Don just gave me the point he
left out and it was so good. I want to go ahead and give it
to you. He said with the Lord. I pray that the Lord would make
me a servant that's blind to every obstacle just like the
Lord and I pray the Lord would make me to be blind to my brothers
and sisters faults. Would not be a blessing. Exodus 17, please. It's important for us to remember
when we're looking at the Old Testament. That these events
did in fact take place, but they're given to illustrate gospel truth. I think the example that comes
to my mind is. Galatians chapter four, where
Paul tells us that the story of Abraham and Sarah. and Hagar
and Ishmael is given to illustrate the two covenants, law and grace. Now, I wouldn't have read Genesis
16 and thought this illustrates law and grace, but we're told
it does. So we know that every one of
these events in the Old Testament are allegorical in that sense,
given to illustrate gospel truth. This passage of scripture is
certainly given to illustrate gospel truth. First, I'd like
to read verse 14 through 16 of Exodus chapter 17. And the Lord said unto Moses,
write this. And this is the first thing the
Lord ever told Moses to write down. That's how significant
this is. Write this for a memorial in
a book and rehearse it. in the ears of Joshua. This is
something that needs to be heard over and over again. For I will
utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar and
called the name of it Jehovah Nisi. For he said, because the
Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from
generation to generation. I've entitled this message, The
Perpetual War. Now note, this is a battle the
Lord will fight. He said, I will put out the remembrance
of Amalek forever. And it's a perpetual war from
generation to generation. And what initially attracted
me to this was the promise that was made regarding Amalek when
God said in verse 14 of the latter part, I will utterly put out
the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Now, Amalek represents
something and we're going to see that he represents the flesh
and this fight between the flesh and the spirit, but the thought
of God utterly putting out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven. Now here's what came to my mind
when I thought about this. One of these days, I'm not even
going to remember what it's like to be a sinner. I'll have no recollection of
it. I won't remember the way you
did me wrong. You didn't do me wrong. What
I'm saying is you just won't remember anything like that. You won't remember anything about
sin. You won't remember anything about
what it's like to be a sinner. You're going to be so completely
removed from sin. God said, I'll blot out the very
remembrance of it. You won't remember. Now you'll see his hands and
feet and you'll know the only reason you're there is because
of that. but you won't remember what it's like to be a sinner. Did you know that when God saves
you, nothing about your old nature is changed? I still have the same old wicked
nature that I was born with. With the same corrupt desires,
the same corrupt appetites, I'm just as bad as I ever was. That's the truth. Now, I've got something I didn't
have before. I've got a new heart. I've got a new nature. But that
old nature has not changed at all. Your old nature is still
what it always was. And religion, human religion,
tries to present a changed heart. A changed heart. I've changed.
I'm better. I don't have the same sinful
appetites. I deal with things differently.
I'm better. A changed heart. That actually is a denial of
the doctrine of total depravity. Did you know that? That's a denial
of that. God doesn't work with the old
nature and improve it. He gives a new heart. He gives
a new nature that was not there before, but that old nature remains
just as bad. As a matter of fact, I feel like
I struggle with my sin more now than I ever have. My sin. is ever before me, and my sins
are ever before me. I was cutting the grass Thursday
night, and while I was cutting it, a couple of Mormons came
up and started talking to me. So I talked to them for a moment,
and I could see where they were going. And I said, let me ask
you a question. What are you going to say to God when he says, why
should I let you into heaven? She said, Well, I follow the
teachings of Jesus and I do my best and I really try to be an
example. I said, really? Really? Are you being honest? No, no,
I make mistakes. I do bet you don't kind of started
unraveling. But that's just that's just a
false presentation. It's a false presentation. It's
not real. But the thought of that wicked
nature that I'm dealing with even right now, being no more. Being blotted out to where I
won't even remember what it's like to have it, how attractive
that is. In verse eight of our text. Then
came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Then came Amalek. That's important. The time when
after the rock had been smitten and after the waters came from
the rock and there was life. That's when the battle begins. Now, previous to this, the Lord
fought all their battles for them. They didn't do anything.
They just stood still and saw the salvation of the Lord. Didn't
do a thing. The Lord did everything, but
now this is a battle, a fight that they're called upon to participate
in. after the rock was smitten. Look in verse one of chapter
17 and all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed
from the wilderness of sin after their journeys, according to
the commandment of the Lord and pitched in Rephidim. And there
was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did
say, we just need to trust the Lord because he sent us man.
And he'll no doubt get us something to drink. Didn't happen that
way at all. Did it didn't happen that way
at all. Wherefore the people did chide
with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And
Moses said unto them, why chide ye with me? Wherefore do you
tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there
for water. And the people murmured against Moses and said, wherefore
is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us
and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried
unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? They be
already most ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders
of Israel, and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take
it in thine hand, and go. You remember this rod. It's the
rod he smoked the Red Sea with, it parted. It's the rod he used
for all the plagues against Egypt. This represents the power of
God. This represents the gospel. He said, you take that rod in
your hand. Verse six, behold, I will stand
before thee upon the rock in Horeb. Right there where I'm
standing and thou shalt smite the rock. And there shall come water out
of it. The people may drink. And Moses did so in the side
of the elders of Israel. That's the gospel. The smitten
rock. 1 Corinthians 10 says Christ
is that rock. And when he smitten, when he
was smitten on the cross, that's where the water of life comes
from. That's why we live. That's the gospel. Then verse eight, after that
took place, then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Refuge. And this was the first battle
they had fought. Now who was Amalek? He was the
grandson of Esau and he was Israel's continual deadly enemy. Notice the Lord said he'll fight
from generation to generation. This is not a battle that's going
to be over until time is over. It's a battle from generation
to generation. As a matter of fact, turn with
me for a moment to Deuteronomy 25. This is Moses speaking 25
years or 40 years later. Deuteronomy 25, this is right
shortly before his death. He's reminding the children of
Israel some things. And he says in verse 17, this
is 40 years after this took place. Deuteronomy 25, 17. Remember
what Amalek did unto thee by the way. when you were come forth
out of Egypt. Don't forget that. How he met
thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that
were feeble behind thee. And thou wast faint and weary,
and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the
Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round
about in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for inheritance
to possess it, thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek
from under heaven, thou shalt not forget it. Now, did God just
have something personal against Amalek? Well, yes, he did in
the sense that they were evil, like all men are naturally, but
it's because of what they represented, the flesh. Turn to 1 Samuel chapter
15. This is several hundred years later,
several hundred years later. First Samuel chapter 15 verse
1, Samuel said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to
be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken
thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord
of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel. How he
laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now
go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and
spare them not. But slay both man and woman,
infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. That's pretty
severe, isn't it? Kill everything about them. Don't
spare them in any way. Kill their animals, kill their
children, kill them all. Now, somebody says, well, that's
a God of the Old Testament. Yes, it is. It's God of the New Testament,
too. And this is given to teach us something. Now, what did Saul
do? Do you remember? Verse 7, and
Saul smote the Amalekites from Neviah until thou comest to Shur
that's over against Egypt. And he took Agag, the king of
the Amalekites, the decision maker. His name actually means
I will overtop. I will overcome. That's what
his name means. They spared the decision maker.
He didn't kill all the Amalekites. He took the King Agag of the
Amalekites alive and utterly destroyed all the people with
the edge of the sword, but saw the people spared Agag and the
best of the sheep and the oxen and the fatlings and the lambs
and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them, but
everything that was vile and refuse that they've destroyed
utterly. Now, this is interesting. They spared Agag. What is it
that men spare about men? What do they spare? The will. I will. Yes, man's sinful. Man's
evil. No doubt about that. But they
spare the will. He's still got a free will. He still has the ability to do
some things. That's what He represents. Now
let's go back to our text in Exodus chapter 17. Verse nine. And Moses said unto Joshua, this
is the first mention of Joshua. Remember, Moses couldn't bring
them into the promised land. The law can never bring anybody
in. to glory. Only Joshua, Jesus,
the Savior can. Joshua is the one doing this
battle. And Moses said unto Joshua, choose out men and go out, fight
with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the
top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand, the same rod
that was used to smite the rock, the same rod that was used to
part the Red Seas. I will stand with the rod of
God in my hand, the gospel. Verse 10, so Joshua did as Moses
had said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron and
her went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass when
Moses held up his hand. You can see that with the rod
of God, him holding up his hand and everybody could see they
could see the rod. What would take place? And it
came to pass when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed.
And when he let down his hand, got tired, put it down. Amalek
prevailed. When the rod could be seen, Israel
prevailed. When the rod was let down, Amalek
prevailed. You look to Christ, you'll prevail. This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Well, can't you give me something
else? No. What if I said, if you read the
Bible more and pray more and, and, and, and get rid of you,
if you, Then you'll prevail. Well, you could try it. And you
ought to read the Bible more. And you ought to sin less. I'm
not saying anything against that. We ought to not sin at all. But the point
is, this is the victory that overcomes the world. Looking
to Christ. Resting in Him alone. Moses represents the law. Moses' hands
got weak. He couldn't hold up that rod. Can you continue to look to Christ? Well, here's where Aaron and
her come in. No, you're too weak. I'm too
weak. We're going to try holding something
up. How are you going to do? You
cannot. It's not that you're not going
to do a very good job at it. You cannot do it. You will go down. Now,
let's look what took place. Verse 12, but Moses' hands were
heavy and they took a stone and put it under him. And he sat
there on and Aaron and her stayed up his hands, the one on the
one side and the other on the other side. And his hands were
steady into the going down of the sun. Now Aaron, the priest,
the great high priest. representing the intercession
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said to Peter, Peter,
I pray for you. That your faith fail not. You
know what his faith didn't fail, did it? Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession. John said, These things write
unto you that you sin not. Make it your resolve. May I make
it my resolve to never sin again. These things write unto you that
you sin not when you do. We have an advocate with the
Father. Jesus Christ, the righteous. This advocate, this lawyer we
have is like no other lawyer. He makes all of his clients plead
guilty. And every one of them are justified.
And he's never lost a case. What a lawyer we have. When he said, Father, forgive
them. They were forgiven. Everybody
he prayed for was forgiven. Now what an advocate we had.
Now this is Moses' hands are tired, but the priesthood of
Christ, Aaron holds it up. The Lord will enable you to continue
to look to Christ. Her means light. Her represents
God, the Holy Spirit, the work of God, the Holy Spirit in you.
You're going to have your hands held up looking to Christ. That is the victory. Now let's
go on reading verse 13. And Joshua discomfited Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword. Now, what I want
you to notice is that it does not say that Joshua slew the
people with the edge of the sword. That's what it generally says
when you read it, the edge of the sword you slew, but that
word discomfited literally means weakened. He weakened the people. with the edge of the sword. Matter
of fact, we read how this is used. How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down,
which did weaken the nations? This disconfitted with the sword
means weakened with the sword. They're still alive. God said,
kill them all, but they're still alive. Now I'm to kill everything
about myself. He's still alive. He's weakened,
but he's still alive. And the scripture gives so many
examples of this turn with me to, I'm just gonna use one though.
Genesis 25. Verse 21. And Isaac entreated the Lord
for his wife. She had been barren. Isaac entreated
the Lord for his wife because she was barren. And the Lord
was entreated of him. And Rebekah, his wife, conceived.
There was now life. There hadn't been life before
in her, but now there's life. And the children struggled together
within her. She didn't know she had twins.
And this struggle is strong language. They were literally crushing
and bruising one another. There was a fight going on in
her womb. And she didn't understand this.
And she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire
the Lord, what in the world is wrong with me? What's going on
with me? Is something wrong with me? And
she goes to the Lord and the Lord said unto her, two nations
are in thy womb and two manner of people should be separated
from thy bowels. Here's what's going on, there's
two different people in you. That's why. Now I know that Jacob and
Esau are given to illustrate the sovereignty of God and salvation,
no doubt, but they're also given to illustrate this. Two manner
of people, and one people shall be stronger than the other, and
the elder shall serve the younger. Now, the old man is weakened
because the new man's there. The new man is stronger. The
new man is greater than the old man. Greater is he that's in
you than he that's in the world. And you know that so, but that
doesn't mean the old man is any different than it ever was. It's
not better. It's not less sinful. It's not
improved. It's just as bad as it ever was. And you know, the Amalekites,
appear over and over in Israel's history. Although it was prophesied
of them, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter
end is that he will perish forever. And your old man, it's prophesied,
it will perish forever. We're looking forward to that.
But he's still alive right now. He's the one who made Paul cry
out, Oh, wretched man that I am. Not that I was, But a wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? This sinful nature. Now, the Lord could have made
it when he saved us to where we didn't sin anymore, couldn't
he? Sure he could have. He could have made it to where
we don't sin anymore and I don't Claim to understand all of his
wise and holy purposes and what he does, why he allows this.
But I do know this. You want to have my leg does
to me. Amalek prevents me from looking
anywhere but Christ alone. I don't have anywhere else to
look. Amalek is a complete reminder to me that the only righteousness
I have is the righteousness and the merits of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He keeps me there. I can't look anywhere else. It's
not like I have another place to look. Because right now, while
I'm talking to you, I've got that same old wicked man that
hasn't improved a bit, and the only righteousness that I have
is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. I look to him alone. In that sense, the old man, the
old nature, serves the new nature, doesn't it? It acts as a servant. The Lord uses it for that purpose. While there's no excuse for sin,
I would never excuse sin for in any way. And I don't want
to sin anymore. But oh how the Lord actually
uses Amalek to serve the new man and causes us to look nowhere
but Christ. Joshua disconfited Amalek and
his people with the edge of the sword, verse 14. And the Lord
said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book. First thing
he ever said to write down and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua
for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven. What a promise. One of the things that I find
very creepy is cyberspace. I don't know why, but I do. It
just, I think it's creepy. Anything that you put in a computer,
it's out there somewhere. You've deleted it, but it's still
there. When God deletes sin, it's not
there anymore. It's gone. It's put away. There's not even any remembrance
of it. God said their sins and their
iniquities. I will remember no more. Now, that's not because God forgets. It's because there's nothing
there to remember. Just like you were saying, it's
all gone. It's put away. He says, I will
utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek. Now that word utterly
put out, I will utterly wipe out, obliterate, blot out, abolish,
destroy, exterminate the very remembrance of Amalek from under
the heavens. This is the same word that God
used. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my
own sake. Not because of anything you've
done for my own sake. and will not remember thy sins. I blotted out as a thick cloud
thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins. You see, this is what
the blood of Christ does. I love Hebrews 1-3. When He had
by Himself purged, put away, washed away our sins, He sat
down. Why? The work was finished. It was completed. He sat down
at the right hand of God. Now, when he purged our sins,
they were no more. They'll not be remembered because
there's nothing there to remember. Start with me for a moment to
Revelation chapter 21. Revelation 21 verse one. And I saw a new heaven and
a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away. And there was no more C. No more separation. That's what
that's a reference to. You look at the ocean and you
think what's beyond there. It's a very large separation. That separation. Has been taken
away. No more C. Verse two and I John
saw the Holy City. New Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. And he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former
things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things. What good would it do you if
God gave you a clean slate right now? What good would it do you? It
wouldn't do you any good at all. You'd mess it up in the very
first second. No question about that. A new clean slate won't
help anybody. Here's what I need. A new history. A new history. Where everything
you find out about me, it's all good. It's all perfect. It's all righteous, just like
you were saying, and the Lord being blind to it, the reason
you're blind to it because there's nothing there. I've got a new history.
You want to know the truth about me. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. Look at the life of our Lord
and that's the truth about me. That is my history. That's reality. Behold, I make,
now he can do this. I can't change history. I can't
change it. It's still there, but he can
do this. Behold, I make all things new. And now I have a brand new history. Verse 15 of our text. And Moses
built an altar, Exodus 17. The name of it, Jehovah Nisi,
the Lord, our banner, the Lord, our ensign for, he said, because
the Lord has sworn that the Lord will have a war with Amalek from
generation to generation. Do you know the Lord's never
lost a battle? It does last from generation to generation. We're
dealing with it right now, but the Lord has sworn Amalek will
be defeated, put away blotted out, made to be no more. The perpetual war is just during
our lifetime. After that, there won't be any
more war.