Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel….
Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim.
— Exodus 17:6,8
Water in the wilderness would have been a thing to covet. When the Amalekites saw that the Israelites had water, this probably spurred them on. To destroy all of Israel would have been too difficult, but to cut the Israelites off from their source of water would have seemed possible. Thus, Amalek sought to cut Israel off from its life supply.
According to many Bible teachers, Amalek represents the flesh. What Amalek seems to represent at this point, however, is not merely the flesh, but rather the flesh seeking after the blessing of God, because the water they coveted came from God.
Once we begin to love the Lord and experience His blessing in our lives, “Amalek” will try to take over that supply. We may even find this happening within ourselves. When we receive some blessing from the Lord, it is easy to feel we have finally arrived as Christians. We try to usurp God’s blessing for our own glory.
Adapted from Joshua: A Life of Service, page 11.
Tomorrow: “Amalek Within”