1 Samuel 3-5

Introduction

For you here, we’re in the book of 1 Samuel, chapters 3 through 5. Got some interesting things to talk about and some challenging things to talk about. Normally, by way of review, I would cover the questions in our lesson book. Since we’ve now gone beyond our lesson book. And you don’t have a question book, but you’ve got an answer book. This is going to be like Jeopardy. I’m going to give you the answer, which you’ve got in your book, and you tell me the question. This person said, By strength no man shall prevail. In 1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2, who made that statement? By strength shall no man prevail. Yeah. Didn’t phrase it as a question, though. Who was Hannah? Who was Hannah? She had an incredible prayer.

1. By Strength No Man Shall Prevail

It was really a great prayer. The question was asked, Was she inspired? Well, we don’t know that for certain, but what she says is in accordance with what inspired writers have written. Look at what she said in chapter 2 and verse 9. Right after that phrase, for by strength no man shall prevail, the adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces. Based upon the context, it appears that she had in mind the corrupt priesthood that was having such a negative influence on the nation of Israel. Just a few lines later, at the end of chapter uh verse 10, she says, He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. Israel didn’t have a king at this point in time. But the intent of the statement is clearly that he will exalt the ruler of his people.

Who’s the ruler of his people at this time? God’s the king. God’s the king. The priest, you could say, would be his anointed, and you’ll see in chapter 2 and verse 35. Yes, the Lord will exalt his anointed, but it’s not going to be Eli and his sons. Because he says they will be put out. Verse 35 of chapter 2, then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart, and in my mind I will build him a sure house, and he will walk before my anointed forever. The anointed is simply the one chosen by God. And so Messiah is the anointed one. We’ll see that kings or anointed ones. When Saul was inaugurated to be king, he was anointed by the priest.

When David was chosen to be king, he was anointed by the priest with oil, as one chosen by God. Who is this faithful priest that would be raised up? A lot of controversy on that. Short answer that I have is when we look at what happens in the time of Solomon, we find Abiathar, who is a descendant of Eli, taken out of the office of high priest, and the high priesthood cemented in Zadok and his descendants. You see that also in chapters 45 of Ezekiel. So yes, he raised up Zadok, a faithful priest. I think that’s the certainly required here in the context, but I don’t think it would be limited to that. Some have said, well, that’s the Christ. And certainly Christ as a high priest is great far greater than a Zadok priesthood.

But it wouldn’t be out of character for them to talk about a close-term fulfillment and a long-term fulfillment. Just as you’ll find in the book of Isaiah in chapter 7, when he talks about the child that would be born. The context demands an immediate fulfillment. For this was a sign to this king of the salvation that God would provide. And yet, the prophet also sees something far reaching. Because even after the fulfillments recorded in chapter 8 and chapter 9, he continues talking about a child that would be born, making it evident that in one picture he sees two events. Could be the same thing here. Zadok and then Christ. But don’t miss the focus point. The focus point is God’s kingdom is not stopped and fallen because of the priesthood.

God said, Because the priesthood is corrupt, I will take them away and I will establish a faithful priest. That shows a picture of God being faithful to his people. And that’s a tremendous assurance for us. That God cares for his people. It’s not about power. For by strength of man shall no man prevail. Question 2. This person said, Let the Lord establish his word. Who said, Let the Lord establish his word? That could be said of any godly person at any point in time, right? But in this context, when Hannah tells her husband about her choice that she’s made to not deliver the child to Eli, although she’s committed to lend her child to the Lord as long as he lives. He says, I’m not going to deliver him until he’s been weaned.

And Al Cana responds, only let the Lord establish his word. This character of Al Cana and Hannah is truly remarkable. Together they are truly trying to serve God. This person grew in stature and in favor, both with the Lord and with men.

Who was Samuel and who was Jesus? Yeah, almost exactly the same phrase is used for both of these. And we remember that Samuel was to be a Nazarite. His mother said, Let no razor come on his head. He was to be dedicated to the Lord, lent to the Lord all the days of his life. This name means God has bought or acquired. What did you say, Rob? Okay. No. The man whom God has bought or acquired actually is Al Cana. Alcana, we talked about he was a member of the priesthood, or he was a member, he was a Levite. Let me put it this way. He was a Levite. And the Levites were those that God had bought or acquired. And Kyle and Dalich in their commentary point out that every time we see the name Al Cana, always a Levite.

Samuel, his name, what did that mean? Does anybody recall? You got a footnote in your Bible? Heard by God, heard by God. Absolutely. Here’s an obscure reference. This phrase means daughter of Belial. You might have a footnote in your Bible if you read the footnotes that brings this out. But if you look in chapter 1, when Hannah is talking to Eli, and verse 16, she says, Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman. You might have a footnote in your Bible that says literally daughter of Belial. And in chapter 2, when it talks about the priests, Hosni and Penny has they were corrupt. You might have a footnote in your Bible there that says literally son of Belial. So the question might be, what is a son of Belial?

The word Belial is used some 16 times in the King James translation. You may see it in your New Testament in 2 Corinthians 6.15, where he talks about do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what accord has Christ with Belial.

2. The Word of the Lord Was Rare in Those Days

And by correlation, it’s been attributed to Satan, because he is the one who has rejected God, and therefore he is without worth, without value. And so a daughter of Belial or son of Belial would simply be a follower of Satan. So what accord has Christ with Satan? Christ with rejection with God. So when it says wicked woman or corrupt, someone who has rejected God. Okay, let’s get into our lesson in chapter three. Um it says the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days, there was no widespread revelation.

Doesn’t say why there was no widespread revelation. If you look back and and you merely look at the literary prophets, when were the literary prophets most active?

No, uh a literary prophets. Yes. I’m not sure that I’ve got to there. Now Moses is. I’m not thinking about dates. I’m talking about situations. In what situations were the literary prophets most active.

Well, there were prophets before then. Isaiah was before then. When there was a neighbor of communication or when was there a need for communication?

Yeah. Times of crisis. That’s when we think of prophets, we think of there’s a crisis. God, and that was the work of the prophet, wasn’t it? To turn the people back to God. Why was it necessary to turn them back to God? Because they had departed. Uh certainly they had departed here. And it’s interesting that it says that the word of the Lord was rare in those days, and there was no widespread revelation, and yet this was a time of departure, obviously a time of need. Don’t know why it says this, but it could be because the people had rejected what God had given. Sometimes when people reject God, he doesn’t continue to send them. Revelation over and over again. But yet he had not stopped.

We know back in chapter 2 and verse 27, there was a man of God that came to Eli and spoke to Eli and tried to turn him and his children back to him. So it wasn’t as though God had left them entirely. But it wasn’t widespread. This is a preparation statement for what’s going to come in the next few verses. Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see. And it was the time before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was. And while Samuel was lying down to sleep. The fact that it was before the lamp had gone out, some commentators say simply before dawn.

As you recall, the lamp of the tabernacle was to be lit in the evening. And it was to burn through the night. It was a symbol to the people of God’s abiding and continual presence. And so before it had been extinguished in the early morning, that is during the middle of the night, Samuel was lying down to sleep, and the Lord called Samuel and he said, Here am I. And he ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. One thing we might infer from that is that this calling sounded like a person. Because he thought it was Eli. And again the Lord called, and the second time, same thing happens. The third time, the same thing happens. Verse 8. The Lord called Samuel again the third time, and he arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you did call me.

And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. This tells us something about Eli. He understood how God worked. He was his high priest. And near as we can tell, he was a holy man. Sons were not, but it appears that he was. And he knew what to do. And he tells Samuel, Go lie down, and it shall be if he calls you, that you must say, speak, Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and laid down his place, and the Lord came and called, as at other times. In a voice that sounded like a man. He could be heard, he could be understood. Samuel was not in a vision. He was not in a dream. He was apparently awake and able to respond as Eli told him to.

3. He Did Not Restrain Them

And so the Lord came and stood and called as at other times. And Samuel Samuel and Samuel answered, Speak for your servant hears. And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. Probably tingle with horror or fear because of what’s going to happen. Judgment. In that day I will perform against Eli and all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows. Because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. Noted Wednesday would place upon Eli is, your sons are bad, therefore you raised them wrong, therefore you have sinned.

God doesn’t say that. He says, Your sons are bad, and you have not restrained them. The sons are responsible for their own vile and corrupt behavior. The father is not guilty of the sins of the son. Ezekiel chapter 18. Neither are the son responsible for the sins of the father. Each soul shall die for his own sin. But Eli was to blame. He did not restrain them. And this is not something new, certainly to Eli. Eli knew this complaint against that God had against him in chapter 2 and verse 27, as we read. A man of God came to Eli and said to him, Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt? Did I not choose him that is Aaron out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest?

In verse 29, he accuses Eli. He says, Why did you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation? And you honor your sons more than me. So Eli knew of this complaint. This wasn’t new to Eli, but this is to Samuel.

Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.

Did he not say in Jeremiah 18 that when I pronounce destruction against a nation, that if they repent, I will relent? Doesn’t this sound out of character with God? Sarah has a comment.

Okay, this is a little bit different from the case of the one who touched the ark and there was no opportunity. There was opportunity here, wasn’t there? When is it that God will not accept atonement or expiation?

Even after God has sent messages to Eli and Judah to son, they ultimately rebelled, and they knew they were rebelling, and they proved it here. That’s the picture we see, isn’t it? If you look back in chapter 2, Eli says to his sons, he charges them, if you sin against a man, there is someone who can arbitrate for you. But when you sin against God, what arbitrator is there? What mediator is there? There’s no one that can stand for you before God. When you sin against God, you have no recourse. He will judge you. And they continued on in this open rebellion. Situation, is it not the same in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25? We see this similar picture in Hebrews 10, verse 26, where he says, Well, we’ll start in 25.

He encourages Christians to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but exhort one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, for if we sin willfully after we’ve received the knowledge of the truth, that is, we know what’s right, and we have chosen to rebel against what is right. There is no sacrifice for sins. Only a fearful expectation of judgment. There’s no sacrifice for sins because sacrifices are only for those who repent. Those that were Dennis? Okay. I’m sorry. Yes, and that’s the picture we see here, and it hasn’t changed, really, has it? So there’s no expiation for the house of Eli because we understand that his sons refuse to repent. Sarah.

So they were seeming from God. And they knew it. And the fact that they even equally sacrificed to be.

Or they understand and they’ve rejected. They don’t understand the good demon to God. They don’t fear God. They definitely don’t fear God. And what’s interesting about this is this is not apparently limited to Hofne and Pinehaz. This is apparently something that has pervaded the household of Eli. We see that demonstrated in the time of Solomon when you’ve got a Bible.

And Abiathar and Zadok are priests together. Adonijah is attempting to steal the throne from God’s anointed. Everybody knows that David was God’s anointed, and he has declared that Solomon is to reign after him. And Adonijah seeks to seek the throne, thereby rejecting the anointed one of God. Who’s with Adonijah as a helper? Abiathar. This attitude of rebellion has persisted through the lineage. And because of that, he says, the house of Eli will be judged. Notice he doesn’t say Eli will be judged. He says the house of Eli, the descendants of Eli. Eli will bears guilt. God has said that, because he has failed to restrain them. But Eli has not rebelled against God like his descendants have.

As you might understand, it’s not an easy judgment to state. And I think it tells you somewhat the respect that Samuel had for Eli. If Eli was a corrupt man, I think it would have been an easier thing for Samuel to speak these words of judgment to him. But I think this shows his respect for him. And Eli calls Samuel and said, Samuel, what is the thing the Lord has said to you, verse 17? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also if you hide anything of all the things he has said to you. And this tells you that Eli accepted that what was said to Samuel was indeed from the Lord. He understood it to be so. And Samuel told him everything, verse 18, and he hid nothing, and he said, It is the Lord.

Let him do what seems good to him. It almost sounds callous when you first read it. How could Eli say this kind of phrase, knowing what his descendants were going to endure? John? He knew that the Lord’s will be done.

And I think I think Eli was aware of these things, and that is why he made the regard to remark.

He knew his sons had sinned grievously, and that they deserve judgment. He himself told them that in chapter 2, didn’t he? And so this kind of reminds me of what Aaron said when Nadab and Abihu were judged by God. He accepted that judgment. Why? He knew it was a just judgment. If we haven’t even had to ask him to be weak, Jesus simply listed. He didn’t be the chief priest, he should be the forefront of advocating the will of God. But he just simply allowed so many things to go on. So if God wanted to do it, well, okay, we just go and do whatever you want to do.

Good or bad, it just happened. Certainly he failed to take the charge to restrain his sons as he should have. And as a judge, which he has described in the text as a judge, it is his responsibility to see that justice is done. So, yes, he has failed, and he accepts the judgment of God, and I think, in a sense, understanding this is what I should have done, and I understand why God would do this. Very difficult for a father.

That the little thing the Lord came to follow it at other time. And then it was the first 15 panel with the phrase called Elijah.

It would not be out of character for God to come and appear as a man. Uh we have seen that happen at other times in the old testament. Uh came and spoke to Abraham as a man. So, yes, I kind of skipped over that, but that’s a good point. Um it was a vision in the sense that he saw something. It was not a vision in that uh, well, we don’t know whether he was in a trance or not. The difference between a vision and a dream is a vision is when you’re awake, and a dream is when you’re asleep. We we think of Peter uh on the roof of the house seeing a vision. Uh and he was awake. It was during the daytime. And so, yes, he saw a vision.

Um you are correct. So in verse 10 and verse 15, Stephanie says, The Lord came and stand and appeared as a man, apparently. Okay, verse 19. Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. Does anybody have a different translation?

Let none of his words fail. Okay. Dennis?

4. Why Has the Lord Defeated Us?

Samuel prophesied. Okay, the indication is that Samuel is as a prophet is becoming known to Israel. Because when he speaks, it happens. It does not fail. God is with him, and that’s the key. And so, verse 21, or verse 20, all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, and the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. Commentators have said, because these statements are back to back, it seems implied that when Samuel spoke and the Israelites went out against the Philistines, that it was at Samuel’s direction.

They went out against the Philistines. We know that they’re going to fail as you read through this. You see, well, first of all, they go out to battle against the Philistines and encamp beside Ebenezer. Ebenezer wasn’t known by that name at this point in time. That’s later in history when it becomes known by that name. But they go from Shiloh due west over toward the plains, the region which would now be Tel Aviv. That area, general area. That’s where they’re going to face the Philistines. It’s a good move. You you think of the Philistines and you think of these five cities along the coast. They’re stretched out. If you come directly at them, they’re all going to get you at the same time. So he’s coming from the north, smart way.

You face one city at a time as you go to the south. So that’s their plan. They rally themselves. They go out. How many died of Israel? Four thousand. It’s not a slaughter, but it’s a defeat. What question did they ask when they were defeated?

Why did this happen? Why has the Lord defeated us? They recognize this was a defeat from the Lord. That’s astounding to me. Now, did God through Samuel call them out just to be defeated? Don’t think so. God’s desire was for them was to be taken out of oppression. But this defeat happened because of the way they went about going out. They went out without consulting the Lord. They went out without his approval, it appears, because he allowed them to be defeated. So we might ask, why, Lord? And we might ask the same question today. Does God want us to be victorious over sin? Absolutely. Are we always victorious over sin? No, we’re not. Well, we’re not victorious over sin. What are we, what questions should we ask?

Why am I not strong enough?

Why am I not strong enough? Is that the question we should ask?

Satan is described as powerful in the New Testament. He’s called the Prince of this world. Will we ever have the power to overcome sin without God?

Okay, so what question should we be asking? Is it, am I powerful enough, or is it? Why, Lord, have you allowed me to be defeated? It’s really a self-examination, isn’t it? It’s a recognition that if God is with me, I should be able to be victorious. That’s the question they were asking. Lord, if you are with us, we should be able to conquer. We went out at your word. Yes, Lord, I’m trying to overcome sin at your word. Same situation. Nancy has a question. God is with us if we are with him. Okay. Is we who redeem? You have to believe I. That’s the key. God is with those who are with him. And so it’s interesting their response. They asked the right question. They knew it.

5. Let the Ark Save Us

They knew to ask the right question. But what was their answer? You might expect their answer to be, let us entreat the Lord. Let us pray. Let us declare a fast. There are many ways to approach God, but it comes down to that, doesn’t it? But how did they approach God?

Who were they looking to for salvation? The words here are really interesting, aren’t they? The very next sentence. Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us that when it comes among us.

Who may save us? It doesn’t say God, does it? It may save us. Isn’t that what people do today? Same thing. We’re defeated by sin, so we turn to God. How do we approach God? Well, let’s go to church every Sunday. Maybe that will save us. Let’s sacrifice by giving money to some organization. Maybe that will save us. And we look at all these things to save us, and we’re not looking to God. Nancy. God wants your hearts. God wants your heart. That’s right. God wanted their hearts. We don’t know where their hearts were, but we know they weren’t turning to God in the way they should. It’s recorded. Let it save us from the hand of our enemies. And we can do the same thing today.

People that want to persist in what they want to do, but yet want God’s blessing, look for ways to accomplish that. I remember well a coworker asking me, this is back in the 80s.

And yet, isn’t that the attitude of a lot of people? I want to do what I want to do, but I want God to help me. So, how can I make God help me? Well, maybe I’m going to church, maybe I’m uh reading my Bible every day. Maybe that’ll do it. Sarah?

Power beyond you have control. It is like encoding your idea. And your personal being on God rather than one God to God what his need is. Okay, Sarah’s talking about this is essentially an attempt to control God instead of us being controlled by Him. That’s a key. That’s a key observation. And that’s a problem that we have. We want to, and that’s what they were doing here. They were grabbing the ark and they’re saying, Surely God will not allow his ark to be taken. Therefore, we can get God’s influence by bringing his ark. Didn’t work, did it? So the people sent to Shiloh, they brought the ark. And when the ark comes into the uh camp, they they shouted. I mean, there was a great rejoicing because God was in the camp.

They looked at it as being. After all, the ark was uh the seat of God. It’s where the high priest would go to meet with God once a year. And so the earth shook so loudly the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they had they asked the question, what’s going on? They sent uh messengers and spies, and they found out God’s in the camp. Or at least that’s the way they viewed it. Verse 7. The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp, and they said, Woe to us, but such a thing has never happened before. They knew the history. They say, Woe to us, who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

They don’t understand that God is one God. They treated him the way they would any other god or gods. But they recognized that he was powerful. But they resolved they did not want to be servants of the Hebrews. In verse 9, be strong, conduct yourselves like men, that you do not become servants, as they have been to you. And so they fought, and Israel was defeated, and there was a very great slaughter. 30,000 foot soldiers, and the ark of God was captured. Sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehaz died. And this man of Benjamin runs back and tells Eli what happened. Eli was, verse 13, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching. His heart trembled for the ark of God. He didn’t feel good about this situation.

And when the men came into the city and told it, all the city cried. We read a little bit Wednesday night from Jeremiah 7. I’d like to go back there and read a little bit more. This attitude of the Israelites is not unique to this point in time. Later on during the time of Jeremiah, we see a very similar attitude. Jeremiah chapter 1, or chapter 7, verse 1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter at these gates to worship the Lord. It’s interesting. First of all, the people were coming to worship God. But he has a message for those that come to worship God.

Verse 3. Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. And you see in that a trust. We’re coming to worship God, and we can trust because his temple is here, and because his temple is here, his presence is here, and therefore he is with us. But what were they really trusting in? The temple. Just as these people in 1 Samuel were taking the ark and depending upon the presence of the ark, so they were depending upon the presence of the temple. If you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood, that is, if you obey me, then I will cause you to dwell in this place.

We might easily see from that that you cannot do your own will. Murder, oppress, reject God’s commandments. Still come and worship him and expect his blessings. Doesn’t work that way. God’s blessings is for those that are with him. Verse 8, he says, You trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say, We are delivered to do all these things? In other words, God allows us to live, therefore we can do what we want. Has this house which is called by my name become a den of thieves in your eyes?

Jesus wasn’t the first one to say that. God had said it to him many times before. Behold, I even I have seen it. Now go to the place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it because of their wickedness. This judgment that’s happening in 1 Samuel is standing as a witness to others throughout time. Not only to those in times of Jeremiah, but to us today. God does not accept those who reject him and then try to gain his favor. Just doesn’t work. Well, Eli, how old is Eli at this point in time?

98. That’s pretty old. And it says in the text that he’s judged Israel for 40 years, so he apparently became a judge of Israel at the age of 60. It’s quite interesting that he has come to quite a great age. Verse 18. When it made mention of the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backwards. And his neck was broken, and he died, for he was old and heavy, and he judged Israel for 40 years.

6. Dagon Fallen on Its Face Before the Ark

She dies in childbirth, but before she dies, she names him Ichabod. What does Ichabod mean? Dennis? Glory of God has departed. And it’s interesting that she might say that because the ark was this very seat of God. It’s where his presence was felt. That was how it was understood. So when the ark is taken captive, it appears that the statement she makes. The glory of God has departed from Israel. That’s the ark of the ark of God has been captured. God has not abandoned his people. The symbol of his presence has been captured, but he has not abandoned his people. But look what happens to the Philistines. The Philistines take the ark and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, one of the five key cities of the Philistines.

And they set it up in the temple of Dagon, verse 2. And they set it by Dagon. Why might they do this? Because he’s another God. In the presence of their God, powerful than he depends. As a symbol of Dagon is more powerful than Jehovah. That would be a symbol to their people. That’s why they would do this. Well, they arose early in the morning, and there was Dagon fallen on its face before the Ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon and set it in his place again, and they arose early the next morning, and there was Dagon fallen on his face to the ground. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were broken off on the threshold, and only the torso of Dagon was left of it.

And there’s this custom mentioned in verse 5. The priest step over the threshold because of this. The hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod. We might ask the question is this punishment? Because they have done something that God didn’t like. Is he now out to quote punish them?

God is not standing. Okay, Dennis says this is as a witness that he is the one true God. And that’s really what you see throughout the old covenant. You see God over and over again acting in such a way as to demonstrate who he is. He has not left the nations in ignorance, he has told them who he is, and he demonstrates through power who he is.

It’s clear that God is saying to the people of the Philistines. I am more powerful than Dagon. Dagon is nothing before me. He is a false God. He is an idol. It’s interesting, they kind of got that message in a way. Verse 7. The men of Ashdod saw how it was. They said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our God. They recognized the message.

Therefore they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, What shall we do with the ark? Verse 8. And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath. Let it go to another city. Maybe this God just doesn’t like Ashdod. Well, same thing happens in Gath. There was a very great destruction against the city. And there were tumors that broke out, and there were rats, rat infestation, apparently. And therefore the God of the Ark of God was sent to Ekron. Same thing happens. Well, three times they get the message. So in verse 11, they gathered together and said, Send the ark of the God to Israel. Let it go back to its own place so that it does not kill us and our people.

And the hand of God was very heavy there.

Conclusion

Time’s going to run out on me, but I want you to think about something. And ask yourself the question. Were they confident that this was the hand of God against them? Were was there no doubt at all that this was the hand of God against them? No? There was doubt?

There was no doubt.

Look down and I’m sorry.

I want you to read Gary very carefully the first few verses of chapter six. Because what what you see is this test that they come up with. They don’t just send the cart with the ark back to Israel. If there was no doubt, that’s what they would have done. John? I’m sure that you would just have to cover this. They didn’t send these back. They sent back to what they thought were sacrificed. And uh someone mentioned here just a moment ago, they were actually doing more in a fear to understand as what the cabro was as far as working with raising God.

Well, okay, they they made a an atonement. They created these golden rats and golden tumors, and it was to be an expiation to the God of Israel. And they put it in the cart. But they just didn’t just send the cart down the road to Israel. They created a test. And this test lets you know there was some doubt, apparently some controversy. Was this from God or was this just an accident? Um God and doing you and Prophet said God. Okay, we’re thinking of Gideon, perhaps. Okay. Okay.

Well, again, read verse 9. Read it very carefully and look at the last line specifically. Because I want to talk about Wednesday night, the idea of when bad things happen. How should we respond? I think this is a good example. So I want you to read chapter six very carefully. On Wednesday night we’ll cover at least chapter six and seven and perhaps a little bit into eight. I thank you for your time.