* I: Introduction

1. First Samuel 15 is a record of Saul’s disobedience in his conquest of the Amalekites—1 Sam 15:
1. He conquered the enemy, yet he was altogether disobedient to God—1 Sam. 15:7-9.
2. Here Saul was absolutely and thoroughly exposed, and then he was given up by God and also by Samuel—1 Sam. 15:14-26.
3. This chapter contains an important lesson for us today.

* II: Knowing the flesh

2. In typology, the Amalekites signify the flesh—the fallen man, who is one with Satan—Exo. 17:8-16:
1. Amalek, the flesh, is the leading enemy in frustrating us from going on with the Lord—Deut. 25:17-18:
1. The name Amalek means “warlike,” indicating that the flesh is warlike, destructive, and disturbing.
2. The greatest destroyer of the Christian life is the flesh—1 Pet. 2:11.
3. The fact that God has a continual war with Amalek reveals that God hates the flesh and desires to exterminate it—Exo. 17:16; Gal. 5:17.
2. The flesh denotes the totality of the fallen old man, our entire fallen being, which is enmity against God—Gen. 6:3; Rom. 7:18; Gal. 2:16:
1. The flesh is the living out and the expression of the old man—Rom. 6:6.
2. The flesh is enmity against God, the flesh is not subject to God’s law, and the flesh is not able to subject itself to God’s law—Rom. 8:7.
3. The flesh is the camp of God’s enemy and the largest base for his work—Gal. 5:19-21:
• In the entire universe God’s unique enemy, in a practical sense, is not Satan but the flesh; the flesh is absolutely one with Satan—Matt. 16:23.
• The flesh is the first among our enemies, taking the lead over sin, the world, and Satan to fight against us—Rom. 8:3.
• God hates the flesh in the same manner that He hates Satan, and He wants to destroy the flesh in the same manner that He wants to destroy Satan—Exo. 17:16; Deut. 25:17-19; 1 Sam. 15:2-3.
4. With Amalek (the flesh) there is a hand against the throne of the Lord—Exo. 17:16; 1 Sam. 15:22-23:
1. Amalek tried to overthrow God’s throne, just as Satan once tried to do. Whatever is of the flesh is against God's throne; it will be used by Satan, the subtle one, the enemy of God, to hinder God's purpose—2 Cor. 2:11.
2. Like Satan himself, the flesh is against God’s authority; our flesh is an enemy of God’s authority and is in rebellion against God’s governmental administration. Every aspect of our flesh, whether good or evil, is an enemy of God's authority—Isa. 14:12-14.
5. The flesh is versus kingship:
1. Where the flesh is, there can be no kingdom of God.
2. For this reason, the flesh must be thoroughly dealt with before the kingdom of God can come.

* III – IV: How to deal with the flesh

3. We should war with Amalek from generation to generation by the interceding Christ and the fighting Spirit to crucify the flesh

In 1 Samuel 15:2 Jehovah declared that He would punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they fought against Israel—1 Sam. 15:2-3:

1. Amalek fought against the children of Israel as they were journeying to attain to God’s goal—Exo. 17:8-16:
1. In the war with Amalek described in Exodus 17:8-16, Moses stood on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand, and Joshua went out with chosen men to fight against, and to defeat, Amalek; while Joshua was fighting, Moses was praying.
2. After Joshua defeated Amalek, God declared that He would “have war with Amalek from generation to generation”; this shows how seriously God regarded the frustration caused by the Amalekites.
2. Exodus 17:8-13 shows us how to fight against Amalek—Exo. 17:8-13:
1. We fight against Amalek by the interceding Christ (signified by Moses) and the fighting Spirit (signified by Joshua)—Rom. 8:34; Gal. 5:17:
1. Moses lifting up his hand on the mountaintop typifies the ascended Christ interceding in the heavens.
2. Joshua fighting against Amalek typifies the indwelling Spirit fighting against the flesh.
3. We need to be in union with the interceding Christ in order to cooperate with the fighting Spirit—Col. 3:1-3, 5; Rom. 8:34, 13; Gal. 5:24, 17.
1. In the battle against Amalek, we need to cooperate with the Lord by praying and by putting the flesh to death—1 Thes. 5:17; Rom. 8:13:
1. When we pray, we are one with the interceding Christ.
2. When we put the flesh to death, we are one with the fighting Spirit.
3. Crucifying the old man was God’s responsibility; crucifying the flesh is our responsibility.

Hymns: 415, 746

Message 5: War with the Amalekites

2021 DST 5e

Message 5 (Cont.)

4. We should obey God’s command to utterly destroy all and not to spare any that has its source in the flesh

God commanded Saul to “strike the Amalekites” and to “utterly destroy all that they have” and not spare them, but he did not obey Jehovah’s command—1 Sam. 15:3-9:

1. Saul killed the Amalekites, but he spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good—1 Sam. 15:7-9.
2. Saul and the people’s sparing the best part of the things that they should have utterly destroyed portrays the fact that, experientially, we treasure the good aspects of our flesh, our natural life, and do not wish to destroy them:
1. Whatever we do apart from God’s grace and apart from depending on Him and trusting in Him is of the flesh—Phil. 3:3-4.
2. Every aspect of the flesh, whether good or evil, is in opposition to grace and God’s kingdom and keeps us from enjoying Christ; therefore, we must hate every aspect of the flesh and be absolute in destroying the flesh—Rom. 8:13; Gal. 3:3; 5:2-4.
4. God did not want Saul to use the best of the cattle as a sacrifice to Him—1 Sam. 15:15:
1. Anything presented and sacrificed to God that has its source in the flesh is evil in His sight—1 Sam. 15:19.
2. To offer something to God according to our own will is presumptuous and is sinful—Gen. 4:5; Matt. 7:22-23.

* V – VI: Results from not dealing with the flesh

5. Doing good according to our own will is actually an act of rebellion against God’s throne and His economy—1 Sam. 15:22-23; Exo. 17:16:
1. Saul’s disobedience exposed him as being a rebel against God and an enemy of God—1 Sam. 22:17.
2. Saul was utterly rebellious toward God; he had no subordination to God, nor did he take God as his King and Head.
3. He was constituted with rebellion, which is as evil as the worship of idols—1 Sam. 15:23.
4. What Saul did was as evil as contacting an evil spirit for the purpose of carrying out the intention of that spirit, not God’s intention.
5. All rebellion is a matter of presumption, a matter of daring to do things without God.
6. Saul lost his kingship because he did not utterly destroy Amalek—1 Sam. 15:26, 28:
1. If we are not absolute in dealing with our flesh, we, like Saul, will lose our kingship—1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10.
2. The account of Saul’s disobedience is a warning, indicating that we should not do anything in the kingdom of God by our flesh; in everything we must crucify our flesh and faithfully exercise our spirit to follow the Lord, who is the life-giving, consummated Spirit indwelling our spirit and who is one with us—1 Cor. 15:45; 6:17; 2 Tim. 4:22; Gal. 5:16, 25.
3. When Amalek is dealt with, the kingdom of God immediately comes in—Exo. 18:1-26:
• The kingdom of God denotes the authority of God by which all things are made subject to God—Mark 1:15; Rev. 11:15; 12:10; Dan. 2:44.
• Because the flesh is versus the kingship, the flesh must be thoroughly dealt with before the kingdom of God can come in—1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:5.
4. If we follow the Lord’s word to utterly destroy the flesh and live and walk according to the spirit, we will have the kingship and will be in God’s kingdom—Rom. 8:4; 14:17; Gal. 5:19-21; 2 Pet. 1:5-11.

2021 DST 5e

* I: Introduction

1. First Samuel 15 is a record of Saul’s disobedience in his conquest of the Amalekites
1. Saul conquered the enemy, yet he was altogether disobedient to God; here Saul was absolutely and thoroughly exposed, and then he was given up by God and also by Samuel; this chapter contains an important lesson for us today.

[1 Sam. 15:7-9] … Saul struck the Amalekites…but … spared Agag and…all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them …

* II: Knowing the flesh

2. In typology, the Amalekites signify the flesh—the fallen man, who is one with Satan

[Rom. 7:18a] For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells; …

• Amalek, the flesh, is the leading enemy in frustrating us from going on with the Lord; the flesh denotes the totality of the fallen old man, our entire fallen being, which is enmity against God; The flesh is the camp of God’s enemy and the largest base for his work.
• With Amalek (the flesh) there is a hand against the throne of the Lord; the flesh is versus kingship; the flesh must be thoroughly dealt with before the kingdom of God can come.

[Rom. 8:7] Because the mind set on the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither can it be.

[Gal. 5:17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these oppose each other that you would not do the things that you desire.

* III – IV: How to deal with the flesh

3. We should war with Amalek from generation to generation by the interceding Christ and the fighting Spirit to crucify the flesh
1. Amalek fought against the children of Israel as they were journeying to attain to God’s goal; Exodus 17:8-13 shows us how to fight against Amalek:.
1. We fight against Amalek by the interceding Christ (signified by Moses) and the fighting Spirit (signified by Joshua).
2. In the battle against Amalek, we need to cooperate with the Lord by praying and by putting the flesh to death.
3. Crucifying the old man was God’s responsibility; crucifying the flesh is our responsibility.

[Heb. 7:25] Hence also He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them.

[Rom. 8:13] …but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.

4. We should obey God’s command to utterly destroy all and not to spare any that has its source in the flesh
1. Saul killed the Amalekites, but he spared Agag the king and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good.
2. Saul and the people’s sparing the best part of the things that they should have utterly destroyed portrays the fact that, experientially, we treasure the good aspects of our flesh, our natural life, and do not wish to destroy them.
1. We must hate every aspect of the flesh and be absolute in destroying the flesh
1. God did not want Saul to use the best of the cattle as a sacrifice to Him; Anything presented and sacrificed to God that has its source in the flesh is evil in His sight. [Gal. 3:3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

* V – VI: Results from not dealing with the flesh

5. Doing good according to our own will is actually an act of rebellion against God’s throne and His economy
1. Saul’s disobedience exposed him as being a rebel against God and an enemy of God; He was constituted with rebellion, which is as evil as the worship of idols; All rebellion is a matter of presumption, a matter of daring to do things without God.

[1 Sam. 15:22-23] … Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed, than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, And insubordination is like idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king.

6. Saul lost his kingship because he did not utterly destroy Amalek
1. If we are not absolute in dealing with our flesh, we, like Saul, will lose our kingship
2. The account of Saul’s disobedience is a warning: in everything we must crucify our flesh and faithfully exercise our spirit to follow the Lord
3. When Amalek is dealt with, the kingdom of God immediately comes in.
4. If we follow the Lord’s word to utterly destroy the flesh and live and walk according to the spirit, we will have the kingship and will be in God’s kingdom. [Gal. 5:25] If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

[Rom. 8:4] That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

[Rom. 14:17] For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Bird’s-eye View for Prophesying, a Sample

Message 5: War with the Amalekites

2021 DST 5e Musing Abstract

Message 5: Appendix

In the entire universe, God’s real enemy is not Satan but us. As long as we remain in the status of the flesh, we are an enemy to God (Rom. 8:7). Our flesh is altogether one with Satan. Without the flesh, Satan would have no way to fight against God. In the church life all the troubles come from the flesh. The hardest thing for God to deal with is the flesh.

In our daily life we may be either in the spirit or in the flesh. When we exercise our spirit, the vision is clear. But if we remain in the flesh, the vision will become dim. When we are in our spirit, we may regard the church, the elders, and the recovery as wonderful. However, when we are in the flesh, we may be critical of certain elders, or our flesh may be so bothered that we may even consider leaving the recovery. Whenever we realize that we are in the flesh, the enemy of God and the source of troubles in the church life, we need to pray and ask the Lord to forgive us.

<Excerpts from “Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel”, Message 11, “The History Concerning Saul (4)

Saul’s Disobedience In His Conquest of The Amalekites”>

We need to fear God and remember that we are flesh.

We have to learn the lesson of the cross and crucify our flesh with its passions and its lusts and leave it on the cross always and in everything (Gal. 5:24). We should faithfully exercise our spirit to follow the Lord, who is the life-giving, consummated Spirit indwelling our spirit and who is one with us. Then the kingdom of God, the church as the intrinsic Body of Christ, will be built up.

<Excerpts from “Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel”, Message 11, “The History Concerning Saul (4)

Saul’s Disobedience In His Conquest of The Amalekites”>

2021 DST 5e

[Gal. 3:3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Footnote: The Spirit, who is the resurrected Christ, is of life; the flesh, which is our fallen man, is of sin and death. We should not begin by the Spirit and attempt to be perfected by the flesh. Since we have begun by the Spirit, we should be perfected by the Spirit and have nothing to do with the flesh. In 2:20 the contrast is between Christ and the “I”; here the contrast is between the Spirit and the flesh. This indicates that the Spirit is Christ and the flesh is the “I” in our experience. From ch. 3 to the end of the Epistle, the Spirit is Christ in our life experience. In revelation, it is Christ; in experience, it is the Spirit.

The flesh is condemned and repudiated throughout this book (1:16; 2:16; 3:3; 4:23, 29; 5:13, 16-17, 19, 24; 6:8, 12-13), and from ch. 3 every chapter gives a contrast between the flesh and the Spirit (v. 3; 4:29; 5:16-17, 19, 22; 6:8). The flesh is the uttermost expression of the fallen tripartite man, and the Spirit is the ultimate realization of the processed Triune God. The flesh inclines to keep the law and is tested by the law; the Spirit is received and enjoyed out of faith.

God’s economy delivers us from the flesh to the Spirit that we may participate in the blessing of the riches of the Triune God. This cannot take place by the flesh keeping the law but by the Spirit being received out of faith and experienced through faith.