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A New Amalek

7th February 2010, hej

 

At Auschwitz PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned ''A new Amalek is appearing,” But who is this new Amalek? On investigation this is a powerful hard hitting condemnation. Most reporters implied the new Amalek is Iran. But Netanyahu didn't mention Iran by name (see full text of his speech). Netanyahu said at his previous Yad Vashem, “there is evil in the world”, “there is new Jew hatred in our midst”. Netanyahu didn't mean Iran, so who was he speaking of?


A reporter of the the memorial speech at Auschwitz wrote,

After a short introduction in English Netanyahu switched over to Hebrew. He began his speech with the Aramaic words that open the Kaddish prayer – “yitgadal veyitkadash Shmeh Raba” – “may the name of G-d be grow great and be sanctified” - and said that the last words of many of the Jews who were murdered at Auschwitz were the call of “Shema Yisrael” – "Hear O Israel."
He then said that many of the slain must also have uttered another phrase before their death: “Remember what Amalek did to you – do not forget.” Bibireport

Netanyahu didn't mention Iran but many reporters assumed Iran was implied. If Netanyahu didn't mean Iran, specifically, what was he getting at? Who is the 'new Amalek'? His point is 'the world has to come to a decision'. This is the 'enlightened nations' . It is in the 'enlightened' nations that the battle is being fought for minds. The rhetoric of Iran's leadership is an indicator for the presence of Amalek in the enlightened world. Netanyahu said,


“Perhaps a few used their final breath to chant another age-old prayer:
Remember what Amalek did to you. Never forget!”


To understand fully what Netanyahu meant it might help to find out who Amalek were, and what they did that Israel must “never forget!”.


Amalek was grandson to Esau (called Edom) who was a twin of Jacob (also known as Israel).

And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart: 'Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.' And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him: 'Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. (Genesis 27:41-42)


Just as the sons of Israel become Israel, so did the descendants of Amalek become the tribe of 'Amalek'. In the nation of Israel's history they turn up attacking the Israelites even before they come into Canaan.

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua: 'Choose us 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.' So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek;
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua (Yehoshua) discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Write this for a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.'(Exodus 17:8-14)


Two points emerge.

  1. Amalek was defeated by Joshua (Yehoshua)

  2. Israel was to remember that Amalek was to be destroyed eventually (as Amalek was not blotted out at that time).

This record doesn't say why this attack by Amalek was worthy of this utter condemnation, but Deuteronomy does.

For all that do such things, even all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were enfeebled in thy rear, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God has given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shall not forget. (Deuteronomy 25:16-19)

Even King David was not successful in blotting out Amalek as he merely conquered and subdued them (I Chron18:11). After the first victory over Amalek at Rephidiim,

Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Adonai-nissi (He who will be is my banner). And he said: 'The hand upon the throne of the LORD: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.' (Exodus 17:15-16)

This verse still applies today. Amalek is not just a people but an attitude. Amalek might not exist as the nation of Amalek, but those who inherit their attitude exist in the world today.

The very last reference to Amalek in the Tanakh explains in more detail what Amalek is about,


(83:1) A Song, a Psalm of Asaph. (83:2) O God, keep not Thou silence; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. (83:3) For, lo, Thine enemies are in an uproar; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. (83:4) They hold crafty converse against Thy people, and take counsel against Thy treasured ones. (83:5) They have said: 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.' (83:6) For they have consulted together with one consent; against Thee do they make a covenant; (83:7) The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; (83:8) Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Palestine with the inhabitants of Tyre; (83:9) Assyria also is joined with them; they have been an arm to the children of Lot. Selah (83:10) Do Thou unto them as unto Midian; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook Kishon; (83:11) Who were destroyed at En-dor; they became as dung for the earth. (83:12) Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and like Zebah and Zalmunna all their princes; (83:13) Who said: 'Let us take to ourselves in possession the habitations of God.' (83:14) O my God, make them like the whirling dust; as stubble before the wind. (83:15) As the fire that burns the forest, and as the flame that sets the mountains ablaze; (83:16) So pursue them with Thy tempest, and affright them with Thy storm. (83:17) Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Thy name, O LORD. (83:18) Let them be ashamed and affrighted for ever; yea, let them be abashed and perish; (83:19) That they may know that it is Thou alone whose name is the LORD, the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:1-18)


In this Amalek is associated with a group who use 'craft' or their cunning to implement a covenant they made to wipe out Israel from being a nation. Now we can know why Amalek were so keen to attack the weaker parts of Israel no sooner than they knew the Israelites were approaching. Amalek were of Edom (Esau) the twin of Israel (Jacob) and Edom lost his birthright to the inheritance, due to despising it (Genesis25:34). If Israel knew of the birthright so do the Amalekites. So when the Israelites achieve such a victory over Egypt (which was well and truly known as even 40 years later Rahab says they knew of the drying of the Red Sea Yam Suf: Joshua 2:10), Amalek tyoically uses cunning and attacks what they see as the weak parts of Israel to negate what they knew was God's purpose. This is their great sin. They know of the Promise but they use cunning to defeat the Purpose.


But one of their own, also a descendant of Abraham, not an Israelite but an unwilling prophet of the God of Israel delivered a prophecy. Balaam was hired by Moab to curse Israel. Moab, like Edom, knew of the blessing of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) by their God as Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew, and Lot knew of the blessing of Abraham (Genesis 12:2) as Lot went with Abraham to Canaan to receive it. That the Moabites knew of this blessing is shown by the fact they hired Balaam known as a prophet of the Living God to 'curse' Israel (or reverse the blessing)

Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou bless is blessed, and he whom thou cursed is cursed.' (Numbers 22:6)

The care for 'the land' is in the context where Edom and Moab had seized the land from the Canaanites! Hear what Balaam said to the king of Moab regarding Amalek,

'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou did send unto me, saying: If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaks, that will I speak? And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.' And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened; The saying of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel does valiantly. And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city. And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction. And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock; Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive. And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God has appointed him? But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, and they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall come to destruction. (Numbers 24:12-24)


This prophecy could be first hand as Balaam was among the Moabites captured by the Israelites later (Numbers 31:8).

Amalek is called the 'first', 'beginning', 'chief' or 'firstfruits' 'of the nations'. As an aside Esau was firstborn of the twins but sold his birthright to Jacob (Israel) who came out of Egypt as the 'firstborn' (Exodus 4:23). Amalek was the first great nation from the sons of Abraham (Nimrod or Asshur was the very first great nation Genesis10:9-10). At the time Balaam spoke, Amalek were greater than Moab and Ammon and the great power of the land of Canaan.


God was serious about eliminating Amalek. He required the Israelites to blot out Amalek as a commandment of the Law. The Torah requires the king to act on this,

Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God has given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shall not forget. (Deuteronomy 25:16-19)

Saul the very first king of Israel is given this as his mission,

And 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 says the LORD of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of 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.' (1Samuel 15:1-3)

Saul fails to do this even keeping the king alive, and Samuel himself takes action,

Then said Samuel: 'Bring you here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.' And Agag came unto him in chains. And Agag said: 'Surely the bitterness of death is at hand.' And Samuel said: As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (1Samuel 15:32-33)

In this we see why Amalek was to be destroyed. Note the same type of approach to warfare as they had used 400 years before when the Israelites came out of Egypt, as Amalek was known for killing children. For that reason they had to be utterly destroyed.


In the years before Samuel slew the king, Amalek tended to tag along with anyone who wanted to fight with Israel. They had a nasty tactic when they joined the Midianites in destroying all the crops in Israel which had the effect of starving everyone child and animal. After this went on for years to the great distress of Israel Gideon and 300 men destroyed both the Midianite and Amalekite forces (Judges6&7) giving them a rest from this kind of dastardly action.


In summary Amalek was a real nation, its descendants now dispersed. But that nation is exemplified in subsequent individuals and nations who,

  1. Know of the purpose of God in giving Israel an inheritance in the land

  2. Seek to deny this right to inheritance as they do not fear God

  3. Seek the inheritance for themselves thinking they have the right (even if they sold it)

  4. Go out of their way to attack Israel 'in the way' even without being provoked

  5. Cowardly plot their victory by targeting the faint, weary, feeble and weak

  6. Their tactics including killing children, and destroying crops, which might benefit themselves, merely for the sake of harm to Israel

  7. They seek utter annihilation of Israel and will conspire and use cunning to achieve it

Who is this today? Amalek was related to “Evil”. This is because to a Jew, Amalek does not only refer to the nation. Amalek is a name for all Evil and is remembered on Shabbat before Purim.


Purim is about Haman who sought to destroy all the Jews. He was an Agagite. Agag was the king of Amalek that Samuel slew. The connection of Amalek to Purim is no co-incidence. The experience of the lot being cast to kill all Jews was not one off. Since the first Purim other Agagites have repeated Amalek type actions from generation to generation. It is written,

the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.' (Exodus 17:15-16)

Over time it has become clear that Amalek represents all those who seek to annihilate Jews, and even Jews who do not blot out evil in their lives, and so lead to the success of Amalek over Israel.


Amalek as an evil people exists until Messiah (Mashiach) destroys it. Agag is also Gog,

Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog: Thus saith the Lord GOD: In that day when My people Israel dwells safely, shall thou not know it? And thou shall come from thy place out of the uttermost parts of the north, thou, and many peoples with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army; and thou shall come up against My people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the end of days, and I will bring thee against My land, that the nations may know Me, when I shall be sanctified through thee, O Gog, before their eyes. (Ezekiel 38:14-16)

Gog behaves just like Amalek. When Gog sees Israel in the land dwelling safely, unprovoked they come to attack, when they think Israel is weak, to annihilate it from being a nation. But Balaam spoke truth. He said,

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel! As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters; Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. (Numbers 24:5-7)

The king who held the sceptre would come from Judah,

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be. (Genesis 49:10)

Or as Balamm put it,

There shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab... And Edom shall be a possession... while Israel does valiantly. And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city. And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction. (Numbers 24:17-20)

Netanyahu's words are powerful. They are are an accusation. They name an Evil enemy who is marked out for utter destruction.

It is highly unlikely he was referring to Iran's leadership. The speech was made at Auschwitz. It was made in a context of increasing European Anti-Semitism. Let us ponder that the battle Netayahu is fighting now is not fought by going to Iran, and that they employ competent spokespeople defending Israel's actions in English shows Israel's battle is not an argument for the minds of Iranians!

"This appeasement is expressed completely in economic cooperation with the Iranian regime. Six thousand European companies cooperate with Iran on a daily basis," said Kantor.

Six thousand, give or take a few, may actively be representative of the new Amalek.


Just before speaking of Amalek, Netanyahu said,

In the final moment of their lives, many whispered or cried out the timeless words of our ancient people:
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

At the beginning of his speech he said in English,

As we stand here to commemorate the past, we are helping to build a future of decency, truth and hope for our two peoples and for all mankind.

This is the where the battle with the new Amalek, to blot it out, takes place. To reinforce the timeless ancient words of truth,

Hear He will Rule as Mighty, He Will Be our Mighty Ones, He Will Be One.

It must be noted that Netanyahu returned in his conclusion to Amalek. After defeating Amalek Moses built an altar called 'He Will Be my banner'. This is what Netanyahu said,

As Ezekiel prophesized:
“Then He said unto me: These bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are doomed.'
Prophecy, therefore, and say to them: Thus said the Lord God: I am going to open your graves and lift you out of your graves, O My people, and bring you to the land of Israel.”
I stand here today on the ground where so many of my people perished -- and I am not alone.
The State of Israel and all the Jewish people stand with me. We bow our heads to honor your memory and lift our heads as we raise our flag-a flag of blue and white with a Star of David in its center.
And everyone sees. And everyone hears. And everyone knows – that our hope is not lost.

Israel is the 'banner'. The star is the badge of perseuction. The flag raised so all can see, is the banner of the word of God. And everyone knows. Let us emphasise this – and everyone on the planet, who counts, knows. Some however, the new Amalek, deny this word and seek to give the land that Israel won with blood from an Amalek, back to an Amalek. This new Amalek is not Iran.


Netanyahu spoke in Hebrew. Only those who care to think and value Hebrew will understand of what Netanyahu is warning. He is saying the world will be a tough place but in the end Amalek will be destroyed, and Israel must be raised up as a banner before the world to blot out Amalek.

Many in the so called 'enlightened' world are chosing to be a new Amalek

But Netanyhau spoke in Hebrew to an audience that knows Amalek and new Amaleks will exist until Messiah (Mashiach) comes. The implied point for Israel is they must even now be blotting Amalek out in their midst, and according to the Sages that is done by studying Torah and removing Evil in Israel's midst.

It might be pointed out that in the Torah the Israel defence Force was none other than Yahweh the Mighty Ones of Israel. Joshua (Yehoshua) and Caleb put it this way,

Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us; fear them not.' (Numbers 14:9)

And

(31:1) For the Leader. A Psalm of David. (31:2) In thee, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Thy righteousness. (31:3) Incline Thine ear unto me, deliver me speedily; be Thou to me a rock of refuge, even a fortress of defence, to save me. (Psalm 31:1-2)

Now this Defence is the only relevant IDF> Remember Moses had to hold up his hands up so Joshua and Israel could defeat Amalek!


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