"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. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all 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.'" (1 Samuel 15:2-3 NASB)There are many theological statements about the Maker of the universe, statements about His character, His characteristics, His divine qualities. In Biblical Theology, the 'categories' used to describe the Master of all things that are derived from Scripture rather than 'systematic' categories from philosophy. Whichever set of categories is used, this passage falls into one of the most uncomfortable.
In Genesis 19, God destroys two cities and those around them on the valley floor by the Dead Sea. It's a dramatic display of the destructive forces used by the Maker of stars to punish His human creatures. While that is a brutal display of His wrath, it's also a display of mercy (Lot and his family). It's also something the Master does Himself. This passage of Scripture is different.
This Creator of all matter now delegates the complete destruction of a people to people He has chosen as His own. It is an amazing unimaginable demonstration of grace and mercy for a people to be chosen by their Creator. It is an amazing unimaginable act of brutality to completely wipe out an entire people from before their Creator. I suppose it just goes with the benefits of being chosen.
This command is part of what is known as the ban, or "kharam". It is a Hebrew word related to the Middle Eastern concept of a herem, a king's personal collection of women to which only he has access (or at least that's the most popular image). It refers to something (anything really) completely devoted to one person. In order for this to be accomplished with the One having chosen Israel, the 'thing' must be destroyed, thereby preventing anyone from having access to it. It was completely 'devoted' to God.
This is done in the sacrificial system of the Hebrews when they conducted a 'whole burnt offer' which completely consumed what was being offered and no one partook of it. It was not an uncommon sacrifice, but it was only done on special occasions for special reasons. The kharam was sort of like doing that but in warfare and it included people, all the people.
As the People of Israel traveled through the desert east of the Jordan river, they conducted several of these sorts of attacks on the kingdoms they encountered. Others they spared entirely. When they entered the land of Canaan, they conducted many of these attacks on the people in the land. It sounds horrific, and it was, if you were involved, on either side.
So why the horror? Why command such a thing? What sort of "Maker of humanity" commands that these human creatures treat each other in this way? To say that it is difficult to reconcile the God who is Love in 1 John with this same Destroyer is a wild understatement. These bracket the immense range of character of the One about Whom we make any sort of theological statement.
So, I will step back, and not attempt to justify or apologize for my Master. I will not attempt to make the connection between the two extremes of character. The one extreme means that I enjoy His attention, the other extreme means that His attention is not always pleasant for me. In order to be in the presence of One so magnificent as to completely overwhelm and crush the words used to describe Him, I will endure the uncomfortable extreme.
My rationale for such a position is really simple. I should expect that One capable of creating such a universe that I can only just barely grasp, barely see, characterized by the detail of quarks and stars, to be inexplicable. I think that these two extremes should, instead of confusing me, lead me to watch my step in His presence; to consider carefully as I speak to Him; to easily bow myself before Him; and above all else, obey Him. Perhaps only as often as I allow myself to wander among these two extremes of my Master will obedience really begin to characterize my life.
Why should I be afraid of One Who sacrifices Himself on my behalf? Why should I feel horror or terror from the One having made my relationship with Him possible? Why, if He has chosen me along with His people should I tremble in His presence? Because He causes both life and death. It doesn't make me feel "warm and fuzzy", it causes me to tremble; these extremes define His grace and mercy. And it is a terrifying thing to behold. That's one of the ways I know I'm beholding more of the truth of my Master, I tremble.
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