June 21, 2010
The Philistines start to wonder if all the trouble they are having is because they've stolen the Ark of God. They decided to return the Ark to the Israelites with a penalty offering. They were hoping the consequences (tumors and rats) would stop, but they were also trying to figure out whether the trouble they were having was sent by God, or if the trouble just happened by chance. So, they came up with an idea. They took two cows who had just had calves. They removed the calves from their mothers and then they attached yokes to the necks of the cows. The test was to see if the cows would pull the cart (carrying the Ark) to an Israeli town. If the cows did it, it was proof that the trouble came from God's Hand. If the cows didn't pull the cart to the town, then the trouble they were experiencing was just coincidental.
The Philistine's skewed the test for the answer they wanted. A cow will never willingly turn and walk away from her newborn calf. And, a cow who had never been yoked before would never accept a yoke on her neck without a fight. The Philistine's were confident they were going to prove that their troubles were coincidental and not the Hand of God. Yet the two cows left their calves and did not fight the yoke. They walked straight toward the Israeli city, doing everything exactly opposite of what they would naturally do. God clearly showed the Philistines that it was definitely the hand of God that was against them.
The people of Israel were glad to have the Ark back and they began to follow the LORD again. Samuel tells them if you are going to turn back to God, then you must get rid of your idols and you must give yourselves fully to God. Then he will save you. It can't be part way, you have to be fully committed.
The Philistines (even though God had proven to them that His Hand was against them), decide to attack the Israelites again. The Israelites are afraid and they go to Samuel. Samuel prays to God and this time the Philistines are defeated because God won the battle. I Samuel 7:13 - "The LORD was against the Philistines all Samuel's life." You will note that when the Philistines sent the Ark back they didn't have a change of heart. They didn't regret what they had done, they only wanted the consequences to stop. Once their consequences stopped they decided to again attack the Israelites.
The Israelites got rid of their idols and turned once again to God and the Hand of God protected them again. The Hand of God. We have prayed the prayer of Jabez, asking for the Hand of God to work in our lives, many times. And many, many times we have witnessed His Hand working. The list of "it just so happened" is only the beginning. The Hand of God blesses, protects, and provides, but there is also a flip side. The Hand of God was against the Philistines, and they bore the consequences. They were punished and ultimately defeated. In I Samuel 7:13 it says the "LORD was against" them.
Can you imagine living your life with the LORD against you? I don't remember where it is found, but there is a verse in scripture that says, "If God be for us, who can be against us"? (Update: It's found in Romans 8:31) That is where and how I want to live. The choice is ours.
God is for us—only if we are for Him.
Next Entry: I Samuel 8:1–22
The Philistines start to wonder if all the trouble they are having is because they've stolen the Ark of God. They decided to return the Ark to the Israelites with a penalty offering. They were hoping the consequences (tumors and rats) would stop, but they were also trying to figure out whether the trouble they were having was sent by God, or if the trouble just happened by chance. So, they came up with an idea. They took two cows who had just had calves. They removed the calves from their mothers and then they attached yokes to the necks of the cows. The test was to see if the cows would pull the cart (carrying the Ark) to an Israeli town. If the cows did it, it was proof that the trouble came from God's Hand. If the cows didn't pull the cart to the town, then the trouble they were experiencing was just coincidental.
The Philistine's skewed the test for the answer they wanted. A cow will never willingly turn and walk away from her newborn calf. And, a cow who had never been yoked before would never accept a yoke on her neck without a fight. The Philistine's were confident they were going to prove that their troubles were coincidental and not the Hand of God. Yet the two cows left their calves and did not fight the yoke. They walked straight toward the Israeli city, doing everything exactly opposite of what they would naturally do. God clearly showed the Philistines that it was definitely the hand of God that was against them.
The people of Israel were glad to have the Ark back and they began to follow the LORD again. Samuel tells them if you are going to turn back to God, then you must get rid of your idols and you must give yourselves fully to God. Then he will save you. It can't be part way, you have to be fully committed.
The Philistines (even though God had proven to them that His Hand was against them), decide to attack the Israelites again. The Israelites are afraid and they go to Samuel. Samuel prays to God and this time the Philistines are defeated because God won the battle. I Samuel 7:13 - "The LORD was against the Philistines all Samuel's life." You will note that when the Philistines sent the Ark back they didn't have a change of heart. They didn't regret what they had done, they only wanted the consequences to stop. Once their consequences stopped they decided to again attack the Israelites.
The Israelites got rid of their idols and turned once again to God and the Hand of God protected them again. The Hand of God. We have prayed the prayer of Jabez, asking for the Hand of God to work in our lives, many times. And many, many times we have witnessed His Hand working. The list of "it just so happened" is only the beginning. The Hand of God blesses, protects, and provides, but there is also a flip side. The Hand of God was against the Philistines, and they bore the consequences. They were punished and ultimately defeated. In I Samuel 7:13 it says the "LORD was against" them.
Can you imagine living your life with the LORD against you? I don't remember where it is found, but there is a verse in scripture that says, "If God be for us, who can be against us"? (Update: It's found in Romans 8:31) That is where and how I want to live. The choice is ours.
God is for us—only if we are for Him.
Next Entry: I Samuel 8:1–22
No comments:
Post a Comment