Topic: Never Seen Before in 2024
Thesis: We are looking to see things we have never seen before in 2024.
Summary of last week’s message:
• Samuel responds to the call of God while Eli never bothered to get out of bed.
• Samuel obeyed God!
• Samuel becomes God’s Prophet and Eli experiences a fall from grace.
• His ministry ends in failure – losing the presence of God – losing his sons and dying from falling over at the sound of his failure!
Sermon: Lessons from: The Ark of the Covenant!
Introduction:
Today we will continue our exploration of 1 Samuel looking into Chapters 4-7. We will see and learn from the failure of Eli and his sons – remember – they lost the glory of God because of sin! We will also discover the heavy price they paid and Israel paid in their failure in doing their God given jobs as Priests of God.
But - We will also discover the success of Samuel in bringing revival back to Israel and how he returned victory in battle to the Israelites in Chapter 7.
Premise: But today I believe we need to learn how all this relates to the handling of the presence of God. In our hearts and in our places of work.
The history lesson for today I desire to show is the association of losing the presence of God and the importance of caring properly for the presence of God.
Warning: We will lose the presence of God if we fail to do our God given jobs and if we fail to guard our hearts from sin.
Thesis: God’s presence comes from doing God’s work and staying away from sin – God’s blessing comes from doing our God given jobs well and maintaining a pure heart before God – failing to do our God given jobs and living in sin leads to the departure of God’s presence.
Our section of Scripture for this message today: 1 Samuel 4-7:
The Philistines Capture the Ark
Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. 9 Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated, and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty-thousand-foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Death of Eli
12 That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13 When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry. 14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?” The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.” Eli asked, “What happened, my son?” 17 The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.
19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth but was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention. 21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
Point: The big lesson from this chapter is how Eli and his two sons lost the glory and the presence of God for Israel! Why because they failed to do their God given jobs!
The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron Chapter 5
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
6 The LORD’s hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumors. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.” 8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So, they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
9 But after they had moved it, the LORD’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy upon it. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
Point: This chapter divine message is God will not be mocked or imprisoned by enemies of God. He also revealed his power over the philistine god Dagon. God’s presence kept knocking Dagon over busting the idol up. God’s presence will bring destruction to any unholy and sin filled nation.
The Ark Returned to Israel Chapter 6
When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months, 2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”
3 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.”
4 The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”
They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. 5 Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and pay honor to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. 6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
7 “Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the LORD and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance.”
10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the LORD on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD. 16 The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.
17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the LORD—one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock, on which they set the ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19 But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them, 20 and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”
21 Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to your place.” 1 Samuel 7 1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD.
Point: The message to us from this chapter – God can fight His own battles – His plagues and judgment on the Philistines caused them to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel – God’s presence and glory return to Israel – but even the Jewish people of Beth Shemesh paid the price for not handling the presence of God like they were suppose too. You need to treat the presence of God with reverence and awe or pay the price.
Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
2 It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. 3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the LORD helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.
Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.
T.S. - We see at the center of the story of I Samuel 4-7 the focus of The Ark of Covenant” the loss of it and the return of The Ark of the Covenant. Then God once again coming to the rescue of Israel because of their repentance to God and a returning to God.
Introduction:
Picture of the Ark and the Tabernacle!
The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God. Eli and his sons’ sins lost the Ark of the Covenant – losing the Ark symbolized losing the glory of the presence of God.
We have read how God punished the Philistines for taking the Ark. We discovered what happens when you disobey the directives of proper care for the Ark of the Covenant. Which really is a lesson on to care for the presence of God.
Thesis: The lesson from the Ark of the Covenant in this passage is: the presence of God is to be handled carefully, guard it with your heart, do your God-given job or suffer the consequences, sin will cause you to lose the presence of God, and the presence of God must be handled with reverence and awe.
I. The Ark of The Covenant and its God ordained purpose?
a. The Ark housed the presence of God – It was given to the Israelites to lead them through the wilderness – it was used to bring victory in battle! It was used to center in on the importance of the worship of God.
i. It’s important to recall and or remember that two men were given the task to build the Ark of Covenant and the Tabernacle. They were not priests but were tradesmen having skills to build things and engrave things. These two were called by God to complete the tasks of the building of the Ark and the Tabernacle. God used their craftsman skill set to build a house for His presence, A place to worship and offer sacrifices to Him. The Ark represented His Shekinah Glory – in the box there were reminders of God’s Words – The tablets with the 10 commandments written on them – The golden jar of manna reminding the future generation of how God fed His people daily in the wilderness, the budding staff of Aaron to show who had His authority in a rebellion in the wilderness and this box also represented His protection for the Israelites to bring victory in battle.
ii. One was a Tent – the other a golden box! These two unknown men in history were given a God given task to build the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. I am sure they had no idea of how important the Ark of the Covenant would become upon completion.
iii. Thought: We were created to work, and it is part of God’s plan of creation, work is a place God uses us as Christians to influence our fallen world. The Ark of the Covenant was created by the direction of God through Moses and placed into the hands of two unknown craftsman in history. The miraculous story we just read about the Ark would never have happened without the dedication of these two skilled craftsmen.
b. Lesson: Work is a place where we make a difference for the Kingdom of Heaven. We are created to contribute to our society for the good. Work can even be a place where we worship The Lord. We may have no idea what we are doing for God as we go about our daily jobs.
i. Series Scripture Verse: Colossians 3:22-24: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
ii. Your job and my job matter – we all need to be doing our jobs – we saw what happens when people do not do their God given jobs like Eli- and his two sons – if we don’t do what we were called to do we miss an opportunity with God. We can even miss and lose the presence of God through disobedience to the calling God has on our lives. We need to serve our jobs as if we are serving the Lord.
c. The Ark of the Covenant – The presence of God – the protection of God!
i. We are created to contribute to our society for the greater good and worship God along the way. Work can even be a place where we worship The Lord. The ultimate judgement of a person’s character is their ability to exceed expectations with little recognition from others or when praise is not given, especially at work. The Bible is filled with unsung heroes of the faith whose names may be obscure to us but to God they are His heroes of the faith.
T.S. – The Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle were designed by God thru Moses to house the presence of God, to properly maintain and reverence the presence of God and to have a place to Worship and Sacrifice to God.
II. Who designed and made the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle?
a. Illustration: I subscribed to Outreach Magazine which highlights church leadership and for a while they were only focused on the large and mega church news, focus was on their leaders and their awesome programs. These pastors and leaders were praised and highlighted over and over. It frustrated me and as a result I chose to write my master’s thesis degree on the importance of the small to medium size church in the USA.
i. The truth is many of the servant leaders in the small/medium churches go unnoticed and even have a stigma placed on them for being too small to make a difference. But this is not the truth according to Scripture about these churches or their leaders. They too are making an eternal impact for the Kingdom of God in their communities. I am reminded in Scripture over and over that Jesus always pushed the crowds away to focus on His twelve - then His 70. He was not focused on massing the crowds – He really pushed them away at various times.
1. The truth is most churches in the world are under a 100 people (70-86 on avg. according to studies in the USA and Canada) and in America around 80% of the Christians attend churches considered small to medium size churches. (Churches 0-300) (http://www.usachurches.org/church- sizes.htm).
2. These Godly leaders and Christians are not in the limelight – their names will go down in history as virtually unknown. They could be called the unsung heroes of the faith. But to the Lord they are important pieces of the puzzle to the growth of the Kingdom of God. These unsung heroes are a vital piece of the overall puzzle of the mission. These unsung heroes will be rewarded in Heaven for their faithfulness and their commitment to the Kingdom of God. These non-popular – non headline makers – non church media stars names are, however, known in Heaven and that’s important to remember in our celebrity world of today.
ii. The other day I saw a commercial: It was a Pizza Hut commercial with the celebrity country singer “Blake Shelton” - Who says in essence and jokingly – “You can trust me and take my word for it because I am a celebrity.”
1. I want to highlight these heroes of the Bible, the non-celebrities, the obscure ones, the not well-known crowd and we will learn valuable lessons from these humble lives. We will see that these individuals never made the headlines or had their names up in the light. These are the people who live their lives in the shadows of others as great helpers. They feel pressure like the famous ones, and they deal with responsibility like the stars do but they never get the attention or the pat on the back they deserve. These gifted people are blessed with God-given gifts called “helps” and other lack luster names.
iii. The gift of “helps” is not very glamorous. So, what do you do for the Kingdom of God? I am a helper! Does not sound like a big wow – I am impressed statement!
1. But these unsung heroes accomplished daily the important tasks of the Kingdom all the while remaining virtually anonymous. These unsung heroes are most likely uncomfortable being in the limelight anyway. These men and women do their jobs – use their God-given gifts to fulfill their divine destiny. They do it quietly and efficiently, they serve and give of themselves, and I want you to know that God notices and takes notes. The truth is these are the people who make the world a better place and help thrust the Kingdom of God forward in its mission.
2. Swindoll states, “As the song goes, they are the wind beneath our wings. They are the unsung heroes in the battle, the folks who do the work behind the scenes, the people who pick up the pieces, the ones who make sure everything in the project flows freely. As a matter of fact, if you ever take the time to find out, you’ll discover that many are downright fascinating individuals with stories to tell that hold you in rapt attention. They may be unknown, but they are not insignificant. They may be overlooked by the public, but in private they fill the roles that are invaluable” (Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives, Swindoll, page XII).
3. Swindoll challenges us to think about the behind-the-scenes people from Church History (page 1 and 2):
a. Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the Scriptures from Latin to German?
b. Who spoke to Dwight L. Moody in the shoe store that day-a conversation that ultimately led Moody to Christ, which in turn led to a magnificent life of evangelism (and 1,000’s of converted souls)?
c. Who was the elderly lady who prayed for Billy Graham every day of her adult life, especially as his ministry reached the zenith of worldwide significance?
d. Who gave Charles Wesley his start as a composer, leaving the church with more than five thousand hymns in is repertoire?
i. Who were they?
iv. Personal thought: I think back to my time in my 20’s as a union carpenter, then as a Christian Contractor “M&M Construction” and the decision I made one day after reading a book which challenged me to be the best Christian I could be for the Kingdom of God with my skills, talents and craftsmanship gifts of my job. I never set out to be a pastor – to be honest I really wanted to be the best Christian Carpenter I could be for the Lord. To be honest, I love building and doing things with my hands. I loved looking at a project when it is finished and the sense of satisfaction it always gave me. I miss my construction days! I learned back then that God wanted me to excel in my job for Him so His light could shine through me to others with my job talents. So, I set out to remodel our run-down church for the Kingdom of God.
1. God has gifted craftsman, tradesmen for specific tasks within His Kingdom just like the ones He blessed Moses with from our Scripture text today. We read in Exodus about two men with obscure names, names hard to pronounce, two craftsman, two tradesman whose names never made the headlines in the (Israel Tribune), instead Moses name made the Headlines.
b. Who are the unsung heroes behind building the Ark of the Covenant and The Tabernacle? The two are Bezalel (Bezz - a – lel) and Oholiab (O- holy- e- ab)! Say those names with me. By the way someone wanted me to call these guys “BO” because of how hard it was to pronounce their Jewish names!
i. I am sure most of you have never heard of them – have you? These two stand as classic examples of unsung heroes of the Bible and of the Kingdom of God. These two men, craftsman, artists, furniture makers, priestly robe makers had become forgotten through history. But it’s important to note that both of these men were called by God to do a significant work and task for God. In essence they represent the unknowns, the unsung heroes of the faith. The non-Hebrews 11 crowd but yet they are just as important.
1. What did they do – what did they build – what did they touch and make into a masterpiece for God?
2. They built the Tabernacle in the wilderness with all of its furnishings and the Ark of the Covenant! How important were these two projects?
ii. Well, we just read about the Ark of the Covenant today in 1 Samuel 4-7
1. These were the two places where God would dwell with His people for the first time – were His Shekinah glory dwelled – His presence would lead them through the wilderness and also into battle! They made a house for God to live in on earth – did you hear that! How would you like to have been given the task of building God’s house? A house of prayer and worship a place for the people to sacrifice to God and meet with God!
2. Show picture of their craftsmanship – it’s amazing and they built it?
iii. Let’s read about our two unsung heroes and see what God said about them – notice this is God’s evaluation of the two builders and why he chose them for this important building project.
1. Scripture: Exodus 35:30-36:2 Bezalel (Bezz - a – lel) and Oholiab (O- holy- e- ab): 30Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.
a. Exodus 36: 1So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.” 2Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing 5and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” 6Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.
2. Bezalel is the artist who was chosen (actually: called by name) by God to create much of the tabernacle. He is teamed up with Oholiab (Exodus 31:2, 6).
c. What are some Lessons we can learn from Bezalel and Oholiab the unsung heroes of the construction of God's house and his holy furniture and dwelling places!
i. Our two unsung heroes are filled with the Spirit of God which set everything into motion for success in their life, in the nations worship of God and in their family’s lives.
1. They are filled – yes empowered by the Spirit for their jobs – yes – most would agree that I am empowered to do my job by the Spirit of the Lord – but so are you by the way!
2. The Spirit of God empowered them to build a tent- it’s furnishings and a dwelling chest for God’s presence and power – The Ark of the Covenant – don’t miss the importance of this task? Yes, filled with the Spirit to do their job- why - because of their willingness to follow God’s directions and be faithful to the task at hand.
a. Why because their hearts were in the right place with God. They may be unknown to others, but God knew who they were and who He wanted for this building project.
i. This is a crucial point to notice – They followed directions and did things God’s way – following His directions is crucial in this world – even in building projects!
1. Eli and His Sons did not follow God’s directives.
2. How well do you follow God's directions? Especially when it comes to your job – to what God has called you to do?
3. Do you follow his instruction manual, or do you ignore it?
4. Do you follow His blueprints? Or yours!
a. Today people want to create God in their Image not the other way around.
ii. The importance of following directions: Following directions is a fundamental skill, taught from an early age. While it may seem logical and even straightforward to follow directions--be they navigational directions, product-usage directions, or procedural or instructional directions, failure to follow directions can be a waste of time. Other times, though, failure to follow directions can be harmful or even fatal.
1. Psalm 111:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
2. Proverbs 12: 1-28: What are the characteristics of the wise man according to Proverbs 12?
a. The following adapted from http://bibleseo.com/old-testament/proverbs-12-christian-wisdom/
i. Teachable
1. Ready to accept criticism
2. Ready to admit correction
3. Ready to listen to advice
4. Willing to learn new things
5. Willing to study
6. God committed - God focused – God centered
7. Their plans are just and center on hearing from God
8. They built their house on the rock, a strong foundation
9. Their ways lead to life and immortality
10. “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter” (Larry Lea, Wisdom pg.14)
3. Our unsung heroes had God’s Spirit which gave them wisdom which empowered their understanding but not just in spiritual things but also in things related to craftsmanship and their field of work.
a. Understanding how to do things even in your job comes from asking God for the insight in what to do - wisdom – then is listening to His insight – which gives understanding to achieve the task at hand.
i. Share how you prayed at times to problem solve something in your construction jobs or projects.
b. Share about Dr. Ben Carlson prayers to God about or before surgeries.
i. It also comes from being willing to learn and grow in your field or trade.
ii. Our unsung heroes received knowledge of how-to craft things for God’s glory.
iii. Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
iii. Having a healthy respect for God and a relationship with Him is the beginning of knowledge! Knowledge without God is useless because it is not applied correctly and rightly.
1. Knowledge once again relates to the Spirit of God – knowing comes from research and study but how to use knowledge comes from God and His Wisdom.
a. Example of the Peanut by George Washington Carver:
i. He spoke of dedicating his life to his faith and, indeed, his scientific work was performed in the service of his perception of God. As Carver explained, I indulge in very little lip service but ask the Great Creator silently, daily, and often many times a day to permit me to speak to Him through the three great kingdoms of the world which He created-the animal, mineral, and vegetable kingdoms-to understand their relations to each other, and our relations to them and to the Great God who made all of us.
b. Integral to Carver’s Christianity was the conviction that God would reveal to him the divinely created mechanisms by which the world and the universe operated. He was fond of telling the story of his first revelation when, as a young boy longing for a pocketknife, he had a dream about one being stuck in a half-eaten watermelon and, upon rising, went to that location where he found the knife.
c. His scientific studies were largely in the same pattern. Carver investigated and God pointed him to the discovery. Carver was, in fact, first a fundamentalist Christian and second a scientist, rejecting evolution and believing in a universe created by and operating by rules set down by God. He repeatedly attributed his discoveries to a scientific methodology, the goal of which was to garner knowledge about the world God had constructed.
d. Two other Carver quotes are pertinent: “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” “Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.”
e. While Carver’s attribution of his success to God made him a popular subject for inspirational books and tracts, it was also the trigger for perhaps the most vehement attack on his work made during his lifetime.
f. The New York Times article “Men of Science Never Talk That Way,” (Nov. 20, 1924) accused him of “a complete lack of the scientific spirit” because “real chemists” do not attribute their successes to divine inspiration. The Times went on to warn that Carver thus discredited his race and Tuskegee Institute.
i. Taken from http://1heckofaguy.com/2008/02/18/george-washington-carvers-religious-faith-and- political role/
T.S. – Unsung heroes have the Spirit of God which enables them to do great exploits for the Kingdom of God. It also empowers them to do their jobs better which impacts the Kingdom of God and others. Samuel learned from Eli and his two sons what not to do.
III. Samuel replaces Eli as the priest and prophet and judge for God
a. Eli failed in his job where Samuel is committed to God and His ways.
i. He followed the teaching of God’s Law and directives.
ii. As a result, His words never fall to ground – in other words they bring life because they are true to God’s Word.
iii. His challenge to do away with sin brings revival to Israel and victory again in battle – this time they route the Philistines!
1. How – by calling the Israelites back to God!
2. They had to repent – get rid of their idols – they had to get right with God!
3. They needed to mourn over the loss of the presence of God.
4. They had fast – gather in an assembly to make things right with God.
b. Samuel calls for a National Day of Repentance at Mizpah!
i. They come they destroy their idols – repent oof sin and recommit themselves to God and His Word.
ii. The philistines hear of this and come to destroy Israel and to keep them in bondage to them.
iii. God returns to the Israelites to fight for them and causes panic in the army of the Philistines and the Israelites wipe out the Philistines.
1. It says that from that time forward the Philistines stayed away from the Israelites.
Conclusion:
Observations and a history lesson from 1 Samuel Chapters 4-7:
• Eli failed in holding his sons accountable and following the directives of God’s Word.
a. It cost him his priestly position and his sons and daughter in laws life>
b. It cost the Israelites the glory and the presence of God.
c. It cost the Israelites thousands of soldiers’ lives.
d. It cost the Israelites the humility of losing the Ark of the Covenant.
• The Ark of the Covenant was designed by God to do a few things:
a. House his presence before men
b. To be a point of worship and praise to God.
i. The Ark did this by leading the nation through the wilderness – feeding them, shielding them from the heat and providing warmth at night.
ii. The Ark went before them with God’s presence and power in battle and brought miraculous wins for the Israelites.
iii. The Ark was instrumental in giving them the Promised Land.
iv. God returned the Ark without the help of the Israelites – he punished the Philistines, and they sent the Ark back to Israel because God was beating up their people and their gods.
c. Question were is the Ark Today?
i. Share from History.com where it is believed to be!
ii. Got questions says this: https://www.gotquestions.org/ark-covenant.html
1. What happened to the Ark of the Covenant is a question that has fascinated theologians, Bible students, and archeologists for centuries. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah of Judah ordered the caretakers of the Ark of the Covenant to return it to the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 35:1-6; cf. 2 Kings 23:21-23). That is the last time the ark’s location is mentioned in the Scriptures. Forty years later, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured Jerusalem and raided the temple. Less than ten years after that, he returned, took what was left in the temple, and then burnt it and the city to the ground. So what happened to the ark? Was it taken by Nebuchadnezzar? Was it destroyed with the city? Or was it removed and hidden safely away, as evidently happened when Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt raided the temple during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam? (“Evidently” because, if Shishak had managed to take the Ark, why did Josiah ask the Levites to return it? If the Ark was in Egypt—à la the plotline of Raiders of the Lost Ark—the Levites would not have possessed it and therefore could not have returned it.)
2. Interestingly, Revelation 11:19 mentions the ark as being in heaven: “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.” This verse has led some to speculate that the ark was taken up to heaven to be preserved there. But the ark that John sees in his vision of heaven is probably not the same ark that Moses constructed. We know that the articles in the tabernacle were “copies of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 9:23) and that the sanctuary itself was but “a copy and shadow of what is in heaven” (Hebrews 8:5). Revelation 11 deals with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which ushers in a final round of judgments upon the earth. John’s glimpse of the ark is probably meant as a reminder that God has not forgotten His people, that He is present with them, and that true worship will soon be restored.
3. The non-canonical book of 2 Maccabees reports that just prior to the Babylonian invasion, Jeremiah, “following a divine revelation, ordered that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him and...he went off to the mountain which Moses climbed to see God’s inheritance [i.e., Mt. Nebo; cf. Deuteronomy 34:1]. When Jeremiah arrived there, he found a room in a cave in which he put the tent, the ark, and the altar of incense; then he blocked up the entrance” (2:4-5). However, “Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the path, but they could not find it. When Jeremiah heard of this, he reproved them: ‘The place is to remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows them mercy. Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord will be seen in the cloud, just as it appeared in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the Temple might be gloriously sanctified’” (2:6-8). It is not known if this secondhand (see 2:1) account is accurate; even if it is, we will not know until the Lord comes back, as the account itself claims.
4. Other theories concerning the whereabouts of the lost ark include Rabbis Shlomo Goren and Yehuda Getz’s claim that it is hidden beneath the temple mount, having been buried there before Nebuchadnezzar could steal it away. Unfortunately, the temple mount is now home to the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy site, and the local Muslim community refuses to allow it to be excavated. So we cannot know if Rabbis Goren and Getz are correct.
5. Explorer Vendyl Jones, among others, believes that an artifact found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the enigmatic “Copper Scroll” of Qumran Cave 3, is actually a treasure map of sorts detailing the location of a number of precious treasures taken from the temple before the Babylonians arrived, among them the lost Ark of the Covenant. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, as no one has yet been able to locate all of the necessary geographical landmarks listed on the scroll. Interestingly, some scholars speculate that the Copper Scroll may actually be the record referred to in 2 Maccabees 2:1 and 4, which describes Jeremiah hiding the ark. While this is an interesting speculation, it remains unsubstantiated.
6. Former East African correspondent for “The Economist,” Graham Hancock, published a book in 1992 entitled The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant, in which he argued that the ark had been stowed away in Saint Mary of Zion’s Church in Aksum, an ancient city of Ethiopia. Explorer Robert Cornuke of the B.A.S.E. Institute, also believes the Ark may now reside in Aksum. However, no one has yet found it there. Similarly, archaeologist Michael Sanders believes the ark is hidden away in an ancient Egyptian temple in the Israeli village of Djaharya, but he has yet to actually find it there.
7. A doubtful Irish tradition maintains that the ark is buried under the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Some scholars believe that this is the source of the Irish “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” legend. There are also the claims of Ron Wyatt and Tom Crotser. Wyatt claimed to have actually seen the lost ark of the covenant buried under Mt. Calvary, and Crotser claimed to have seen it on Mt. Pisgah near Mt. Nebo. Neither has been able to substantiate their claims with any real evidence.
8. In the end, the ark remains lost to all but God. Interesting theories like the ones presented above continue to be offered, but the ark has yet to be found. The writer of 2 Maccabees may very well be right; we may not find out what happened to the lost Ark of the Covenant until the Lord Himself returns.
• Samuel rises as Judge, priest, and prophet to take over the position vacated by Eli and his son’s death.
a. The Word says he grew in connection with God and obeyed hi voice to the T.
b. It says his words never fell to ground as useless or powerless but always spoke right and with the power and presence of God.
c. Samuel told the Israelite to repent of their sins and to destroy their idols.
d. He called for a National Day of Repentance at Mizpah.
i. He called for mourning and the confession for their sins toward God.
ii. He called them too fast and to repent.
iii. The philistines were threatened so they assembled and attacked. But God once again rose up to defend Israel and set a panic in their armies and God and the Israelites routed the Philistine army and that was the last time, they attacked Israel.
e. Samuel is also known for raising The School of The Prophets!
Application:
• How well do you guard the presence of God in your life?
• Are you working at you job for the glory of God and doing what he guides you to do on your job?
• Are you like Eli or Samuel?
• Are you doing your god given job – without the praise and recognition of others?
• Do you have idols which need destroyed in your life?
• Do you have a right connection with God so when the enemy attacks God will fight for you?
