April 6, 2006 - I Samuel 4-6 and Luke 9:1-17
Have you ever noticed that there are times when unbelievers act in a more honorable way than believers, who are in a similar situation? How could this happen? I think there are a variety of reasons it happens, but it is always a tragedy. It sends the wrong signals to the world, and Satan uses it to keep people from trusting God. This passage shows us one of those instances. Let's try to learn from it, and let's be resolved that it will not happen to us.
In chapter 4 Israel went out to fight the Philistines, but they did not pray to God for direction or for blessing before they went out. They were defeated, so they brought the Ark of the Covenant as a kind of good luck charm. Two unrighteous priests brought it to the camp. The people shouted for joy, but there was no repentance, no worship, and no prayer to God. The Philistines, on the other hand, acted wisely. They heard the shout, and they knew they needed to fight harder and be more determined in the face of these obstacles. In the second battle the Philistines killed 30,000 Israelites and took the Ark. It was a horrible defeat. Eli and his sons died. The grandson of Eli was named Ichabod, because the glory of God had departed from Israel. However, there is no mention of repentance or prayer, again. They did not turn to God, even after a terrible defeat. God was not on their radar screen, even though they were believers.
Chapter 5 tells us how God punished the Philistines while they had the Ark. Their idol fell down before the Ark, and their people came down with a plague like the bubonic plague. When this happened, they figured out that it was because of God. They were sensitive to what He was doing. Even though they were not believers, they could see His hand in all of the sickness and death. The Israelites did not make the same connection when their soldiers died. They went on with life as usual. Are you beginning to get the picture?
Then, in chapter 6 the Philistines devised a trespass offering to give to God as they sent the Ark back, so He would forgive them. Then, they even devised a test to make sure it was God who had sent the plague. It was an ingenious plan using two milk cows to pull the cart with the Ark. All of this was done to give glory to God. (v.5) They did not believe in Him as their God, but they knew He was doing all of this to them. Therefore, they acted as righteously as they knew how. However, when the Ark went back to Israel, they did not act righteously. Besides a feeble attempt to offer a burnt offering using the cart and the cows, the people did not give thanks to God; they did not pray or worship. The Levites opened up the Ark to look inside. They knew that God had forbidden them to do that. They people knew that was wrong, but they did it anyway. God killed 50,070 Israelites for this sin. The people still did not turn to God. They just wanted to send the Ark off to another tribe. The Philistines made a connection between God and what was happening, so they did their best to give Him glory and ask forgiveness. The Israelites did not make the connection. They went on in the flesh with life as usual. Believe me, I see this every day with believers. We get complacent and disoriented to God. We do not see Him in what is happening to us, and we do not seek Him or give Him glory. He can' t bless us when that is the case.
In Luke 9 we read about Jesus sending out the disciples to preach and to heal people. We also read about the feeding of the 5,000. However, tucked into this passage is a reference to Herod. He was not a believer. He had killed John, the Baptist. He heard about the miracles of Jesus. He heard what people were saying, so he wanted to see Jesus for Himself. There were many Jewish believers of that day who disliked Jesus, and they did not want to have anything to do with Him. They ended up having Him crucified. How could it be that an unbeliever was drawn to Jesus, but the believers rejected Him? It is all a heart condition. Some unbelievers turn their hearts to God by seeking Him. Some believers turn their hearts away from God, because they are basically self absorbed. This is a terrible testimony. Let's not ever allow it to happen to us. Let's set our hearts on God and keep them there.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 7-9 and Luke 9:18-36.
In chapter 4 Israel went out to fight the Philistines, but they did not pray to God for direction or for blessing before they went out. They were defeated, so they brought the Ark of the Covenant as a kind of good luck charm. Two unrighteous priests brought it to the camp. The people shouted for joy, but there was no repentance, no worship, and no prayer to God. The Philistines, on the other hand, acted wisely. They heard the shout, and they knew they needed to fight harder and be more determined in the face of these obstacles. In the second battle the Philistines killed 30,000 Israelites and took the Ark. It was a horrible defeat. Eli and his sons died. The grandson of Eli was named Ichabod, because the glory of God had departed from Israel. However, there is no mention of repentance or prayer, again. They did not turn to God, even after a terrible defeat. God was not on their radar screen, even though they were believers.
Chapter 5 tells us how God punished the Philistines while they had the Ark. Their idol fell down before the Ark, and their people came down with a plague like the bubonic plague. When this happened, they figured out that it was because of God. They were sensitive to what He was doing. Even though they were not believers, they could see His hand in all of the sickness and death. The Israelites did not make the same connection when their soldiers died. They went on with life as usual. Are you beginning to get the picture?
Then, in chapter 6 the Philistines devised a trespass offering to give to God as they sent the Ark back, so He would forgive them. Then, they even devised a test to make sure it was God who had sent the plague. It was an ingenious plan using two milk cows to pull the cart with the Ark. All of this was done to give glory to God. (v.5) They did not believe in Him as their God, but they knew He was doing all of this to them. Therefore, they acted as righteously as they knew how. However, when the Ark went back to Israel, they did not act righteously. Besides a feeble attempt to offer a burnt offering using the cart and the cows, the people did not give thanks to God; they did not pray or worship. The Levites opened up the Ark to look inside. They knew that God had forbidden them to do that. They people knew that was wrong, but they did it anyway. God killed 50,070 Israelites for this sin. The people still did not turn to God. They just wanted to send the Ark off to another tribe. The Philistines made a connection between God and what was happening, so they did their best to give Him glory and ask forgiveness. The Israelites did not make the connection. They went on in the flesh with life as usual. Believe me, I see this every day with believers. We get complacent and disoriented to God. We do not see Him in what is happening to us, and we do not seek Him or give Him glory. He can' t bless us when that is the case.
In Luke 9 we read about Jesus sending out the disciples to preach and to heal people. We also read about the feeding of the 5,000. However, tucked into this passage is a reference to Herod. He was not a believer. He had killed John, the Baptist. He heard about the miracles of Jesus. He heard what people were saying, so he wanted to see Jesus for Himself. There were many Jewish believers of that day who disliked Jesus, and they did not want to have anything to do with Him. They ended up having Him crucified. How could it be that an unbeliever was drawn to Jesus, but the believers rejected Him? It is all a heart condition. Some unbelievers turn their hearts to God by seeking Him. Some believers turn their hearts away from God, because they are basically self absorbed. This is a terrible testimony. Let's not ever allow it to happen to us. Let's set our hearts on God and keep them there.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 7-9 and Luke 9:18-36.