Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 1 Samuel 15:3
In the last session, we looked at an example of what it means to minister in the flesh(by the letter). We looked at 1 Samuel 15. Saul was instructed to utterly destroy them and all that they have. Samuel disobeys the Lord and he allows the king to live and he also keeps the best of the sheep and oxen and lambs:
But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. 1 Samuel 15:9
When Samuel confronts him on this, Saul uses logic and reason to explain what he did and why he did it. This is the carnal mind operating, or ministering by the “letter”:
Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” and Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:19-21
In this session we look at another example of what it is to minister in the “letter”, in forms, rituals and religion. We will look at Isaiah 58:
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6
If we go and do the “form” of religion but our heart is not right before the Lord, if our heart is in disobedience or rebellion then we are ministering in the flesh, by the “letter” and not in the spirit.
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