Lord's words are true
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Transcript
A. Rapport for the time
What has a high value in your life? Think for a moment of what really is important to you. Now, quickly compare that to the list of activities that you participate in on a regular basis. There may be times in my life when those two events do not line up.
B. Reading of the text
C. Review of the text
Eli, Phineas and Hophni.
Eli had been told exactly what would unfold in the years ahead.
30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men.
34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.
35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.
36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.” ’ ”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
Last week,
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.
D. Relevance of the text
As we look at the text this morning of 1 Samuel you can’t help but be reminded of God’s character. We serve the God of the heavens that can be trusted. Our hearts jump for joy at that as we read about his love for us and how much he has done for us by sending his son to die for us. That goodness also will not allow sin to go in the lives of his people. On this day in 1 Samuel the words of God are true and it will lead to his judgment upon the people that he might bring them to a place of restoration before HIM because he alone is Sovereign.
T.S.
I. God’s Word fulfilled
I. God’s Word fulfilled
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.
The battle was a complete disaster for the Israelites. Remember with me that they believed they could just call the Ark of God forward and they would not be defeated. Honestly, we saw last week that the Philistines had a different viewpoint on the hand of God and what he was able to do and they themselves expected defeat. Yet, what happened was:
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.
30,000 men died on the battle field in one day. This man comes running back to Shiloh the very place that the Ark was taken from just yesterday to report all that had occurred. He comes into Shiloh with clothes torn and dirt on is head. Placing dirt on your head is a sign of mourning in the Old testament. Can you see this poor man who has just seen all these people die at the hand of the Philistines come running back crying and looking totally distraught? This is a picture of what soon will be going on in the hearts of everyone in the city in vs. 13
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.
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.
The entire city cried out upon hearing the news. Everyone was affected by the sins of the Leaders and the nation. But we are told about Eli sitting by the road watching, yet we are told he is blind. Eli knows the prophecy of the Lord and believes God word is true and will be accomplished. Having said that he knows that his two sons that are supposed to die on the same day as a judgement from God took the Ark of God to the front line of battle against the Philistines. I can understand why his heart would tremble don’t you?
Trembled.. for the Ark of God
Shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty. Be in a state of extreme apprehension. Eli’s heart
Eli understand the truth of God’s word and even said
18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
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.
As the city begins to cry out in the pain of their own sin Eli now 98 years old and blind could not see but could hear and know that all that the Lord had told him was occuring this very day. Eli is blind physically but he knows in the deepest part of his heart that today is the day that all that the Lord has told him is coming true.
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?”
How did it go? People are crying, Eli is trembling in his heart over the Ark being taken to the front line by his two sons that do not worship God in any way. Eli knows this answers just really wants to be wrong.
How many calories in that ice Cream? When you know it 7 million but you are desiring to hear that they just found out this morning before you got up that ice cream only has 10 calories per scoop now so go for it!!
We often ask our heart and the Lord answers that we already know but we are desiring a different outcome.
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.”
Hophni and Phinehas are dead along with 30,000 warriors on this day. Which is bad enough for Eli but notice what happens in vs. 18.
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.
It was the mention of the ark of God that finished off Eli. It was more than he could handle at 98 years old blind and heavy. He fell over backwards and died. This is the tragedy of the man who did not lead his family well and decided to serve self before serving God. Eli was a judge over Israel 40 years but on this day He and his entire household would be judged by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Eli was held to a high standard because God used him for HIS namesake. Leaders are called by God to lead differently and with the power of God not their own. They will be asked and empowered to do hard things for the name of God, whose word is above all others.
App: we are to take this as a warning ourselves and place a HIGH value on God’s word.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
God’s word is worth holding onto in our life.
II. God’s Judgement Stretches Wide
II. God’s Judgement Stretches Wide
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.
Make no mistake that Phinehas’ wife knew about what God had said and she herself was distraught by the news that came to Shiloh on this day.
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.
People around her tried to comfort and calm her but she knows herself that this is the judgement from God being poured out on the house of Eli for not treating God’s holiness and name correctly. Her husband had been doing this all for his own selfish gain instead of serving the King of creation.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed 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.”
Names in this world mean something. Others thought that a name affected your destiny and somewhat controlled your future.
Ichabod—kabod—comes from the root word for weighty (Kobed) the Glory of God is his weight, his substance, his gravity. God’s Glory is his weightiness. Of course, God does not have a body, so its not his literal weight. His Glory is the seriousness with which he must be taken.
H.L Ellison—the Glory of God had indeed departed, but not because the Ark of God had been captured; the ark had been captured because the Glory had already departed.
Eli and the people of Israel did not value God and his word. They treated His Word and God himself as a something. You know what they mean. Something they could do to be spiritual and have a good standing vs. valuing God as Redeemer and Friend. Their failure to serve God and Give him glory brought them to a place in which God uses the Philistines to bring judgement upon a people are failing to listen. But here is the greatness and goodness of God. Everything that happens is ultimately going to restore His Glory to the proper place. God desires that the people come to a place of repentance and be restored unto their father in heaven.
Israel has lost its way & God must point that out or cease to be a good God.
App: beloved he has called you out to live Holy and pleasing life before him and one that brings Glory to the God of the heavens. The text of 1 Samuel is to show you that God’s word is true, what he says will happen. Ultimately the Lord is Sovereign over his creation. Are you resting in the promises of God this morning?
