War Room Report

Esau, Amalek, Haman and Hamas: Connecting the Dots

November 6, 2023 /
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They call on chariots, they call on horses, but we call on the name of Hashem our God.  Psalm 20:7, The Israel Bible

by Laura Densmore

In the words of Jeremy Gimpel, Israel is currently facing a battle on three different levels: 

There is a literal battle with boots on the ground, the kinetic war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Most folks are following that story pretty closely.

There is an Ideological battle in the minds and the hearts of Israelis, liberal v/s conservative, Religious v/s Secular.

And there is a Spiritual battle that is being waged in the heavens. This article will focus on that spiritual battle. What is the spirit behind Hamas? How will Israel fight and overcome that evil spirit?

Many teachers on both the Jewish and Christian side of the aisle are postulating that the Hamas operatives are motivated and energized by the spirit of Amalek. Is that true? If so, what does that mean? How do we overcome the spirit of Amalek?

Roots of the Spiritual Conflict: Jacob & Esau

Before we get to Amalek, we must begin with Esau. The conflict between these twin boys began in the womb:

But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
And the LORD said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.
Afterward, his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Genesis 25:22-26

I believe Jacob has been misunderstood over the centuries. He has been accused of being a “supplanter” and a “deceiver”. Yet when we look at this struggle that started from within the womb, I believe Esau had murder in his heart for his brother, even before he was born.  Instead of believing that Jacob was supplanting his brother by catching hold of his heel, perhaps this is what really happened: Esau was trying to crush the soft part of his brother’s skull with his foot… to kill him.  Jacob reached up with his hand to protect the soft part of his skull from being crushed.

This next verse tells us more about the character of these two boys:

So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. Genesis 25:27

Esau is a man of the fields, he is a hunter. Hunters are cunning, they stalk their prey, and they kill. Esau was a man of the world; he was carnal, bloody, and a killer.

But Jacob was a man who “dwelt in tents” or “stayed in camp”.  This is a Hebrew idiom for this: Jacob loved to study the Torah. That is why he “dwelt in the tent” and stayed in camp!

Esau Hates Jacob!

Again, we find that Jacob is much maligned in this next part of the story. He is accused by Esau, and by many bible teachers, of “stealing the blessing” from his brother Esau. Yet, Rebecca, Jacob’s mother, is the one who instructed Jacob to do the following:

So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me the game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.’ “Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. Genesis 27:6-8

Jacob had objections, but in the end, he obeyed his mother. Why did Rebekah instruct her son Jacob to pretend to be Esau, to receive the blessing from his father Isaac?  I believe it was because she remembered the prophesy that the LORD revealed to her when she was carrying the twin boys in her womb:

And the LORD said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

Jacob valued the birthright. Esau despised it and sold it for a bowl of soup. Jacob loved the Torah. Esau was a man of the fields.

Jacob was being obedient to his mother in doing what he did. And, Jacob’s father brings forth the fulfillment of the prophecy as Isaac speaks these words over Jacob:

Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!” Genesis 27:29

When Esau learns that his father has given his blessing to his brother Jacob he cries out with an exceedingly bitter cry.

When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!” Genesis 27:34

And that begins the root of bitterness between them.  A bitter root defiles many. It is a poisonous well of hate that many generations drink from.

So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Genesis 27:41

What Does the God of Israel Say About Jacob and Esau?

Was Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the LORD,
“Yet Jacob I have loved;
But Esau I have hated…
Malachi 1:2-3

Why does God hate Esau? Esau had baseless hatred for his brother, Jacob. He had murder in his heart, even from within the womb. Esau and the spiritual descendants of Esau have spilled much Jewish blood over the centuries. And much blood was spilled on October 7.

Moses’ Battle with Amalek:

Now let’s move on to Amalek. Amalek is the grandson of Esau, as it is written in Genesis 36: 9-12:

And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir. These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, and Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. Genesis 36:9-12

Moses' Battle With Amalek

The first battle with Amalek is recorded in Exodus 17:8-13, and Moses fights this battle:

Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some 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 said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Take note of this: While Joshua and his men fight the kinetic “boots-on-the-ground” battle with Amalek, at the SAME TIME, Moses is fighting the spiritual battle, by interceding and praying for them. When Moses’ hands droop, they begin to lose the battle, but as long as Moses’ hands are lifted up, Israel prevails.

This gives us a GREAT EXAMPLE of how there are two levels of battle happening at the same time: the kinetic boots-on-the-ground battle, and the spiritual battle, fought and won in prayer!

What is Amalek's Strategy in Battle?

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 answers this question:

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, “how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God.

 “Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget. Deuteronomy 25:17-19

The Last King of Amalek was King Agag. Saul was directed by God to annihilate ALL of the Amalekites, men, women, and children.

Saul's Battle With Amalek

Saul is given his orders from the LORD:

Samuel also said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now, therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ‘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: 1-3

 Saul does NOT obey the Lord. He allows the King of Amalek, King Agag, to live.

He also keeps the best of the sheep, fatlings, oxen, and lambs. Because of his disobedience, Saul is rejected as King by the LORD:

“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night. 1 Samuel 15:11

The next day, Samuel the Priest confronts King Saul:

Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”  But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
1 Samuel 15:13-14

Because King Agag, the last king of Amalek, is allowed to live, the genealogy of hatred towards Jews lived on and is passed down through the generations and we see another character emerge with a genocidal hatred of the Jews: Haman. We will come back to him. But now let’s look at King David’s encounter with Amalek.

David's Battle With Amalek

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep. 
1 Samuel 30: 1-4

What was the battle strategy deployed here by Amalek?  They TOOK CAPTIVE the women and children at Ziklag! David and his men are heartbroken!  What does David do?

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

And then, he does something VERY IMPORTANT. It is something that we often forget to do, and we go charging out, rushing ahead, leaning on our own understanding and strength: David INQUIRES of the LORD, He PRAYS, He SEEKS the mind of the LORD. And Hashem answers him:

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” 1 Samuel 30:8

Amalek took captives from David’s camp at Ziklag. Similarly, we see that Hamas, in their hatred of Jews, took some 240 Jews captive. We continue to pray earnestly and cry out to the LORD for their soon rescue and return to their families!

Gideon's Battle With Amalek

The Midianites and Amalekites gathered together in the Valley of Jezreel to come against Gideon and his people. Judges 6:33

Gideon is a little insecure so he puts the LORD through a fleece test, twice (see Judges 6:36-40).

The LORD passes these two tests, and finally, Gideon is ready to go to battle against the Amalekites and Midianites. But the LORD says this to him:

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are  too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Judges 7:2

The LORD wants ALL the credit, all the glory when the battle is won. So God whittles down Gideon’s army from thousands to just 300 men. And a tremendous victory happens, as Gideon’s army of 300 takes the enemy by surprise:

Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” And every man stood in his place all around the camp, and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. Judges 7:20-22

Jew Hatred: From Esau… to Amalek… to Haman

We can trace a toxic lineage of hatred towards Jacob that is passed down through the generations.  Esau hated Jacob. Esau’s grandson is Amalek. And from Esther 3:1, we see that Haman is King Agag’s descendant:

After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

Remember, Saul allowed King Agag to live, though he was told to kill ALL the Amalekites. Saul spared King Agag’s life, and a few generations later, from the loins of King Agag, the Jewish people are now faced with the genocidal maniac, Haman.  

This Jew-hatred is hard-wired into Haman’s genes:

When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him honor, Haman was filled with rage. But it was repugnant in his eyes to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him the identity of Mordecai’s people. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.  Esther 3:5-6

Summary: What are the Characteristics of Amalek?

Though it would be virtually impossible to discern who the literal descendants of Amalek are today, we can discern the SPIRIT of Amalek based on behavior. What are the characteristics of Amalek?

*There is deep-seated and baseless hatred of Jews, rooted in Esau’s hatred of Jacob. (Genesis 27:41)
*They attack the stragglers, the weak, and the vulnerable. (Deuteronomy 25:17-19)
*They take captives. (David at Ziklag, 1 Sam 30:1-2)
*Amalek seeks the total genocide of the Jewish people (see Haman, Esther 3:5-6)

When we look at the behavior of Hamas and those who support them, I believe we can see that the spirit behind their behavior is the spirit of Esau, Amalek, and Haman. And it is truly demonic.

What is God's Command Concerning Amalek?

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called its name, The LORD-Is-My-Banner for he said, “Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17: 14-16

End of Days Conflict is A Spiritual Warfare Conflict

Jacob’s spiritual descendants are those who LOVE the God of Israel, Love His word, the Torah, and love Israel.  This can include both Jews and Christians.

Esau and Amalek’s spiritual descendants are those who HATE the God of Israel, they despise His Word (the Torah) and they hate the nation of Israel and the Jewish people of Israel.

As thousands of radical Islamists, and thousands of woke liberal leftists paint swastikas on buildings where Jews live, burn Israeli flags, and chant “gas the Jews” at their demonstrations, this is the expression of an ancient and baseless hatred that all began with Esau’s hatred of Jacob.

Pro-Hamas demonstrators like to chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Translation: Israel will no longer exist as a nation, and all the Jews will be cast into the sea.

The demonstrations that we see in the natural are fueled by a demonic spirit rooted in the spirit of Esau, Amalek, and Haman.

And so, we must fight in the spirit realm through prayer. Where do we begin? We must begin with repentance (teshuva).

What must Israel Do? (and We Who Stand With Her?)

We must go inward. We must humble ourselves and repent. Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel speaks with transparency and humility about “going inward” and repenting in this video clip about the “sifting process”:

WATCH NOW (3 MINS)

You could eradicate every single Hamas operative and it would not solve the problem.

That’s fighting in the natural, but there is also a spiritual battle that must be fought…and won, through prayers of repentance (teshuva).

Permission slips (through the door of sin) have been granted to the enemy allowing the spirit of Amalek to come in and ravage and destroy. Those permission slips need to be canceled through prayers of repentance.

Here are a few permission slips that I see we can repent of to spiritually “close the door” to evict and eject the spirit of Esau, Amalek, and Haman OUT of the land of Israel:

*We must repent and turn away from pride and turn in humble dependence on the God of Israel.   
*We must repent and turn away from abortion.  (We have blood on our hands)
*We must repent of any anger, unforgiveness, or bitterness (the Hamas within us) and walk in true forgiveness.
*We must repent and turn away from sins of sexual immorality.  
*We must repent of the sin of rebellion. (it is as witchcraft)
*We must repent of inner idols of the heart (anything that we trust in or depend on other than the God of Israel)

Once the inner cleansing of the soul happens, through personal and national repentance,  then Israel can win this battle against Hamas!

Israel cannot afford to have idols of the heart. Israel must not lean on her own strength, or depend on her technology, weapons, the IDF, or the US military.  Israel must trust in Hashem and Hashem ALONE for their deliverance and victory! That is when Israel will prevail. That is when the spirit of Amalek will finally be blotted out from the earth! May it be so, soon and quickly!

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