Loving the Defenseless

Richard Foster wrote, “If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer. Intercession is a way of loving others.”

Exodus 17, verse 8 says,

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

Who were these Amalekites? They were a tribe of people, descendants of Esau, who lived just south of Israel. Esau was Jacob’s twin brother. Jacob, of course, was the forefather of the Jewish people. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So the Amalekites were distant cousins of the Jews. Yet throughout the Old Testament, we see the Amalekites regularly attacking the Jews! It’s happening here in Exodus 17. It happens a year later when the Israelites are trying to enter the Promised Land. In happens two hundred years later, when Gideon, an Israelite, is forced to fight the Amalekites. Then centuries later, the prophet Samuel and King David go to war against the Amalekites. And four centuries after David, during the reign of King Hezekiah, there are the Israelites again fighting the Amalekites. The last mention of the Amalekites in the Old Testament is in the book of Esther. At least a thousand years after the event here in Exodus 17, a descendant of the Amalekites named Haman tried to cause a holocaust among the Jews. Haman’s plot was discovered, and he was hanged for his crime.

Now, why is there so much hostility between the Israelites and the Amalekites? I think we find at least two reasons in the Old Testament. First, the Amalekites particularly targeted the weak and the poor in their attacks. Deuteronomy 25 says,

Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God (Deuteronomy 25:17-18).

The Amalekites were like predators who targeted the sick, aged and infirm of Israel, who lagged behind the rest of the people in their movement across the desert.

Do you know God always has a special concern for the poor, the sick, the homeless, the defenseless, the unborn child, older adults and those who can’t make it on their own? God has a special concern for the weak. God hates it when the poor are ripped off, when they’re sold unnecessary services, or over-priced goods because they have no options, because they don’t have another way to shop or don’t know what to buy.

God hates it when someone is abused by the legal system because they don’t have any money. God will judge those who abuse the legal system. God hates it when sales people, contractors and attorneys rip off the elderly. He will judge those who take advantage of older adults. God hates it when people are discriminated against because of their race, religion or simply because they have no family or support system to fall back on. He will judge the bigot. God hates it when the defenseless unborn are cut out of the womb because they have no advocate. He will judge the abortionist. God hates it when kids are bullied, mocked and pushed around. God stands on the side of the poor. God stands on the side of the weak. God stands on the side of the disabled. God stands on the side of the unborn, the widow, and the widower. It’s an act of love to pray for the weak, the person who has no one to cry out on their behalf.

Do you know anyone who has no one to defend them, no one to take up their cause? Along with advocacy before human institutions, it’s a great act of love for you to advocate someone’s case before the Lord in prayer.