Haman the Agagite
This week we talked about Haman and his hatred for the Jews. It makes a little sense that he would be angry at Mordecai, since Mordecai would not bow down to him. But to hate and want to destroy all the Jews. Now that's a different story!
Below are the verses about Haman's genealogy. From the time of Esau the family tree has pointed to one thing...the Jews and the Amalekites would be mortal enemies.
First of all we need to know that an Agagite is the same as an Amalekite. The verses below will show you this. You will also see how the Amalekites attacked a defenseless group of Israelites and how Saul disobeyed God's command to destroy the Amalekites.
1. Amalekites are descendants of Esau
Genesis 36:12
Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
So Amalek is Esau’s grandson. AMalelek is the father of the Amelakites.
2. The Amalekites Attack the Israelites
God was not happy that the Amalekites attacked the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. And how they attaches was despicable. They targeted the old, the young, the weak...any stragglers at the back of the group.
Exodus 17:8-16
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 25:17-19
17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you came out of Egypt, 18 how he confronted you on the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 So it shall come about, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall wipe out the mention of the name Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.
3. Saul’s Disobedience
Saul disobeyed and the LORD regretted He had made him King.
1 Samuel 15
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord.
2 This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I will [punish Amalek fo rwhat he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.
3 Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 Then Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the wadi. 6 But Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, get away, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they went up from Egypt.” So the Kenites got away from among the Amalekites. 7 Then Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah going toward Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8 He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the more valuable animals, the lambs, and everything that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them completely; but everything despicable and weak, that they completely destroyed.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.”
And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.