Working on our behalf

29. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

We left off on yesterday with Saul having no luck finding his father’s donkeys and now turning to the “man of God” Samuel for help.  They decided that they could not go visit the man of God without a gift but the servant had a silver coin on him which was all they had left and they took the coin and set out to find Samuel.   Today’s text is that encounter.

 

I Samuel 9:  11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?” 12 ”He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.” 14 They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. 15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 ”About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.” 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

 

 

There is something so strategic and just so powerful to me that I want you to notice in our text today.   The bible says that the day before Saul comes to Samuel, God had already told Samuel that tomorrow about this time, there would be a man coming from the tribe of Benjamin and he was to be the one to be anointed King over Israel.

 

Okay,   I’m not sure if you got it.  But the bible says that God was working on Saul’s behalf and he didn’t even now it.   I am really almost in tears as I am writing this.   We go through so much in life but what we fail to realize is that God already knew that we would go through it and God already knew what would happen and God already has a solution for it but the problem is we just don’t know it.  We don’t believe that God is working on our behalf even when God is silent HE is working to bring his word to its appointed scheduled.      The bible says for the vision is for an appointed time and it speaks of the end and does not lie and though it tarry, wait for it for it for it will surely come.  God will never miss his appointment.   Everything in our life is moving us closer to that appointed time.   Just think of it like this.  We are closer today than we have ever been.    The frustration is that we don’t know that God really is working it out and putting us on the minds of people and directing our paths so that we would make the right contacts and putting us in places where his will can be discovered even though it doesn’t look like it.   GOD REALLY IS!!!!!.

 

Saul was defeated in his assignment to bring the donkey’s home.  He was from the least of the tribes yet had no idea that what may appear on the surface to be trivial and unimportant and insignificant proved to point him towards his destiny.

 

Have a great weekend.  I hope you were encouraged as I was by this story today. 

 

Monday, our text will deal with the actual meeting between Saul and Samuel.  I’m so excited. 

 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

 

 

 

 

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Chasing donkeys

28. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today in our text, we get introduced to how Israel will get its first King in the monarchy.  We finally made it to our study.  For those of you that are just joining us, we are beginning a study on the life of the three kings which made up the monarchy, which are Saul, David, and Solomon.   Today, we find out some things about Israel’s first king.   Let’s read our story:

 

 1 There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2 He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites–a head taller than any of the others. 3 Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” 4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them. 5 When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” 6 But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” 7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.) 10 ”Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

I love this text.  This young man by the name of Saul was sent out on a journey to find some lost donkeys and he had no idea that he would encounter his purpose and destiny in life through this “menial” task.   Throughout the twenty plus years that I have been ministering and counseling people, I often hear people complain that in the current situation that they are in and with what they are doing, there is no way they feel like they will accomplish and get to the dreams that they feel God has placed in their heart. 

 

I tell them that God knows where you are and what you are doing and wherever you are planted for this season, just be faithful, do your best, be the best wherever you are and glorify God in your work because you never know when you will meet that person that will open the door that you have so desperately been waiting to walk through and they can find you anywhere.   God is just that big.  So often, people think that they have to be in certain places and certain situations to find success and they stressed out because those doors don’t seem to be opening for them.   Be faithful and keep growing and perfecting your skill and gift wherever you are and God will in due season bring about his promise for your life.    Above all else, keep dreaming.

 

Saul was obeying his father and yes, some people could argue and say that this was a servant’s job and why was the eldest son sent out to find some lost donkeys.    Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin which was the smallest tribe and considered to be the less insignificant and to make matters worst, Saul’s family was from the smallest tribe of the Benjaminites which was even worst.    But God..    I just have to stop here and say But God again.     God has a way of raising up people who are counted as nothing or un-noticed, or insignificant, or not relevant and God just makes them shine and uses them mightily and it is usually among the ones who thought they would never amount to anything.

 

So the text says that after Saul and his servant had no luck finding the lost donkeys, they were getting ready to turn and go back home in fear that the father would start worrying about them, but the servant had an idea.   The idea was let’s go see the man of God and maybe he can tell us our way.

 

Tomorrow, we will see what happens when they encounter the man of God.

 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

 

 

 

 

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It will be Bad for you

27. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Today in our text, Samuel gives us a prophecy of what the king that

Israel so desires would eventually become.   Let’s look at the story. 

I Samuel 9:10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of

Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”   

As you can see from our text today,

Israel is in for trouble.  We are about to enter our journey of the monarchy.   This prophecy however will not apply to the kings of the monarchy.  Saul, David, and Solomon though they did not always do what was right they were basically good kings and treated the people fairly.  It is when the kingdom splits after the reigns of the monarchy that you will see the fulfillment of this prophecy. 

Israel now wants to trade its uniqueness to become like other nations when the thing that they crave will one day enslaved them.   Israel is now saying that God does not know what is best, we are not satisfied with the system of government that God has in place, we think the way the heathens are doing it will work better for  us, so they trade the plan of God to be like the other nations. 

Be careful about what you think is not working.   God has a plan for us and we are a unique people.  The bible calls us peculiar, holy. The word holy simply means different than the world.   We are just different and we follow different standards and guidelines for our lives. 

 

Don’t get so frustrated that you would be willing to trade God’s plan for you and begin fitting in with the world and adopting their theologies and philosophies for one day, it will turn on you.  Be not deceived, God is not mock for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.     

Isn’t it amazing that, we the creation of God, can actually think we have a better plan and solution for our lives than God.   I see it all the time, I have tried to do it my way my self.   It always ends up in disaster though in the beginning it appears to be fulfilling and working but in the end it leads to devastation and destruction.  God’s way is perfect and right and even if we are in a difficult spot right now, it is still comforting knowing that this is the will of God and that God has us here and we did not do this to ourselves.    I would rather go through difficult times with God than to have created on my own a course that will eventually only lead to destruction. 

I think the book of Hebrews pens it best where it states in chapter 11 verse 24-25  “ By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”    

His point was that once he encountered the truth, he would rather to deal with the consequences of truth than the consequences of sin.   

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Website Problems

26. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Welcome back from the holiday weekend for all of us here in America that celebrated Memorial Day.   My website has been down for a few days and it just came back up today.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  I know some of  you are getting use to including our study in your daily bible study reading time.  I will not post today because it is already late in the afternoon and most of  you have experienced the error problem and probably want log in again until tomorrow so I don’t want you to have to catch up on lessons.

I spent my memorial day weekend at this park in Atlanta called Stone Mountain.   I have developed a tradition that on memorial day, labor day, and 4th of July, I spend the entire day exercising at this park.  I climb the mountain which is 3 miles up and down and then I walked around it which is another 5 miles.

I can tell that I am getting physically stronger because it was easier for me to climb this year.

Well, let me just tell you about a precious moment that I had.   After I walked the mountain and I had wore my nieces and nephews out (lol), I treated them to the theme park that is inside the area.   They all gathered in this particular spot where they did rock climbing and other cliff climbing adventures and they were there in that one little area for hours.

While I was waiting for them, I looked over in a corner and there was this little stream and the water was just flowing over the rocks and I went and took my shoes and socks off and I sat on one of those rocks and just let the cold water run over my feet.  It was the best.  I sat there and just did nothing.  I looked at God’s beautiful nature and was amazed to just be living and to be a child of our God.   I was just in the moment.  I was not  thinking about anything, not the next day,  not worrying, I was just focused on God and I was loving being “one with nature”.  I’m not sure if that statement makes sense, but it is just the best way I can describe it.

Before long, there were other adults that came while they were waiting on their kids to finish playing and they joined me with taking off their shoes and we just sat on those rocks and just relaxed.    We all had the best moment.   I am astonished at how I have grown in God and how the simplest of things just make me so happy.    Only God.  God did that to my heart and what brings the most joy to me in life is his creation and being able to make a difference in the life of his creations.

A friend of mine sent out an email today called life is but a moment and he talked about how he took time in the midst of a frustrating situation to literally stop and smell a rose and it reminded him of God’s blessings and he focused his energy on being grateful instead of being mad.  That email reminded me of how we both had that same type of moment over this holiday weekend.   What a difference God makes in your life.   We just need to relax and enjoy HIM.

We’ll pick up our posting on tomorrow.   Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and  read God’s word daily.

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We want a King

22. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today our text leads us to our study; the beginning of the monarchy and how it can to be.   Let’s look at the text:

 

I Samuel 8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

 

As you can see in the text Samuel was the judge over Israel and he ruled well but Samuel was now growing old and he appointed his sons who were Joel and Abijah as judges for Israel but they were dishonest boys and they walked not in the way of their father.   

 

The elders of Israel came to Samuel and they said because he is old and his sons do not walk in his ways they wanted to be ruled like the other nations with a king.  Israel saw the other lands around them and how they had kings to rule and wanted that style of leadership.  Israel had always been a unique nation in that their God was their king and God worked through his prophets and appointed representatives.  Israel had thus far be a theocratic nation which means God ruled.   Now Israel is in the land of promise and they have seen how other nations are ruled and what has made them distinctive all this time, they now want to change.

 

This request from the Israelites displeased Samuel and he went to the Lord in prayer and God consoled Samuel and told him not to take it personal.  The people were not rejecting Samuel but they were rejecting God as they had always done since bringing them out of Egypt.  God instructed Samuel to listen to the people but also warn them and let them know what would one day happen with the kings that would be appointed over them. 

 

Next week, we will continue our study as we get into the first king of the monarchy and as we find out what Samuel would say about the kings that would rule.  Have a wonderful holiday weekend.   For all my friends that tune in from other countries where Monday is not a holiday, I want you to know that I will not be posting on Monday so I’ll see you in web land on Tuesday. 

 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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Longing for God

21. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today our text reveals to us what happened to the ark of God as it was released from the camp of Bethshemesh.   Here is the story.

 

I 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. 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.

 

 

As you can see in our text, the men of Kiriath Jearim came to pick up the ark from the camp of Bethshemesh and brought it to the house of Abinabib and there it stayed for 20 years.  They consecrated   his son Eleazar to keep guard of it.  Samuel became the judge of Israel yet while the ark was away from the Israelites camp, the people worshipped other gods and the Philistines continued to plague them.   The Israelites however mourned and longed for the presence of God.

 

One thing I have found out in this journey called life is that once you have been exposed to the things of God, there is absolutely nothing that can satisfy you as the presence of our God.   We may go through our seasons of sin and controversy but sooner or later, there will be a longing in us that will become so desperate for the things of God and the purity of holiness and companionship  with God that our very inner beings will mourn to be back in fellowship with God.  Once you have tasted of God, I feel that it is impossible to find anything on this earth that you give you the type of satisfaction that living for God can.

 

So the day came that the people mourned and longed after God and Samuel advised them that if they are returning to the Lord then they must put away the foreign Gods and the Ashoreths and serve God only with “all their hearts”.   Ashoreth is the Phoenician name of the primitive Semitic mother goddess.  She was considered to be the female counterpart of the God Baal and was worshipped as a goddess of fertility and sexual love. 

 

A return to God constitutes a change.  If we are serious about lining our lives up with God then we must do a self-evaluation and be honest about the things in our lives that we need to let go and make a commitment to serve him with all of our hearts.   Our hearts cannot be divided and distracted with other issues and other things which we have made more important than God.

 

Samuel instructs them that if they would do this then God would deliver them out of the hands of their enemy the Philistines.  We are so close to our deliverance.  It is in our hands.   We control when we get free of something.  As long as you allow it to hinder you and depress you then it will but as soon as you make up your mind that you want to be free then you will.

 

One of the first steps to get rid of depression is self talk.  You must encourage yourself.   Change all the negative thinking and negative talking into positive statements and then eventually your actions will become healthy and positive steps.  

 

The children of Israel put away their Gods and return to worship of God alone and Samuel interceded for them and as the story reveals, the Lord did deliver them from the hand of their enemy.

 

 

How long do you want to be sad and depressed and stagnated in your life?  You really are in control.   I am speaking from experience.  I suffered with depression for over 15 years and it had become such a part of my life that I was a functional depressant.  I would do what I had to do just to get through the day but at night, I would cry myself to sleep and shut down as soon as I would get behind closed doors and isolate myself from people and just eat.  

 

I would pray and ask God to get me out of this state or season that I was in but would not make any efforts to move beyond it myself.  I was waiting on a miracle without understanding that it was me and only me that had empowered the state that I was in.  I blamed everyone else and made excuses as to why I was like I was and in my mind, I felt like I desired to be like this for my life had become quite difficult  and of course my past was always to blame.

 

Well, to make a long story short.  There was no miracle from heaven.   It was a conscious decision to get up and begin to move my life forward and thank God I did.  

 

 

Well, enough for today but I would like to close with the part of the text that states that after the enemy was destroyed, Samuel put up a stone in that place and called it Ebenezer meaning: “thus far the Lord has helped us.”  That is my testimony.   Thus far, the Lord has helped me.  

 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

 

 

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The ark’s arrival

20. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today we continue our story as to what happened to the ark of God as it was released from the Philistine camp.   In yesterday’s text, we learned that after the ark had been with the Philistines for seven months, they called the diviners together and they asked how to get rid of it.  The ark’s presence had already mutilated the Philistine God Dagon and had caused tumors to come upon the people.  The advice from the diviners was to build it a new cart and send it away with a trespass offering which included gold images of the mice and tumors that had affected the people.   They told the Philistines that if the cart headed to the direction of Bethshemesh which is the way to the Israelite camp then it was the God of Israel who afflicted them but if it headed in some other direction then they would consider their misfortunes a mere coincidence.   Let’s pick up our story.  Here is our text for today.

 

I Samuel 6:10 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.”

 

 

As you see in our text today that even thought the Israelites were excited to see the ark, they experienced trouble also.  God killed some of the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of God.  Moses had given the children of Israel specific instructions from God on how the ark of God was to be handled and treated.  The men of Beth Shemesh violated these commandments and therefore suffered major consequences.  This event caused the people to send messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim telling them that the Philistines have returned the ark of God and asking them to come retrieve it from their place.   

 

Tomorrow, we will continue our journey as to what happens to the ark.   All this is key history.  This ark story plays a major part in the life of the kings and where the ark will be during their reigns.    As a reminder, remember we are leading up to the study of Israel as a monarchy which means the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!

 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

 

 

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What to do?

19. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Our text for today gives us the solution that the philistines came up with to handle the problem with the ark of God. Here is the story.

I Samuel 6:1  And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2  And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3  And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5  Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6  Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8  And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9  And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.

So to summarize, after the ark had been there for seven months, the Philistines called the diviners together and ask them how to get rid of the ark.

We know from yesterday’s lesson that it had plagued the land with tumors and mice. The diviners instructed them to build a new cart to put it on and send it away with a trespass offering which they suggested should be golden images of the tumors and mice.

The diviners then told them to send it on its way and if it goes toward the land of Bethshemesh then it was the God of Israel that brought the plague but if it goes another way, then they would declare that it was just a coincidence that these things happened.

Tomorrow, we will see what direction the ark goes in and what happens when it ends up at its’ destination .

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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God’s Presence Among the Enemy

18. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:We are moving to the 5^th chapter of Samuel and today’s story picks up with what happened to the Ark of the Covenant once the Philistines captured it.  Let’s look at the text.  Remember in your reading that the Ark of the Covenant represents the presence of the Lord.  Watch what the presence of the Lord does in the enemy’s camp. 

I Samuel 5:1 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.

As you can tell from our story, the name of the God of the Philistines was called Dagon.   Dagon was considered to be the god of grain and agriculture.    I love this text and just think it is so powerful.   Even though the symbol that represented the presence of God for the Israelites had been captured, it brought havoc upon the enemy’s camp.      It destroyed parts of Dagon, brought tumors upon each camp of people it was moved to and finally it was decided to allow it to return to the Israelites.Tomorrow, we will study what happens when the ark begins its journey back to the camp of Israelites.  

Stay encouraged!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.  

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The Glory Has Departed

14. May 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

We are in the 4^th chapter of Samuel and today’s lesson deals with the fulfillment of prophecy concerning Hophni, Phinehas, and Eli.  It is a sad yet fascinating story.     Here is the text:   

I Samuel 4:1 And Samuel’s word came to all

Israel. 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. 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.”

 We see that in our text the prophecy that God gave to Samuel that “he was going to do a thing that when all

Israel hear it their very ears will tingle.”   Today’s lesson is fulfillment of that word.   

What is so stunning and it even leads to the naming of Phinehas new born son Ichabod is that the “ark of the covenant” which represents the presence of the Lord was captured and the glory of God had departed from

Israel.   It was not the news of Eli’s sons death that shocked him, the text says that when they mentioned that the ark of God was taken, Eli fell backward and his neck broke and he died. 

All Israel’s was shocked and it was true, all ears that heard the news that the entire priesthood had been destroyed and God’s glory had departed tingled and a thing was done that they could not even be believed. 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!   But all is still well, because Samuel is growing and gaining favor with both God and men.   

Tomorrow, we will continue our journey to the Monarchy. 

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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