THE EPHOD OF HOPE --- WORSHIP UNDER ATTACK
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I buy blue material at Wal-mart, and have a lady at church make a rough version of
an ephod from the directions below. Two pieces of material hooked
together over the shoulders by a golden chain.
I thank Pastor Rex Johnson, Austin, Texas for aiming me toward this thought.
INTRODUCTION:
Real worship and praise have always been under great attack. Down through the ages our enemy hates any church or individual that comes into the presence of the Holy God in true worship and praise.
Today there is a PSEUDO-WORSHIP that is very entertaining and compromising and so seeker sensitive it can substitute for genuine worship and please the crowd.
REAL WORSHIP CAN NEVER BE IMITATED IN THE FLESH.
When the church fails in the sense of the role of the individual in real praise and worship, the corporate worship will fail.
You can never arise in public beyond what you are in the private prayer closet.
It is easy to lip sync the words to the praise songs to jump and clap ourselves happy?
Then we have sermons that tickle our ears and ease our conscience.
God is seeking real worship in spirit and truth, where lives are changes, sin is exposed, and a deeper and deeper hunger for the word of God to do the work of God thrives.
Can we hear the chant: SIR, WE WOULD SEE JESUS!
I must know God in His fullness and nothing else shall suffice!
IT IS HIGH TIME WE ARISE AND COME AGAINST THE ASSALT AGAINST REAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP. There is a great danger to worship worship, and praise praise, and leave out God!
WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT GOD.
There is an all out effort spawn in HELL to get God’s people to come to church, be faithful, pay their tithes, and carry out their OBLIGATIONS --- YET NEVER ENTER INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES FOR REAL WORSHIP.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
I. UNDERSTAND: YOU CAN COME TO WORSHIP AS A SENSE OF DUTY, AND NEVER REALLY PRAISE AND WORSHIP GOD.
A. There was a religious custom going on at church this day. The believers have gather themselves together for a DAY OF CEREMONIAL PURIFICATION.
1 Samuel 21:7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
B. DOEG WAS AT CHURCH UNDER OBLIGATION, HE HAD TO BE THERE TO LOOK GOOD IN THE PUBLIC’S EYES.
C. If Doeg was going to serve King Saul well he had to FULFILL HIS RELIGIOUS DUTIES!
D. SERVING GOD CAN NEVER BE JUST BECAUSE OF AN OBLIGATION OR A "HAVE TO ..."
E. DOEG APPROACHES WORSHIP AND PRAISE WITH BAD MOTIVES.
Doeg hated real worship and intense praise.
II. NOW LET US COME TOGETHER AND STUDY THERE IS A REAL OPPOSITION TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP IN GOD’S HOUSE. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT OPPOSITION FROM WITHOUT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OPPOSITION FROM WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE CHURCH.
A. It is possible to come to church and carry out all your religious duties in a sense of OBLIGATION.
B. REAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP CAN RARELY BE ENTERED WITHOUT PLANNING AND GOING BEYOND THE SURFACE.
C. Bitterness and a "holy hatred" will always oppose real worship. The world has become churchie, the church has become worldly.
D. IT IS HIGH TIME WE ARISE AND COME AGAINST THE ASSALT AGAINST REAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP.
There is a great danger to worship worship, and praise praise, and leave out God!
IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD.
There is an all out effort spawn in HELL to get God’s people to come to church, be faithful, pay their tithes, and carry out their OBLIGATIONS ---
YET NEVER ENTER INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES FOR REAL WORSHIP.
E. MOTIVATED BY DEEP LOVE --- WE MUST NOT ALLOW THE ENEMIES OF WORSHIP TO GET GOD’S PEOPLE TO ABUSE OR NEGLECT DEEP ZEALOUS, ON FIRE, FERVENT, INTENSE WORSHIP.
Never sell real worship and praise for some cheap emotional high!
III. TO UNDERSTAND THE ATTACK ON WORSHIP WE MUST GO DEEP BENEATH THE SURFACE... WHAT IS AN EPHOD?
A. First let we state for the record, the exact use and shape of the EPHOD in the Bible are not known.
B. An Ephod is a SACRED VESTMENT worn first by the High Priest.
THE EPHOD WAS MADE OF BLUE MATERIAL.
THE EPHOD WORN BY THE PRIESTS WERE A SYMBOL OF HOPE AND GOD’S
GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE.
Later in Bible history the priest wore the Vesture while representing God.
C. We also have record that David wore and used the Ephod.
D. An Ephod was made out of fine linen.
The Ephod was a vest like garment.
IT REACHED FROM THE SHOULDERS TO BELOW THE WAIST.
The Ephod was made out of two pieces of material.
E. The Ephod hung from the neck and covered the front and back of the priest. There was a tunic wore under the Ephod.
F. Over the shoulders there were clasps or gold rings that held the front piece to the back.
It was fastened around the waist on the sides by blue, purple material called the curious girdle.
G. The hem had embroidered POMEGRANATES
H. There was a breast plate attached to the front of the Ephod, with 12 precious stones and jewels to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
THE STONES ON THE EPHOD WERE MEMORIAL STONES, when the people saw these stones they were to remember God’s word, God’s deliverance and God’s HOPE!
I. To the breast plate was attached what was called URIM and THUMMIM.
Many teach the URIM and THUMMIM were attached to the EPHOD in a fancy little sack.
J. Today history has lost record of what URIM and THUMMIM were. We do know the URIM and THUMMIN was a way the priest used to find and know God’s Divine Plan.
K. Some believe the URIM and THUMMIM WAS LOST WHEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND TOOK THE VESSELS OF VALUE AND GOLD IN DANIEL’S TIME.
URIM and THUMMIM were never seen or never used by priest again after this time period in captivity.
L. WE KNOW THESE SPIRITUAL LEADERS WORE EPHODS:
AARON AND HIS SONS
DAVID
GIDEON
MICAH
LEVITES
SAMUEL
AHIAH, ELI’S GRANDSON
ABIATHAR --- ONE OF OUR KEY MEN IN THIS LESSON....
M. A SAD DAY IN HISTORY ...
Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an
ephod, and without teraphim:
N. The Ephod is never mentioned again in the Bible until the book of REVELATIONS.
On the Isle of Patmos John the Beloved Disciple noted that Jesus still wore the golden girdle --- the EPHOD OF PRIESTHOOD.
JESUS IS KING, PRIEST, PROPHET --- SON OF GOD --- BETTER THAN MELCHISEDEK.
Jesus wears the Ephod of service and warfare.
Rev. 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle.
IV. GOD HAS A MAN THAT LOVES WORSHIP --- MEET AHIMELECH:
A. In history Ahimelech was the 12th high priest.
Ahimelech came out of the linage of ELI through ITHAMAR.
B. AHIMELECH WAS THE HEAD OR HIGH PRIEST OF NOB.
Ahimelech was very faithful and led praise and worship to a Holy God.
C. David came often to Ahimelech and NOB to worship and enquire of the Lord.
D. SAUL FALSELY ACCUSED AHIMELECH OF REBELLION AGAINST HIS KINGDOM.
Ahimelech tried to tell Saul that David was his friend and would never hurt him.
V. GOD HAS A CITY --- NOB ---
A. A city of priest, just north of Jerusalem.
After the capture of the Ark of the Covenant --- SHILOH WAS DESTROYED.
B. NOB BECAME A SAFE CITY FOR THE PRIEST.
THE PRIEST CARRIED THE EPHOD TO NOB, and dedicated a place to God and to CARRY OUT PRIESTLY FUNCTIONS.
C. IT WAS IN NOB THAT DAVID RAN TO THE PRIEST AHIMELECH. DAVID WAS HUNGRY AND HE ASKED THE PRIEST AHIMELECH FOR SOME BREAD.
D. Ahimelech saw the MAN OF GOD WAS WEAK, so Ahimelech bent the rules and allowed David to eat SHEWBREAD, OR HOLY BREAD INTENDED ONLY FOR PRIEST.
Ahimelech gave David 5 loaves of bread for him and his men.
E. IN GREAT HASTE DAVID RAN FOR HIS LIFE AND DAVID NEEDED A SWORD. AHIMELECH REMINDED DAVID OF HIS OFFERING HE HAD EARLIER MADE TO THE PRIEST--- GOLIATH’S SWORD, THE GREATEST SWORD OF THE LAND WAS HIDDEN BEHIND THE EPHOD NEAR THE ALTAR OF GOD.
VI. MEET DOEG THE EDOMITE:
TO UNDERSTAND DOEG --- YOU MUST UNDERSTAND HIS FAMILY!
WHO WERE THE EDOMITES? YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WHO AND WHY THE EDOMITES BECAME WHO THEY BECAME.
A. ISSAC AND REBEKAH HAD TWO SONS --- ESAU AND JACOB.
The boys were about as opposite as two brothers could be.
Esau was a Daddy’s boy, a hunter, and a shepherd.
Jacob was a Momma’s boy.
B. They were ancestors of ESAU.
Recall Jacob received the blessing when his brother Esau sold his birthright to him.
Later in life his father BLESSED HIS YOUNGER BROTHER JACOB.
ESAU SPENDS MUCH OF HIS LIFE DRIVEN BY HATRED AND ANGER.
C. ESAU SEEMED TO BE BENT TOWARD ANGER AND BITTERNESS.
Esau was often chasing his desires and given to emotion.
Esau could never accept there was a connection to his bad attitudes and actions that developed his poor spiritual sight.
D. ESAU WAS A RED HEADED, AND VERY HAIRY MAN.
ESAU SAID: FEED ME SOME OF THAT RED POTTAGE, RED STEW, --- EDOM MEANS: RED, THUS ESAU WAS CALLED EDOM.
ESAU’S DESCENDANTS WERE CALLED EDOMITES.
E. Edomites were known to be on the wild, rugged side of life.
F. In great anger Esau (age 40) married strange women to dig and hurt his Mom and Dad.
Esau knew better than to marry the TWO CANAANITISH WOMEN.
Genesis 26:34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
G. ESAU DID NOT PUNISH HIS MOM AND DAD BY MARRYING OUT OF THE FAITH, HE WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO SMELL THEIR BAD BREATH EVERY MORNING.
H. The Edomites always felt cheated in life.
They felt Jacob the cheater, sub-planter was mean to them, and took advantage of them.
They never saw ESAU’S CASE AS SELF MADE CHOICES.
I. THE EDOMITES MAINTAINED A HOSTILE ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD, ISREAL, AND THEIR BROTHERS.
After Esau’s death the Edomites remembered the OLD QUARREL THEY HAD WITH THEIR BROTHER FROM JACOB (ISREAL). THEY HAD A FIERCE HATRED AND CONSTANTLY
WARRED AGAINST ISREAL.
J. RECALL THE EDOMITES REFUSED TO ALLOW THE EXODUS PEOPLE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THEIR TERRITORY.
K. OFTEN THE EDOMITES SIDED WITH THE ENEMY OF ISREAL.
THEY SIDED WITH THE CHALDEANS AS THEY INVADED JERUSALEM.
L. THERE WERE MANY BIBLICAL PROPHECIES AGAINST THE EDOMITES BECAUSE THEY WOULD NEVER ADMIT THEY WERE WRONG, AND THEY NEVER
REPENTED. THEY WERE A HATE DRIVEN, MEAN PEOPLE.
VII. MEET DOEG THE EDOMITE: (REMEMBER DOEG BECOMES A TYPE.)
A. DOEG WAS RAISED AS AN EDOMITE, HE WAS ALWAYS BITTER AND CARRIED THE FAMILY HATRED OF HIS ANCESTORS AND OF ISREAL.
The family could never forget they claimed they were cheated.
THEY COULD NEVER ADMIT THEIR BAD ATTITUDES CAME INTO PLAY.
B. DOEG HATED ISREAL AND THE GOD OF ISREAL.
Doeg hated Preachers and the word of God! Doeg is never recorded but in ceremonial worship.
C. Doeg was the chief shepherd of King Saul.
Doeg was a cruel, mean man DRIVEN BY HATRED AND REVENGE.
D. Doeg was a man to CARRY GOSSIP and tell stories to make him look good.
Doeg was an aggravator, instigator, under-minder, and he loved to stir up messes within the CAMP OF GOD.
E. KING SAUL GAVE THE ORDERS TO KILL EVERY MAN THAT CARRIED THE EPHOD. ALL THE SOLDIERS REFUSED TO OBEY THE KING’S ORDERS, NO ONE WOULD LIFT A HAND AGAINST THE PRIEST.
F. THEN THERE IS THIS LOW-LIFE, BITTER MAN THAT IS SO HATRED DRIVEN HE HAS NO RESPECT FOR THE MEN OF GOD OR FOR GOD, AND IN ONE EVENING HE KILLS 85 MEN THAT WORE THE LINEN EPHOD.
VIII. THERE IS A REAL ATTACK AGAINST THE EPHOD OF GOD, THE EPHOD OF HOPE!
A. David is running for his life. He is the anointed of God. David finds time to seek out the MEN OF GOD and worship and praise God.
David is led in worship by the PROPHET GAD.
B. KING SAUL HAD FAILED TO OBEY GOD AND MOVED IN REBELLION.
Saul will find his head in the lap of the WITCH OF ENDOR.
C. Saul listened to hate filled people like DOEG THE EDOMITE, and Saul failed to repent and worship God.
D. THERE IS A HATE DRIVEN TATTLETAIL IN THE CAMP.
DOEG DISTORTS THE TRUTH, HE NEVER WORSHIPPED GOD, HE NEVER PURIFIED
HIMSELF.
1 Samuel 22:9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword
of Goliath the Philistine.
E. SAUL AND DOEG WANT THE PREACHER BUT NOT TO ENQUIRE OF GOD.
They are not looking for worship, they are enemies to worship, and they will soon demonstrate the hatred of the EPHOD.
1 Samuel 22:11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
F. THERE ARE SOME GOOD MEN THAT STAND IDLELY BY ---
WHY DON’T THEY STAND AGAINST THE ATTACK ON WORSHIP?
SAUL AND DOEG HATED THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER.
1 Samuel 22:17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
G. IT APPEARS THERE IS ALWAYS A LOW-LIFE INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL ARISE TO TRY AND DESTROY THE MEN OF GOD, THE EPHOD OF GOD, AND REAL WORSHIP.
1 Samuel 22:18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
H. DOEG THE EDOMITE NOT ONLY KILLED THE PRIEST, HE KILLED THEM IN A VERY CRUEL MANNER... AND HIS ANGER AND HATRED CAUSED HIM TO GO EXCESSIVELEY ABOVE
THE KINGS ORDER.
1 Samuel 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
I. DOEG THE EDOMITE WAS GOING TO DESTROY ALL REAL WORSHIP!
IX. CHURCH --- THERE IS A NEW HOPE, A LIVING HOPE, A HOPE AGAINST HOPE --- THERE IS AN EPHOD OF HOPE --- ARISE, MY LOVE AND WORSHIP THE HOLY GOD!
A. ONE BITTER, HATRED DRIVEN MAN KILLED OUT 85 OF THE MEN THAT WORE THE EPHOD.
BUT KNOW GOD HAD A PLAN --- THERE WAS ONE EPHOD, ONE MAN, THAT ESCAPED AND KEPT THE HOPE ALIVE. DOEG COULD NOT STOP PRAISE AND WORSHIP.
1 Samuel 22:20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.
B. ABIATHAR YOU BRING US GREAT HOPE --- THE EPHOD IS STILL AMONG US!
GOD WILL STILL VISIT HIS PEOPLE, AND DOEG COULD NOT STOP REAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP.
The enemy’s plan was to destroy every man of God and every ephod, but the enemy could not take the HOPE OUT OF REAL WORSHIP. There was one man, one ephod
of real worship left. Doeg the bitter man full of hate could not stop David and Abiathar from knowing God.
C. DAVID BOLDLY PROMISES TO KEEP AND DEFEND WHAT THE ENEMIES HAVE TRIED TO DESTROY. Let us be defenders of the men of God and the EPHOD OF HOPE!
1 Samuel 22:23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
D. NO WONDER THE BIBLE RECORDS DAVID --- A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART!
Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
E. MY FRIEND LET NOTHING COME BETWEEN YOU AND PRAISE AND WORSHIP. MAY YOU BE A WORSHIP LEADER IN EVERY CIRCLE YOU ENTER!
HERE IS THE EPHOD, RUN, RUN FAR, AND PASS THE EPHOD INTO ABLE HANDS TO ADVANCE WORSHIP.
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
F. You owe God, you owe your family, you owe your church to TAKE THE EPHOD OF HOPE AND FIND THE PLACE BEYOND THE VEIL THE REAL WORSHIP OF THE
FATHER!
Will you defend the Preacher? Will you stand on the Word?
THIS EPHOD IS FOR YOU!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Please help advance the EPHOD? Pass this on?
I thank Pastor Rex Johnson, Austin Texas for aiming me toward this thought.
