Tag: 1st Samuel 4-8
God’s presence–blessing or curse?
Scripture reading for March 18th: 1st Samuel 4-8
I love the presence of the Lord. I always have tears or sometimes feel all my senses are alive and His Peace makes me want to wait quietly or kneel before Him. God’s Presence was something that men and women of God have sought. Moses would not move without God’s Presence going with him.
The Ark of God was the place where God’s Presence rested with the Israelites. (1st Samuel 4:3-5) They had just lost four thousand men in battle and were aware of a need for God’s presence. The Ark was brought into the camp by Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s two wicked sons, and the camp erupted in shouting! They planned on taking the Ark into battle to insure victory. More than 30,000 Israelites died in the ensuing battle! Hophni and Phinehas were killed and the Ark of God was captured, Eli died at this news and his daughter-in-law died in childbirth.
God had warned Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas about their wickedness and about His coming judgment! (1st Samuel 2:16-22) Sin has consequences! Treating God’s Presence as something to be used or manipulated is never allowed. Hophni and Phinehas had been dishonoring God, their own father, and the nation. They had been eating the portion belonging to God and they had been having sex with the women who served at the temple.
All the noise and enthusiasm was not an indication of God’s presence with them! The loudest and wildest worship is not always a sign of God’s Presence or approval! We can turn things that represent God’s Presence into an idol very easily! Passionate worship, being slain in the Spirit, dancing before the Lord, and other manifestations are fine if genuine and a response to God’s Presence. They can bring trouble if they are not in “Spirit and Truth”. (John 4:24) God’s Presence was not a blessing to the Philistines either! Everywhere they took the Ark of God, panic, fear, tumors, death and confusion broke out!
God’s Presence is Holy and special. He must be treated with honor and respect by those who know Him! Take time today to thank Him for His Presence with you in the Holy Spirit! His Spirit is a gift of the Father sent to bless His children!
God’s presence–blessing or curse?
Scripture reading for March 17th: 1st Samuel 4-8
I love the presence of the Lord. I almost always experience tears or feel my senses are alive. In His presence, a sense of His peace makes me want to wait quietly or kneel. Moses would not move without God’s Presence going with him. (Exodus 33:15) He knew how much he needed it and we do too!
The Israelites took the Ark of God into battle with them. (1st Samuel 4:3-5) They had just lost four thousand men in battle and were aware of a need for God’s presence. When the Ark was brought into the camp by Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s two sons, the camp erupted in shouting! But the Philistines whipped the Israelites and 30,000 more Israelites died in the ensuing battle! Hophni and Phinehas were killed and the Ark of God was captured! Eli died when he heard about it and his daughter-in-law died in childbirth! How could God let such a thing happen to His people?
First, God had warned Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas about their wickedness and about His coming judgment! (1st Samuel 2:16-22) Treating God’s Presence as something to be used or manipulated for advantage was not allowed. Hophni and Phinehas had been dishonoring God. They had been eating the portion belonging to God–the fat! They had been having sex with the women who served at the temple. God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7)
The Israelites had used the symbol of God’s presence as a ‘good luck’ charm! All the noise and shouting was not an indication of God’s presence with them! We who are ‘Pentecostal’ need to take note! The loudest and wildest worship is not always a sign of God’s Presence or approval! We can turn things that represent God’s Presence into an idol or try to manipulate God with our flesh! Styles of worship, being slain in the Spirit, dancing before the Lord, and other manifestations are fine if genuine and a response to God’s Presence. They are a curse if they are not in “Spirit and Truth”. (John 4:24)
God’s Presence was not a blessing to the Philistines either! Everywhere they took the Ark of God, panic, fear, tumors, death and confusion broke out! God’s Presence is Holy and special. He must be treated with honor and respect by those who know Him! He brings death to those in sin and rebellion! Let the humble hear and fear!
Give Us a King!
Scripture reading for March 18th: 1st Samuel 4-8
Samuel was judge over Israel for many years. When he grew old, he appointed his sons to take his place. The sons, however, were not walking with the Lord; they took bribes and perverted justice. The elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel with a request for a king to lead them. (1st Samuel 8:1-5) Upset, Samuel went to the Lord with their request. God was not shocked that they rejected Him as their King and instead wanted a human king. Knowing the trouble they would get into, He had Samuel warn them sternly!
Human kings enlist your sons and daughters to serve in their army and government. They tax the people to pay for the army and the luxuries that a king desires. It wouldn’t be long before the people would be his slaves and cry out because of the misery that they would experience. (1st Samuel 7:11-18) Samuel faithfully warned them about these consequences, but the people still demanded a king! They wanted to be like the other nations. They were tired of having God as their King!
Sometimes the worst judgment God gives us is what we want instead of what we really need. God let them have their way. In fact God had already prepared Moses for this demand by giving instructions to him for the people. (Deuteronomy 17:14-20) The king was to be from their own brothers and not a foreigner. The king was to be chosen by God, not by popularity of men. The king was not to have large numbers of horses or take many wives. He was never to take the Israelites back to Egypt again. He was not to have large quantities of silver and gold. These things tend to lead the heart of the king astray.
The king was also to take a scroll and write for himself a copy of God’s law. He was to keep it with him and read it all the days of his life. The purpose was to fear God and obey his commands carefully, not considering himself better than his brothers because of his position. The king who would do this would live long and be blessed! Sounds like Jesus Christ when you really think about it!
God’s Presence–Blessing or Curse?
Scripture reading for March 18: 1st Samuel 4-8
I love the presence of the Lord. I almost always have tears or sometimes feel all my senses are alive and awake and a sense of His Peace makes me want to wait quietly or kneel before Him. God’s Presence is something that men and women of God have sought. Moses would not move without God’s Presence going with him. He knew how much he needed it. We certainly need it ourselves!
In today’s reading, the Israelites presumptuously took the Ark of God into battle with them. The Ark of God was the place where God’s Presence rested with the Israelites. (1st Samuel 4:3-5) They had just lost four thousand men in battle and were aware of a need for God’s presence and power. When the Ark was brought into the camp by Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s two wicked sons, the camp erupted in shouting! They had a “pentecostal” service right there! The enemy heard the commotion, and it ignited a desire to fight extra hard! The Philistines whipped the Israelites and 30,000 more Israelites died in the ensuing battle! Hophni and Phinehas were killed and the Ark of God was captured! Eli died at this news and his daughter-in-law died in childbirth! What a chain of events! Where was God, anyway? I thought that they had shouted because God was in the camp! How could God let such a thing happen to His people?
First, God had warned Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas about their wickedness and about His coming judgment! (1st Samuel 2:16-22) Sin has consequences! Treating God’s Presence as something to be used or manipulated for advantage is not allowed. Hophni and Phinehas had been dishonoring God, their own father, and the nation by setting a bad example. They had been eating the portion belonging to God–the fat! They had been having sex with the women who served at the temple. God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7)
Using the symbol of God’s Holy Presence as a “good luck” charm is not wise! Even all the noise and enthusiasm was not an indication of God’s presence with them! We who are Pentecostal need to take note! The loudest and wildest worship is not always a sign of God’s Presence or approval! We can turn things that represent God’s Presence into an idol very easily! We can also try to manipulate God! Styles of worship, being slain in the Spirit, dancing before the Lord, and other manifestations are fine if genuine and a response to God’s Presence. They are a curse if they are not in “Spirit and Truth”. (John 4:24)
God’s Presence was not a blessing to the Philistines either! Everywhere they took the Ark of God, panic, fear, tumors, death and confusion broke out! God’s Presence is Holy and special. He must be treated with honor and respect by those who know Him! He brings death to those in sin and rebellion!
Take time today to thank Him for His Presence with you in the Holy Spirit! His Spirit is a gift of the Father sent to bless His children!