1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:03,200 I invite your attention to the passage that's found in the Old 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,700 Testament. In first Samuel chapter 4 and we 3 00:00:06,700 --> 00:00:10,200 want to begin reading there in verse 1 and read just a few 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,300 verses to introduce our remarks this morning, first Samuel 5 00:00:14,300 --> 00:00:20,300 chapter four and beginning there in verse 1, And the word of 6 00:00:20,300 --> 00:00:24,400 Samuel came to all Israel. Now, Israel went out against the 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,400 Philistines to battle and pitched beside Ebenezer and the 8 00:00:28,407 --> 00:00:32,800 Philistines pitched in aphek and the Philistines put themself in 9 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,500 Array against Israel. And when they joined the battle, 10 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:40,500 Israel was smitten before the Philistines and they slew all 11 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:43,500 the Army in the field about 4,000 men. 12 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,300 And when the people were coming to the camp, the Elders of 13 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:51,700 Israel said, wherefore hath? The Lord smitten us today before 14 00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:54,700 the Philistines. Let us fetch the Ark of the 15 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:58,200 Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us. 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,100 And when it cometh Among Us, it may save us out of the hand of 17 00:01:03,100 --> 00:01:07,000 our enemies. You know, the people of God, a 18 00:01:07,008 --> 00:01:12,200 long, long time ago in going against their bitter Foe and 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,400 that being the Philistines in battle. 20 00:01:15,500 --> 00:01:21,900 They thought after one Slaughter had been had gone against them 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,800 and 4,000 men were slain, they had an idea, we need some 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,100 protection. And so all we have to do is 23 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:33,500 we've got to go back to Shiloh. And if we can get the Ark of God 24 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:36,400 and we can bring it into the camp and we can keep it among 25 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,800 us. Then we're going to have the 26 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,800 protection of God if we can just do that. 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,100 But, you know, they misunderstood the service of God 28 00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:49,500 and they misunderstood and misrepresented, the article that 29 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:53,400 we're talking about and that being the ark, you know, the 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,100 Philistines looked upon that too. 31 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:58,400 And they thought, you know what, we've got a problem because if 32 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,800 the children of Israel take this Arc and put it among them and 33 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,100 keep it with them, then they're going to have the power to 34 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:08,600 overtake us. And so they came and took the 35 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,200 ark from the people of God. You know, I've been studying 36 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,700 with you the Old Testament, Bible characters, and we were 37 00:02:15,700 --> 00:02:21,300 studying the character of the judge called Samuel. 38 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,600 And as you remember a couple weeks ago on Sunday evening, I 39 00:02:24,608 --> 00:02:29,100 began our study by talking about Samuel from birth all the way up 40 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:32,900 until he knew that God was with him and that he was going to be 41 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:37,600 anointed of God in that regard. He would to be a judge of God. 42 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:41,400 But you know, there are three chapters or four chapters that 43 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:46,600 go after that fact, that deal with the history ra of the of 44 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:52,000 the time, concerning the Ark of God before, the people of God, 45 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,400 still don't get it and they rise up in chapter 8 and they said, 46 00:02:55,700 --> 00:02:58,500 give us a king. And therefore the very first 47 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:02,300 king was given and that was King Saul, that's next time. 48 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,000 But for a little while, I want to talk to you about the things 49 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,200 that happened from the period that we left off. 50 00:03:08,300 --> 00:03:13,000 Off with a couple weeks ago and cover those chapters about the 51 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:17,800 moving of the Ark of God and all the problems that happen because 52 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,700 of it. In the days of Eli, the 53 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:24,700 Israelites attempted to put an end to Philistine incursions 54 00:03:24,700 --> 00:03:27,500 into the land when these enemies camped. 55 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:30,600 In effect, the Israelites formed their ranks nearby. 56 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:36,500 Ebenezer about two miles east of effect in the ensuing battle. 57 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:41,600 Some 4,000 Israelites were slain in the field, but the last words 58 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:46,300 as found in Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 4 suggest that the 59 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:51,100 Israelites had held their ground in spite of, Losses in the camp 60 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,500 that night the Israelites concluded that the Lord had 61 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:57,500 delivered them into the hands of the Philistines because the 62 00:03:57,500 --> 00:04:00,400 sacred Ark had been left at Shiloh. 63 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,500 So they set the Shiloh for the ark hophni and phinehas 64 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:08,100 accompanied the ark, back to the Israelite, encampment verses 3 65 00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:12,000 and 4 of chapter 4. But I want to talk to you about 66 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 some things concerning the things, or the events, prior to, 67 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:21,500 what we're going to talk about today In moving the Ark of God, 68 00:04:21,500 --> 00:04:23,600 very briefly. Now, for those that were not 69 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,000 here couple weeks ago on a Sunday evening when we talked 70 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,500 about the character of Samuel, we begin in first Samuel chapter 71 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:34,700 1 and these are characters that are introduced to us. 72 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,100 First of all, there's a man and no doubt a Godly Man by the name 73 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:42,600 of elkanah and elkanah had two wives. 74 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,400 He had one by the name of Hannah and the other by the name of 75 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:48,900 Pnina. And the Bible says that the Lord 76 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,400 Lord had closed the womb of Hannah. 77 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,100 So she was buried. And you know, when he had this 78 00:04:56,100 --> 00:05:00,300 other wife, the Bible says, and it doesn't say exactly how many 79 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:07,000 but Pnina gave elkanah by his seed Sons and Daughters plural. 80 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 But Hannah was Barren, and she was heartsick about it. 81 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,700 Well, you know, every year, when they come together to give such 82 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:19,400 feasts and celebrations and Shiloh, the place of Tabernacle 83 00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:24,200 worship and Tabernacle service, they would come with all these 84 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,000 Thanksgiving offerings and so on and so forth. 85 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,900 And it was required that the men were the ones that would go to 86 00:05:30,900 --> 00:05:35,600 Shiloh and accomplish that very service and accomplished those 87 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,100 offerings, and all of that. But the women who were not 88 00:05:40,100 --> 00:05:44,300 necessarily required to go, they were certainly allowed to go. 89 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,400 And when we, they were get there and they start talking about all 90 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,900 the things they were thankful for, Hannah would be reminded 91 00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:55,400 over and over and over again that the Lord had shut up her 92 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,200 womb and she could not have children and she was Barren. 93 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,400 Now, a couple weeks ago, I made a point and I don't know if I 94 00:06:04,407 --> 00:06:06,800 actually made the point that I was trying to make, I'll try to 95 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,600 make it again. When Hannah was bearing, there's 96 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,700 a couple things about that. First of all, when we compare it 97 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:17,000 to someone that's not able to have children. 98 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,100 Today it's a little bit different. 99 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:21,700 In fact it's a lot different custom Eric Lee. 100 00:06:21,700 --> 00:06:25,800 I'm told from a historical standpoint and from a societal 101 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:30,300 thing, it was a disgraceful thing in the days that she lived 102 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:34,100 in to not be able to have children now. 103 00:06:34,900 --> 00:06:39,700 That's bad enough. But today, can you imagine 104 00:06:39,700 --> 00:06:43,800 someone not able to have children and people make fun of 105 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,600 her? And people use the fact that 106 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,000 they can have children and hold it over their head and say such 107 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,500 awful things, awful hurt, hurtful things, we can't even 108 00:06:55,500 --> 00:06:57,500 fathom. Such a concept today. 109 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,900 We feel for those that want to have children dearly but cannot 110 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,700 but this woman, this other wife was different and the reason for 111 00:07:06,700 --> 00:07:09,800 that the Bible It says, is when they get when they receive the 112 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,100 portions of the sacrificial meal. 113 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,200 That was given by elkanah the husband. 114 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,700 He had a great feeling for Hannah. 115 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,200 He had a soft spot in his heart and he felt for her. 116 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:23,900 So what he did is he would give them. 117 00:07:23,900 --> 00:07:28,600 He would give Hannah more than he would give to the others. 118 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:32,100 And I'll tell you something when you show partiality to one 119 00:07:32,100 --> 00:07:36,000 person over another when you're trying to Vie for the affections 120 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,400 of the same person, it causes all manner of feelings. 121 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,200 Inside of us. Does it not you remember the 122 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,800 story of Joseph? You remember what the older 123 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,600 brother said? The older brothers looked upon 124 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,600 this boy as it were the shepherd boy, the one that was the 125 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,400 Pampered son of a partial. Father, the one wearing the coat 126 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,400 of many colors, the one that was considered by his Brothers as 127 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:03,300 the dreamer. And finally they were going to 128 00:08:03,300 --> 00:08:06,600 cast him into a pit and all and we all know the story. 129 00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:11,200 Instead, due to said, no, let's sell him and we know how the 130 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,400 story ends it ends on an up note, we're grateful for that 131 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,700 some 23 years later. But partiality, shown to one 132 00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:23,400 person over another, when both people want the affection of 133 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,200 that other person, also, it causes all manner of feelings in 134 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,600 the heart and feelings like that. 135 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,000 That burn in the heart will cause us to sin. 136 00:08:33,100 --> 00:08:36,500 You remember King Saul King, Saul was fine with David. 137 00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:40,000 In fact, David was the boy that everybody wanted to have. 138 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,000 He was a beautiful man. In fact he was one of the four 139 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,700 men that are characterized in the Olympian in the Old 140 00:08:46,700 --> 00:08:49,900 Testament. As being handsome and built. 141 00:08:49,900 --> 00:08:52,200 Well, this was a good-lookin man. 142 00:08:52,300 --> 00:08:55,500 This was a handsome man. This was a man that had great 143 00:08:55,500 --> 00:09:00,300 character and David was looked upon in the eyes of King Saul 144 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:03,300 kind of like we would look at some a younger man coming up the 145 00:09:03,300 --> 00:09:06,500 ranks as the Golden Boy. The fair-haired boy. 146 00:09:06,500 --> 00:09:10,900 That's the next good preacher on the way and so on and they were 147 00:09:10,900 --> 00:09:14,900 fine with that. Until what The women started 148 00:09:14,900 --> 00:09:18,300 singing and the women sang songs, and when they sung it 149 00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:22,300 about saw, they said Saul has killed his thousands. 150 00:09:22,300 --> 00:09:27,200 But David his ten thousands and that's all they needed to hear 151 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,700 that Saul Saul needed to hear and the Bible says, and it began 152 00:09:30,700 --> 00:09:33,900 to burn his heart. The jealous rage, that was about 153 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:36,800 him. And pretty soon he's setting out 154 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:41,800 to killing, he's even throwing Spears in his direction, to kill 155 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:43,900 him and take his life. Life. 156 00:09:44,700 --> 00:09:48,100 That's kind of the heart of this woman here. 157 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:53,300 She deeply resented Hannah for receiving partial treatment with 158 00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:57,300 the portions, given by the husband elkanah. 159 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,200 So, one day when they were there, she got off to herself 160 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,300 and she's somewhere around the Tabernacle and she begins to 161 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:08,800 pray, but the Bible says that she is speaking. 162 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,300 And she's praying though in her heart. 163 00:10:12,900 --> 00:10:15,800 You know, I'm going to tell you something, if this is not a 164 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,600 perfect picture of what to do when you are so heartsick and 165 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,900 you are so sad and you are so troubled that you're moved to it 166 00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:29,000 with great emotion and tears are flowing and you don't know which 167 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,700 way to turn you know what she did, she didn't go around 168 00:10:32,700 --> 00:10:36,300 bad-mouthing this other woman. She didn't go around criticizing 169 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:39,400 The Other Woman. In fact, she didn't even go and 170 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,600 try to seek out the sympathy of someone else. 171 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:44,800 I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. 172 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:48,800 I'm just saying what she did. What Hannah do the Bible says 173 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:53,500 she goes off to herself and she prays, but the prayer she prayed 174 00:10:53,500 --> 00:10:57,800 was a prayer in her heart and she had no sound coming out of 175 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:04,700 her mouth now. Eli was the high priest, Eli was 176 00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:09,200 in the vicinity and Eli looks at her, and he thinks well how hot 177 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,800 is that? Here's this woman and she's off 178 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,400 to herself. And she's not making any sounds. 179 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,500 But her lips are moving. Eli, says, she's drunk. 180 00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:24,600 And Eli says, when are you going to put up the wine and stop 181 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,100 drinking wine? And she says, oh, I'm not a 182 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:31,300 daughter of Belial. Oh, no, you know, Belial is also 183 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:35,100 a term used as a noun, describing the devil here. 184 00:11:35,100 --> 00:11:37,200 It's talking about a useless one. 185 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,900 She said, oh no, I'm not useless. 186 00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:42,300 I'm not useless in the eyes of God. 187 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:47,900 I wouldn't partake of wine or I wouldn't partake of strong 188 00:11:47,900 --> 00:11:50,400 drink. I am not the daughter of Belial, 189 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,600 don't look at me as one that fits that description in that 190 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,000 category. She says I am heartsick as I 191 00:11:58,000 --> 00:11:59,500 paraphrase. I'm sure. 192 00:11:59,700 --> 00:12:03,700 And I'm praying to God, and she starts telling him what she's 193 00:12:03,700 --> 00:12:07,000 praying for, you know what she was praying for. 194 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,900 She wanted a son and she prayed for the son. 195 00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:17,500 You know, as we mentioned how fitting it was on Mother's Day. 196 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,800 You know, you have a child. You love that child. 197 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:27,100 Can you imagine being a mother and customarily back then, as I 198 00:12:27,100 --> 00:12:30,400 mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it was customary to nurse the 199 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,800 baby for as much as three years. Do you think for even a minute 200 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,200 that she was not attached to the baby Samuel when she had him and 201 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:44,000 nursed him for a period of time as much as quite possibly. 202 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:50,100 So as much as three years time, Oh, there was an attachment. 203 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:54,900 There was there not She prays this. 204 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,000 She prays to the great God of heaven and she says, he'll give 205 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,700 me a son. This is beautiful to me. 206 00:13:00,700 --> 00:13:04,300 I can't fathom this. She says, if you give me a son, 207 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:11,000 I'll give him back to you. And he will serve you all the 208 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,700 days of his life and it will be bound and signed and sealed with 209 00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:18,600 a vowel and the Val was the Nazarite vow. 210 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,600 And you remember that a Nazarite vow had a time period. 211 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,200 Sometimes it could be for a particular duration, but in this 212 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,800 case it could be also as much as life. 213 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:33,400 And that's exactly what what Hannah had agreed to do that. 214 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:39,700 This man, Samuel would keep this Nazarite vow all the Days of his 215 00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:42,200 life. And no razor would come to his 216 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:47,000 head and cut his hair, he would keep that Nazarite vow, all the 217 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:52,500 days of his life. Eli tells the woman. 218 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,400 You're going to have a son. She's blessed with a sunburn. 219 00:13:58,500 --> 00:14:04,200 And his name is Samuel but, you know, Eli was the high priest? 220 00:14:04,700 --> 00:14:07,500 No doubt, Eli be. It was a good man and he'll I 221 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:09,500 wanted to do the things that were right. 222 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,600 But, you know, he had two sons and these two sons were not only 223 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,800 his sons, but they held the position of a common priest as 224 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,900 well. But the Bible says that these 225 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:25,300 Sons were Wicked, they were vile. 226 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:31,600 It was living in such a way that people look to their service and 227 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,800 even look to the service of God as the detestable thing because 228 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:41,900 of their example because of what they had done, remember the 229 00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:45,400 point that we made we need to be very careful as Christians 230 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,200 Darryl and I were driving back from Turlock this morning we're 231 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:53,600 talking about the world's view of a Christian and the world has 232 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,400 a view of the Christian that's very important for us. 233 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,000 To take heed and think about because the world understands 234 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,400 even though Christian sometimes don't understand that we have a 235 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,300 higher standard and we need to live by the higher standard as 236 00:15:08,300 --> 00:15:12,600 we are governed by that standard and led by our Lord. 237 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,600 Sometimes we forget what the standard is. 238 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,800 So we lower the standard and become more like the people in 239 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:21,200 the world. Well, I'm going to tell you 240 00:15:21,208 --> 00:15:23,800 something. If you're in the world and you 241 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,400 don't wear the name of Christ, that's all fine and good. 242 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,100 Great, they'll accept you, they'll throw their arms around 243 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:31,500 you, and I'll tell you, you'll have all the friends in the 244 00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:35,300 world. But you tell them you're a 245 00:15:35,308 --> 00:15:38,600 Christian. And they see that you've lowered 246 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,600 the standard in your life. they make the service of God, it 247 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:49,600 looks to them that the service of God is even detestable Oh, 248 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,500 what an awful thing. But, you know, Eli has a 249 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:58,800 conversation with the sons. You remember, when I said, That 250 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:05,100 the difference between Hannah and Eli was that Hannah chose 251 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:09,400 the Lord over her boy over her son. 252 00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:15,200 But Eli chose his sons over the Lord. 253 00:16:15,900 --> 00:16:19,400 Now, that mean he condone their action, certainly not. 254 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,800 The question, is this, what is our responsibility? 255 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,700 What is, what is required of us? And what is our responsibility? 256 00:16:28,900 --> 00:16:33,100 If Wicked sinful things. Go around us and we really have 257 00:16:33,100 --> 00:16:35,200 the ability to do something about it. 258 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,500 What is required of us? Well, I'll tell you this, I'll 259 00:16:38,500 --> 00:16:40,100 tell you what was required of each. 260 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:44,400 Eli first, let's look what he did do going back a couple of 261 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,200 chapters now. All of a sudden he's going to 262 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,700 speak to his sons. He's going to speak to his sons 263 00:16:51,700 --> 00:16:55,000 in such a way, that he's telling them what you're doing is 264 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,500 absolutely awful. It is sinful that every way, but 265 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:04,300 the question was, this was that enough beginning in verse 22 of 266 00:17:04,300 --> 00:17:06,800 chapter 2, listen to these words. 267 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:14,300 Eli was very old and heard all that his sons had did under the 268 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:19,099 Israel and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door 269 00:17:19,099 --> 00:17:22,900 of the Tabernacle of the congregation and he said unto 270 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:25,800 them. Why do you say such things for? 271 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:30,600 I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 272 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,500 He first asks him, why are you doing this? 273 00:17:33,500 --> 00:17:38,400 I hear about all the evil things that you have done and are Ewing 274 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:43,800 to do notice what he says. In verse 24 name, my son's for 275 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,700 it is no good report that I hear you make the Lord's people to 276 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:50,800 transgress. If one man sin against another, 277 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,900 the judge shall judge him. But if a man sinned against the 278 00:17:53,900 --> 00:17:57,800 Lord who shall entreat for hand notwithstanding, they hearkened 279 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,600 not unto his voice, the voice of their father, because the Lord 280 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,900 would slay them. And the child, Samuel grew on, 281 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,500 and was in favor, both with the Lord. 282 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:12,300 And also, With man Eli says, no, I'm not condoning. 283 00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:15,200 What you're doing? What you're doing is detestable 284 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,300 and he says it like this, it is so bad. 285 00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:21,400 That no mercy. Could possibly come your way and 286 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,300 he uses this example. He says, if one person sins 287 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:31,600 against another person, you have a judge that is over you that 288 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:36,200 you can plead for mercy and that judge can cast down Mercy to 289 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,800 you. We know that. 290 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:43,000 You can throw yourself on the mercy of the Court. 291 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:48,700 If you're guilty of a crime. And there's one that is above 292 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:54,000 you, there's one that's above the specific thing that happened 293 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,100 between two other men. There's one that is there to sit 294 00:18:57,100 --> 00:19:03,300 and listen and cast down Mercy, if need be But he says, if you 295 00:19:03,300 --> 00:19:07,700 sin against the Lord, there's no one to judge. 296 00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:11,200 That's above him. You sinned against the Lord, 297 00:19:11,300 --> 00:19:14,100 there's not a higher Court, there's not a higher being, 298 00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:16,900 there's no one above him that you can seek. 299 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:20,400 After, that would give you mercy, and that's what you did. 300 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:21,700 Now, I'm going to tell you something. 301 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,200 If my father sat me down and talk to me like that, I would 302 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,500 think it would have some sort of great effect on me. 303 00:19:28,500 --> 00:19:32,200 I would be affected by the words that my father said. 304 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,400 But the Bible says not. So with these two sons, these 305 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,400 two sons said no we're not going to listen in essence and they 306 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,200 didn't stop what they were doing. 307 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,900 And the Bible says that a man of God came and incidentally, a man 308 00:19:46,900 --> 00:19:50,700 of God a prophet sometimes was considered a man of God first 309 00:19:50,700 --> 00:19:54,400 Kings. 13 is a story about a name was prophet referred to as 310 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,400 a man of God that comes to reveal what was going to happen. 311 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:04,100 And because of the sin of jeroboam But the point is this, 312 00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:10,000 the man of God said because in Prophecy because they have done 313 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,300 what they have done. These two boys are going to die 314 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:20,600 the very same day and he'll I knew it from that point forward. 315 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:23,100 But there was something else to do. 316 00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:25,300 You remember what happened one day? 317 00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:30,200 Samuel is getting a little older and Samuel and Eli go to bed and 318 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,300 they're sleeping in the night, and Samuel is awakened by a 319 00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:40,500 voice and the boys cross calls out, his name Samuel, Samuel has 320 00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:44,400 no idea who that is. Samuel gives up Samuel goes to 321 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,900 Eli. He says, oh he says, here I am, 322 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:51,400 you called me and Eli says I didn't call you go back to bed. 323 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 And so he does a second time, a were the voice comes and says 324 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,900 Samuel, Samuel comes to Eli. What do you say, Eli? 325 00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:00,700 Did you need me here? I am. 326 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,100 He'll I said I didn't call you go back to bed a third time. 327 00:21:05,100 --> 00:21:06,400 Exactly. That happens. 328 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,000 Also and Samuel Rises up and he goes to Eli. 329 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,500 And he says, behold here. I am for thou Hast called me Eli 330 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,800 said no, I didn't. But then all of a sudden it hits 331 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,900 him. He says it's the Lord. 332 00:21:22,300 --> 00:21:26,700 And Eli says, the next time you hear that you say, Lord behold I 333 00:21:26,708 --> 00:21:31,000 am here, speak off. And it does happen, just like 334 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,900 that. And the word of the Lord comes 335 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:38,500 to Samuel and tells him that the sacrifice and all of those 336 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:41,400 things would be removed and Devastation is coming to the 337 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,700 house of Eli. I want you to listen to this. 338 00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:47,600 Now, he already spoke to him and that's enough just speak to the 339 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,400 boys. Notice what happened? 340 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:57,000 3:13 Versa, 13. For I am told him that I will 341 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,600 judge his house forever in the iniquity, which he knoweth 342 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:05,900 because his sons get this made themselves vile and he 343 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:11,100 restrained them. Not Did he repeat them? 344 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,900 He certainly did. Didn't he stand before them and 345 00:22:14,900 --> 00:22:17,500 say you're wrong? Yes, he did. 346 00:22:17,500 --> 00:22:20,300 Didn't he plead for God's case to these boys? 347 00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:26,300 Absolutely It wasn't enough. And Devastation and Punishment 348 00:22:26,300 --> 00:22:30,300 was coming because he restrained them. 349 00:22:30,300 --> 00:22:35,300 God, he could have taken these men and removed them from active 350 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:39,300 duty and service to the Lord. He could have done and he did in 351 00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:44,900 essence by his action. He chose his sons, rather than 352 00:22:44,900 --> 00:22:50,100 the local And so we begin chapter 4. 353 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:56,900 And we have the story of the word of Samuel comes to Israel. 354 00:22:58,100 --> 00:23:01,500 And the Philistine people had come to the people of Israel on 355 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:04,800 a number of occasions and back in the days of we can read back 356 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,600 prior to this time, the days of Samson and so long in the days 357 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,100 of the judges, and there's an overlap here of the judges and 358 00:23:12,100 --> 00:23:17,300 the Kings Eli was a high priest. He was also a judge and Samuel 359 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:21,500 was also a judge as well, the last one and we're going to get 360 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:23,900 into what happened after that next time. 361 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,700 But the Philistines had caused the people of God. 362 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:31,200 So much trouble. And all of a sudden there's a 363 00:23:31,208 --> 00:23:34,500 battle and on the battlefield the children of Israel were 364 00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:37,100 fighting and they were trying to, they were trying to be 365 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:40,600 courageous in the battle, but the Bible says that they were 366 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:48,100 slain and 4,000 men were killed. Haven't you found that? 367 00:23:48,100 --> 00:23:51,500 Every time we look to our own wisdom to help God, we get 368 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:54,900 ourselves in trouble. Hasn't, man, always gotten 369 00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:57,800 himself in trouble when he tries to help God. 370 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:03,300 I got a better way for example. Some people say, even though the 371 00:24:03,300 --> 00:24:06,900 Bible commands us to sing we'll just help God in our service a 372 00:24:06,908 --> 00:24:10,100 little bit and we'll have an instrument of music and it's 373 00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:13,300 just going to help our singing. It's going to sound better 374 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,700 helping God. Oh, there are many cases and 375 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:23,900 many things where God's people are challenged with the 376 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:29,600 temptation of helping God. And so, what do they do? 377 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,000 They take an article of worship and article of service and they 378 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,500 think, you know what, we need to get our hands on that. 379 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,800 Like, it's a protection shield, like, it's an aisle. 380 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,800 And if we keep it in our midst, then the people of God are going 381 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,900 to be secure. The people of God, are going to 382 00:24:42,900 --> 00:24:45,300 be safe and everything's going to be fine. 383 00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:49,500 So they said, let's go to Shiloh and let's get the arc, let's get 384 00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:52,000 the Ark of God and bringing into the cab. 385 00:24:52,100 --> 00:24:55,000 Everything's going to be fine. You know what I thought about, 386 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,700 just a minute ago, right? Before prayer. 387 00:24:57,700 --> 00:25:00,600 Something hit me regarding that idea. 388 00:25:01,500 --> 00:25:06,700 How many times have you heard? Someone confuse service to the 389 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:10,500 Lord with protection? What do I mean by that? 390 00:25:10,900 --> 00:25:13,200 How many times has someone said that? 391 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,000 What I decided to be a Christian. 392 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,400 I thought I would I'm going to have all these other problems. 393 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,300 I thought I wasn't going to have any kind of persecutions in my 394 00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:23,200 life. I thought I was going to have an 395 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,300 easier life, the things were going to be better, things were 396 00:25:26,300 --> 00:25:29,300 going to be easier. When know where in God's word, 397 00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:33,300 is it promised that we have an easier life because of our 398 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,000 service? And if our service is for the 399 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,100 purpose of, well, I'm going to do this and I've gotta protect 400 00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:43,000 me from the calamities that might come by way. 401 00:25:43,100 --> 00:25:47,800 That is the wrong attitude. Service comes first, regardless 402 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:53,300 of what we go through in this life, it doesn't matter. 403 00:25:53,300 --> 00:25:57,200 What comes our way. We are still commanded and it's 404 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:02,100 demanded and expected that we serve him, all the days of our 405 00:26:02,100 --> 00:26:04,600 lives. But they said let's just get the 406 00:26:04,608 --> 00:26:07,200 arc. The Bible says when they brought 407 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:12,300 it among them the children of Israel rejoiced they thought to 408 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:15,000 what a great idea. We're going to have now we're 409 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,800 going to have the presence of God because what they said is 410 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,100 they said if the Ark of God is in our midst, therefore the 411 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:24,800 presence of God is in our midst and we will be protected. 412 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:30,400 So with this jubilant cry and celebration all of a sudden, 413 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:33,000 there are some other people that over here. 414 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,400 They're celebrating and it was the Philistines and they 415 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,500 wondered, what are we going to do now? 416 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,800 They finally figured it out. You see, they misunderstood to, 417 00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:47,400 they finally figured it out, all they got to do is keep that 418 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,100 among their presence and they're going to destroy us in. 419 00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:54,200 The Bible says that the Philistines began to complain 420 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,000 and cry about it. But the Lords of the 421 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,800 Philistines, says quit, you like men, rise up, like, man, you 422 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,600 want to lay down for These lowly Hebrews, is that what you want 423 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:06,800 to do? Because that's what you're 424 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,200 doing. You're an Essence. 425 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:12,000 Saying, all All Is Lost. All we got to do now is just 426 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:17,900 submit ourselves to the Hebrews. No, they said Fight Like a Man 427 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:24,000 fight like a man, and we are not going to answer to those lowly 428 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,200 Hebrews. And all of a sudden, the 429 00:27:27,208 --> 00:27:32,400 Philistines get an idea. Let's take the ark from And the 430 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,300 Bible says, have another battle happened and there this is 431 00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:40,200 awful. It starts off with 4,000 men 432 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,900 that were killed early on and then all of a sudden, the people 433 00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:48,100 of God, make a poor choice. Although, if we could just look 434 00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:51,600 back on the choices we make, they made a poor choice. 435 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,300 All it did was didn't give him any protection. 436 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,000 It's spurred on the Philistines. Another battle happens and guess 437 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,200 what? 30,000 more were slain in that 438 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,200 battle. And to add insult to injury to 439 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,500 injury as it were, the Philistines took the ark. 440 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:12,900 Now, they've got it. You can just imagine how high on 441 00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:15,500 the hog. They were acting thinking, man, 442 00:28:15,500 --> 00:28:21,000 we've got, we've got it. We got the presence of their 443 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,600 God, and by the way, historically speaking. 444 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,100 I am told that, even though the Philistines didn't look to the 445 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:33,000 great God Of Heaven, as the god to serve, it was customary that 446 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,200 even those that served other pagan gods, they would fear 447 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,600 another people's God, there was a respect Factor there, they 448 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:45,100 were some Superstition, they're all of a sudden, they take this 449 00:28:45,100 --> 00:28:48,100 Arc. And they bring it to Ash dog. 450 00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:53,100 That was the place where day gone was an idol. 451 00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:55,400 God, you know, what's interesting? 452 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,600 They take the Ark of God and they bring it in the presence of 453 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,400 Dagon and they said it, I don't know what time of day. 454 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,400 It was, it might have been at night, I don't know. 455 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,800 But they take the Ark of God and they place it next to Dagon this 456 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,400 Idol. And they go away in the Bible 457 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,600 says, in the morning, or on the morrow, they come. 458 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,800 And you know what they find? They find that the Ark of God is 459 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,100 still there, and they gone is laying down on its face almost 460 00:29:23,100 --> 00:29:28,100 as if it's bowing before the Ark in obeisance to it. 461 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,800 You see what we're doing here. God is showing his power. 462 00:29:34,700 --> 00:29:38,700 God is showing his mind. But you know, maybe they would 463 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:42,000 have thought, you know, something else might have made 464 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,900 it tip over. So it's all right, we'll think 465 00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:49,000 nothing of it. We'll just stand up all day gone 466 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:53,200 again and will go away and they do you know what happened the 467 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,900 next day though? The next morning they come in 468 00:29:55,900 --> 00:29:59,200 and guess what happened today? Gone, he had fallen down again 469 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,600 but now his head is cut off and so are his hands. 470 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,000 There's a symbol there that Dagon is not going to do 471 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,200 anything in the eyes of God, Dagon cannot plot against the 472 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:15,000 people of God and Dagon cannot do anything against the people 473 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,400 of God. Catch the head and the hands 474 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:23,000 were broken off. And all there was was a stone 475 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:26,800 all in the superstitions of the threshold. 476 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:32,200 As the Bible says still exists. Among idolaters today. 477 00:30:33,100 --> 00:30:37,600 Interesting but you know, God wasn't finished, God had 478 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:39,400 something else that he was going to do. 479 00:30:39,700 --> 00:30:43,200 And the Bible says that he Afflicted, all of those people 480 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:50,000 of ashdod with great big sores, tumors is the direct rendering 481 00:30:50,300 --> 00:30:55,300 bloody tumors. In fact, One account says that 482 00:30:55,300 --> 00:31:02,500 God caused them to have such tumors in their secret parts. 483 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:05,400 You know, I don't know, all there is to know about that. 484 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,700 I've read some things about that. 485 00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:10,100 I'll just leave that up to you all. 486 00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:12,500 I know, is this couple things? Number one, it wasn't life. 487 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:16,300 Threatening it was punishing, it didn't take their life. 488 00:31:16,300 --> 00:31:19,900 He didn't strike him dead. He just Afflicted him with an 489 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:22,800 awful thing with bleeding tumors. 490 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,900 One scholar said that it was as if God was casting down the 491 00:31:26,900 --> 00:31:30,100 Bubonic. Plague over all of those people. 492 00:31:32,300 --> 00:31:34,800 Will you know if you lived in ashdod? 493 00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:40,800 And you were among those people and all of a sudden you know, 494 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,600 that the reason all of a sudden that these things are happening 495 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,900 and never, we didn't have any problem before. 496 00:31:45,900 --> 00:31:48,000 They got never fell down before his head. 497 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,700 Never fell off his hands. Never fell off, and we didn't 498 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:54,200 have these bloody tumors before the Ark of God was taking in our 499 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:55,700 midst. I'll tell you something. 500 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:59,800 If you were a citizen there and a worshipper of day gone, if it 501 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,300 was, you you'd want that thing out of here? 502 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:08,500 Until they bring it to gas. The Lords of the Philistines 503 00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:11,300 come together and they decide, yes, that's exactly what we're 504 00:32:11,300 --> 00:32:12,700 going to do. We're going to move the Ark of 505 00:32:12,700 --> 00:32:17,000 job and they moved it again. You know what God did The 506 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:22,200 Afflicted in the same way with bleeding tumors again. 507 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,600 Oh how awful that must have been but folks, I'll tell you 508 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:34,100 something. If if we have a lesson here, if 509 00:32:34,100 --> 00:32:38,600 we have a lesson that's before us, it's at least this. 510 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:44,400 God is getting their attention. There's no other gods besides 511 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,300 me. There's nothing else. 512 00:32:46,300 --> 00:32:50,700 That is as powerful as I am. And all other powers that are in 513 00:32:50,700 --> 00:32:55,700 the world are going to bow down to my authority and my power. 514 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:57,200 And I'll tell you something else too. 515 00:32:57,300 --> 00:33:00,200 That's exactly what's going to happen in the day of judgment. 516 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:02,800 When the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. 517 00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:05,300 I know I've said This before. But have you ever really thought 518 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:08,200 about that? Think about all of the Heathen 519 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,300 nations in the world? Think about people that do 520 00:33:11,300 --> 00:33:13,700 horrible things, I'll just say a name. 521 00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:16,600 Why not think about Osama Bin Laden? 522 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:21,700 Think about men like that. you know what they're going to do 523 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:25,900 and that last day For all to see. 524 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:31,600 They're going to Bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. 525 00:33:32,700 --> 00:33:36,000 And they're going to confess him for who he is. 526 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,600 They're going to confess him as little. 527 00:33:42,300 --> 00:33:45,800 You know, when those fellows flew those planes into those 528 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,800 Twin Towers, I'll never forget, you know, the idea was is that 529 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,300 they felt like they were martyred for the cause of their 530 00:33:52,300 --> 00:33:55,200 God. And they would Slaughter quote 531 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,700 unquote, Christian professing, people that it was a straight 532 00:33:58,700 --> 00:34:03,700 shot into heaven, remember that? Joe isil is holding the meeting 533 00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:05,100 and I was talking to him. Run that time. 534 00:34:05,100 --> 00:34:07,300 He says you reckon he was surprised. 535 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,000 As soon as they die, they move. I'm going to tell you something, 536 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,699 folks, the Judgment comes later, but when you die, you know, 537 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,600 there's a Consciousness there and you know, and all of those 538 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,800 people are going to know that they're going to have to bow 539 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,100 before the Lord Jesus Christ and confess him for who he is and 540 00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:32,699 that is as Lord on that last and final day. 541 00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:34,800 Now the child of God does that too? 542 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,900 Here's the point, here's the question are we willing to do it 543 00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:41,100 in time to do us some good it won't do them any good. 544 00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:45,500 Ben It does US good. Now, when we confess him as who 545 00:34:45,500 --> 00:34:49,900 he is and serve him all the days of our life, where the Lords of 546 00:34:49,908 --> 00:34:51,600 the Philistines got together again. 547 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,300 It says, we've got to move this thing on, but you know, the 548 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:59,000 people of ekron when they found that the that the Ark of God was 549 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,300 coming to them, they were scared to death. 550 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,600 That's the last thing they wanted they had heard about what 551 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:08,700 happened and asked, Todd and GAP. 552 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:12,700 That's the last thing they wanted was the ark of God coming 553 00:35:12,700 --> 00:35:20,500 in their presence. so they start thinking, we've got to figure 554 00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:22,700 out a way to get it back to the people of God. 555 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:30,100 The Bible says, when they purpose to do this, That there 556 00:35:30,100 --> 00:35:33,800 needed to be some kind of a guilt offering to there. 557 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,500 Needed to be something they had to do something that was 558 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:40,200 basically in good faith. In other words, we've messed up 559 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:44,600 now they didn't accept God, the great God Of Heaven as who he is 560 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,600 and they didn't, they weren't converted to him. 561 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:51,700 They just knew he was a power, powerful entity and they respect 562 00:35:51,700 --> 00:35:56,100 that they respected that. So they said, we need to come up 563 00:35:56,100 --> 00:35:59,100 with an offering a guilt offering. 564 00:35:59,100 --> 00:36:04,000 So what they did is, They decided to take five golden 565 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,800 tumors. As a picture of how they were 566 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:14,300 afflicting, these five, also represented the five Chief 567 00:36:14,300 --> 00:36:21,200 cities ashdod Gaza asked, along and gath and ekron, and it 568 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,100 represented those things and they sent that with five, 569 00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:29,800 golden, my stew and they put it in a container and they put it 570 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,000 on a cart. And the Bible says that they got 571 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,900 a new cart and they put the Ark of God on the new car. 572 00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:39,200 Art but you know, they thought, you know how we got to figure 573 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,500 out a way to pull this thing, you know, as their reasoning 574 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:45,000 together and purposing together, they're still wandering in the 575 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,200 back of their mind. All the things that happened to 576 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,000 them. Was that just some natural 577 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:51,200 disaster? Was it? 578 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,900 Just some coincidence? Or was it really the hand of 579 00:36:54,900 --> 00:36:57,100 God? So they said this, we're going 580 00:36:57,100 --> 00:37:01,000 to put to put it to a test and they found some milk cows, they 581 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,500 found some kind. The Bible says, milk kind that 582 00:37:04,500 --> 00:37:08,400 had calves that were not. Weaned yet, if you know anything 583 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,700 about cattle. A cat will not leave her calf 584 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,200 calf, might wander off, but it will always come back and I'll 585 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,100 tell you something. If you'd ever branded Calves, if 586 00:37:20,100 --> 00:37:23,200 you've ever done that you take calves away from the cows. 587 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,100 I'm going to tell you something. The cows are bawling, the calves 588 00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:27,900 are balding, and the cows are going to do it. 589 00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:31,000 They'll tear a fence down to get back to their calves. 590 00:37:31,900 --> 00:37:36,900 You know what they do, they have to go 10 miles, 10 miles east. 591 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:42,900 From ekron to Beth Shemesh. And so what they decided to do 592 00:37:42,900 --> 00:37:44,500 is we're going to put it to the test. 593 00:37:44,500 --> 00:37:47,300 They hooked up this brand new cart to these milk. 594 00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:51,200 Kind they took the Cavs away, they put the cats in a pin and 595 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,400 lock the gate. And they said we're not kind of 596 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,200 steer, these cows at all. We're going to just drop the 597 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:00,700 reins as it were and we're just going to stand back and follow 598 00:38:00,700 --> 00:38:03,500 it and see where it goes. This is amazing. 599 00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:06,200 To me the cows. Don't go back which was their 600 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,100 natural. What they would have done, 601 00:38:09,100 --> 00:38:11,200 naturally, it was their Instinct. 602 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,300 They leave their calves on their own and they go. 603 00:38:14,300 --> 00:38:17,900 This 10-mile journey in the Bible says these cows, didn't go 604 00:38:17,900 --> 00:38:20,600 to their left and they didn't go to their right, and they went 605 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:27,400 all the way as those Philistines followed Ten miles. 606 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:34,800 All the hand of God is getting stronger and stronger and 607 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:40,200 stronger. but, you know, these men made a mistake. 608 00:38:41,900 --> 00:38:45,600 You can just imagine as they saw the Ark of God returning. 609 00:38:46,700 --> 00:38:49,600 One scholar said, oh the farmers that were there and must have 610 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,900 looked out and saw what it was and rejoice. 611 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:56,300 Oh, what a glorious thing. The Ark of God is now coming 612 00:38:56,300 --> 00:39:00,200 back into our midst and by the way, even people that had done 613 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:03,300 some horrible things. Even remember, Eli didn't stand 614 00:39:03,300 --> 00:39:07,200 against his sons, you know, of all the things when he was 98 615 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:11,300 years old in the Bible says, his eyes were dim, he was blind and 616 00:39:11,300 --> 00:39:13,500 he's sitting in a chair along the roadside. 617 00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:17,500 He's waiting to hear about what happened with the 40,000 were 618 00:39:17,500 --> 00:39:20,000 slang or the 30,000 were slaying. 619 00:39:20,100 --> 00:39:22,200 Remember that we talked about that a minute ago? 620 00:39:23,100 --> 00:39:27,200 You know, they came and gave a one man came and he had dust on 621 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,200 his hand. He looked like he'd been beat up 622 00:39:29,300 --> 00:39:33,300 and he comes to Eli and he says we lost the battle. 623 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:40,700 We retreated your two sons. Have been killed, you know 624 00:39:40,700 --> 00:39:43,700 there's no emotion yet. He'll I knew that was going to 625 00:39:43,700 --> 00:39:50,800 happen. but when he said the Ark of God was taken, the Bible says 626 00:39:51,100 --> 00:39:55,000 he fell one. Scholar said he had a stroke and 627 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,100 he fell and he fell so hard. He snapped his neck and he died 628 00:39:58,100 --> 00:40:02,000 right there. The definitely like, I remember 629 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,000 this man right here, he had a wife and she was a child Brave 630 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:10,200 child when she hears about these things she inquires to. 631 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,900 And she is told your father-in-law, the high priest 632 00:40:13,900 --> 00:40:17,100 is dead, your husband is also dead. 633 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:24,200 Again, not much emotion. But then he said the Ark of God 634 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,100 was taken. And it caused her to go into 635 00:40:27,100 --> 00:40:31,200 labor, and she was unconscious. And she woke just long enough 636 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:36,700 when your child is born. To look at the child and name 637 00:40:36,700 --> 00:40:40,600 him. Ichabod, meaning the glory has 638 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:47,600 left us and she died. All these people must have 639 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,400 looked to the arc coming in their Direction, as a wonderful 640 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:53,600 thing. Maybe they wanted to look and 641 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,500 see no, wait a minute, did the Philistines take something out 642 00:40:56,500 --> 00:40:58,300 of the Ark? And you know what they do they 643 00:40:58,300 --> 00:41:02,000 do what was wrong. They look inside the arc. 644 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:10,500 And God killed 50,000 and 70. You might think the wait a 645 00:41:10,508 --> 00:41:12,700 minute. They were just excited. 646 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,200 They were just excited. They just want to check and make 647 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,700 sure that the Philistines didn't do something wrong. 648 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:24,400 No, they transgress God and they looked in the ark and they die. 649 00:41:26,500 --> 00:41:30,300 We'll finally. The ark is brought to Kerr hath. 650 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,800 Grm Bible says it was there for 20 years. 651 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,400 And now they're listening to Samuel as a man of God. 652 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:44,000 And as a judge, Bible says that he judged Israel, all the days 653 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,500 of his life. And he looked at these people 654 00:41:47,500 --> 00:41:50,100 and he said, it's time for a Revival. 655 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,800 It's time to wake up. It's time to make a change. 656 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,000 They confess their sins. They gave offerings and you 657 00:41:57,008 --> 00:41:59,900 remember what else he said? He said, give up the strange 658 00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:05,500 gods and they do, they give up Balaam and asteroth, which was 659 00:42:05,500 --> 00:42:10,100 the male and the female version of those Heathen Idol gods. 660 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:15,500 He says give him up and they do and God had delivered them in. 661 00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:19,700 The Bible says they rose up against the Philistines and they 662 00:42:19,700 --> 00:42:23,900 were victorious against them and all of a sudden, all these 663 00:42:23,900 --> 00:42:27,200 haters of the people of God, all of these enemies of the people 664 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,300 of God, no longer had a strong, hold over them. 665 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:32,900 And I want to tell you something, if it was me and if 666 00:42:32,900 --> 00:42:35,500 it was you, I would imagine. We would be pretty grateful to 667 00:42:35,500 --> 00:42:39,200 the Lord. We're going to find something 668 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:43,800 happens. All of a sudden after God showed 669 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:48,900 his mic after God showed his greatness and after God showed 670 00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:53,600 he was with him. And chapter and that's next, the 671 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:56,200 people of God said, no, it's not good enough. 672 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:59,200 That God is our King. We want another one. 673 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:04,100 Bring up a king like the other nations that we might go into 674 00:43:04,100 --> 00:43:08,200 battle and he would leave us. Be careful what you wish for 675 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:14,600 because you just might get it. We thank you for listening to 676 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,200 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 677 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,800 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 678 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:25,500 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 679 00:43:25,500 --> 00:43:31,100 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 680 00:43:31,100 --> 00:43:32,800 Church of Christ. Bakersfield.com. 681 00:43:34,300 --> 00:43:39,000 Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 682 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:43,700 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please make plans to join us. 683 00:43:44,100 --> 00:43:46,400 We would love for you to be our honored.