relationships (1 Samuel 6:1-21) To Stand

(1 Samuel 6:1-21)  Now the ark of the Lord had been in the territory of the Philistines for seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What are we to do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we may send it to its place.” 3 And they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel away, do not send it empty; but you shall certainly return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be revealed to you why His hand does not leave you.” 4 Then they said, “What is to be the guilt offering that we shall return to Him?” And they said, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice corresponding to the number of the governors of the Philistines, since one plague was on all of you and on your governors. 5 So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that are ruining the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, your gods, and your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not let the people go, and they left? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves back home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a saddlebag by its side. Then send it away that it may go. 9 But watch: if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done this great evil to us. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.”

10 Then the men did so: they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut in their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the saddlebag with the gold mice and the likenesses of their tumors. 12 Now the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went on the same road, bellowing as they went, and did not turn off to the right or to the left. And the governors of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were gathering in their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced at seeing it. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stopped there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the saddlebag that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the Lord. 16 When the five governors of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.

17 Now these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18 and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

19 Now He fatally struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to yourselves.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We all have been created with a free will, a conscience, and a soul intended for only God to fill, because He created us to have a personal relationship with Him.  But mankind brought sin into the world, and with that came both physical and spiritual death - a separation between us and God.  So now we all have the choice to make, do it our own way (the world's way), or choose God's way.  FYI - God desires that all come to know Him - personally!  It is then that the void in our soul is filled with God's Holy Spirit.

How the world attempts to fill that void, and how the world wants to view right from wrong is very linear, very limited and very self-serving.  Just so, to address their personal problems as it related to "the God of Israel", the Philistines naturally thought that God would want from them whatever they themselves would expect.  That, or they tried to be clever in attempts to placate and manipulate!  So they came up with the five golden tumors and five golden mice as a guilt offering, thinking that the value and the significance would suffice.  

All the Philistines needed to do was return the ark of the Lord.  But more than that, God would have LOVED for them to give their hearts to Him, which is the only way to "placate" God.  As well, it is the only way to fulfill and satisfy one's soul, and truly be healed.  The appropriate "guilt" offering is to repent and confess one's sins to the Lord, who is the only One able to forgive.  Yet even though they heard and remembered stories of how God dealt with Egypt, and even though they saw the power of God first hand, they chose to stay focused and dedicated to their gods, and to themselves.

We also see how some of the Israelites behaved in disobedience and suffered the consequences.  And still, after this happened, they asked with bewilderment and forgetfulness - "who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?"  Well, no one can!  One has to be holy in order to stand before the Holy One!

God cannot be fooled, bought or manipulated, and most certainly, we cannot take Him for granted.  So it is impossible for anyone to stand before God, except through faith in Jesus, forgiven and clothed in His righteousness.  Then, we can not only stand before God, but we can have a personal relationship with Him.  The best possible relationship we could ever have is with our heavenly Father who wants to so richly fill us and bless us for all eternity.  All He wants from us is our heart!

relationships (1 Samuel 5:1-12) Not to Disappoint

(1 Samuel 5:1-12) Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left. 5 For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He made them feel devastated and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 After they had taken it away, the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” 11 Therefore they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Because of the Israelites' sinful actions, the Philistines were able to win the battle and take the ark of the Lord.  Obviously God was not helpless without the Israelites' perfect obedience, and caused the Philistines to see that they should not have the ark in their possession at all.  So their brief victory turned into great anguish as they faced God's power and punishment!

There is both a warning and an encouragement in this.  For unbelievers, there is punishment, if not here on earth, there will be for all eternity.  The solution to this is simple: turn to the Lord to repent and believe in Him.

Believers live in the freedom and security of God's grace, knowing that God will never disown His children.  And even though churches and individual Christians will make mistakes, God is still able to carry out His will, without our perfect obedience.  Therefore, we do not have to live in fear, worrying about evil, or about losing our salvation, or about God's plans being thwarted.

At the same time, we should not desire to willfully sin.  The most important relationship we could ever have is with the Lord!  And it is when we are close to God that we can access the best possible help for all other relationships.

Of course we think and say that we don't want to disappoint our heavenly Father, yet we will still do such very stupid things, even on purpose.  The bigger danger is when we start thinking, "Eh, it's not such a big thing," or "It's okay, God's grace covers me..."  It does, but we should have remorse and regrets when we sin, no matter how "big" or "small" the sin is.  We have to know that while God punishes unbelievers, He will discipline His children!  But because God is the best, most caring and loving Father, we are to keep running back to Him to confess, and continue on in our walk with Him!  

(Proverbs 3:12) For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

(1 Corinthians 1:4-9) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Romans 6:15-18) What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it! 16 Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.

relationships (1 Samuel 4:1-22) Having Victory

(1 Samuel 4:1-22)  So the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and they camped beside Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped in Aphek. 2 Then the Philistines drew up in battle formation to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s take the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh, so that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord of armies who is enthroned above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord was coming into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will save us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 Take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; so be men and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the defeat was very great, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 Moreover, the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn, and dust on his head. 13 When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. And the man came to give a report in the city, and all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed and he could not see. 16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” And he said, “How are things, my son?” 17 Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great defeat among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are also dead; and the ark of God has been taken.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. And so he judged Israel for forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, because her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women who were standing by her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 So she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been taken.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

More than the ark of God, people should have realized that the glory is with God, Himself.  They should have been seeking out God's will in all these matters, instead of taking matters into their own hands and carrying out their own will.  Just to have the ark with them, is not the same as having God with them.

It is like how some people think they can just hold up a Bible and/or say some biblically-sounding-words to ward off evil, but it isn't the book itself or its words!  The power over evil, and the glory of victory is about actually trusting in the words found within the Bible - which is to trust in the Lord - because these are God's words.  

We can definitely trust in the Lord's power to carry out His will;  so it is not about trying to somehow get God onto our side, it is all about us joining God's side!  In these truths, we can then understand why it is so important to align ourselves with other believers!  For example, in a marriage, when both are on God's side, both are on the side of His glory and victory!  Same with a church, as it strives to put Christ first in everything that they do!  It is in God that we can share and experience His glory and victory, because it is only God who has the victory and the glory!

relationships (1 Samuel 3:14-21) Knowing Truth

(1 Samuel 3:15-21)  So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 He said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more so, if you hide a single word from me of all the words that He spoke to you!” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “He is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.”

19 Now Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and He let none of his words fail. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Since Samuel didn't know the Lord until that point, I can certainly understand Samuel's reluctance to relay the "bad news" he was to pass along to Eli.  But Eli knew God, and knew history quite well, so he saw the sense to insist on hearing God's word, even if it was going to be painful.  And every single word - because even the little words are crucial in any message - so they are extra crucial when the message comes from God!  Although Samuel felt fear when he had to deliver his first prophetic message, his confidence would have increased over time as he saw God fulfilling these prophecies.  

We now have the Bible, which contains a perfect record of God's prophecies and how they have all been fulfilled... except for the ones which are still to happen in the end times.  Having evidence of how God is faithful in carrying out His word, should give us confidence in Him.

It all works together.  The better we know God and who He is, the more we will trust Him and His word.  As we experience God working in our own lives and in the lives of those around us, we will clearly see and understand that who He is and what He says is truth.  Who are we to change anything God has said in His word?!  God will not honor that, but honor those who know and handle the scriptures accurately.  God gave the word to Samuel to speak, and then God fulfilled it.  God asks us to be bold and confident in sharing and living out the good news, so in this, God will give us His strength and guidance to do whatever He asks of us.

relationships (1 Samuel 3:1-14) Listen and Respond

(1 Samuel 3:1-14) Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days; visions were infrequent.

2 But it happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to be poor and he could not see well), 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, 4 that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son, go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him. 8 So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Then the Lord came and stood, and called as at the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am going to do a thing in Israel, and both ears of everyone who hears about it will ring. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken in regard to his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am going to judge his house forever for the wrongdoing that he knew, because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the wrongdoing of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Eli's sons did not seem good or nice, as they committed blatant, unrepentant sins, even after Eli feebly warned them.  So here the Lord told Eli that not even religious acts could save them.  The sacrificial system at that time provided only a temporary forgiveness.  It was more of a way for them to realize how sinful they were, and how much they needed the Lord.  So it doesn't matter how religious anyone is, just going through the motions will never save anyone.  

As for Samuel, up until this point he didn't even "know" the Lord yet, but he had been very good, responsible, and obedient, and was well-liked by the people.  Yet, still, it doesn't matter how good you are, this will never save anyone.  In order to become a child of God and get to heaven, one must be perfect.  And this is only possible by becoming a believer, which is to accept Jesus' free gift of righteousness and forgiveness for all our sins.  

The thing for everyone to realize is that we have to be listening for the Lord, who is calling us by name.  The question is, who is listening?  Who is the one who recognizes God's voice?  And who is the one deciding to follow after the Lord, and continue listening to His voice?  

Once a believer, even though God's grace guarantees that we cannot lose our salvation, are we striving to live obediently in His will?  If we are willfully sinning and behaving worse than the nice and good people of this unsaved world, we are bringing dishonor not only to ourselves, but to the Lord.  So as we strive in God's strength and guidance to be nice, and good, and responsible - there is fullness of peace and joy, with a higher purpose and calling.  

We are born again into God's family, and have a perfect heavenly Father to help us in all ways.  Then, as we ask and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, He will change us from the inside out in order to reflect God's goodness.  Just like a legitimate child, we should desire to "take after" and resemble our heavenly Father.