Wherefore Hath the Lord Smitten Us

Wherefore Hath the Lord Smitten Us

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

I want you to know what is going on here we are ending the time of the judges they are now in the land but there is no king and every man is doing that which is right in his own eyes

Eli is now the judge and the philistines had now recovered themselves from the losses given them by Samson. Now Samuel is being established as the prophet and this is going to be Good for Israel.

And If they are going to overcome them this is the time.

Right here before things are clear who is in charge Elia is 98 years old but he did not turn it over yet All Israel knew it was going to be Samuel but it was not yet.

The devil knew they had but a short time.

SO they go out and fight them.

This battle is taking place twenty miles from Shiloh to the west

Between ebenezer and aphek Apheck means strength

Here is is on the map and here is a shot of it in modern photography

Yarkon river water shed.

Israel goes out here to battle against them.

And this is a pretty big battle.

I don't know how many either side had but I do know Israel lost 4000 thousand men that day

And as we read the second time they lost 30,000

That is a massive war

To put that into perspective

4,414 Allied personnel killed on D-Day. These include 2,501 from the USA, 1,449 British dead, 391 Canadians and 73 from other Allied countries. Total German losses on D-Day (not just deaths, but also wounded and prisoners of war) are estimated as being between 4,000 and 9,000. 156,000 allied troops by land sea and air.

This is a massive battle

And the first battle they lost

And they asked a very important question.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines?

That is the right question.

You see they recognized it was not the philistines that smote them the recognized it was the Lord.

When we are defeated at times it is good to recognize it was the Lord that messed up our plans

It was the Lord that allowed us to fail or dare I say wanted us to fail or could we even say make us fail.

Look what it says about the Philistines they joined the battle in verse 2

I believe that means engaged but I do think there could be a little more to that the Lord was already against them and they just helped the Lord out there.

I want you to see they asked the question but they did not pause for the answer

They did not get the answer

And without any information to that question

They went and got the most important national treasure they had both as their identity as a nation and the most important thing spiritually they had as a people and took that to battle and lost that.

Listen if you are losing the battle do not go get the most precious thing you have and take that to battle.

But here is what I want to say to you

The reason they lost the battle the first time and lost 4000 is the same reason they lost the battle the second time and lost 30,000

If you do not learn from the Lord on round one round two is even worse.

Round one costs round two crushes

Round one is defeating round two is devastating.

If God has given you reprieve. Then find out what does failure is about before you plunge into battle again.

So what we are going to do this morning is attempt to answer that question.

They could have gotten the answer. There was enough revealed Truth for them to get the answer

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines?

We all fail and I'm not saying this morning that the reason you failed the reason I failed or the reason we failed is because of these reasons. I'm also not saying for sure that it was God. I know it was God here. But what I am saying that if these things are in your life you will fail.

A Failure of Leadership

And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

What The Lord says to Samuel you are about to be the Leader I am going to speak through you

Look at vs 19 -21

And before you get installed as a leader I am going to clean up this mess and give you a fresh start

And it is so bad that when i take care of it and people hear about it their ears are going to tingle.

When you get hit in the head and your ears start ringing from a loud shocking noise

Or sometimes when I hear or see something shocking I will hear a little valve go off in my ear and the room will start getting faint and I will hear this ringing in my ear. Only happens a few times but it was brought on by utter shock to my emotions and my security

And that was what he was talking about

This battle.

911 (2606) in the world trade center remember the shock of it ?

Seeing it fall.

That is what he is talking about here

In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

He knew what was going on and did nothing about it.

He failed to hold them accountable and the Lord allowed the nation to suffer for the failure of leadership.

Eli was a judge his job was to execute judgment and say what was wrong and hold people accountable.

And The lord gave him opportunity to do it.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

They were children of the devil they were not of the Lord and he let them have a job of helping other people sacrifice to the Lord

They were of the devil

And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

You see he was taking it for himself before that person ever got to give it to the Lord The Lord said all the fat is the Lords they were supposed to give that to the Lord but they said we are going to take it

Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

That caused people to hate the offering of the Lord and not to bring it

It corrupts the most important thing to put them in a right standing before God

And Eli did not protect the most important thing.

He did not make them follow direct orders from God.

Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

The Lord asked eve what is this that hast thou done.

He asked cain what hast thou done.

You ask why because you are looking for a reason to excuse it

There are some things there can be no excuse for

This has become such a problem he is hearing about it all the time

And people are telling him because they expect him to do something to protect thin integrity of the offering

To protect what was holy and not give it away.

Their sin started affecting people's relationship with the Lord.

And the people that did it hated it because of them

And he did nothing about it

Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.

It is not good what you do

You are making other people sin

But he refused to hold them accountable.

But the Lord gave him another chance

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

Look this is a privilege you have here I was good to give it to you

Never forget it is a privilege to serve the Lord

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

You despise it you show contempt for it you trample it there is no respect for my offering

You honnor your sons above me.

That is why they lost because they were honoring people above God

Make yourselves fat

He said you should not do that but than he partook of it with them.

It is not what you preach it is what you tolerate that matters.

He was part of the problem himself

You see when we fail to hold those accountable we are entrusted to lead

The Lord will do it

And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

And it will be a lot more brutal

He is trying to help to be gentle with people to get them right

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

He knew he was in trouble

He knew his sons were in trouble

But he refused to do anything about it

When we refuse to do what God wants us to do because of the relationship we have we are headed for a colossal failure.

And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

He is looking for someone that will faithfully do what he told him to do.

In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

He is making a new beginning

But before he can do what he wants to with samuel he has to get it right, he has to get rid of the problems.

He is draining the swamp.

Whenever he does something new

When ever he begins he also makes and end

That is a biblical principle

He takes away the first that he might establish the second.

You take it out or he will take it out.

When you fail to hold people accountable you hurt many more people than just hophni and phineas

34 thousand

The philistines wanted nothing to do with God send him away

And 50,070 men of their own people died

84,070 men died because on man would not hold two men accountable.

Good people get discouraged

People bringing their offerings to God hate it.

Bad people drive out good people.

People in a church would not hold one ornery deacon accountable with a lot of money do not do this I will leave and take my money with me. The pastor said no wont do it. I willnot be bought the church said we willnot back the pastor . SO the pastor left all the good people left and all that is left is the ornery old people.

Preacher named Mike Roberts wanted him to preach on calvinism so he got up preached five reasons John calvin is burning in hell. And he left and five more millionaires walked in the next Sunday.

There was a time when it was that way here the pulpit the pastor had no honnor

I was talking to a man said church is of the devil and my pastor is the devils man. God is cleaning up

A Failure of Lordship

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

They went to battle without the ark

They went without God in their own strength fighting a battle God never told them to fight

Without ever asking him.

Without ever consulting him

And they failed

And they said let us go fetch God

We failed and we do not want to loose let us go get god

DId they want a relationship with the Lord ?

Did they want God

No they wanted their problem fixed

They were not interested in God they were interested in getting their problem fixed.

God these people know we are Christians your glory is at stake.

You have to protect your glory

God has more glory in the failure of a carnal people than he does in their victory.

Listen stop trying to use God

To save your Job to save your marriage

To get what you want

Stop trying to manipulate God

Jail house religion

God is not interested in being your marrige counceorlor

He in interested in being your God.

He is not interested in making you happy he in intersted in you finidng him worthy no matter how bad it gets

Not a consultant

Not the bank

Not the fire man

Not the doctor

He is God

And he has thousands of people that will bow the knee and love him no matter how bad it gets what makes you think you can manipulate him.

They said God is our only hope

But little did they realize he was their biggest threat.

Stop taking God like a zanax

Stop it he is not a mechanic he is the Lord

He is not a battle fixer

They went and got him earth rang with their shout

But many of them never saw the ark before never had a relationship with the ark.

You make God look weak when you try to get him to fix what you broke and he does not mind looking weak by you he will deal with them alone later.

I remember when I first started pastoring I said God I want to be a great preacher help he

He said I am not interested

I want to be a great pastor not interested

I want to be great bible scholar not interested

I want to build a great church be a great soul winner I could care less.

Help me preach this message no

Lets try again Lord I do not care if any one knows my name or not I do not care what happens if I die and loose my helath and my family dies I just want you to use me for your glory he said I will use that.

This passage changed my life it was these verses that God showed me

You will not use me if any one gets used it will be you I will use me but you will not use me.

God

They should have not sent for the ark but they should have sent for hophni and phineas

They were not interested in anything but their agenda

They failed so they said lets go get the ark

Maybe it will save us

That is a type of Jesus Christ.

They wanted to use God

God will not be used

You are not supposed to tell the ark where to go you are to let the ark tell you to go When they followed the ark they were ok.

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

The Sin of Achan

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

These people

They did not get rid of their false Gods they did not get right with God they just went to get thier jesus figure to put on their mantle

Lit the candle thumbed their beads

Rabits foot

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

He is intrested in being your Lord and do not try to get him to help you achieve anything but putting him in the right place were he deserves to be in your life.

A Future for Fellowship or relationship

You ever hear people say you think you are a christian and can do whatever you want ?

As long as you pray you can do what ever you want

That is not true he will hold his people accountable

He is not in the cover up business

He will chasten his children he will not be mocked

And the problem that lost people have3 many times with God is that Hophni and phineas are a bigger presence at the place or worship than he is

They cant focus on God

Because of thier sin

Thier direspect fort the things of God the people of God

And thier fornication

So look at what the Lord does

The philistines in chapter 5

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

No the heathen fear God again

And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

No the Lord's people fear the Lord again

And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Samuel Judges Israel

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.

And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Now they know the only way to have that right relationship with the Lord is to get rid of the sin in their life.

They god rid of the false Gods

Why were they fighting the philistines in the first place is they were all serving the same false gods?

Re restored his Glory he restored the fear of the Lord

And because of that he did not forget his people when they got it right with him they overcame.

Werefor hath the Lord smitten us today ?

Do not try to go get God when you have not gotten rid of our idols, why are you even fighting the philistines if you are worshipping their Gods ?

Maybe you're here today and you wonder why things keep happening. I'm not saying this is the recent but I'm saying I would ask myself this question. Are there things that God wants me to take accountability for that I have refused?

Is he trying to remove something from my life that I'm supposed to remove?

I would also ask myself this am I trying to use God? maybe you're here this morning and you came because you thought it would help your marriage your depression and your job and salvage something. Why don't you get on your face before the ward and say God I'm sorry I'm not going to use you you are God and I will serve you even if you make it worse.

And let me ask you this finally do you have a relationship with God?

If you don't, why don't you begin one today. He wants one with you. He just wants it the right way.