At 9:00 a.m. on July 15, 2014, Israel agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with a terrorist organization that does not operate by agreements and never ceased firing! While the media was busy promoting the one-sided, 6-hour attempt at false peace, Hamas continued to fire 50 more rockets into Israel. Even after that failed attempt, the secular and sacred power brokers are continuing to call for a ceasefire as if Hamas were a civilized government rather than a terrorist entity propped up and legitimized by the Palestinian Authority. Or maybe they expect only Israel to cease firing. Either way, I say to Israel, don’t do it. Let me tell you why.
During the days when King Saul reigned over Israel there was a group of people called Amalekites who had been given the accountability sentence from the Judge of heaven and earth.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt” (1 Samuel 15:2, NASB).
Amalek would be held accountable for his unprovoked attack on the innocent Israelites who were simply trying to travel to their new home, the Promised Land. In order to achieve the victory, Moses was required to hold his arms in the air until Joshua and his troops completed the defeat on the ground. A remnant of Amalekites survived all the way until the days of King Saul, yet God had not forgotten their dastardly deeds against his people.
For those who have a hard time with the grim details of some decrees found in the pages of Scripture, I will spare you from having to read the whole story about Saul and the Amalekites. It is definitely not for the politically correct pundits who are promoting peace with terrorists. Suffice it to say that King Saul was given authority and specific instructions as the administrator of justice on God’s behalf. Imagine that! As Saul began the military campaign to remove the Amalekites from Israel, everything was going according to plan until he took his eyes off the decree from heaven and turned his focus toward appeasing those on earth.
“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed” (verse 9).
What started out as a decisive victory became a tragic defeat for the Israelite leader. In fact, his decision to cut short the God-ordained military campaign—and to promote his people-pleasing prowess as a politician instead—was the beginning of the end of his reign.
“Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ‘I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.’ And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night” (verses 10-11).
Samuel’s pleading did not change God’s mind. What could have been the City of Saul is instead the City of David because Saul surrendered to the whims and desires of men rather than standing strong in the righteous judgments of God. Samuel had to do what Saul would not.
When Samuel came to confront Saul about the uncompleted mission he asked a crucial question.
“Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’” (verses 13-14).
When I heard about the one-sided ceasefire yesterday morning this biblical story came to mind. I wanted to call someone in the Israeli government and ask, “What then is that blaring of the sirens in my ears, and the roaring of rockets which I hear?” Since I had no way to call I wrote this article instead.
“Then Samuel said, ‘Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.’ And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’ But Samuel said, ‘As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.’ And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal” (verses 32-33).
Dare I draw a parallel with the modern-day Amalekites who now fly the green flag of Hamas? The terrorist leaders send innocent men, women, and children to the rooftops of their buildings to “bare their chests” right before they (the terrorist leaders) light the fuse of their rockets and scurry into their bunkers to bury their heads. While Israel warns residents to leave before bombing the rocket warehouses, Hamas warns residents to stay and become martyrs for their cause of protecting the Palestinian people. All the while, Hamas leaders are sitting in their dark tunnels hoping that somebody, anybody, will broker an end to the war so they, like Agag, can come out into the light “cheerfully,” stick out their chests, and claim victory in front of the cameras of their journalistic jihad comrades.
I admit that there is much more to this biblical story than I have room to write or you have the patience to read. If Israel is serious about her citizens living in peace, then negotiations with Hamas or any terrorist group must cease! It is time for the spirit of Samuel to fall upon the modern-day leaders of Israel and for the sword of accountability to fall upon the heads of the modern-day Amalekites…Hamas.
Ceasefire? I say to Israel, don’t do it—accomplish the mission!
