Go..and Destroy Everything!

“Now GO, and attack the Amalekites and destroy everything that belongs to them.

Do not allow anything to remain alive.”

The above quotation is taken from 1st Samuel 15:2 and is dealing with God’s instructions to King Saul in regards to dealing with King Agag and the armies of the Amalekites.

The orders were very precise and left nothing to speculation: “Go and destroy everything. Do not take prisoners. Do not take a spoil. Nothing is to remain.”

Recently the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me in the prophetic sense concerning issues relating to the Church in preparation for what will be unfolding in the coming year. I believe much of it is described in this 15th chapter of 1 Samuel and I will attempt to share with you some of the things that He has been revealing to me.

“When the Prophet Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel--but his sons did not walk in his ways, but instead they turned aside from dishonest gain, they accepted bribes and perverted the established ordinances of God.” 1 Sam 8:1-3 (PTE)

Because of the actions of his sons, this led to the elders of Israel coming together and demanding that Samuel make a King to judge them “like all the other nations” 1 Sam 8:4-5

Samuel was totally displeased with the request of the people—so he sought the Lord in prayer—and the Lord answered Him saying,

“Go ahead and do what the people have ask of you, because it is not you that they have rejected, but it is ME who they have rejected as King” verse 7

God then told Samuel to let them know the type of King that they would have. It would be a King who would “take.”

“He will take your sons” verse 11

“He will take your daughters” verse 13

“He will take your best crops” verse 14

“He will take your servants” verse 16

“He will take your tithe.” verse 17

Even after this solemn warning from the Prophet, the people refused to obey and said, “NO, we will have this King to reign over us.” verse 19

In Chapter (9) this new King is found and appointed over Israel. He is described in verse 2

“Saul was choice and handsome. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”

It is interesting to note what was said about this young man:

“He had the look” and

“from his shoulders up he was taller than” everyone else.”

The exact same trap that Israel fell into is the same trap that has ensnared the modern Church!

There are several things that we need to take note of in regards to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us through the Word of God and through this message. First of all, while this situation speaks of God’s dealing with Israel during the Old Covenant—there are striking parallels that are now being repeated by the Church in this New Covenant.

They had rejected God as their King and sought to look somewhere else for their leadership.

The Church has rejected Jesus as our King and has looked to the World to provide our examples for ministry and leadership.

They were warned that this “King” would TAKE from them the very best of what they had, to use for himself.

The Church has fallen into the same trap and allowed these self appointed “Kings” to take the very best in order to make themselves rich.

They boast of their mansions, jet planes, fancy cars, and mega-churches—yet all of those things are the testimony of taking from the Body of Christ and robbing the resources meant for the Harvest Fields of Souls!

They chose a King who “was more handsome” than anyone else. (He had the look)

The Church swoons over “Kings” who spend thousands on cosmetic surgery and image consultants.

They chose a King who from his shoulders up was taller then everyone else.

The Church has also chosen those who from the shoulders up are taller than everyone else—this speaks of pride and arrogance!

Because the Church, just like Israel, has chosen to follow these types of leaders—we have set ourselves up for the 1 Samuel 15 situation that I want to share with you.

*Many may say, “I don’t follow them or I don’t listen to them,” but I would say to you that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump, so purge out the old leaven.” 1 Cor 5:6-7

We have ALL be affected by the things that have been allowed to go on in the name of Christianity—just as the whole of Israel was affected by their desire to have another King besides God.

This week, we met a pastor of a small church in the ghetto who can’t afford to pay his building insurance—and he belongs to a wealthy denomination that won’t step in to help them—so we offered to help them pay it each month!

“Now GO, and attack the Amalekites and destroy everything that belongs
to them. Do not allow anything to remain alive.” 1 Sam 15:3

As clear as that directive was—King Saul found it too easy to divert from it and to incorporate his own ideas into God’s battle plan. Instead of destroying everything, “He took King Agag alive...and everything that was good.” verses 8-9

What has happened in Christianity today is that Jesus called us to “die daily” (1 Cor 15:31) , yet we “take hostages of our sins” and “hold on to those good things that cater to our flesh.”

To “die” in this passage is apothnesko which is to be slain—yet they preach a Gospel that demands neither holiness or self-denial and promises “the very best now” yet only TAKES!

TAKES our testimony!
TAKES our victory!
TAKES our boldness!
TAKES our compassion!
TAKES our obedience!

How long will you allow the adversary to take from you the very things that Jesus bought and paid for on the Cross of Calvary?

How long will you take hostages of the King of the Amalekites (unrepented sin) and utterly destroy those things that you think are good (carnality)? Or will you continue to follow Saul?

“The word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as King, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." 1 Sam 15:10-11

How long do you think it will be before the word of the Lord comes to the Church just as it did to Israel through the Prophet Samuel?

“I greatly regret that I have set you up...because you have turned your back from following Me and have not performed My commandments.”

Do you think that we have a “free pass” or some type of “spiritual immunity” from such thing? If you do—then you may want to look at what the Word of God declares:

1 Pet 4:17 says, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

(and) Rev 2:1-5 “Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write...I have something against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent.”

(and) Rom 11:21 “For if God did not spare the natural branches (Israel), He will not spare you either.”

King Saul was rejected because he “turned back from following” God and because he refused to “perform the commandments” of God.

Have you turned back from following God? Have you refused to obey His commandments? Have you made excuses for your actions? Have you said, “I have done most of what God has told me to do?” Do you think any of those excuses will hold up on the Day of Judgment?

Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt 16:24

“Following” Jesus is to imitate Jesus or to do the things that He did. What was it that Jesus did?

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus stood up and said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

That is what He did and this is what He commanded US to do as well in Mark 16:15.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature...and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Notice that the command that He has given us starts with the same word of the command that He gave King Saul in 1 Sam 15:3 “GO.”

Yet Saul (like the Church) immediate began to make excuses and justify his sin:

"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

The problem Saul had was that He thought he had a better way of doing things than God did! The Church has largely adopted the same mentality. We think that God’s ways are “out dated”, or “unfair”, or “irrelevant” and so we profess to be followers of Him, while in reality we are in abject rebellion against His desires.

Verse 19 “Why did you not obey the Lord?”

We may suppose that our efforts or our way of doing things is somehow going to be pleasing unto God—even though they are not according to HIS instructions. We may think that our success equals HIS favor or that our great ideas can somehow make up for our turning back from the things of God—–but God does not change.

“And Samuel said, Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, like he does when we obey the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Its time to repent!