Greetings and Introductions

As I am publishing this discussion, it is the 6th day of the 12th month on Yah’s sacred calendar year, which translates to March 7, 2025. And we are potentially less than a month away from biblical Rosh HaShannah. As we near the end of this month, we’ll keep you apprised of the outcome of the barley crop and new moon searches in the Land of Yisra’el.

Support Qumran Family Foundations’ Kenya Ministry

As for today, we’re going to take a break from our Melchizedek series, at least for this Shabbat. Instead, I want to give some attention and honor to the Jewish observance known as Shabbat Zachor.

Our Torah and Haftorah Reading in Light of Where we are on the Calendar

This is a special Shabbat. It is special for two reasons. First, because of where it falls out on Yah’s sacred calendar. And second, because of what it represents and honors.

This special Sabbath is known to our Jewish cousins as Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance.

Calendar-wise, this is the Shabbat that precedes or that is before the Jewish holiday of Purim. If you are not familiar with Purim, it is the Jewish holiday that commemorates Queen Esther’s (aka Hadassah’s) intervention that saved her people from genocide during the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The entire story, including how the holiday of Purim came about, is recorded in the Book of Esther.

Most of our Jewish cousins who keep the Hillel calendar will celebrate Purim on Friday, March 14, 2025, while those of us who follow the observational calendar, Purim will occur next Sabbath, March 15, 2025.

Now, as it relates to Purim, there are a few things that we need to bear in mind. One, it is a Jewish holiday. It is not one of the seven-mandated Feasts or moedim of Yehovah. So, we are not compelled by the Almighty to keep or celebrate it if we are not led to. Second, Purim always occurs on the 14th day of the 12th month. Our Jewish cousins refer to this 12th month of Yah’s calendar year as Adar. If you’re not aware, for those of us who keep the observational calendar, the 12th month fell on this past Sunday, March 2nd. Third. We always reckon Jewish holidays and the Feasts or moedim of Yah starting at sundown the evening before the special day, and it ends at sundown on the special day.

I only brought up Purim for orienting us in relation to when Shabbat Zachor, or the Sabbath of Remembrance, occurs each calendar year. And like Purim, it is a Jewish tradition. It is not a holy convocation day. “Zachor” is a Hebrew term that means to remember or recall. Remember what? Recall what? Well, we’ll soon find out as we get further into today’s discussion.

Now, tradition holds that on this particular Sabbath each year, Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19 is read besides the scheduled weekly Torah Reading. Furthermore, 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is read as an additional Haftorah Reading.

The Commandment to Remember the Evil of Amalek

In honor of Shabbat Zachor or the Sabbath of Remembrance, let’s read Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19:

(17) “Remember what Amalěq did to you on the way as you were coming out of Mitsrayim, (18) how he met you on the way and attacked your back, all the feeble ones in your rear, when you were tired and weary. And he did not fear Elohim. (19) Therefore, it shall be, when יהוה your Elohim has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you blot out the remembrance of Amalěq from under the heavens. Do not forget!” (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), Dt 25:17–19)

So, we find recorded here in this passage mention of the unprovoked and vicious attack on the weakest members of our ranks by the Amalekites as we journeyed out of Egypt, on our way to Mount Sinai. That incident is recorded in Exodus/Shemot 17: 8-16.

Yah, in mentioning this brutal, unprovoked attack by the Amalekites, commands us to remember what the Amalekites did to us on that terrible day. And in Moshe’s instruction to us to remember the evil of Amalek, we were further instructed to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens” (verse 19).

The Lesson of King Saul and Samuel

We find recorded in 1 Samuel 15:2-34 the story of our first king, Saul/Shaul, whom Yehovah commanded through the Prophet/Judge Samuel to go to battle against the Amalekites. In that commandment to war against the Amalekites, Saul was supposed to annihilate every living soul and destroy all their possessions with extreme prejudice. Saul complied with Abba’s command and took his warriors to battle against the Amalekites. Although Saul was successful in his campaign against Amalek, he captured the Amalekite king Agag alive, took possession of some of their choicest livestock, which he later claimed he intended to use for sacrifices unto Yehovah. Furthermore, Saul allowed his men to lay hold of some of the Amalekite’s valuable possessions.

This blatant disregard by Saul to carry out Yehovah’s instructions to the letter infuriated Yehovah. Thus, Yah dispatched the Prophet/Judge Samuel to confront Saul and make him answer for his transgression.

In responding to Samuel’s allegations that he failed to follow Yehovah’s commandments to destroy every Amalekite living soul and possession, Saul admitted to giving in to the desires of his warriors and his own heart and reasoning on the matter. But the king justified his failure to obey Yehovah by stating his intention to sacrifice the livestock unto Yehovah.

But Samuel cut Saul’s lame excuses off by putting the concept of unwavering obedience to the instructions of Yehovah into proper perspective for him:

“Does Yehovah take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of Yehovah? Behold, obedience is better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22; LXX).

And it is at this point in the confrontation between Samuel and Saul that the prophet delivered unto Saul the harsh blow that because of his blatant disregard for Yehovah’s explicit commands, He was going to strip Saul of his throne (15: 23, 26, 28):

(23) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign. (24) And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ěl, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of יהוה and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. (25) And now, please pardon my sin, and return with me, and let me bow myself to יהוה.

(26) But Shemu’ěl said to Sha’ul, “I do not return with you, for you have rejected the word of יהוה, and יהוה does reject you from being sovereign over Yisra’ěl.” (27) And as Shemu’ěl turned around to go away, Sha’ul took hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore. (28) And Shemu’ěl said to him, “יהוה has torn the reign of Yisra’ěl from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, better than you. (The Scriptures, 3rd edition (Northriding: ISR, 2009), 1 Sa 15:23–28)

Pretty powerful words and principles, wouldn’t you say?

The Amalekites Possessed no Fear of God

Circling back to our Reading of Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19, Moshe reminds his listeners, who were preparing to seize the Land of Promise, of the Amalekite incident. Moshe stresses to this righteous generation that they must remember — they must “Zachor” — what Amalek did to their parents during our exodus out of Egypt. And he adds depth to the Amalek story by reminding his listeners that Amalek was a merciless adversary who took advantage of the members who were bringing up our rear. He described those members who were bringing up our rear as being tired and hungry. Yet Amalek attacked them because “he did not fear Elohim” (25:18).

How could the Amalekites be devoid of any fear of Yehovah? They’d no doubt heard stories of what Yehovah did to our former Egyptian taskmasters and the unfathomable wonders and exploits Yah wrought on our behalf. Yet the Amalekites showed no respect — no fear of Elohim. And thus, Amalek’s attack was much more of an attack against Yehovah than it was against us, Yah’s covenant people.

And so, Moshe declared to us that after we peacefully settle in the Land of Promise, we were to “blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven” (25:19), which the Haftorah Reading of 1 Samuel 15:2-34 is about.

Why the Command to Zachor/Remember the Evil of Amalek?

So, why is it important to remember the Amalek incident, and why are these readings tied to this Sabbath?

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. Scripture assigns another name to Esau: that of Edom. So, the Amalekites were Edomites.

Recall that Esau was Ya’achov’s or Jacob’s older brother. And despite Esau being the older of the two, Yehovah chose Ya’achov/Jacob to perpetuate the covenant He’d established with their father Yitschaq/Isaac. And thus, the covenant birthright was passed on to Ya’achov/Jacob.

Thus began the age-old feud between Jacob/Ya’achov and Esau. And although the Amalekites were simply biological descendants of Esau or Edom, they embodied — they were possessed by the spirit of Esau. The spirit of Esau/Edom is one that seeks to destroy Ya’achov/Jacob (aka Yisra’el) and her purpose. Even worse, the spirit of Esau/Edom is one that endeavors, tirelessly so, to undermine and stymie Yah’s holy and righteous will and purpose. And this is why Yah commanded us to remember what they did and what they’re about, and to ensure that they were entirely whipped out.

The essence and spirit of Esau or the Amalekites, in one form or another, has and continues to attack us generation after generation. Each one of our generations faces a corresponding generation of Amalekites whose expressed purpose is to destroy us as Yehovah’s set-apart people and to undermine Yah’s will and purpose on this earth.

As we previously mentioned, next weekend, many of us will, in some form or another, celebrate or observe Purim. The arch-protagonist of Purim is Haman, whom the author of the Book of Esther identifies as the son of Hammedatha. Haman was a high-level Persian official of Ahasuerus’ Empire. Through political manipulation, he finagled a royal edict from the Persian King to have every Jew in the Persian Empire exterminated. Esther, a Jewess turned queen, interceded on behalf of her people, and the kill order was mitigated.

Jewish tradition has it that Haman was of Edomite or Amalekite heritage (Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, 11.6.5). This belief that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite lineage is often used to explain why he sought the destruction of the Jewish nation. But many bible scholars poo-poo the accuracy of the tradition that Haman was of Edomite/Amalekite heritage. Nevertheless, even if Haman was not an Edomite, he and his cohort possessed the spirit of Esau or Edom. He was just another Luciferian proxy charged by the enemy to exterminate Yah’s covenant people. And so, like the Greeks and the Romans that would later emerge on the world’s scene, he was a willing proxy and emissary of the Kingdom of Darkness who’s stated and avowed goal is to destroy Yehovah’s set-apart people. But each time the enemy sends forth another Amalek to exterminate us, Yehovah raises those He equips to withstand them, such as He did with Mordecai and Queen Esther.

Nothing has changed, however, throughout the centuries. The generational Amalekites are always concocting ploys to defy Yehovah and harm His people. And this is why Yehovah commanded us in our reading today to remember — “Zachor” — Amalek and His evil deeds. Zachor then means to place that key historical event of Amalek preying upon the members of our nation who were bringing up our rear as we journeyed to Sinai as a memorial. Yah commands us not only to zachor that event, but to teach and discuss the merits of that event (Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Lexicon; page 324).

Indeed, the latest iteration of Amalek and the perpetuation of the spirit of Esau is seen in the people of Gaza who go by the faux moniker of Palestinians and their Hamas henchmen. These tried their best to annihilate our Jewish cousins on October 7, 2023. And because of their hastan infused hatred for Yehovah and his people, many hundreds of Israeli citizens and soldiers and countless thousands of their own people have lost their lives. Even amid ceasefire and peace talks, these Amalekites continue to spew and perpetuate their ultimate intent to, one way or another, destroy Yah’s covenant people. And if that weren’t enough, their evil spirit of Esau/Edom has perpetuated and propagated itself throughout the world: on the streets of U.S. and European nations, as well as on countless college and university campuses. I can’t help but wonder, if the hearts of these misguided and evil souls were softened, and they had at least a modicum of fear for Yehovah, would they repent from their evil ways?

This is why it is so important to pray daily for the peace of Yerushalayim (Psa 122:6).

Regardless, beloved, it’s going to take Yeshua returning to this world, eliminating the Kingdom of Darkness and its minions, and establishing His eternal and righteous throne in the Kingdom of Yah, in order for the spirit of Esau/Edom to be vanquished from this earth.

The Takeaway of Shabbat Zachor

For we who are the redeemed of Yehovah today, it behooves us to hold in remembrance (i.e. zachor) the reality of Amalek throughout our history and his persistent efforts to stymie Yehovah’s will and purpose, and to destroy Yehovah’s set apart people. We remember or zachor these things by rehearsing the story in our hearts, minds, and among members in our assemblies. Recognize, understand, and watch for the modern-day Amaleks that are lurking about in the world. These seek to robe us of our opportunities to walk in Torah and worship the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov; and to advance and promote the coming Malchut Elohim/the Kingdom of Yah. To image Yehovah in all the world.

Shammai Engelmayer, in his article entitled “Why we must Remember Amalek,” goes even further by suggesting that the most formidable Amalek that any of us will have to face throughout our walk with Mashiyach/Messiah is the Amalek from within.

We all possess Amaleks within us. For whenever we resist obeying Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness; whenever we quench Abba’s set-apart Spirit operating in our lives; whenever we give in to our base nature and turn our backs on holiness and righteousness; whenever we neglect or refuse to teshuvah after transgressing Yah’s Torah or offending him by our actions, evil thoughts, and ungodly words; whenever we fail to study and embrace Yah’s Words of Life because our flesh is too weak to fend off the slings and arrows of the enemy, we entertain and permit the spirit of Esau-Amalek-Edom to reign over our lives. We must annihilate — blot out — that inner Amalek with extreme prejudice and wipe it from all remembrance. All of which is to say, beloved: Let us examine ourselves daily and flesh out the Amalek and the spirit of Esau/Edom that may take up residence within us. Let us seek Yehovah’s help in ridding ourselves of it.

Thus, let us take Shabbat Zachor to heart in 2025, for it is through this critical annual rehearsal- this remembrance that we become better prepared to deal with the Amalekites that encroach upon our lives and that hinder our walk in Messiah.

Have a meaningful and blessed Shabbat Zachor beloved.