Super Sunday

Good Morning! 

Super Bowl weekend!!!  Wow!!!  All the business of the world has to come to an end to see which team will be the champion of American football.  Well, maybe not … .  I was asked who I wanted to win … and my answer was that I really didn’t have a favorite.  It is not that I don’t like football … or either team.  I just am focused on other things that I consider more important.  But I am not criticizing anyone … just saying where I am.

Football aside, we have a great opportunity to gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ … and gain strength to face the coming days.  I look to one of the passages of Scripture we are studying in Mark, where Jesus is challenged for not correcting His disciples who were gathering a few handfuls of grain on the Sabbath. 

Mark 2:23-28 English Standard Version (ESV)

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of[a] Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Footnotes:

Mark 2:26 Or in the passage about

Was Jesus allowing His disciples to break the fourth commandment? 

Exodus 20:8-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

What Jesus says does appear to be in conflict with the fourth commandment … until one realizes that gathering a few handfuls of grain to eat while walking through a field of grain is not really work.  The Pharisees, when speaking of the disciples doing something unlawful, were talking about interpretations of the commandment that had been added over the centuries. You might recall that many of the miracles that Jesus did were done on the Sabbath.  It became a sore point for the religious hierarchy.  I think much of this was done to get the religious authorities to take a step back and see their interpretations were misguided.

Sometimes I wonder if there are traditions that Christians have adopted over the centuries are manmade rules that aren’t really in the spirit of the Commandment.  I am convinced that God wants us to enjoy our earthly sojourn … depending on Him for all that we need.  He wants us to honor Him … not because we HAVE to … but because we WANT to.  He wants us to take time to consider His faithfulness in providing for us … and to offer praise to Him. 

Why don’t we make Super Bowl Sunday … and every Sunday … SUPER by gathering with one another to praise our God.  I will guarantee that we will be on the winning team!!!

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, thank You for giving us a day to gather and gain strength to carry on. Teach me, dear Father, to use this day wisely.  In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Mark 2:23-28; Exodus 20:8-11

I've Just Seen Jesus

Good Morning! 

Ugh!  Another posting regurgitating a Wonderful Wednesday Prayer Meeting Message.  Please … endure this one.  I think the message is great.  By the way … I don’t repeat the message verbatim … just the impact on me.

The messages for the last few weeks have been on the miracles as reported in the gospel of John.  This week’s focus was on the greatest of the miracles … the resurrection of Jesus.

Let’s begin by understanding that Jesus was really dead.  There are some theories that have been advanced that claim He just swooned and revived in cool of the tomb or that His body really was just carried off … and all the rest of the witness of Him is just a fairy tale.  But the one thing that has always stuck in Mr. Jim’s mind is this one action … John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.  Confirming the death of a person was an action that Roman soldiers were very adept at doing.  The Jews had requested Pilate to finish the crucifixions of the three before sunset as it was the beginning of yet another holy day. The soldiers did this by breaking the legs of the two who were crucified with Jesus, causing them to suffocate.  But, when they came to Jesus, they observed that He was already dead … but to make sure, one of them speared Jesus in the side. Listen, if there was any one thing the Romans knew how to do, it was to know how to kill someone.  Had Jesus not been dead before the spear thrust, He certainly would have been dead thereafter.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus and laid it in a tomb that belonged to Joseph. They prepared the body for burial … but because of the late hour (it was approaching sunset and the beginning of the day of worship) … they had to leave the work.  This is why the women were coming to the tomb on the first day of the week.  John’s gospel account focuses only on Mary Magdalene … but the other gospel writers fill in the blanks of who the other women were.  As we read the account in John 20, we find that Mary ran to where the disciples were hiding … and then followed John and Peter to the tomb.  After they had left, she stayed behind … and we read this

John 20:11-18 English Standard Version (ESV)

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Footnotes:

John 20:16 Or Hebrew

I can’t help it.  As the preacher was teaching, the following refrain from “I’ve Just Seen Jesus” was running through the vacant space between the ears …

“I've just seen Jesus
I tell you He's alive
I've just seen Jesus
Our precious Lord alive
And I knew, He really saw me too

As if till now, I'd never lived
All that I'd done before
Won't matter anymore
I've just seen Jesus
And I'll never be the same again.” 

Jesus said one word … and immediately Mary Magdalene believed.  Paul, who had his own encounter with seeing Jesus, would write about the need for us to believe in the resurrection of Jesus in his letter to the church at Corinth. Until the moment Jesus said “Mary”, she did not believe. But, with that one word, her doubt and her fears were wiped away.  And she became the first to proclaim that Jesus was alive!!! 

One last statement that the preacher made is important for us to consider.  The accounts of the resurrection of Jesus in the gospels is not about information … it is about revelation.  The gospel writers are not trying to convince us that Jesus arose … Paul makes that argument later.  They are pointing to God revealing to all of us His power over death.  There is nothing more final known to the human race than death … and Christ Jesus conquered death. 

Have you seen Jesus?  Have you heard Him call your name?  A couple of questions to ponder this good, good day …

May God’s richest blessing fall upon you this good day …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, thank You for the message on the resurrection of my Lord, Christ Jesus. Thank You for revealing Your power over all things in the resurrection. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  John 19 and 20

Mark

Good Morning! 

What a beautiful day we had yesterday.  I noted the sprouting of daffodil plantings along the cart paths at Innsbruck.  It was a good day to be outside and enjoy the blessings of the earth.

This morning I began studying the gospel of Mark.  One of the key themes in Mark is the servanthood of Jesus.  Mark was not one of the Twelve but was a companion of Paul and Barnabas … and appears to have been close follower of Peter (1 Peter 5:13) who refers to him as his son.  So, while we cannot state unequivocally that Mark’s gospel is from Peter, it does seem to have been influenced by what Peter said. 

Do you remember the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books?  When I was a youth decades ago, when the summer days became boring, I would go to Grandma Ward’s collection of the Readers Digest Condensed Books to occupy my mind until school began.  If you recall, the books included were actual books written by authors but condensed to allow readers to get the gist of the actual book.  When I look at the first chapter of Mark, it seems like I am getting a condensed version of the writings of Matthew and Luke.  First, there is no mention of the birth of Christ.  Mark then goes through the mission of John the Baptist very quickly and through several of the miracles of Jesus in just 45 verses. To me, that style would indicate how a fisherman might recall facts.  Matthew and Luke were more scholarly … Matthew being a tax collector and Luke being a doctor.  Please understand that this is my impression … with apologies to those who feel differently.

So, what in Mark 1 jumps off the page that would be an encouraging word for us this good day?

Mark 1:14-15 English Standard Version (ESV)

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;[a] repent and believe in the gospel.”

Footnotes:

Mark 1:15 Or the kingdom of God has come near

There is a time when all things were fulfilled … and will be fulfilled.  It seems sometimes we live in a world that assumes all things will continue as is … when in fact there is a coming end of the age.  Now I am not in charge … and really not smart enough to know when … but I do know that there will come a time when God see that all He desires has been accomplished … and He will bring His children Home.  Believers should both recognize this … and live in anticipation that today could be that very day … and be reaching all they love with God’s message.

The time is at hand …

May God’s richest blessing fall upon you this good day …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, Jesus is coming to earth again … what if it were today?  Would I stand in good stead … or would You allow me to see the many folks I have failed to see. Open my eyes this good day, Father, to those who need You and give me the words and the courage to speak Your truth to all.   In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Mark 1:14-15

The Great Commission

Good Morning! 

If you are reading through the gospels (as I am), today we will finish Matthew’s gospel.  The last thing in Matthew’s gospel is the passage we refer to as the Great Commission. Most of us have heard the Great Commission … but if you were called upon to explain it, what would you say?

I am sure my long-term readers have heard my views on the Great Commission … but I think it worth a posting to repeat my thoughts.  The passage reads …

Matthew 28:16-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 28:19 Or into

Jesus begins with a very clear statement of His authority.  God has given Him all authority over all things.  Simply put, Jesus is the “boss” and His directions are to be followed.  Most of us can grasp the point.  When I was gainfully employed, when my boss told me to do a specific task, my choices were to either do the task … and continue to be in his or her good graces … or to not do the task … and risk the consequences. I think we should take notice when Jesus begins with His authority because what follows is His directions to us.  Thus, the Great Commission is not an optional activity for all believers … it is what Jesus wants each one of us to participate in doing!

Now, let’s look at the first word in the Commission.  “Go” is a continuous active word.  It could also be translated “as you are going” … pointing to how we should be viewing the Commission. The sharing of the message of Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord should become part of our DNA.  We should be demonstrating the gospel message in everything we do as well as what we say. I believe that what we DO is much more impactful than what we SAY.  People watch to see if our trust in God is real … especially in times where we face difficulties.  Our walk must match our talk. 

The crux of the Commission is this …

·         We are to make disciples of all nations.  A disciple is a person who has made the decision to follow.  Our task is to present to people the simple message that God loves us so much that He sacrificed Himself to buy us back from destruction.  Our goal is to share the message.  God will do the convincing and the converting.  But we share the message.

·         We are to encourage a new disciple to identify with God and with the people of God. Baptism is a method of identifying a person with a ideology.  When a person came to Christ in the first century, he or she would immediately be baptized.  Unlike our current practice – where we set aside a day so the person being baptized can bring a hair dryer and dry clothes and the like – the person was baptized and then walked through the streets to his or her home, dripping wet.  This afforded him or her the opportunity to share what just happened … and, just perhaps, begin to follow through on the Great Commission.

·         We are to teach the new convert what Christ has taught us.  Well, let’s begin by understanding that we cannot teach what we do not know … so it is necessary for us to be learners as well as teachers.  Learning comes in many different ways.  Learning is not just book study … it is dealing with life events and paying attention to what God does when we encounter trouble.  Sharing what God has taught us is important in the process of teaching others to observe all things that Christ taught us.  Secondly, we are to take on the responsibility of the new believer.  We are to realize that he or she is our new brother or sister in Christ … and treat them as such.  We want each one to fully enjoy the abundant life offered in Christ.

·         We are to trust God.  Jesus told us He would be with us in the process. 

That’s the Great Commission.  How well you are (or I am) fulfilling the Commission is subject to Christ’s judgment.  But we should be aware of where we stand … and purpose to do an even better job today that we did yesterday.

May God’s richest blessing fall upon you this good day …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, I confess that I have often failed in fulfilling Your desire for me to carry forth in the Great Commission Christ gave me. Help me fulfill it by encouraging me when I encounter one who does not know you or when I am teaching a brother or sister in Christ. Thank You for Your trust in me.  In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Matthew 28:16-20

Before All; In All

Good Morning! 

I hope your weekend was good. I spent Saturday at the Habersham Community
Theatre doing a little painting of sets in advance of our play that begins February 6. The title of the play is Number the Stars and is about a little girl and her family who help a Jewish family escape the Nazi’s in 1943 Denmark.  It is a dark play … but very tender … worth the $20 ticket for adults, $12 for students. 

Today is another good day … with some rain that should end by the afternoon.  Your prayers for me and the Nursing Home Ministry crew would be very welcome.  We have the privilege of bringing the message of Christ to the forgotten folks who live tucked away from the public view.  The consciousness level is varied but often even the ones who seem most out of it will begin to sing the good old hymns of faith.  Each one is truly a blessing to the NHM crew.

The sermon passage yesterday was Galatians 2:20 … which, as most of you know, is my life verse. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  The preacher gave three points … there has to be a funeral; there has to be a filling; and there has to be faith.  I listened carefully … but one reference the pastor stuck in the vacant space … from Colossians.  So … this morning, as I prepared to write our message for today, I saw this wonderful passage from Paul’s letter …

Colossians 1:15-23 English Standard Version (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[b] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Footnotes:

Colossians 1:16 That is, by means of; or in

Colossians 1:23 Or to every creature

Jesus is …

·         The very image of the invisible God

·         The firstborn of all creation

·         The creator of all things

·         The One who holds all things together

·         The head of the Church

·         The firstborn from the dead

·         Preeminent

·         The reconciler

We are …

·         Reconciled in Him through His death

·         Made holy and blameless in Him

Jesus paid it all … all to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain … He washed it white as snow.

Have a blessed day …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, it is all about Jesus. He is my Lord and my Savior. Thank You, dear Father God, for receiving His sacrificial blood offered for me.  Remind me of Your cost for my salvation. Keep me near Jesus all of my days.  In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:15-23

Signs of the Times

Good Morning! 

Today is day 24 of 2020 … and for those of us who have accepted the challenge of reading and studying the four gospels this year, we are in Matthew 24.  In this chapter, Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the last time. He has spent the week teaching on the Temple grounds – often being challenged by the religious leadership.  On this day, Jesus leaves the city, going to the Mount of Olives with His disciples.  Keep in mind that most of the disciples had yet to really hear and accept what Jesus had told them about His coming death.  It seems the disciples were still thinking that Jesus would come to Jerusalem and reestablish the throne of David.  Thus, we see the question …

Matthew 24:3-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Footnotes:

Matthew 24:10 Or stumble

Many Christians focus on the second coming of Christ.  Like the Jews who were constantly looking for the coming of the Messiah, some folks have become obsessed with the subject.  And many point to what Jesus told His disciples in the Mount Olive discourse … pointing out the degradation of society.  While it is true that when we look around at our current culture, we could easily make the argument that many of the signs of the time have become commonplace, the decision remains in the hand of God. 

Approximately two months later, the disciples would once again gather on the Mount of Olives with our risen Lord Jesus.  There He would tell them …

Acts 1:6-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Even after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples still thought that He would set up an earthly kingdom. Jesus corrected them once again … pointing out the task He set before them.  And that task remains for all who believe in Christ today.

I believe that, in our linear time, there will come the moment when the last person who will accept Jesus will bow his or her head to pray … and the Father will call all of His children to come Home.  Imagine being the one who shares that message, bows to pray with your new brother or sister in Christ … and awakening in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father.  WOW!!

So, what is the point of our Good Morning today?  Keep your eyes on the prize!  Get about the work of sharing the message of Christ Jesus … both in word and deed.  Focus on reaching and teaching, looking with anticipation to the coming of Jesus.

Blessings to all this good weekend …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, help me remember each day that Your task for me is to tell people about Jesus.   In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture for today:  Matthew 24:3-14; Acts 1:6-11

Just a Little Goes a Long Way

Good Morning! 

We begin another good day … a day that God has given us to live and rejoice in. Many of you will head out to your place of employment, hoping for a good day at work.  I would like to think that each of you see your job as a blessing from God … but I know some do not.  I am in my seventh year of retirement … with many good memories of my co-workers who I count as friends.  God provided me with a good job for almost fifty years.  And His provision of that joby has allowed me to live a good life in retirement.  Praise belongs only to Him.

Our wonderful Wednesday lesson last night came from Isaiah 17.  A little background is needed as we begin.  Ahab had become king of Israel … and he was an evil king who provoked God by doing two things …

·         He married Jezebel who was not an Israelite and who worshipped the Philistine god Baal. His worship of Baal and Asherah led the general population to do the same. God had warned Israel about intermarriage with the people of the land, knowing that it would lead the nation away from Him.

·         He built altars to the Philistine gods … further provoking God by doing exactly what God had told the people not to do … You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

God responded by sending a drought over Israel.  Unfortunately, the rain did not fall on the just as well as the non-just.  All of Israel – righteous and unrighteous – suffered during the drought. There was no water to grow crops … and no crops meant a scarcity of food.  So, we come to our thoughts for this good day … just a little goes a long way.

1 Kings 17:8-16 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Widow of Zarephath

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah), 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Many of us have faced desperate situations in our lifetimes. This poor widow and her son were down to their very last meal. Here comes this prophet of God who tells her to share her meal with him. Reason would tell her to hoard the bread … it was all she had … but she chose to hear Elijah and to obey.  The result … her little cache of flour and oil never ran out for the balance of the drought.  Her little went a long way … because of her faith in God.

How about our little?  Are we willing to offer our little in faith, trusting our Father who has promised that He knows what we actually need?  Now, I am not advocating any prosperity gospel … I am not hocking anointing oil or prayer cloths.  What I am saying is that when we act on faith, God provides. Over the course of my life, I have found that many of our desperate situations served to teach us about the faithfulness of God to sustain us.  

God never wavers on His promise.  If we live by faith and in faith, He will supply our needs.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, as I look back on the events of my life … the many times I feared the worse and the many times You stepped in … I cannot help but know that You are faithful to me. Thank You for Your great faithfulness in providing for me and my family.  In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture for today:  1^st Kings 17:8-16

Misplaced Trust

Good Morning! 

In the sermon that was delivered Sunday, our Associate Pastor, Chris Barnard, talked about how Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant out to battle the Philistines … thinking that the presence of the Ark would lead them to victory. Unfortunately, they were wrong. And the Israelites were defeated in battle … and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. 

Let’s take a look at what was written in the history book we call 1^st Samuel …

1 Samuel 4 English Standard Version (ESV)

4 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. ² The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. ³ And when the people came to 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 here from Shiloh, that it^[a] may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” ⁴ So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. ⁶ And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. ⁹ Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. ¹¹ And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹² A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. ¹⁴ When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. ¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. ¹⁶ And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” ¹⁷ He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” ¹⁸ As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹ Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. ²⁰ And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. ²¹ And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed^[b] from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. ²² And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

Footnotes:

1 Samuel 4:3 Or he

1 Samuel 4:21 Or gone into exile; also verse 22

What was the problem that led to the defeat of Israel?  They were depending upon an icon for victory rather than depending upon God. They misplaced their trust … thinking that God would intervene to protect the Ark of the Covenant.  Imagine their surprise when the battle went even worse than before. Why didn’t God step in and defeat the Philistines?  Could it be that the Israelites had the wrong idea of who was truly in charge … them or God?  

Before we start blaming Israel for their presumption, we must hold up the mirror of our own lives and check to see if there haven’t been instances where, when we haven’t taken the time to inquire of God for His wisdom, we have called on Him to get us out of a negative situation.  In my own life, I know there are times I have acted before asking … and THEN called upon God to get me out of the mess I created.

As you can see, the result of a misplaced trust was disaster. 30,000 Israelite soldiers were killed.  Eli’s corrupt sons, Phineas and Hophni, both were killed in battle.  Eli, upon hearing of the capture of the Ark, fell over and broke his neck and died.  And the Ark … the very thing that Israel had misplaced its trust … was captured by the Philistines.  Devastating!

Is “devastated” how we feel when God doesn’t “back us up” when we step outside His care and find ourselves in a mess?  Shouldn’t we recognize our error … not seeking God before we acted? And shouldn’t we learn that we are subject to God and not He to us? 

God is God … and not me.  I am His child. I am His bondservant.  My trust should be placed in Him … and in Him alone.  I should never put my trust in an idol or an icon. And that is our lesson for today.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, remind me to be careful in my choices to first seek Your face … to hear Your voice. And, when I fail, teach me to admit my wrong, bear the consequences, and return to You.    In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture for today:  1^st Samuel 4