When All is Not Good in The Neighborhood

So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. – 1 Samuel 15:4-6 

I’ve lived in a lot of different places, and the Lord has always blessed me with good neighbors. And I truly hope that both my former neighbors and current ones feel the same about me! So many times I’ve had someone from our neighborhood bring me my mail or packages that had been mistakenly delivered to them, or knock on my door in the evening to let me know that my interior light was still on in my car parked in the driveway. Good neighbors truly are a gift from God! 

Unfortunately for the Kenites, their neighbors were anything but good. When the Amalekites moved in, crime skyrocketed and property values nosedived. They were proud of their reputation as enemies of Yahweh, and were always causing trouble. Especially for the Israelites. 

Through the prophet Samuel, God had given King Saul a direct command: “Destroy the Amalekites. Completely wipe them off the map!” So Saul musters over two-hundred thousand men, and then they head out to complete their mission. As they enter enemy territory, they realize that there are friendlies there, these Kenites, who had offered support and hospitality to their ancestors back when they were fleeing from Egypt. In fact, Moses’ father-in-law (Jethro) was a Kenite priest and had become a great help to Moses during their journey to Canaan. 

Saul was aware of who these Kenites were and their mutual good history with Israel, so he warned them to leave so they wouldn’t get caught up in the battle that was about to ensue. 

I don’t know about you, but if I woke up one morning and every house in my neighborhood had moving trucks in their driveways with people busily packing up everything they own to leave town, that would definitely grab my attention! But apparently the Amalekites were none the wiser. 

I think that embedded in these verses of 1st Samuel, there’s a lesson here for us: Be mindful of your associations.

As parents, isn’t this what we tell our children as they’re growing up? Isn’t this why we ask them, “Where are you going? Who are you hanging out with? What will you be doing?” We ask these questions because we care about how they’re being influenced. But then we must ask ourselves the same questions: Where are we going? Who are we hanging out with? What will we be doing?

Seeking friendships and associations that encourage us in our faith and help steer us toward godly living is vitally important. King Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 13:20, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” The people we surround ourselves with can influence our attitudes, behaviors, and spiritual growth too, no different from our children. 

Sometimes being mindful of our associations means recognizing when certain relationships are becoming harmful to our spiritual wellbeing. This doesn’t mean we’re to stop loving or praying for those people, but we may need to create some distance to safeguard our walk with God. 

Lastly, while it’s important to be mindful (maybe even cautious!) about our associations, it’s equally vital to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world.” Jesus doesn’t want us to ignore people; He wants us to be a shining example of His love and compassion! He wants us to be a positive influence to those around us, sharing the love of Christ. However, in doing so, we must remain firm in our convictions and, as Paul said in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”

Today’s prayer: Lord, please give me wisdom to choose my associations carefully. Help me to walk with those who draw me closer to You, and give me the courage to distance myself from influences that lead me away from Your path. Strengthen me to be a light to others without compromising my faith in You. Amen.