1 Samuel 4:12-18 Neck or his Heart!

 ”Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the sound of this tumult mean?” And the man came quickly and told Eli. Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see. Then the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.” And he said, “What happened, my son?” So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.” Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.“ ‭‭

I Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh: The battle was fought near Aphek (1 Samuel 4:1), and it was at least 20 miles from Aphek to Shiloh. The messenger had a long way to go, the route was mostly uphill, and he carried very bad news.

i. Because the news was so bad he came with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. These were some of the traditional signs of mourning. The messenger brought bad news, and he let his appearance reflect how bad the news was.

ii. According to an unfounded Jewish tradition, this unnamed messenger from the tribe of Benjaminwas a young man named Saul.

b. Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God: Eli anxiously waited back at the tabernacle for news of the battle. Eli was rightly more concerned about the fate of the ark than the fate of his sons.

i. Why was he so nervous? Eli knew that he had let the ark go on an unwise, superstitious errand, and his conscience made him fear it would end in disaster.

c. Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died: Eli fell over and died at the news of the ark (when he made mention of the ark of God). It wasn’t the news of Israel’s loss in battle, or the slaughter of the army, or even the news of the death of his own sons that killed him. It was hearing the ark of the covenant of God was captured.

i. “No sword of a Philistine could have slain him any more powerfully; neither can you say whether his neck or his heart were broken first.” (Trapp)

ii. God promised that Eli’s two sons would die on the same day as a sign of judgment on the house of Eli (1 Samuel 2:34). God did not announce that Eli would also die the same day. God tells us much in prophecy, but not everything. Some things are only seen in their fullness after all is fulfilled.

iii. According to other passages, after the Philistines defeated the Israelite army they went on to destroy the city of Shiloh itself (Psalm 78:60-64, Jeremiah 7:12 and 26:9).

Trapp’s insight on the neck and heart is powerful! Eli had been given a prophecy and didn’t change his or his son’s ways!

Let this be a lesson for all, if your conscience is nagging you to repent, act on it before it’s too late because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring!

If you are in your golden years, as a friend once told me upon my father’s passing, “you are now mortal”. Which means, the previous generation is gone and you’re next!

This particular friend went for a bicycle ride never to return home again.

Questions:

Have you taken out your spiritual fire 🔥 insurance policy or renewed it?

Is your salvation secure in Jesus Christ?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 4:10-11 Defeated

 ”And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.“ ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

a. Israel was defeated: There were three reasons for this great defeat. First, the Philistines fought with the courage of desperate men. Second, the Israelites felt the battle would be easy with the ark of the covenant there and did not try as hard. Finally, God did not bless Israel’s superstitious belief in the power of the ark instead of the power of God.

i. We often make the same mistake; believing that if God is with us, we don’t need to try so hard. We think if God is on our side, the work will be easy. That may not be true at all.

ii. As it turned out, God did not feel obligated to bless the Israelites just because they took the ark into battle. He wouldn’t allow His arm to be twisted by the superstitions of the Israelites. God is a person, not a genie to be summoned at the will of man.

b. There fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers: Not only did Israel lose, they lost far worse than they did before taking the ark into battle. The loss which prompted them to take the ark resulted in the death of about four thousand men of Israel (1 Samuel 4:2). With the ark, more than seven times as many men of Israel were killed.

i. In the late 1970s, a five-line inscription was found on a grain silo in the ruins of Izbet Sarteh. When deciphered, it was found to contain a Philistine account of this battle, the capture of the ark, even specifically mentioning the priest Hophni. This is the earliest known extra-biblical reference to an Old Testament event.

Defeated

There are times we feel defeated by events that happen in our lives. 

We learn in these verses what happens when we rely on our own strength instead of relying on the Lord. 

The hard part as a Christians is praising Him during the defeated times in our lives. I’ve heard it said when you are defeated that you need to ask yourself one question, what is the Lord trying to teach me?

If the Israelites did this after the first battle and truly sought the Lord they would have learned that they strayed from God and were worshiping false god’s.

God loves us and wants us to return to Him when we stray just like the Prodigal Son.

 ”And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.“ Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭20‬ 

Do you praise Him when you feel defeated?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 4:6-9 Resist God!

 ”Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”“

I Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. God has come into the camp! We should compliment the Philistines for understanding that the ark of the covenant represented the presence of God, and on their knowledge of Israel’s history.

i. They knew it was unusual - even unheard of – for the Israelites to bring the ark into battle (For such a thing has never happened before), and they knew the God of Israel defeated the Egyptians (who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues).

b. These mighty gods: Even though they did not understand much about God, the Philistines recognized the superiority of the God of Israel. Yet, they did not submit to God, but simply determined to fight against Him all the more. If they really believed their gods were greater than the God of Israel, they should not have been worried. If they believed the God of Israel was greater than their gods, they should have submitted to Him.

i. We, like them, often know God is greater and deserves our submission. Yet we often resist God as well, instead of submitting to Him. Knowledge wasn’t their problem. Submission to God was.

c. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines: The presence of the ark did not make the Philistines feel like giving up. Instead, it made them feel they had to fight all the harder to overcome the odds. They had the courage of desperate men.

i. Godless Philistines can teach us something. Christians need to show more of this courage. Instead of giving up when things look bad, we should trust the LORD and fight all the harder and decide we will not give up. Courage and persistence win many battles, even sometimes for the wrong side.

Resist God!

Every time we sin we resist God! Pastor Robert always preaches, If you say you don’t sin you just lied so you sinned! Our sin nature is hard to overcome but I am encouraged by this verse:

”You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.“ ‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Be strong and conduct yourselves like Christians, ask yourself, what would Jesus do? WWJD.

Blessings 

1 Samuel 4:5 Faith is a Still Water!

 ”And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. All Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook: Someone passing by Israel’s camp would think something tremendous was happening. Certainly, this would be considered a great church service, and many would think Israel really trusted God. But for all the appearances, it was really nothing. All the noise and excitement meant nothing because it wasn’t grounded in God’s truth.

i. The Israelites probably felt they were better than the Philistines because the Philistines were pagans, worshipping false gods. Yet the Israelites thought and acted just like pagans, thinking they could manipulate God and force Him into doing what they wanted Him to do.

ii. “Had they humbled themselves, and prayed devoutly and fervently for success, they would have been heard and saved. Their shouting proved both their vanity and irreligion.” (Clarke)

b. The earth shook: “Now, beloved, when you are worshipping God, shout if you are filled with holy gladness. If the shout comes from your heart, I would not ask you to restrain it. God forbid that we should judge any man’s worship! But do not be so foolish as to suppose that because there is loud noise there must also be faith. Faith is a still water, it flows deep. True faith in God may express itself with leaping and with shouting; and it is a happy thing when it does: but it can also sit still before the Lord, and that perhaps is a happier thing still.” (Spurgeon)

(Guzik)

Faith is a still water!

Notice the commentaries by Clarke and Spurgeon!

I’m reminded by what Jesus said to the woman at the well.

”The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Take Clarke and Spurgeon to heart, faith is a still water and drink from the living water that only Jesus can supply! Then your heart can shout for joy because you have been freed from the devils grasp, indeed SHOUT because it is a happy thing to be free and full of holy gladness. Then I implore you to sit still before the Lord and thank Jesus for your freedom at the foot of the cross! 

Blessings 

1 Samuel 4:3-4 Enthrone God in the Life!

 ”And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Let us bring the ark of the covenant…it may save us from the hand of our enemies: The elders of Israel, after the battle with the Philistines, decided the next battle could be won if they took the ark of the covenant with their soldiers.

i. The ark of the covenant was the representation of the throne of God in Israel. Kept in the most holy place of the tabernacle, the people never saw it. Only the high priest entered and saw the ark, and only once a year. The elders wanted to take this representation of the throne of God out of the Holy of Holies (it could be moved when the tabernacle was to be moved), cover it, and bring it into battle with them. They hoped it would give confidence that God was really with them.

ii. The ark went into battle before. The ark went in front of the marchers around the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-8). Moses told the priests to lead the ark into battle against the Midianites (Numbers 31:6). Later, Saul brought the ark into battle (1 Samuel 14:18), as did David (2 Samuel 11:11).

b. It may save us: The elders rightly sensed they needed God’s help to win the battle. But they were wrong in the way they sought help. Instead of humbly repenting and seeking God, they turned to methods that God never approved. They only cared whether it worked.

i. They believed the presence of the ark would make God work for them. 

“Their idea was that God should be forced to fight for them. If He was not willing to do it for their sake, He would have to do it for His honour’s sake.” (Ellison)

ii. No doubt, it seemed like a brilliant suggestion. They were probably pleased to arrive at such a great solution.

c. It may save us from the hand of our enemies: They regarded the ark as the ultimate “good luck charm” and believed they could not lose with it there. They looked to the ark to save them, not to the LORD.

i. “Instead of attempting to get right with God, these Israelites set about devising superstitious means of securing the victory over their foes. In this respect most of us have imitated them. We think of a thousand inventions; but we neglect the one thing needful…. They forget the main matter, which is to enthrone God in the life, and to seek to do His will by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “There are plenty of Christians, like these elders, who, when they find themselves beaten by the world and the devil, puzzle their brains to invent all sorts of reasons for God’s smiting, except the true one, - their own departure from Him.” (Maclaren)

Enthrone God in the Life!

Spurgeon’s commentary above hits the nail on the head! 

“They forget the main matter, which is to enthrone God in the life, and to seek to do His will by faith in Christ Jesus.”

This is how most of us get into trouble, we forget the main matter and devise plans of our own devices, instead of enthroning God in the life and seeking to do His will by faith in Jesus Christ.

What are you enthroning in your life other than God?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 4:1-2 Battles

 ”And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Israel went out to battle against the Philistines: During this time there was no great world power (such as Egypt or Assyria) seeking to dominate the region. So, Israel’s battles were waged against her near neighbors, such as the Moabites, the Ammonites, or as here, the Philistines.

i. Israel competed on more equal terms with Moab and Ammon but the Philistines had Greek military equipment (such as helmets, shields, chain mail armor, swords and spears) making the Philistines more formidable opponents. The Philistines were the first people in Canaan to process iron and they made the most of it.

ii. The Philistines were an immigrant people from the military aristocracy of the island of Crete (Amos 9:7). Small numbers of Philistines were in the land at the time of Abraham, but they came in larger numbers soon after Israel came to Canaan from Egypt. They were organized into five city-states.

iii. This was a difficult period for Israel. “Never did time seem more hopeless than when Samuel arose. The Philistines, strengthened not merely by a constant influx of immigrants, but by the importation of arms from Greece, were fast reducing Israel to the condition of a subject race.” (Smith)

b. The word of Samuel came to all Israel…. Now Israel went out to battle: This doesn’t mean the battle was initiated by Samuel. Some manuscript traditions (evident in the Septuagint) make it clear the Philistines started this conflict. Nevertheless, the battle ended in disaster: Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men. (Guzik)

Battles

Battles in life come and go and some are of our own choosing. The question is how do we prepare for them on a daily basis. I prepare by writing these devotionals because if I didn’t the world would rub off on me and I’d revert to my old sinful ways.

I am reminded by these verses:

”Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“ Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Did you catch this verse? “that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Recently we learned of a person in a leadership role at church was terminated because of an ongoing immoral situation. It broke my heart when I learned about it, but the devil doesn’t care who you are. He looks for the crack in the door and forces his way in to destroy! We can wonder why and how but when it comes down to it, we need to pray for this person continually.

Are you putting the whole armor of God?

Blessings 

1 Samuel 3:21 Reveal Himself!

 ”Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The LORD appeared again in Shiloh: When did the LORD first appear in Shiloh? We know He appeared to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:10. Now, in some un-described way, the LORD appeared again.

”Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

b. The LORD revealed Himself…by the word of the LORD. God reveals Himself by His word. Whenever God is moving, He will reveal Himself by the word of the LORD.

Reveal Himself!

One of the reasons I write a daily devotional is to stay in the word of the Lord and to prepare myself by putting on the full armor of God. Without it I’d be lost and slowly revert back into my former self before coming to Jesus Christ!

”Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.“ ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If there’s one thing I’ve learned by studying the Bible all these years is this: the Lord reveals something new to me all the time!

If you aren’t reading the Bible daily, how can God reveal Himself to you by His word?

Blessings