WHILE many Christians may be willing to accept as true, and possibly as axiomatic, the statement made by Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health (p. 320), that "the one important interpretation of Scripture is the spiritual," yet how few Bible students, before they learned something of Christian Science, had really interpreted "the Bible texts in their spiritual import" (Quarterly, Explanatory Note) and been able to apply their spiritual meaning to the destruction of evil conditions. In fact, Christian Scientists generally are just beginning to appreciate something of the far-reaching effect of the great truth embodied in that sentence.
A careful study of the seventeenth chapter of Exodus, with an honest desire to ascertain its "spiritual import" and a sincere determination to apply its teachings, will reveal an important lesson to all who will make the effort. We are there told that Amalek came and fought with Israel; that after Moses had made all necessary preparations for the conflict, he withdrew and stood on the top of a hill, where with the "rod of God" in his hand he observed the entire battle; that while Joshua commanded the hosts of Israel as they fought the armies of Amalek, Moses, Aaron, and Hur remained on the hilltop. The narrative further states that "when Moses held up his hand, . . . Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed;" that in course of time "Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, . . . and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword."
Amalek may be taken to represent a type of the belief in evil. We find numerous references in the Old Testament to Amalek, and in nearly every case we find that as a tribe the Amalekites were persistent in their efforts at harassing and making war upon the children of Israel. Gideon, Saul, and even David, had to encounter them at different times. In the twenty-fifth chapter of Deuteronomy Amalek is referred to as he who "feared not God," and the children of Israel were there commanded that they should blot out their remembrance of Him. As Amalek typifies evil, so Israel typifies good, and the battle between Amalek and Israel here described may be taken to typify the struggle which seems to be going on constantly,—a conflict between the seeming forces of evil and the powers of good.
