth the line of light advances against villains on the march. Beneath the ringing of war, under the thud and clamor of endless attack, a resonating speech can be heard among your fellow soldiers: a prayer to the King of Kings, for victory, safety, and healing for the wounded. The constant prayer forms an underlying cushion of hope as your feet tread forward through the scorched and blackened earth – a Good News must be mentioned, the deeds of life made known to all!
Does this sound fantastic? A romantic tale of epic conflict? It is only an effort at a glimpse of the reality of our situation: mankind is surrounded by a spiritual war. The legions of doubt and the hatred of all things righteous are assailing the Kingdom of heaven in war without mercy. We who stand redeemed have no choice but to fight. The onslaught of evil will not relent, but must be met with true spiritual tactics. Although we are spirits wrapped in flesh and blood, and we live in a world bound by borders of material matters, our conflict is not limited to the limbs that make up mankind. We are engaged in warfare of the soul, and it is in those deeper theaters of war that the strategies birthed from our salvation will turn a triumph for every passing moment.
You’ve certainly heard the Biblical passage expounded upon in message from time to time. You’ve read it repeatedly in your own study. In the 6th chapter of the book of Ephesians, we find the dramatic imagery contained in Paul’s words about the spiritual fight and the garments of our Biblical battle: the “armor of G-d,” so we read it in awe. The description is dutifully presented: an array of articles that set forth the spiritual panoply for the believer who is also a doer – the soldier in action! The battle is not with another human, but with dark spiritual forces who rule and reign over parts of the earth in the hierarchy of chaos that is the kingdom of the Enemy of all truth. Verses 10-13 outline the perimeters of our war quite well:
The world was given over to demonic beings at the fall of man, the leader of which the Hebrew Scriptures call in the Hebrew tongue haSATAN, that is, “The Enemy” – and which we have come to refer to as merely “Satan” over the centuries. The ancient Aramaic text of the New Covenant known as the Peshitta - from which comes the translations I have rendered above - which has been used by the Semitic faithful for almost 2,000 years, often refers to that rebellious spirit by the moniker AKEL QARZA – “The Eater of Slander.” His perverted nature subsists off of his foul and slanderous accusations against the Holy One and those who are rescued into His bright Kingdom. It is him and his fallen unfaithful with whom our true battle lay. The conflict may feel physical, as everything spiritual overflows and overlaps with this spiritual world in some degree, but the origin of the attack is principally with those powers and principalities who hate all that is holy – and it is in that realm wherein our true battles occur. This subject shall be revisited with fuller consequences after the weapons of our warfare are discussed in proper context.
The list of the armor’s equipment needs to be enumerated and discussed for our benefit, but perhaps there is something that could first be said of the subject that would serve as a setting for context. It is ordinarily approached with shining imagery of a soldier – a metal-clad warrior who very singularly resembles a Roman soldier of popular garb. In crest and shield and armored tunic, the Roman conceptualization comes easy when thinking of the armor of Ephesians chapter 6.
Such a portrayal works well to get the ideas across. However, the imagery is not exactly accurate. Much mercy is granted us in our studies and applications, for the Word is so rich, the depth so soundless, that layers upon meaning can be gleaned from even the most rudimentary of searches. However, we are seeking a setting of proper context in this study, and when the proper context is discovered and applied the intent of the passage begins to gush forth as a fountain of understanding.
The key to a better grasp of the matter is in the popular phrase itself: “armor of G-d.” Think about it: would the Hebrew Paul invoke the image of a Roman warrior – a symbol of the tyranny of paganism and cruel worldly oppression for a first century believer – to impress upon his readers the necessity of being equipped for the serious spiritual war in which we are all locked? It doesn’t make much sense to think of such as being his intent, and more than being just a nitpicking detail to bring up here this point actually serves to make a great spiritual sense of the matter. Let us read the words Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:14-18 from the Aramaic New Covenant text about the armor so that we can appreciate the truth when we go further into illuminating the origin of these ideas.
The key to a better grasp of the matter is in the popular phrase itself: “armor of G-d.” Think about it: would the Hebrew Paul invoke the image of a Roman warrior – a symbol of the tyranny of paganism and cruel worldly oppression for a first century believer – to impress upon his readers the necessity of being equipped for the serious spiritual war in which we are all locked? It doesn’t make much sense to think of such as being his intent, and more than being just a nitpicking detail to bring up here this point actually serves to make a great spiritual sense of the matter. Let us read the words Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:14-18 from the Aramaic New Covenant text about the armor so that we can appreciate the truth when we go further into illuminating the origin of these ideas.
The context of this picturesque declaration by Paul is that of armor worn by the Most High, and such a reference is actually entirely founded in the Word itself. Paul, being an incredibly adept student of Scripture – having learned the Scriptures from a young age, was able to recall the spiritual warfare of the Holy One that is discussed in a few passages out of the Hebrew Scriptures. That’s right: he refers to our armor as actually the armor donned by our Creator!
The first item mentioned specifically in the armor is in Ephesians 6:14 – the “belt of truth.” This concept is first recorded as belonging to the Creator in Psalm 91:4. While most translations render the Hebrew term SOKHEYRAH as “buckler” or even “rampart,” the concept is actually of something that goes around you in a circle. Since “shield” is already an object mentioned in the verse, the choice of “buckler” would be redundant, as it is a small shield. Additionally, the alternative of “rampart” is of a high, protective wall. While we know Scripture speaks of the Holy One as a “strong tower,” the context here is of personal protection, of attire and equipment that is upon the believer – “His feathers cover…” Thus, the choice of “girdle” to render the Hebrew SOKHEYRAH is actually a much more contextually-accurate translation, as it aligns with the text from Ephesians, and upholds the truth that Paul was gathering his thoughts from inspired Scriptures.
The second item listed in the believer’s armor as given by the Holy One is the “breastplate of righteousness,” also mentioned in verse 14. This key piece of armor is originally depicted as actually being worn by the Most High in the book of Isaiah 59:17. This is a very powerful portrait of the Holy One ready for war. Disgusted that no man would stand up for righteousness, it is written that He donned the protective breastplate armor first to combat the evil of the fallen demonic regime for our salvation. It is interesting to think about the Holy One wearing defensive equipment, and although we could write it off as picturesque terminology, the spiritual realities should not be quickly ignored. If He speaks of adorning Himself with this type of armor, then we must carefully consider the sagacity of doing so ourselves. We shall revisit this verse again shortly!
The third piece of armor is in verse 15, and comprise the feet shod with the readiness of proclaiming the Good News. This article of armor is also mentioned in the book of Isaiah 52:7, and speaks of the coming Messiah. We must be ready and able to take the hope we have into the battlefield and turn enemy to brother by the declaration of the redeeming power of Messiah. The Holy One did so by coming to this world and filling our hearts with the hope for that redemption. The text as presented and translated here is found in the most ancient copy of Isaiah that is currently known: the scroll found in the Dead Sea caves of Qumran, and it presents a subtle difference of wording than the text of Isaiah preserved in other scrolls. No real difference of meaning, but rather, an insistence on the One who brings the Good News.
Verse 16 brings up the “shield” of faith, or as is better translated – “trust.” The concept of the Holy One being a shield is mentioned blatantly eighteen different times in the Word, and of those, the idea of “trust” in Him as that “Shield” is spoken of in seven places – Genesis 15:1; Psalm 28:7, 115:9, 115:10, 115:11, 144:2; Proverbs 30:5. Rather than a verse ever proclaiming that He carries a shield, He instead embodies the actual armor of the shield, for it is HIM who we trust - nothing else. He actually is MAGEN HaEMUNAH - the "Shield of Trust!"
The fifth piece is mentioned in verse 17 as the “helmet of salvation,” or as the Aramaic so beautifully renders it: “the helmet of rescue.” This head covering was first spoken of back in Isaiah 59:17, along with the breastplate of righteousness the Holy One is described as wearing. An interesting detail in the Hebrew of that original presentation is the word for “salvation / rescue” is Y’SHUAH, being the same term as the Hebrew name of the Messiah – Yeshua! His salvation – His great rescue of our souls, is like a helmet that preserves our vital center of thought and movement in life. The Most High is the first to mention this utter necessity in our warfare! The helmet is Messiah, and offers protection for the believer in the most important area.
Also in verse 17 is a unique piece in the armor – the sword of the Spirit. Every other piece in the panoply of the warring believer is defensive in nature. Only one offensive piece is given into our hands: the Word of the Most High! This is spoken of first in Isaiah 34:5, in a passage concerning judgment from on high. He wields His sword – His righteous Word – to bring about necessary judgment upon the spiritual failures of peoples and nations. The Word is the weapon with which we wreak havoc upon the powers of this dark time. Nothing else will work as perfectly as the Word.
The list of armor is complete in regards to the pieces the believer is told to put on. The armor of the Most High is the same armor we are called to wear in our spiritual fight. It is a blessing to be given this spiritual array to work against the kingdom of darkness and for the Kingdom of Light. However, one more factor is included, and although not a particular article in our set of armor, it proves to be an integral part of the believer’s warfare, and so we cannot leave it out. Verse 18 goes into detailed command concerning the vital need for the warrior to pray. Prayer is the binding power of our armor. If we do not go out to war with the foundation of prayer – the continued upkeep of it – we move without a lifeline to the commanding decrees of the Spirit – cut off from righteous orders of attack as well as the communion with our fellow soldiers on the battlefield. Without prayer, unity in battle suffers. It must be a part of our warfare that is not neglected. The reality of the conflict and the constant barrage of the enemy front mean that we must come to the aide and also receive help from our brothers and sisters who are also fighting valiantly for the Kingdom that is coming. Our prayers are a lifeline to the Spirit on the battlefield, as well as an opportunity to intercede for our companions in the fight.
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The absolute necessity of prayer on the battlefield and the intercession involving it brings us now to a deeper look at the reality of the warfare our armor prepares us for. The battle is spiritual, and our armor is spiritual, so we must not forget that our intercession is in a realm that is woven in and beyond this one. We stand as warriors, but we are at the same time ministers. Truly, the word “priest” in the Hebrew tongue – KOHEN – intends the concept of “minister” in a particular office. It is not forced singularly into a holy place, but a KOHEN can attend to matters beyond the Temple. It is in this natural progression of thought that our deeper understanding of being a soldier begins to take shape. The armor is for a priest.
Does the thought sound strange? An armored priest? What kind of ministry is this? You shall begin to see how everything is connecting in the ministry of the people of the Holy One. Consider first that the very articles of our armor have immediate parallel with the garments of the priest. The book of Exodus 29:5-7 describes seven pieces of priestly attire that the high priest is to wear. Exodus 28 goes into a detailed listing of what they all look like should the reader desire to familiarize themselves further with the particulars, but chapter 29:5-7 gives a summarized presentation of them for the reader, and is here translated.
The spiritual armor we don in battle is absolutely connected to the garments of the ministering priest. The armor and holy clothing share a breastplate, a belt, and a head-covering as immediate parallels. The nuances between the rest will be discussed shortly, but the total number of pieces of armor – including the order to be in constant prayer on the battlefield – is seen to be seven in number. Similarly, the articles of clothing the priest is commanded to wear in his spiritual ministry are seven in number.
The differences between the armored warrior and the priest’s garments are seen prominently with the shield and the sandals. The priest has no need for a shield in the safety of the Temple, and neither is footwear required, for the ground he stands upon is holy. While he doesn’t specifically carry a sword like the warrior in armor, blades were most definitely in use for Temple sacrifices (see Ezra 1:9 for the most blatant reference, as well as numerous passages in the sacrificial law verses that command the cutting of pieces for various offerings).
Does the thought sound strange? An armored priest? What kind of ministry is this? You shall begin to see how everything is connecting in the ministry of the people of the Holy One. Consider first that the very articles of our armor have immediate parallel with the garments of the priest. The book of Exodus 29:5-7 describes seven pieces of priestly attire that the high priest is to wear. Exodus 28 goes into a detailed listing of what they all look like should the reader desire to familiarize themselves further with the particulars, but chapter 29:5-7 gives a summarized presentation of them for the reader, and is here translated.
The spiritual armor we don in battle is absolutely connected to the garments of the ministering priest. The armor and holy clothing share a breastplate, a belt, and a head-covering as immediate parallels. The nuances between the rest will be discussed shortly, but the total number of pieces of armor – including the order to be in constant prayer on the battlefield – is seen to be seven in number. Similarly, the articles of clothing the priest is commanded to wear in his spiritual ministry are seven in number.
The differences between the armored warrior and the priest’s garments are seen prominently with the shield and the sandals. The priest has no need for a shield in the safety of the Temple, and neither is footwear required, for the ground he stands upon is holy. While he doesn’t specifically carry a sword like the warrior in armor, blades were most definitely in use for Temple sacrifices (see Ezra 1:9 for the most blatant reference, as well as numerous passages in the sacrificial law verses that command the cutting of pieces for various offerings).
One matter worthy of bringing up in the nuances between armor and priestly garment is the priest’s robe / cloak, which the Hebrew calls M’EEL. While not specifically designated in the armor list in Ephesians chapter 6, we find a hint to it in Isaiah 59:17, where it speaks of the Most High in armored array of breastplate and helmet, and also references Him being veiled in zeal like a cloak – using the same Hebrew term M’EEL as for the priest’s garment. The detail to note is that it is not a specific piece said to be worn by the Holy One – not truly a robe / cloak, but zeal that is wrapped about Him as if a cloak. How does this strange link of the robe of the priest and the robe-like zeal of the Deity’s armor factor into our study of the armored warrior and the priest’s ministry?
The answer is found in the book of Numbers chapter 25. The entire chapter is devoted to a horrible event of idolatry concerning the people of Israel while in the wilderness wanderings. They joined themselves to foreign women in sexual acts, and in those profane relations were embedded rituals or worship to cultural idols the women worshipped. Only one person out of all of Israel stood up to stop the obvious spiritual attack against the holy nation: Phinehas, grandson of Aharon the high priest. While the sin was taking place boldly before the eyes of even Moses, Phinehas took a spear in hand and pierced the Israelite man and the foreign woman right through both of their bellies in one fierce thrust. This gruesome act by the priest stopped the wrath of the Most High against the people, but also affected an interesting proclamation concerning the priest who took bloody action, as we see spoken by the mouth of the Holy One in Numbers 25:10-13.
The event here is horrific, yet the reality of the situation was that this was a spiritual attack against the people, and it only makes sense when we understand it in that manner why a priest made intercession for the nation in a warlike fashion. The priest otherwise had no business with the people in such a way. He was to keep himself holy and free from the stain of uncleanliness. However, Phinehas did something drastic to stop the demonic deed occurring in the sight of all Israel. This zealous action of the priest is said to have been done in the zeal of the Holy One Himself! The choice of Phinehas to execute the Israelite and the Midianite woman in such a brazen and brutal destruction actually stemmed from his understanding of the spiritual reality that was consuming the pure worship of the camp. It ended with death for some, but for Phinehas, it earned him a unique spiritual priesthood role. There is even an incredible detail preserved in the very Hebrew text of the scroll at this point that is intended to commemorate this spiritual deed. The word for “peace” – SHALOM – that the Holy One used here is unlike any other term in all of Scripture: it is written wrong. There are strict laws that govern the writing of a scroll of Scripture, and among them arguably the most important is that every letter is to be written the correct way, so that no reader of the Hebrew text will be confused if a letter does not appear to be what it actually was intended by the scribe. However, in this single instance, the letter Vav in the word SHALOM is written intentionally broken in two. Every scroll of Torah is actually supposed to be written with this defective letter. If the scribe does not write the letter incorrectly, the scroll is not considered fit. The idea is that the priest is supposed to promote SHALOM for the people (the literal meaning of the term is actually “wholeness,” and is used, by extension, for “peace”), yet sometimes that SHALOM can only take place through drastic, destructive action – especially when the context involves wicked spiritual sin. His action pierced the normal concept of SHALOM, and thus, he became a unique type of priest – his line was given an eternal priesthood office! The priest, then, was acting as a warrior to intercede for his fellow man.
The nature of his special priesthood given here cannot be overlooked. It was not just the normal priesthood of Aharon that he was granted, for he was already in that direct line to serve as a priest in the Levitical priesthood. Thus, the promise of the bestowal of an eternal priesthood to Phinehas and his descendants in this passage actually referred to something else. What that priesthood is has been preserved for us in the folios of the ancient Jewish historical and religious text of the Talmud. In tractate Sotah 43a, we find in an explanation of the Scriptural passage from Numbers 31:6, which mentions Moses sending out a troop of Israelite soldiers to war, that he also sent Phinehas the priest with them. The text of the Talmud elaborates on why Moses sent Phinehas the priest to the war.
Phinehas – a priest – was sent forth to the battle because his former actions had granted him a new priestly status. He became known as a “Priest Anointed for War” – KOHEN MASHUAKH MILKHAMAH. What is this role, exactly? He did not go out to actually war along with the army in battle, to be sure, but to stand with them and offer spiritual encouragement to the warriors before they began their attack. This role is seen also in Deuteronomy 20:1-4. The priest who went out with the soldiers of Israel was of the special priesthood given to Phinehas in Numbers chapter 25. The spiritual war would be first bolstered by the call to not fear the enemy, for the Holy One of Israel would be fighting with them. This priestly role was given to Phinehas – a priest whose ministry crossed over into that of war.
This special office of the priest that was connected only to the time of war afforded Phinehas and all who would minister in that role after him an amazing allowance. Although Phinehas was directly in line to be a high priest himself someday – that is, before his violent act to stop idolatry in the camp – the altering of his future as a priest by the Holy One made it so that he could not serve in the role he was otherwise rightly destined to assume. That change, however, still allowed him to wear the same holy garments as the high priest when he would function in times of war! Although he had been removed from the possibility of sacrificing and the potential role of the high priest, his status was not diminished, and neither was prevented from wearing the armor-like garments of the high priest when he would go forth to the battlefield with the armies of Israel!
This further links the concept of the divine armor of our spiritual warfare to that of the interceding priest’s garments in the office of the priest anointed for war. Phinehas thus played the role of a unique priest the merit of whose ministry was not to be found in the safety and sanctity of the Temple walls, but on the scorched and soiled field of war, surrounded by the armored soldiers of his fellow Israelites.
In fact, Phinehas appears repeatedly in the unique role of the priest connected to times of war throughout the Word: Joshua 22:13, 30-32; Judges 20:28; 1st Chronicles 9:19-20 (records him as leader of the Temple guards). In the role of the priest anointed for war that Phinehas earned through his zealous intercession we can see a prototypical glimpse of our own unique warfare as priests whose ministry is also on the battlefield of the soul. We move in the zeal that comes from Him, fighting a war that seeks to infiltrate all the world with idolatry. We stand as an army of priests who know the dangers of battle, but also hope in the promise of the Most High.
In fact, Phinehas appears repeatedly in the unique role of the priest connected to times of war throughout the Word: Joshua 22:13, 30-32; Judges 20:28; 1st Chronicles 9:19-20 (records him as leader of the Temple guards). In the role of the priest anointed for war that Phinehas earned through his zealous intercession we can see a prototypical glimpse of our own unique warfare as priests whose ministry is also on the battlefield of the soul. We move in the zeal that comes from Him, fighting a war that seeks to infiltrate all the world with idolatry. We stand as an army of priests who know the dangers of battle, but also hope in the promise of the Most High.
The purpose of our warfare is to destroy the works of darkness, to lay siege against the sin and evil of this world, and take part in the rescue of souls from the ranks of Satan’s legions. It is not always pretty, or nice, but our warfare demands us to be vigilant and aware of the dirty tactics and perverse strategies of the principalities and powers that are warring against the inevitably coming Kingdom of heaven to earth. We can appreciate the depth of this raging spiritual conflict when we return to the very first attack levied against the fledgling nation of Israel – the attack launched by Amalek against Israel right after coming out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. They had not even made it to the foot of Sinai, had not even received the grand covenant of Torah yet, and the Eater of Slander himself provoked the sinful people of Amalek to wage heinous war against the most frail people of Israel. The event is recorded in the book of Exodus 17. War was engaged, and thankfully, Israel won. The verses of interest to us, however, are 17:14-16.
The coming of Amalek against Israel was absolutely unprovoked, and yet that is the important point for us to glean from this. The enemy will not play fair, and will seek to destroy the works of righteousness in the earth any way he can. His wicked ranks will attack the weak and feeble among us in hopes to do the greatest damage. The assault from Amalek doesn’t have to make sense for us to fight, but understanding the enmity does help us in that battle. Genesis 36:12 holds the key for us to appreciate the hatred of Amalek, allowing us to see the source of the spiritual attack.
The pieces finally start to fall perfectly into place when we see that the spiritual heritage of Amalek was Esau and his hatred for Jacob and his family. The unfortunate truth of the whole thing is that Amalek and his people were pawns of the satanic powers that originally fueled Esau to reject the birthright and promises of the Most High. Amalek took up the offense of his grandfather and went to war with a nation who had valued the blessings of the Holy One more than did his ancestors and for which him and his people were left to wallow in the dust of their own devices and abilities. The Torah's divine instruction and atonements were given to Jacob and his seed, while Esau and his seed were abandoned to the wastes of the desert. The war is thus a spiritual one that is carried forth in the hearts of those who have rejected all truth and righteousness, and are withering within the ranks of dark spiritual forces. Amalek – in his base spiritual nature – is by no means defeated. He wages war ever against us. Thus we see the call of the Most High to erase the name of Amalek – the moniker given to the physical embodiment of the invisible Enemy’s desire to thwart the coming Kingdom. It is important enough to repeat in the Word a second time in Deuteronomy 25:17-19 to those who wear the armor and fight the good fight.
The truth of the matter is that the commandment still stands. We are to do our best to war in such a way that the memory of Amalek will one day be forgotten in the earth. The forces of evil will one day be eradicated, and the Kingdom will come in power to this world. We attack with the Word, with the great sword of the Spirit, and nothing can stand in our way when we move forward in such faith.
The Word is the Law of the Most High. The scroll of Torah is that great weapon we wield to victory in our battles. That Word must be taken to heart, so that our use of the sword is effective. The call to blot out the name of Amalek is serious. It is a spiritual attack against the darkness. It was mentioned earlier in the study concerning the many laws that govern the writing of the scroll / spiritual sword. One of those laws can be illuminated here that will hopefully serve well to show how important the war is to us all. For the scribe who begins the monumental task of hand-writing a new scroll of the Word, he does something first that is simple, and yet a great gesture of the warfare in which we are locked. Before he ever writes a single line of holy Hebrew text, he cuts his quill or reed, dips it into the special ink he has also crafted, and writes a single word in Hebrew on a piece of the parchment of the scroll: AMALEK. But it is what he does next that should speak volumes to our spirits. After writing the name of the enemy responsible for Israel’s first spiritual attack, he then picks up the quill and strikes out the name with ink. He fulfills literally the commandment of the Law in trust for what will one day be a reality for us all. The scribe is thus also a warrior who makes the first strike in the spiritual war against darkness and doubt before the sword of the Spirit is forged anew on the parchment.
The Word is the Law of the Most High. The scroll of Torah is that great weapon we wield to victory in our battles. That Word must be taken to heart, so that our use of the sword is effective. The call to blot out the name of Amalek is serious. It is a spiritual attack against the darkness. It was mentioned earlier in the study concerning the many laws that govern the writing of the scroll / spiritual sword. One of those laws can be illuminated here that will hopefully serve well to show how important the war is to us all. For the scribe who begins the monumental task of hand-writing a new scroll of the Word, he does something first that is simple, and yet a great gesture of the warfare in which we are locked. Before he ever writes a single line of holy Hebrew text, he cuts his quill or reed, dips it into the special ink he has also crafted, and writes a single word in Hebrew on a piece of the parchment of the scroll: AMALEK. But it is what he does next that should speak volumes to our spirits. After writing the name of the enemy responsible for Israel’s first spiritual attack, he then picks up the quill and strikes out the name with ink. He fulfills literally the commandment of the Law in trust for what will one day be a reality for us all. The scribe is thus also a warrior who makes the first strike in the spiritual war against darkness and doubt before the sword of the Spirit is forged anew on the parchment.
The battle rages. The enemy is on the move – wounded, and destined for defeat. The Captain of the Host has given the orders in ancient Words of righteousness, and we stand equipped with all the articles of armor to enter the war with determination and intercession for the enemies who must know the salvation over our heads. Catch your breath, raise sword and shield; listen and hear the prayers of your companions lifting you to action, and spring once more forward into the fray. Victory is ours.
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.