Sermon Transcript Tone Analysis

Now, as we move into our sermon, we are on episode 14 of the plan, which puts us in 1st Samuel.

We started with Genesis in September, and we're working toward hitting the Resurrection on Easter.

We want to tell the whole story of the Bible this year, which means that during Christmas during the Advent Christmas season.

We're in kind of a weird place where usual place for this time of year, in 1st, Samuel, and the story that we have, been telling the way we've been connecting.

The story of the Bible together is that the Bible is the story of God's plan, to establish a Place.

Full of people who live out their purpose in his presence.

God made the world, he put people in it.

You told him to rule it on his behalf and then he came down to live with them and we messed it up.

But ever, since God has been working to reestablish, that design, that is the design God has in mind for us.

It's what we were created for.

It's what we are called into.

And so, we're talking about the story because it's important for us to know the story that we are meant to be living out his And also the story that were inviting others into as we share our faith.

Because that is what we're doing.

When we tell people about Jesus is, were inviting them to become part of this story of what God is doing in the world.

Now, this particular stage of where at in the story, God is working to re-establish, his plan by focusing on one specific group of people, out of all the people in his Chosen People Israel, and he's giving them a particular place to live.

And he has come down to live with them in that place and he's giving them the law of Moses.

As so that, if they live out the law of Moses living that out will demonstrate, who God is to the, to the people so that the other nations around them would be.

So I supposed to be able to look to Israel and understand who their God is and what he wants for Humanity.

And this is how God reveals himself to the world is through the way his people live out.

His plan.

Now, two weeks ago, we were in judges and we saw that that this plan is not working particularly well and and that is because of the failure.

Israel to hold up their end though.

It started with the fact that they didn't follow through on God's command, to drive out the the Canaanites.

And so, the Canaanite influence stayed with them and tempted them to start worshipping God in other ways and then to start worshipping other gods.

And eventually it corrupted them to the point where you couldn't really tell the difference between Israelites and Canaanites and the neighbors.

They didn't actually look any different.

They were just as violent just as destructive, and it things are just horrible at the end of judges.

And so if their purpose is to reveal God, to the world and you look at the end of Judges, you don't really see God revealed through what they're doing and that's a significant problem.

Now, last week, we were in The Book of Ruth and we saw a glimmer of hope through this moabite woman who actually behave, the way God calls us to behave, and we, and we saw something kind of begin with her and their family that We know he's going to bear fruit later on, but as we return to the major main story and 1st Samuel, we're still back in that place where Israel is just really doing a very poor job of representing Guide to the world.

However, at the beginning of 1st, Samuel, something changes, there is a miraculous baby boy, born to a woman.

You would not expect to be able to conceive.

Not.

Miraculous baby boy in the beginning.

Its first Samuel opens with a woman who is unable to have children begging God in the Tabernacle to give her a child.

And she says, if he gives her children than the first very first child will be dedicated to him.

And got here is her and had compassion on her and he gives her children in the first one is Samuel and she follows through on her word.

She dedicates him to God and bring some to the Tabernacle and he begins living and working in the Tabernacle.

And and he begins hearing from God.

And so as we go into are our coordinates passes.

What I'm calling our opening passages when we do the plan, that's the stage that we're at, is this this new thing that God is doing, it seems to be centered around.

This young man named Samuel.

So, as we go into this passage, I want you to remember, these are our very this, how we keep our bearings in the story, be keeping in mind.

Who was the story about, where is their home?

How can they meet with God, and what did God tell them to do?

Those are the four coordinates that will keep us to help us.

Keep our bearing to the story.

Now, in your bulletin.

I got this passage completely wrong.

It is not for seeing you for one through one.

If it's a 3-19 through for 3, if you want to correct, that it is the kind who will want to know that.

319 through 43.

Here's the story.

How begin the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and he let none of Samuel's words, fall to the ground and all of Israel.

From Dan to Beersheba.

Recognize that Samuel was a tested as a prophet of the Lord.

The Lord continue to appear at Shiloh and there, he revealed himself to Samuel through his word and Samuels word came to all Israel.

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines.

The Israelites can't it ever needs are in the Philistines, it a fact, 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 when the soldiers returned to the camp, the Elders of Israel asked, why did the Lord bring the feed on us today before the Philistines?

You would have to pause there.

I'm going to get our bearings.

Okay.

So first of all, who's the story about

It's about Samuel in the Israelites.

Now, when we were in judges, there wasn't really a main leader of Israel.

There are a bunch of Judges that would come through, but they tended to be temporary, political leaders.

There's really only one judge who actually spoke for God, Deborah was the only one who is also a profit and actually spoke for God to the Israelites.

The rest of them tended to be just military leaders in NM priests poor representatives of God in a lot of ways.

I so it's been a while since there's been someone who could really firmly, leave them back to God.

And so the fact that everybody and Israel recognized as the Samuel speaks for God is a big deal.

It's kind of a turning point in the story that that God is speaking reliably through a particular person and that person that person then should be Listen to.

If we might be following God, Where is there home?

Home is the land of Israel and but the land of Israel is going through a particular challenge right now because they has been invaded by the Philistines.

The Philistines are not regular, regular enemies in the Old Testament in the Book of Judges until the Philistines arrive everybody that attacks their kind of like nomadic Travelers.

They they come in they oppress them for a while and then move on kind of like the Magnificent Seven kind of story like they come through they pressed and they leave that kind of thing.

The Philistines are actually a group of Greeks who came down from down the Mediterranean, and landed on the beaches, and started building cities, and they are there to stay.

And they also are very technologically advanced.

They cannot be beaten on level ground because they have chariots, which are new in that region.

So, the Philistines are a significant threat to the land of Israel.

This is things have gotten serious.

Now, How can they meet with God? Now this answer hasn't changed.

But today we're going to need to be a bit more specific.

They can meet with God in the Tabernacle, which is currently in Shiloh.

Okay.

We're in the Tabernacle you meet with God because it's not just the tent, right?

When you take apart the tent and move it, God's presence moves with one item in the ark.

And, and when the time now, I gave it away to Sea Arch.

You, meet, with God.

Before they argue.

That's why the most important moment of the year for Israelites.

Is that moment when the high priest goes into the holy of holies and puts Blood on the Ark of the Covenant.

In fact, they'll call Bill refer to God as in throne above the cherubim, the cherubim art angels, that looks like sphinxes and there are two of those on top of the arc.

So the idea was that God's presents went over the ark and when they traveled with the ark, that was God's presence.

So this point where you meet God's presence if you're in his right, you want to go meet God, you go.

The Tabernacle, and it's the fact that the ark is there is, what means God's at home?

Right now.

It's important because the story they were looking at today is a story that we that we often recognized the significance of what happens here, but that's specifically how they meet with God.

Now, the question is, what are they meant to be doing technically at this point?

But was not told him to do while he's actually giving them, about 613 things to do in the law of Moses.

And, but in particular moments, you will there are certain parts of the law that are especially relevant, right?