1 00:00:00,070 --> 00:00:02,600 Well, good morning church, turning your Bibles with me, 2 00:00:02,610 --> 00:00:04,920 would you? 2 First Samuel chapter 3. 3 00:00:04,970 --> 00:00:12,040 First Samuel chapter 3 we are on day ten of our Lenten series and 4 00:00:12,050 --> 00:00:17,300 and devotional Lent, of course, is this lead up 40 day lead up 5 00:00:17,370 --> 00:00:20,080 to Easter. It's actually a 46 day lead up, 6 00:00:20,130 --> 00:00:24,060 but we don't count Sundays. Sundays are a little break from 7 00:00:24,070 --> 00:00:27,660 that Lent preparation and that we have this chance to celebrate 8 00:00:27,790 --> 00:00:33,260 every Sunday is like a a Easter resurrection celebration. 9 00:00:33,790 --> 00:00:37,500 But day 10 actually that was yesterday, but today because we 10 00:00:37,510 --> 00:00:40,410 don't do it day 11. How's it going? 11 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,460 How have you guys been doing with the with The Walking 12 00:00:43,470 --> 00:00:44,970 through first Samuel in the word. 13 00:00:44,980 --> 00:00:47,870 I've had some great conversation with people sound like God has 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,010 really stirring some great things up. 15 00:00:50,180 --> 00:00:55,470 Having this opportunity to use that journal that that kind of 16 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,370 structures our time with God is, is a pretty profound thing. 17 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,670 To be able to lay our burdens down before Him in preparation 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,270 even before we start reading His Word, and then to be able to 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,400 reflect on His word and how to respond. 20 00:01:11,770 --> 00:01:14,680 I realize that all of us are different stages of life. 21 00:01:14,690 --> 00:01:17,590 If you have young children, man, you probably, you know you'd be 22 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,240 lucky if you get 5 minutes of quiet. 23 00:01:20,250 --> 00:01:22,600 But 5 minutes can count for a lot. 24 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:27,660 And if you're retired, I hear some people are like 2 hours by 25 00:01:27,670 --> 00:01:32,020 candle and window and coffee enjoying their time. 26 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:37,870 Whatever time that you can devote to the Lord in his word 27 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,470 is, is, is going to have incredible dividends in your 28 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:43,470 life. So I encourage everybody to be 29 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,310 doing that. Now, if you have not started and 30 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,930 on this devotional yet, don't think it's awash, might as well 31 00:01:47,940 --> 00:01:50,310 forget it. No, that's a lie of the of the 32 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,650 enemy. Pick it up today. 33 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,200 Pick it up today and just move, move on ahead. 34 00:01:55,210 --> 00:01:57,970 There is so much great stuff coming. 35 00:01:58,380 --> 00:02:00,270 We've just, it's kind of like we just got started. 36 00:02:00,310 --> 00:02:03,750 So, so much great stuff coming in in First Samuel. 37 00:02:04,260 --> 00:02:10,500 So, so we're this is this is week 3 of in terms of the 38 00:02:10,509 --> 00:02:13,280 message series and the first week what we looked at just to 39 00:02:13,290 --> 00:02:15,640 give you a little bit of an outline of the series. 40 00:02:15,970 --> 00:02:19,280 We looked at Hannahs God in chapter 1 and a little bit into 41 00:02:19,290 --> 00:02:25,620 chapter 2 last week. Chapter 2 finished with Eli Sons 42 00:02:27,020 --> 00:02:30,200 this week. Today we're looking at Glory 43 00:02:30,210 --> 00:02:33,470 Departed. That's the theme of the message 44 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,660 today. Now, I have preached on First 45 00:02:35,670 --> 00:02:39,370 Samuel a number of times in my years at Forest View and on a 46 00:02:39,380 --> 00:02:41,900 number of different texts, but probably the one that I've 47 00:02:41,910 --> 00:02:45,090 preached on the most was is First Samuel Chapter 3, the call 48 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:47,790 of of Samuel. We're not going to put our focus 49 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:48,930 here. I'm going to be focusing on 50 00:02:48,940 --> 00:02:55,840 Chapter 4 primarily. Um, at the end of chapter 3, it 51 00:02:55,850 --> 00:03:00,320 kind of looks like it's going to begin the ministry of Samuel, 52 00:03:00,550 --> 00:03:05,180 but it takes this three chapter break and talks about the arc of 53 00:03:05,190 --> 00:03:07,590 God. And so we're going to be looking 54 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:14,130 at a lesson in archaeology today that this morning we don't, we 55 00:03:14,140 --> 00:03:16,780 don't really stop and talk about the arc very much, but we're 56 00:03:16,790 --> 00:03:20,160 this is kind of dead centre of what we're doing 34 times the 57 00:03:20,170 --> 00:03:23,020 arc is mentioned in these few chapters. 58 00:03:23,090 --> 00:03:25,560 So it's a significant theme. We don't want to miss it. 59 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,240 What is the Ark of God? Many of us think, OK, what I 60 00:03:30,250 --> 00:03:32,740 know my, my knowledge of the Ark of God came from Steven 61 00:03:32,750 --> 00:03:34,720 Spielberg and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. 62 00:03:34,730 --> 00:03:36,460 That's how that's what I know about that, right. 63 00:03:36,810 --> 00:03:41,330 But Scripture Scripture highlights in a number of 64 00:03:41,340 --> 00:03:45,230 different places, but it's essentially A4 foot by two foot 65 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,150 box that has been overlaid in gold. 66 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,630 And it was it was in the Israelite people were instructed 67 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,930 by God to to to to put it together as a symbol of his 68 00:03:56,940 --> 00:03:59,510 presence. Like this was going to be the 69 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,850 tangible place of his presence with his people. 70 00:04:02,860 --> 00:04:07,080 And inside the arc were the tablets of the law. 10 71 00:04:07,090 --> 00:04:10,150 commandments were in there. And then there was a cover and 72 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,390 on top of the cover that covers actually referred to in 73 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,110 Scripture as the footstool of the throne of God. 74 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:20,750 And so you have these two winged creatures, cherubim on either 75 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,610 side of the of the cover long. So it's a like a lot. 76 00:04:24,620 --> 00:04:29,420 It's a sphinx, basically a a lion with a with the human face, 77 00:04:29,430 --> 00:04:33,720 but with wings that pointed into the middle and in the centre on 78 00:04:33,730 --> 00:04:36,840 top of the Ark of the Covenant is referred to as the Mercy 79 00:04:36,850 --> 00:04:39,300 Seat. That is the place where the 80 00:04:39,310 --> 00:04:43,320 holiness of God and the sinfulness of human beings 81 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,930 intersect, and this is the place where God has the most intimate 82 00:04:48,940 --> 00:04:52,210 connection with his people. And in fact, you know, this kind 83 00:04:52,220 --> 00:04:55,710 of points forward to the New Testament where the cross is 84 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,790 that intersection of the holiness of God and the 85 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,320 sinfulness of man, where God's compassion is poured out on us 86 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,050 and forgiveness is granted. It's just a beautiful, beautiful 87 00:05:05,060 --> 00:05:08,070 scene. But all of this is kind of a 88 00:05:08,180 --> 00:05:11,640 kind of a precursor to what's coming in the New Testament. 89 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,550 Exodus chapter 25 describes the stuff that I I'm referring to. 90 00:05:18,660 --> 00:05:22,350 And just here's a summary statement from Exodus chapter 22 91 00:05:22,610 --> 00:05:28,230 there above the cover between the two cherubim 2 angels that 92 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,230 are over the ark of the covenant law. 93 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,510 I will meet with you. You're speaking to Moses and 94 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:39,870 give you all my commands for the Israelites in that place on that 95 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,010 throne where the law and the mercy of God meet. 96 00:05:44,660 --> 00:05:46,290 This is where I'm gonna speak to you. 97 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,110 It was an intimate. It is meant to be an intimate 98 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:54,060 place in the Ark was kept in the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy 99 00:05:54,070 --> 00:06:01,160 place, and this was the symbol of God's presence with his 100 00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:03,660 people, and it was carried with God's with God's people wherever 101 00:06:03,670 --> 00:06:07,290 they went. Now in Hebrews Chapter 9, verse 102 00:06:07,300 --> 00:06:12,720 5 gives us a powerful statement. It says this above the arc where 103 00:06:12,730 --> 00:06:17,850 the cherubim of the glory overshadowing the atonement 104 00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:21,190 cover. The author of Hebrews is 105 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,290 referring to that place. Right there is the glory 106 00:06:25,140 --> 00:06:28,630 referring to God himself, but that but that place in the 107 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:33,290 covenant where his in that mercy seat, that's where the glory of 108 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:39,410 God is revealed. And we can't separate the glory 109 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,180 of God from the ark of God. And we're going to see that as 110 00:06:43,190 --> 00:06:46,790 we look at glory departed through these chapters. 111 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:48,580 But let's talk about glory just for a minute. 112 00:06:48,590 --> 00:06:51,090 This is sort of introduction so that when we get into the text, 113 00:06:51,140 --> 00:06:54,350 we kind of know what we're talking about when we refer to 114 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:55,690 glory. That's one of these sort of 115 00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:58,690 elusive terms. It's like, OK, it's kind of so 116 00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:00,790 ethereal. It doesn't make you know, to 117 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,930 tell me something concrete. Most of us think glory, the 118 00:07:03,940 --> 00:07:05,580 glory of God. What does that actually have to 119 00:07:05,590 --> 00:07:07,250 do with my life? Has nothing to do with my 120 00:07:07,260 --> 00:07:11,180 everyday life, but it has everything to do with our 121 00:07:11,250 --> 00:07:15,450 everyday life. The word glory, the Hebrew word 122 00:07:15,460 --> 00:07:21,540 kabob refers to it it. It literally means weight or 123 00:07:21,550 --> 00:07:26,500 heaviness and it's referring to God as being the one kind of the 124 00:07:26,510 --> 00:07:29,620 the centre of gravity, the thing in the universe that has the 125 00:07:29,630 --> 00:07:36,440 most weight, the most significance, the most beauty. 126 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,820 And because of that, it has a reputation. 127 00:07:39,830 --> 00:07:41,760 It's it's, it's, it's recognized. 128 00:07:41,770 --> 00:07:44,850 It's it's given recognition. That's why we say, you know, to 129 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:48,030 God be all of the glory. May he get all the recognition 130 00:07:48,100 --> 00:07:51,790 because he is the one that's so important, more important, just 131 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:53,610 pale. Everything else compiles in 132 00:07:53,620 --> 00:07:58,350 comparison to Him that glory of God. 133 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:03,150 The presence of God is the most captivating thing in all the 134 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,240 universe, and it was represented in the Ark. 135 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,430 So distinct from absolutely everything else, so attractive 136 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:20,430 is the glory is the glory of God that we look at it and it's 137 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,850 like, OK, that that's something that is beyond us. 138 00:08:24,020 --> 00:08:27,090 That's something that isn't almost isn't even real because 139 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:29,850 it's not something that we actually see on the everyday, 140 00:08:30,390 --> 00:08:33,690 everyday plane. We can use the word glory to 141 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:37,980 describe a lot of things in this world like a sunset, glorious 142 00:08:37,990 --> 00:08:39,700 sunset. Wow, glorious. 143 00:08:39,789 --> 00:08:43,340 You know, I don't know how many of you What do you feel like 144 00:08:43,350 --> 00:08:45,500 when you woke up this morning went outside for the first time. 145 00:08:45,510 --> 00:08:47,380 I I was a bit surprised to see snow. 146 00:08:47,420 --> 00:08:51,000 I didn't see that coming, but this blanket of whiteness early 147 00:08:51,010 --> 00:08:53,950 in the morning, it was just like this holy hush came over the 148 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,820 neighborhood was like beautiful, beautiful. 149 00:08:58,460 --> 00:09:03,260 Maybe it's a exquisite flower. You know, you look into it and 150 00:09:03,270 --> 00:09:06,170 you think, wow, that's glorious. It's not something that we see 151 00:09:06,180 --> 00:09:08,780 all the time. It's or a person that's 152 00:09:08,790 --> 00:09:12,650 absolutely gorgeous, right? A Prince or Princess or 153 00:09:12,660 --> 00:09:14,290 whatever. And we look at these things and 154 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:19,270 they're so distinct. They stand out so much, and all 155 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,630 of these things in Creation Point to the One who is 156 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:29,510 glorious, to the Creator God, whose glory is emanating from 157 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,640 himself. And so everything that he makes 158 00:09:32,050 --> 00:09:40,970 is absolutely beautiful. What is it that makes Him so 159 00:09:40,980 --> 00:09:44,410 glorious? What is it that makes God so 160 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:49,120 heavy, so weighty, so significant? 161 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,960 In a word, get ready for this. It's his goodness. 162 00:09:57,340 --> 00:10:00,800 It's his goodness, it carries all the weight. 163 00:10:02,610 --> 00:10:07,670 We can't read it all, but Exodus chapter 33 and 34, go back to 164 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:12,560 that sometime and read through this conversation that the Lord 165 00:10:12,570 --> 00:10:15,560 is having with Moses. And we're just going to we're 166 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:18,340 just going to pick bits and pieces from it. 167 00:10:18,350 --> 00:10:22,020 But the Lord, So first of all, in chapter 33 verse 11, it says 168 00:10:22,030 --> 00:10:26,250 that the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks 169 00:10:26,260 --> 00:10:29,740 to a friend. Then Moses would return to the 170 00:10:29,750 --> 00:10:31,500 camp. So he's speaking face to face 171 00:10:31,510 --> 00:10:35,080 with God in the presence of the ark of God, which is the symbol 172 00:10:35,090 --> 00:10:38,100 of the presence of God. And it says this, Moses said to 173 00:10:38,110 --> 00:10:43,440 the Lord, If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I 174 00:10:43,450 --> 00:10:46,270 may know you and continue to find favor with you. 175 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:52,710 The Lord replied, My presence will go with you, and I will 176 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,770 give you rest. Speaking about his presence, 177 00:10:54,780 --> 00:10:58,850 going with his people as Moses leads the people, then Moses 178 00:10:58,860 --> 00:11:07,340 said, now show me your glory. He's equating God's glory with 179 00:11:07,350 --> 00:11:11,740 God's presence. And the Lord said, I will cause 180 00:11:11,810 --> 00:11:17,780 all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my 181 00:11:17,790 --> 00:11:19,780 name, the Lord, in your presence. 182 00:11:20,190 --> 00:11:23,880 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him 183 00:11:23,890 --> 00:11:27,640 and proclaimed his name, the Lord, and he passed in front of 184 00:11:27,650 --> 00:11:29,980 Moses. This is the glory of God passing 185 00:11:29,990 --> 00:11:34,800 in front of Moses, the Lord proclaiming the Lord, the Lord, 186 00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:39,920 the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in 187 00:11:39,930 --> 00:11:43,420 love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, 188 00:11:43,630 --> 00:11:46,750 and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. 189 00:11:47,620 --> 00:11:50,700 Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished. 190 00:11:50,950 --> 00:11:54,500 He punishes the children and their children for the sin of 191 00:11:54,510 --> 00:11:57,360 the parents to the third and 4th generation. 192 00:11:57,670 --> 00:11:59,190 Don't get caught on that last line. 193 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,680 It's not referring to punishing innocent kids. 194 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:06,460 He's referring to the sins of of the parents being passed on to 195 00:12:06,470 --> 00:12:11,100 the next generation, and nobody gets away with anything. 196 00:12:13,270 --> 00:12:19,110 But we see here the forgiving, compassionate nature of God, His 197 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,990 goodness, His goodness in the sense that of His righteousness, 198 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:27,330 His purity, His Holiness, but also His compassion and His 199 00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:32,450 tenderness and his His mercy towards sinners. 200 00:12:34,510 --> 00:12:37,200 This is the glory of God. This is what gives God His 201 00:12:37,210 --> 00:12:43,260 weight. And it's not like he's this, you 202 00:12:43,270 --> 00:12:46,960 know, when we think of the goodness like someone's prudish, 203 00:12:47,070 --> 00:12:53,160 you know, an exacting no, he, he is tender and kind towards us. 204 00:12:53,570 --> 00:12:57,820 All of this in the perfect package, all of it displayed 205 00:12:57,990 --> 00:13:03,600 wonderfully on that cross were justice, the justice of God, 206 00:13:03,610 --> 00:13:06,180 rightness of God, and the mercy and compassion of God. 207 00:13:06,450 --> 00:13:08,830 Meet on the cross for our forgiveness. 208 00:13:11,060 --> 00:13:13,710 This is what we're talking about when we're referring to the ARC 209 00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:21,070 of the presence of the living God, and the people of Israel 210 00:13:21,870 --> 00:13:24,880 lost sight of it. That's what these chapters are 211 00:13:24,890 --> 00:13:27,760 about, completely lost sight of the ark. 212 00:13:27,770 --> 00:13:30,850 And so we're going to step into just the beginning of chapter 3, 213 00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:33,160 and we're going to walk through this together. 214 00:13:33,370 --> 00:13:40,270 But Lord, as we do, we recognize that this is all about you and 215 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:45,310 we invite you to reveal yourself to us as we read your word. 216 00:13:45,420 --> 00:13:47,350 Thank you for the gift that it is to us. 217 00:13:47,700 --> 00:13:50,270 In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 218 00:13:54,230 --> 00:13:59,430 First Samuel chapter 3. Just setting the stage, The boy 219 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,440 Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. 220 00:14:04,780 --> 00:14:07,570 In those days, the word of the Lord was rare. 221 00:14:07,860 --> 00:14:12,110 There were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were 222 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,850 becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in 223 00:14:15,860 --> 00:14:19,050 his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone 224 00:14:19,060 --> 00:14:23,100 out, and Samuel was lying down in the House of the Lord, where 225 00:14:23,110 --> 00:14:27,300 the ark of God was, and it's then that the Lord called 226 00:14:27,310 --> 00:14:29,210 Samuel. Just highlight a couple of 227 00:14:29,220 --> 00:14:31,680 things. First of all, the the this is 228 00:14:31,690 --> 00:14:33,210 the setting. Remember, this is the time of 229 00:14:33,220 --> 00:14:35,420 the judges where there is no king. 230 00:14:35,430 --> 00:14:37,980 Everybody's doing what they saw fit in their own eyes. 231 00:14:39,420 --> 00:14:44,480 There was, there was such a massive move away from the 232 00:14:44,490 --> 00:14:49,510 devotion to the living God that it was crushing the people of 233 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,580 Israel. And so the Word of God was rare. 234 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,040 People weren't hearing the voice of God much then. 235 00:14:59,710 --> 00:15:04,560 Dark time and we have Eli, who is the he was the high priest in 236 00:15:04,570 --> 00:15:07,200 his eyes are so weak and they can barely see. 237 00:15:07,210 --> 00:15:10,560 This is almost like a metaphor, but I, I, I can't see my way 238 00:15:10,570 --> 00:15:16,030 through, can't see the truth. And he's lying down in his usual 239 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,970 place is use his usual place, just he's lying down. 240 00:15:19,980 --> 00:15:24,730 It's just kind of a, it's a, it's a picture of complacency 241 00:15:24,740 --> 00:15:29,860 and deadness. But here we have Samuel lying by 242 00:15:29,870 --> 00:15:32,450 the ark of God. There's some hope. 243 00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:35,390 Someone's recognizing how important the ark of God is. 244 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,950 And it's there that the Lord speaks to Samuel. 245 00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:41,330 And this is where the good news begins. 246 00:15:41,660 --> 00:15:45,370 Because God doesn't leave us in the darkness. 247 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,470 He doesn't leave us without hope and in despair. 248 00:15:48,540 --> 00:15:51,770 He actually speaks and he's raising up Samuel for the 249 00:15:51,780 --> 00:15:56,600 purpose of of bringing about his good plans for his people. 250 00:15:59,470 --> 00:16:02,370 It says in verse 7, we're just going to continue to move 251 00:16:02,380 --> 00:16:04,720 through. Now Samuel did not yet know the 252 00:16:04,730 --> 00:16:08,340 Lord, the word of God. That sort of the word of the 253 00:16:08,350 --> 00:16:10,350 Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 254 00:16:11,530 --> 00:16:16,970 Interesting he didn't know the Lord because the word had not 255 00:16:16,980 --> 00:16:21,440 been revealed to him yet. The important the Word of God is 256 00:16:22,010 --> 00:16:28,300 skipping down to verse 21. It says that the Lord continued 257 00:16:28,310 --> 00:16:32,380 to appear at Shiloh and there he revealed himself to Samuel 258 00:16:32,390 --> 00:16:35,120 through his word. Why am I focusing on this? 259 00:16:35,430 --> 00:16:41,090 Because it is through the Word of God that we come to know God. 260 00:16:42,170 --> 00:16:44,830 It's through his holy Word. That's that's how we know him. 261 00:16:45,220 --> 00:16:48,490 That's how we know Him, and that's why it is so important 262 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:51,850 for us to be reflecting on the Word of God on a regular basis. 263 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,190 This is how God reveals Himself to us, not through just a 264 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,290 feeling through prayer, but through His Word is where we 265 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:03,880 actually learn about His character and His plans for us. 266 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,560 5 minutes. If you only have 5 minutes in 267 00:17:09,569 --> 00:17:14,680 the morning or at night, set your timer and make the most of 268 00:17:14,690 --> 00:17:18,069 those 5 minutes and just say, Lord, reveal yourself to me 269 00:17:18,140 --> 00:17:21,460 through Your Word. He speaks during those times. 270 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,210 And the questions that we need to be asking of the text are not 271 00:17:26,220 --> 00:17:27,869 OK. How does this relate to me? 272 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,210 That's not the first question. It's important to ask that 273 00:17:30,220 --> 00:17:32,450 question, but not first. First question is, what does 274 00:17:32,460 --> 00:17:34,480 this text reveal to me about God? 275 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,640 Because that's the primary reason why God gives us His 276 00:17:37,650 --> 00:17:39,850 word, that He reveals Himself to us. 277 00:17:39,930 --> 00:17:42,730 That's the first. And once we answer the question, 278 00:17:42,740 --> 00:17:46,920 what does this reveal to us about God, Talking about how 279 00:17:46,930 --> 00:17:48,990 this applies to my life becomes so much easier. 280 00:17:49,810 --> 00:17:52,250 That's that's the mode. That's the mode that we're 281 00:17:52,260 --> 00:17:54,790 talking about. And it says here that the Word 282 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,850 of God was rare and it was rare. So how does that relate to us 283 00:17:59,860 --> 00:18:01,350 today? Because we got the Bible, right? 284 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:06,370 We got the Word of God already. The Word of God isn't rare, and 285 00:18:06,380 --> 00:18:10,780 yet we can be so deaf to the Word of God. 286 00:18:10,970 --> 00:18:14,260 We can have many Bibles stacked up in our homes collecting dust, 287 00:18:14,270 --> 00:18:17,460 but we're not opening them up. So the encouragement always is 288 00:18:17,610 --> 00:18:22,540 open up that word and whisper a prayer and anticipate that God 289 00:18:22,550 --> 00:18:26,790 is going to speak to you. That dynamic is something that 290 00:18:26,980 --> 00:18:33,390 that that was that was lost in the time of Samuel. 291 00:18:35,790 --> 00:18:40,510 So the word of God, God speaks to Samuel and he gives him his 292 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,730 first Test as a prophet. And he had to deliver a very 293 00:18:43,740 --> 00:18:47,910 difficult word to Eli. And it was, it was it was 294 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:52,890 basically a summary of what was prophesied back in chapter 2. 295 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,490 And so it was gonna be a very difficult word in Sandal didn't 296 00:18:57,500 --> 00:19:00,670 want to give up, but Eli was mentoring Sam and said let me 297 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,960 have it, don't you dare hold anything back. 298 00:19:04,110 --> 00:19:07,700 And of course he speaks the word and that is about the decline of 299 00:19:07,710 --> 00:19:12,200 Elie's house and and and of course the death of his sons. 300 00:19:12,410 --> 00:19:14,590 So that things were going to shift at that point. 301 00:19:16,290 --> 00:19:21,440 So we move into Chapter 4. Now the Israelites went out to 302 00:19:21,450 --> 00:19:25,590 fight against the Philistines. Philistines are very important 303 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,380 people. They appear that the Philistines 304 00:19:28,390 --> 00:19:31,570 appear like 150 times through First and Second Samuel, pretty 305 00:19:31,580 --> 00:19:34,700 significant group of people, always sort of at war with them. 306 00:19:34,980 --> 00:19:38,370 And who were the Philistines? They were descendants of Ham. 307 00:19:38,380 --> 00:19:42,070 If you were to go back to the opening chapters of Genesis, 308 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,930 they were considered the see people. 309 00:19:44,940 --> 00:19:50,860 They kind of settle along the coast of the coast of Canaan and 310 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,430 this is where we get the the word Palestine from. 311 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,150 They were so dominant in that place that that became the name 312 00:19:57,500 --> 00:20:00,240 of of that area, the Gaza, Gaza area. 313 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,090 Moving on, the Israelites camped at Ebenezer and the Philistines 314 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:10,180 at Affect. The Philistines deployed their 315 00:20:10,190 --> 00:20:14,900 forces to meet Israel and as the battle spread, Israel was 316 00:20:14,910 --> 00:20:18,340 defeated by the Philistines who killed about 4000 of them on the 317 00:20:18,350 --> 00:20:21,190 battlefield. When the soldiers returned to 318 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,450 camp, the elders of Israel asked Why did the Lord bring defeat on 319 00:20:25,460 --> 00:20:30,410 us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the 320 00:20:30,420 --> 00:20:35,500 Lord's covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save 321 00:20:35,510 --> 00:20:39,960 us from the hand of our enemies. So the people sent men to 322 00:20:39,970 --> 00:20:42,550 Shiloh, and they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the 323 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,510 Lord Almighty, who was enthroned between the cherubim and Ellie's 324 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,730 sons. Hophni and Phineas were there 325 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:50,320 with the Ark of the Covenant of God. 326 00:20:51,210 --> 00:20:54,090 When the Ark of the Lord's Covenant came into the camp, all 327 00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:57,760 Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 328 00:20:58,610 --> 00:21:01,780 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked What's all 329 00:21:01,790 --> 00:21:02,970 this shouting in the Hebrew camp? 330 00:21:03,850 --> 00:21:06,260 When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the 331 00:21:06,270 --> 00:21:08,220 camp, the Philistines were afraid. 332 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,870 A God has come into the camp, they said. 333 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,100 Oh no, nothing like this has happened before. 334 00:21:13,110 --> 00:21:15,920 We're doomed. Who will deliver us from the 335 00:21:15,930 --> 00:21:18,220 hand of these of these mighty gods? 336 00:21:18,610 --> 00:21:21,500 They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of 337 00:21:21,510 --> 00:21:23,640 plagues in the wilderness. They'd already heard what 338 00:21:23,650 --> 00:21:27,840 happened in the Exodus. So here they conclude, Be strong 339 00:21:27,850 --> 00:21:32,140 Philistines. Be men, or you will be subject 340 00:21:32,190 --> 00:21:34,220 to the Hebrews as they have been to you. 341 00:21:34,230 --> 00:21:39,450 Be men and fight. So the Philistines fought and 342 00:21:39,460 --> 00:21:44,250 the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. 343 00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:48,790 The slaughter was very great. Israel lost 30,000 foot 344 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,990 soldiers, the Ark of God was captured and Elie's two sons, 345 00:21:54,060 --> 00:22:00,200 Hophni and Phineas died. Remember the first time I read 346 00:22:00,210 --> 00:22:05,420 this passage, I thought what have the ark of God? 347 00:22:06,250 --> 00:22:10,580 How could they lose and it was captured like it made absolutely 348 00:22:10,630 --> 00:22:14,200 no sense to me why why that why that would take place. 349 00:22:14,450 --> 00:22:16,780 And the Israelites felt the exact same way that the 350 00:22:16,790 --> 00:22:19,590 Israelite leaders is Like how on earth could this happen? 351 00:22:22,540 --> 00:22:26,330 But the point of this whole scene is how ridiculously in 352 00:22:26,340 --> 00:22:30,390 charge God actually is, because you're doing the whole thing. 353 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,090 And he was gonna show them a fresh new understanding of who 354 00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:38,450 He is. He was going to reveal His glory 355 00:22:38,620 --> 00:22:41,940 to them through this difficult circumstance. 356 00:22:41,950 --> 00:22:44,520 So they're defeated. And the elders, they asked the 357 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:46,730 right question. Why did the Lord bring defeat on 358 00:22:46,740 --> 00:22:49,100 us today before the Philistines? Good question. 359 00:22:49,150 --> 00:22:51,550 But they didn't linger on that question for very long. 360 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,550 Ah, let us bring the ark of the God's covenant from Shiloh so 361 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,600 that he may go up with us and save us from the hand of the of 362 00:22:58,610 --> 00:23:01,760 our enemies. If we got the arc, we're going 363 00:23:01,770 --> 00:23:04,530 to win. That was the attitude. 364 00:23:04,540 --> 00:23:07,060 They didn't even look from within and say, could there be a 365 00:23:07,070 --> 00:23:09,940 problem with us? No, we're just gonna grab the 366 00:23:09,950 --> 00:23:11,600 arc. And now God, it's actually 367 00:23:11,610 --> 00:23:14,870 gonna, it's, it's like it's going to force God's hand. 368 00:23:15,710 --> 00:23:18,960 God's gonna win this battle for sure, because he's gonna protect 369 00:23:18,970 --> 00:23:24,140 his honor if we bring his, his, his, his arc into this battle. 370 00:23:24,530 --> 00:23:30,110 And you know, as, as in the in children's message we heard, you 371 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:31,490 know, it's kind of like a lucky charm. 372 00:23:32,810 --> 00:23:35,300 It's kind of like twisting God's arms like a rabbit's foot. 373 00:23:35,370 --> 00:23:36,860 We got the rabbit's foot in my pocket. 374 00:23:36,870 --> 00:23:39,320 And because I do, I'm gonna be blessed. 375 00:23:42,390 --> 00:23:50,240 Not not a great way to go. They force God's hand so that 376 00:23:50,250 --> 00:23:52,410 they thought that He was gonna protect His glory. 377 00:23:52,420 --> 00:23:56,580 And the irony in all this is that He is gonna protect His 378 00:23:56,590 --> 00:23:59,670 glory, that this whole thing was about protecting His glory. 379 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,960 How is he going to let? How could he let them continue 380 00:24:05,970 --> 00:24:09,340 to go on the way that they are? He's going to step in because 381 00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:10,850 they're the ones that bear his name. 382 00:24:10,860 --> 00:24:13,790 He's gonna step in and set things, set things right. 383 00:24:13,980 --> 00:24:18,960 And so in verse 4, as the Ark of the Covenant is being brought 384 00:24:18,970 --> 00:24:22,000 into battle, we see that there we go. 385 00:24:22,230 --> 00:24:27,360 Eli sons, Hophni and Phineas, these sin laden priests who have 386 00:24:27,370 --> 00:24:31,820 been completely taken advantage of the sacrificial system and 387 00:24:31,830 --> 00:24:36,320 have been sleeping with women outside the tent of meeting. 388 00:24:36,390 --> 00:24:38,840 Like completely dishonoring God's name. 389 00:24:38,850 --> 00:24:41,540 They're with the arc. It's kind of like if this was a 390 00:24:41,550 --> 00:24:46,760 movie and you know, how music dramatizes what's going on, you 391 00:24:46,770 --> 00:24:50,660 know, is the ark is brought out. You know, you could imagine like 392 00:24:50,670 --> 00:24:55,620 the the victory music like melody is swelling to this peak. 393 00:24:55,630 --> 00:24:59,560 And then the camera pans over to Hophni and Phineas by the ark. 394 00:24:59,570 --> 00:25:02,880 And it's like this minor note gets struck and it's like this 395 00:25:02,890 --> 00:25:06,860 ominous, you know, sound, right? Like that's kind of what's what 396 00:25:06,870 --> 00:25:09,190 what what's happening here? You know this isn't good. 397 00:25:10,130 --> 00:25:13,280 You know this isn't good. I mean, they should still win 398 00:25:13,290 --> 00:25:15,210 because the arcs there. But Hoffman finished, no. 399 00:25:19,210 --> 00:25:24,250 And so the interesting thing is that the Philistines are 400 00:25:24,260 --> 00:25:28,530 actually motivated when they hear that the Ark has come. 401 00:25:28,570 --> 00:25:31,390 Like they're freaked out that the Ark has come into the camp, 402 00:25:31,460 --> 00:25:34,450 but it actually becomes something that makes them rally. 403 00:25:34,460 --> 00:25:37,010 And they say we're going to fight, we're going to fight. 404 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:41,600 And then they slaughter Israel. And this was God's plan all 405 00:25:41,610 --> 00:25:43,660 along. He wanted them to lose. 406 00:25:43,790 --> 00:25:50,580 He wanted the art to be captured because he wants his glory to be 407 00:25:50,590 --> 00:25:53,500 revealed. Now. 408 00:25:53,780 --> 00:25:56,890 I think we should just pause at this point and just think about 409 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,870 the fact that they were trying to manipulate God, trying to 410 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,720 manipulate the Almighty, so to speak. 411 00:26:05,460 --> 00:26:11,160 And how do, how do we do that, that, that, that that's I, I 412 00:26:11,170 --> 00:26:14,640 kind of think of, you know, for myself, how do I, how do I 413 00:26:14,650 --> 00:26:16,660 manipulate, how do I manipulate the Lord? 414 00:26:16,670 --> 00:26:21,510 Can I get the the next slide to this is this is how sometimes we 415 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:26,570 operate. If I do this, God must do that. 416 00:26:26,940 --> 00:26:32,070 Ever thought that way? If I do such and such, God has 417 00:26:32,230 --> 00:26:39,270 to do this and this. If I were a cross, God's gonna 418 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:46,910 protect me, right? If I fast and pray over 419 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:52,480 something to happen, God has to answer my prayer. 420 00:26:52,530 --> 00:26:58,100 If I volunteer at a homeless shelter, God now has to. 421 00:26:58,410 --> 00:27:00,780 It's like if I do, I'm like, I'm doing God a favor. 422 00:27:00,790 --> 00:27:03,520 He owes me something. If I do this in this, if I'm 423 00:27:03,530 --> 00:27:06,000 nice, rather than explode in anger, which is what I would 424 00:27:06,010 --> 00:27:09,360 normally do, God's now going to be nice to me. 425 00:27:09,550 --> 00:27:12,800 It's like he he owes me. I did him a favor and now he's 426 00:27:12,810 --> 00:27:14,820 gotta do he's gotta return the favor to me. 427 00:27:15,230 --> 00:27:17,840 But think this way often we do this and it's very subtle. 428 00:27:17,850 --> 00:27:20,790 We don't don't really realize that we're doing it, but this is 429 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,270 kind of twisting God's arm. It's trying to manipulate the 430 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,460 Almighty in very subtle ways. And God says I will have none of 431 00:27:27,470 --> 00:27:29,410 that. I will have none of that. 432 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:43,280 The Lord is willing to disappoint us if it means it 433 00:27:43,290 --> 00:27:46,970 will wake up to who he actually is. 434 00:27:47,260 --> 00:27:50,930 He's willing to disappoint us. He is actually willing to 435 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,750 undergo shame, as he does in this story, because the arc is 436 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,890 captured. He's willing to do that if it 437 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:04,410 means that he can put an end to this false relating, false kind 438 00:28:04,420 --> 00:28:09,640 of relationship with him. He's OK with that and in our 439 00:28:09,650 --> 00:28:13,920 lives, we're going to experience disappointments and in fact, he 440 00:28:13,930 --> 00:28:20,110 will at times pull away in order to in and where His glory will 441 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:24,340 depart so that we'll seek him so that we'll acknowledge the place 442 00:28:24,350 --> 00:28:25,910 that we're in and and turn to him. 443 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,450 This is he. He, it's, it's all, it's all out 444 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:33,270 of his great goodness towards us because he knows we can't 445 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:40,130 operate apart from him. We should keep moving. 446 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:46,270 Risk 12 That same day, a Benjamite ran from the 447 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,470 battlefield and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust 448 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,310 on his head. When he arrived, there was Eli 449 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,670 sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching because 450 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,110 his heart feared for the ark of God. 451 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,370 He he he obviously agreed to have the ark go, but it sounds 452 00:29:02,380 --> 00:29:06,070 like maybe he was anxious about about the art going well when 453 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:07,550 the man of God entered. Sorry. 454 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,530 When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the 455 00:29:10,540 --> 00:29:16,220 whole town sent up a cry. Eli heard the outcry and asked 456 00:29:16,310 --> 00:29:19,080 what is the meaning of of this uproar? 457 00:29:19,410 --> 00:29:23,780 The man hurried over to Eli, who was 98 years old and whose eyes 458 00:29:23,790 --> 00:29:25,900 had failed so that he could not see. 459 00:29:26,530 --> 00:29:29,590 He told Eli, I have just come from the battle line. 460 00:29:29,650 --> 00:29:34,920 I fled from it this very day. Eli asked what happened. 461 00:29:34,930 --> 00:29:39,000 My son, the man who brought the news replied. 462 00:29:39,330 --> 00:29:43,640 Israel fled before the Philistines and the army was has 463 00:29:43,650 --> 00:29:47,000 suffered heavy losses. Also, your two sons Hophni and 464 00:29:47,010 --> 00:29:50,760 Phineas are dead and the Ark of God has been captured. 465 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,620 Just get his response when he mentioned the Ark of God. 466 00:29:56,970 --> 00:30:00,660 Eli fell backwards off his chair by the side of the road or side 467 00:30:00,670 --> 00:30:03,860 of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, 468 00:30:03,930 --> 00:30:06,380 for he was an old man and he was heavy. 469 00:30:07,030 --> 00:30:12,380 He had LED Israel 40 years. It wasn't that his sons had 470 00:30:12,390 --> 00:30:14,240 died. He kind of knew that was gonna 471 00:30:14,250 --> 00:30:16,130 happen. It was at the ark of God had 472 00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:18,500 been captured. That's what devastated him. 473 00:30:19,230 --> 00:30:23,190 It was too much for him to bear, and he tips over off his chair 474 00:30:23,370 --> 00:30:24,900 and breaks his neck. Why? 475 00:30:25,570 --> 00:30:28,870 He was old, to be sure, but the text says that he was heavy. 476 00:30:30,330 --> 00:30:34,060 And the word that's used there is cabed, which is, which is an 477 00:30:34,070 --> 00:30:36,740 offshoot of kabaddi. It it's glorious, the same. 478 00:30:36,750 --> 00:30:39,830 It's it's a glory word. His heaviness. 479 00:30:40,950 --> 00:30:42,920 His heaviness led to his downfall. 480 00:30:42,930 --> 00:30:46,230 He was dethroned at that moment from his place. 481 00:30:48,790 --> 00:30:51,300 Nothing is gonna stand in the way of God's glory. 482 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:53,800 Nothing. Nothing. 483 00:31:02,450 --> 00:31:03,040 Where are we? Here. 484 00:31:04,190 --> 00:31:05,260 Here we go. Next page. 485 00:31:05,310 --> 00:31:08,660 Yeah, verse 19, his daughter-in-law, that's Eli's 486 00:31:08,670 --> 00:31:11,270 daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, one of the one of the 487 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:15,620 two sons was pregnant and near the time of delivery when she 488 00:31:15,730 --> 00:31:19,260 heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that 489 00:31:19,270 --> 00:31:21,340 her father-in-law and her husband were dead. 490 00:31:21,530 --> 00:31:25,820 She went into labour and gave birth but was overcome by her 491 00:31:25,830 --> 00:31:30,380 labour pains that she was dying, the women attending her said. 492 00:31:30,390 --> 00:31:32,510 Don't despair, you have given birth to a son. 493 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,750 But she did not respond or pay any attention. 494 00:31:36,630 --> 00:31:43,350 She named the boy Ichabod Sane. The glory of the glory has 495 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:47,060 departed from Israel because of the capture of the Ark of God 496 00:31:47,070 --> 00:31:51,190 and the deaths of her father-in-law and husband, she 497 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,100 said. The glory has departed from 498 00:31:54,110 --> 00:31:57,900 Israel, for the ark of God has been captured. 499 00:32:00,940 --> 00:32:03,320 She couldn't bear the news either. 500 00:32:04,390 --> 00:32:09,670 And an unfortunate delivery, to be sure. 501 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,630 But she names her son Ichabod. Which Kabad, right? 502 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,810 It's it's glory. The there's literally means no 503 00:32:17,820 --> 00:32:19,490 glory. Or where? 504 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:22,330 Where did the glory go? It has departed from us. 505 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:32,290 Verse 21 she says the glory has departed from Israel because of 506 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,840 the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her 507 00:32:34,850 --> 00:32:36,820 father-in-law and her and her husband. 508 00:32:37,470 --> 00:32:39,700 It's true. She was right in the sense that 509 00:32:39,750 --> 00:32:41,860 the the glory of God had departed. 510 00:32:41,950 --> 00:32:47,060 But she was wrong, and that it departed because because the ark 511 00:32:47,070 --> 00:32:51,050 of God had been captured. The glory departed already. 512 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,540 The capturing of the ark was just a sign of that fact. 513 00:32:59,260 --> 00:33:02,780 It already happened. Now we're not going to read 514 00:33:02,790 --> 00:33:09,080 through this, but chapters 5 and 6, they, they tell the story of 515 00:33:09,090 --> 00:33:14,410 how the arc is moving around, moves to Philistine territory. 516 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,370 And if you've been keeping up with the readings, at the 1st 517 00:33:17,380 --> 00:33:20,630 place it goes is Dagon's temple, which was the God of the 518 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,730 Philistines. And in the in the morning they'd 519 00:33:23,740 --> 00:33:28,850 found that the the, the big idol of Dagon had fallen in its face 520 00:33:28,860 --> 00:33:32,210 before the ark. It was literally bowing before 521 00:33:32,220 --> 00:33:37,610 the glory of God and the people had to actually prop him back 522 00:33:37,620 --> 00:33:39,050 up. Philistines had to prop him back 523 00:33:39,060 --> 00:33:41,830 up, which is kind of laughable. How you know your God needs 524 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:43,980 propping up. You know, there's a bit of 525 00:33:43,990 --> 00:33:46,430 trouble there. So there's a comical, there's a 526 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,090 bit of a comical relief there, but God is trying to make his 527 00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:55,380 people think, think about what's going on, What's what's going on 528 00:33:55,390 --> 00:33:59,990 here? The Lord is going to fight his 529 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:05,490 battle on his own. He's gonna bring back the Ark to 530 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:08,409 his people all by himself. He doesn't need his people. 531 00:34:09,020 --> 00:34:12,150 He doesn't need us to do that. And this is, this is glorious 532 00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:14,840 good news. He doesn't need, he doesn't need 533 00:34:14,850 --> 00:34:16,699 you. He doesn't need me now. 534 00:34:16,710 --> 00:34:19,110 That's not that's not to say that he doesn't want us. 535 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:24,250 He does, but he doesn't need us and that's significant. 536 00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:27,389 He is glorious. He is the centre of gravity. 537 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,969 He is. He is everything, my friends, 538 00:34:31,010 --> 00:34:35,639 and he's waking up his people, and he is waking us up to this 539 00:34:35,690 --> 00:34:42,820 reality as well. Later on in these chapters, in 540 00:34:42,830 --> 00:34:48,350 chapter 6, when the Ark is actually returned to his people, 541 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,469 the people of Beth Shemesh, some people had looked into the Ark 542 00:34:53,270 --> 00:34:55,120 and they lost their lives as a result of it. 543 00:34:55,130 --> 00:34:58,180 A lot of people had, they had not, they just taken things too 544 00:34:58,190 --> 00:35:00,480 casually. They they they didn't see the 545 00:35:00,490 --> 00:35:03,580 arc for what it was, the representation of God's glory 546 00:35:03,850 --> 00:35:07,620 for his presence, 12 and as a result, they lost their lives. 547 00:35:13,660 --> 00:35:18,350 And I think what what the what the Lord is trying to 548 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:22,230 communicate to us is how important his presence is, how 549 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:24,090 weighty and heavy his presence is. 550 00:35:25,770 --> 00:35:28,920 And he wants us to recognize him for who he is. 551 00:35:29,010 --> 00:35:33,340 Sometimes we can just take kind of see him too casually approach 552 00:35:33,350 --> 00:35:38,760 his presence to lightly and so he's continuing to wake us up as 553 00:35:38,770 --> 00:35:45,580 well. So I'm 114 verse 7. 554 00:35:47,030 --> 00:35:51,330 Love this tremble earth at the presence of the Lord. 555 00:35:53,940 --> 00:35:57,900 That's the admonition. Hey everybody, tremble at the 556 00:35:57,910 --> 00:36:03,530 presence of the Lord. There's should be an awe within 557 00:36:03,540 --> 00:36:07,170 us of just the thought of God's presence here with us right now 558 00:36:07,460 --> 00:36:11,480 that He is here. He's waking us, waking us up to 559 00:36:11,490 --> 00:36:14,330 that, to that reality. You know, we are. 560 00:36:18,500 --> 00:36:21,420 We're referred to as priests in the New Testament. 561 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,310 First Peter chapter 2, verse 9 says, But you speaking to 562 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:31,470 Christians are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy 563 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:34,870 nation, God's special possession, that you may declare 564 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:39,050 the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his 565 00:36:39,060 --> 00:36:43,120 wonderful light. We can point the finger at 566 00:36:43,130 --> 00:36:45,460 Hopping and Phineas. These priests, They shouldn't 567 00:36:45,470 --> 00:36:50,610 have done this. But we're priests too, and it is 568 00:36:50,620 --> 00:36:53,990 those who are called to represent God, to glorify Him 569 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,300 with our lives, that is, to reflect Him. 570 00:37:00,150 --> 00:37:04,660 We're to be those ones that are trembling before the Lord and to 571 00:37:04,670 --> 00:37:11,070 be in awe of His presence and to have a holy fear of God, the 572 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,010 kind of fear that enables us to not fear anything else. 573 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,770 That's the reason why we're called to fear the Lord, not to 574 00:37:17,780 --> 00:37:20,190 tremble in our boots. Fear because we know about His 575 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:22,560 compassion. We know about His goodness, but 576 00:37:22,570 --> 00:37:27,150 to have such an awe of him that would be such weight in our 577 00:37:27,220 --> 00:37:33,380 respect for Him that whatever it is that we're facing financial 578 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,520 difficulties, health issues, maybe a relational problem that 579 00:37:38,530 --> 00:37:41,020 we have. Maybe there's something upcoming 580 00:37:41,030 --> 00:37:42,570 that we're very, very fearful of. 581 00:37:42,580 --> 00:37:46,950 And we think, think about, you know, the Iran is bombed and you 582 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,410 know, the, the, the unrest in the Middle East. 583 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:55,010 Where is that going to take us? When we have a fear, a rightful 584 00:37:55,020 --> 00:37:59,260 fear of the holy God, the righteous God, the glorious God, 585 00:38:00,910 --> 00:38:05,700 it enables us to recognize He's got this, He's got this. 586 00:38:05,890 --> 00:38:09,140 I have nothing to fear because I know who He is. 587 00:38:09,210 --> 00:38:12,650 When we lose sight of Him, that's when we start to fear 588 00:38:12,660 --> 00:38:18,770 other things, other people, other situations, possibilities 589 00:38:18,780 --> 00:38:25,650 in the future. Tremble Earth at the presence of 590 00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:29,820 the Lord. So my question is this, has God 591 00:38:29,830 --> 00:38:35,110 become too familiar for you? Because we slip in and out of 592 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:40,540 these kind of casual places with God, Has he become too familiar 593 00:38:40,550 --> 00:38:43,220 perhaps? Has the glory of God departed 594 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:44,960 from your life? Does it feel like that? 595 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,010 Is it feel like he's departed? Or do you have a Do you have 596 00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:57,130 that sense of awe and wonder and fear of the presence of God in 597 00:38:57,140 --> 00:39:05,240 your life? Jonathan Edwards said it's the 598 00:39:05,250 --> 00:39:09,620 absence of godly fear that signifies a lack of knowledge of 599 00:39:09,630 --> 00:39:13,290 God. When we don't have that fear, 600 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,670 when we're not when, when, when the when the word of God, we 601 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:18,000 we're not trembling before the word of God. 602 00:39:18,790 --> 00:39:23,700 It's a sign that we don't know God and He's inviting us to come 603 00:39:23,780 --> 00:39:28,590 closer to Him, Closer and closer and closer to Him. 604 00:39:31,130 --> 00:39:38,590 I remember cause I'm a BC boy, spent most of my life in British 605 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,970 Columbia hearing about the Niagara Falls and seeing 606 00:39:41,980 --> 00:39:44,380 pictures of the Niagara Falls. I thought, yeah, that's pretty 607 00:39:44,390 --> 00:39:47,210 cool. But it's not false. 608 00:39:47,260 --> 00:39:50,930 Haven't haven't been there until we moved to Ontario to pastor 609 00:39:50,940 --> 00:39:54,740 Forest View and got to see Niagara Falls up close and to 610 00:39:54,750 --> 00:39:59,450 feel feel feel the ground shaking and to hear it and to 611 00:39:59,460 --> 00:40:02,260 see it, it was like oh man, this is awesome. 612 00:40:02,860 --> 00:40:06,570 And then to return to Niagara Falls, every time I go back, 613 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,290 it's like it's even more magnificent. 614 00:40:09,300 --> 00:40:12,090 And this is the invitation that God has given to us, to come 615 00:40:12,100 --> 00:40:19,950 close to Him, to come close to Him, not to be familiar and 616 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:24,620 casual with Him, not to take him lightly, but to feel the weight 617 00:40:24,670 --> 00:40:28,910 of who He is. His Holiness and His kindness, 618 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:33,400 His goodness, and to come to know Him more through His Word. 619 00:40:33,410 --> 00:40:38,380 He's inviting us to come close. I'm gonna lead us in a prayer 620 00:40:38,390 --> 00:40:40,770 this morning. I don't even know how to respond 621 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:45,250 to a message like this, but as God would reveal Himself to us, 622 00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:48,070 I know that we will respond. Alright, so let's let's pray 623 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:54,220 together. Father in heaven, OHS Lord I, I 624 00:40:54,230 --> 00:40:58,980 can never do justice to the glory that is yours. 625 00:40:59,350 --> 00:41:04,390 Lord, we acknowledge your weight, your heaviness, your 626 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,350 importance, your beauty, Your Majesty. 627 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:09,500 Lord, that you deserve all the recognition. 628 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:15,230 We acknowledge that and we ask, Lord, I ask you to forgive me. 629 00:41:16,810 --> 00:41:19,640 Where have taken you too lightly, that have approached 630 00:41:19,650 --> 00:41:25,230 you too casually, Lord, that I have just ignored your presence? 631 00:41:28,590 --> 00:41:33,580 Yeah, taken for granted. Your goodness that somehow you 632 00:41:33,590 --> 00:41:37,660 become background in my life, Lord? 633 00:41:37,670 --> 00:41:42,500 I ask that you come into the foreground, that you would open 634 00:41:42,510 --> 00:41:45,620 my eyes to see you for who you are, Lord, that you would draw 635 00:41:45,630 --> 00:41:49,320 me ever closer. That I could be in awe of you 636 00:41:49,510 --> 00:41:53,600 walking out my day, in awe of you walking out my day in 637 00:41:53,650 --> 00:41:59,360 reverent fear of you, so that whatever else may come my way, I 638 00:41:59,370 --> 00:42:03,300 will fear. I will not fear it because I 639 00:42:03,310 --> 00:42:12,140 know that you're in charge. Lord, enable us, those who bear 640 00:42:12,150 --> 00:42:19,490 your name, to seek You for a fresh re revelation of who you 641 00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:25,300 are. Yeah, open our eyes to see that 642 00:42:25,310 --> 00:42:28,980 our lives may never be the same, but that we would, through our 643 00:42:29,090 --> 00:42:34,820 thoughts, through our words and through our actions, glorify the 644 00:42:34,830 --> 00:42:38,110 God that you are. That we pray this all in Jesus 645 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:39,450 name. Hey, Ben.