1 Samuel 15:3 "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them...

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3).

Question:

This is, indeed, a difficult passage to accept given what we know and believe about a God of infinite love. It's important to remember that according to Unity's understanding, the Bible is a progressive work. It's the story of our growing, unfolding understanding of our relationship to the Divine. If we believe in a God of punishment—as we do at early stages of our spiritual growth—then it's easy to believe that the inner voice telling us to wreak vengeance is the Voice of God. As we grow in our understanding, we realize that it is actually the voice of fear—the “monkey mind” that believes in the reality of our dualistic human experience. There is a quieter voice telling us to love our enemies—and that, in Truth, is the Voice for God.

Comment:

This is, indeed, a difficult passage to accept given what we know and believe about a God of infinite love. It's important to remember that according to Unity's understanding, the Bible is a progressive work. It's the story of our growing, unfolding understanding of our relationship to the Divine. If we believe in a God of punishment—as we do at early stages of our spiritual growth—then it's easy to believe that the inner voice telling us to wreak vengeance is the Voice of God. As we grow in our understanding, we realize that it is actually the voice of fear—the “monkey mind” that believes in the reality of our dualistic human experience. There is a quieter voice telling us to love our enemies—and that, in Truth, is the Voice for God.

  Blessings! Rev. Ed