Scripture

The Lord killed 70 men from Beth-Shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord. And the people mourned greatly because of what the Lord had done.

Observation

The Ark of the Lord has become a problem for the Philistines because of a plague that has broken out. Their priests suggest that they send the Ark back to Israel with a guilt offering in the form of 5 gold tumours and 5 gold rats. They are to put the Ark and the offerings on a cart and hitch it to two cows. If the cows take the cart to Israel, they will know it was the Lord who sent the plague.

They do all this, and the cows head straight to Beth-Shemesh. The people of Beth-Shemesh are overjoyed to see the Ark. Some of the men try to open it to look inside, but the Lord strikes them down.

Application

God is a holy God, and we violate His ways at our peril.

The law of Moses laid down strict rules about how the Ark of the Covenant was to be handled. It was not an item of curiosity. It was the throne for the presence of the Lord, the sign of His might and power. To even touch the Ark could lead to death.

In the New Testament, Paul warned the Corinthians that if they take Communion in an unworthy manner, then they also might die.

We should always enter worship and even our personal devotions with a strong sense that we are standing on holy ground and engaging in serious business with the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for the times I have come to you in pride or rebellion. Please open my eyes to see the reality of your presence. Amen.

Scripture

But the next morning the same thing happened. Dagon had fallen down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.

Observation

The Philistines take the Ark of the Covenant to Ashdod, where they deposit it in the Temple of Dagon. The next morning Dagon is found to be lying face down in front of the Ark of the Lord.

They set the idle upright, but the next morning Dagon has again toppled, his head and hands broken off. Tumours breaks out in Ashdod.

They move the Ark to Gath, but again a plague of tumours breaks out. The Philistines decide that the only solution is to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel.

Application

False worldviews get you into trouble every time. A wrong mindset leads us to make wrong interpretations, and therefore to make wrong decisions.

The Philistines were shown very clearly that the Lord was greater than Dagon. Twice the idol fell before the Ark, as if worshipping the presence of the Lord. It was stripped of its head and hands, showing that it was powerless before the Lord.

The Philistines failed to see that they should worship the one true God. No, they preferred to protect their weak god by removing the true God from their presence.

We need to see everything in the context of a biblical worldview, so that we can truly understand the ways of the Lord.

Prayer

Father, please teach me your ways. Remove the blinders from my eyes so that I can see you as you really are. Amen

Scripture

When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!

Observation

Israel is at war with the Philistines. The two armies meet near Ebenezer. The Philistines kill 4000 men. The Israelite army decides to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh, believing it will save them from the enemy.

The Ark arrives, and with it, Hophini and Phineas, Eli’s sons. The shouts of joy as so loud that the ground shakes.

The discovery that the Ark is in the Israelite camp provoke the Philistines to fight even harder. This time they kill 30,000 man and capture the Ark. Eli’s sons also die in the battle.

When Eli hears the news that the Ark has been captured, he falls from his chair and breaks his neck.

Application

The Ark of the Covenant was a powerful symbol because God was enthroned between the cherubim on top of it.

It seems that the Israelite army put their trust in the Ark rather than in the Lord himself. This is a constant danger. We have the capacity to make idols out of almost anything. The worldly traps are obvious – gold, glory, and guys or girls.

But we can make idols at of religious symbols also

* the Bible that makes us feel safe

* the only true translation of the Bible

* the church that thinks adopting a Hillsong style will save them

* the pews that may never be moved

When we put our trust in anything other than God, we are worshipping idols. That is very dangerous Territory indeed.

Prayer

Father, please help me to see the idols that stop me from worshipping you. Grant me a heart for pure worship. Amen.

Scripture

the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly, the lord called out “Samuel!”

Observation

Samuel continues to serve the Lord by assisting Eli at the Tabernacle. Words from the Lord and visions were uncommon at that time.

Samuel is asleep in the Tabernacle when he hears a voice calling his name. Thinking it is Eli, he runs off to him. But Eli says it was not he who called. This happens three times, and by then Eli realises it is the Lord. He tells Samuel to say, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

The Lord then speaks to Samuel and tells him that judgement will come on Eli and his sons, and nothing will deter the lord in this.

The next morning, Eli ask Samuel what the Lord had said to him. Samuel tells him, and Eli accepts this word from the Lord.

As Samuel grows up, he is recognised all through the land as a prophet of the Lord.

Application

Samuel was positioned to hear the word of the Lord. He slept in the Tabernacle, near the Ark of God. He was near the epicentre of God’s presence on the earth.

To hear the voice of the Lord, I need to position myself to receive from Him. I need to take time to be quiet and hear God’s voice. I need to learn to tune my spirit into the frequencies of the Holy Spirit. I need to learn to live free from sin.

God does not need me to follow a protocol or a process for hearing His voice in order to speak. But I need to quieten my heart in order to listen.

Samuel needed to learn to tune in to the Spirit of the Lord. At first he could not distinguish between God and man. Over time, he became famous as a prophet in Israel.

How much more should we expect to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you are continually speaking your word to us. Please help me to listen constantly for your still small voice. Amen.

Scripture

“Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed Kings forever.”

Observation

The sons of Eli had no respect for the Lord or for their role as priests. They would demand a portion of the meat of the sacrifice that was reserved for the family of the people making the sacrifice. They also slept with the young women who assisted at the Tabernacle.

Samuel, on the other hand, served the Lord faithfully. Each year, his mother would bring him aa new robe. Eli would pray for them and bless them to have children to replace Samuel. Hannah had three sons and two daughters.

Eli rebuked his sons for their behaviour, but to no avail. A man of God comes and prophesies that the two sons will die on the same day, and that the Lord will raise up a faithful priest who will serve Him and do His will.

Application

At this time, the priesthood under Eli and his sons was corrupt. But God was looking to replace the corrupt priests with a faithful priest who will serve the Lord.

This is a reference to Samuel. He wasn’t exactly a priest, but as the story develops, we see that he really is faithful to God even when all others around him are not. Since, He is also the faithful prophet who hold kings and rulers accountable to the Lord .

It is also a reference looking forward to Jesus who is the eternal high priest of God who is forever faithful to the Lord. We are His priests, a royal priesthood, that stands in the presence of the Lord forever.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for replacing the old system of sacrifices by being the perfect and eternal sacrifice for us. My sins are taken away and my guilt is extinguished. Amen.

Scripture

He will protect his faithful ones

The wicked will disappear in darkness.

No one will succeed by strength alone.

Observation

After bringing Samuel to the Tabernacle to serve the Lord, Hannah prays.

Hannah expresses joy that she ihas been vindicated before her enemies. The Lord [pulls down the arrogant and raises the humble.

The Lord is overturning all the accepted structures. The hungry are well-fed and those who are well-fed are now starving. The woman who had no children now has seven, but those with many children will waste away.

It is the Lord who gives and takes away. He will protect His faithful ones. Those who resist the Lord will be shattered.

Application

The world tells us that we must all look after our own interests first. But God promises to protect those who are faithful to Him.

With God in control, the strong and the wicked will not always get their own way. He pulls down down the proud and the arrogant to remind us that He is the Lord.

Nobody succeeds by strength alone. It is all the grace of God.

We should not be afraid or anxious about what might happen. God is in control. We should just trust Him.

The gates of hell will not prevail against the Kingdom of God. Those gates are strong, but God’s Kingdom is stronger. The powerful elites and embedded interests seem impregnable, but God is greater.

Prayer

Hallelujah! You O Lord are greater than all the powers and schemes of men. Please help me to trust you now and always. Amen.

Scripture

“O Lord of heaven’s armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

Observation

A man named Elkanah has two wives, one of whom, Hannah, has no children. One time, when they are at Shiloh for the annual sacrifice, Hannah goes to the Tabernacle. She is so fervent in her prayer for a son that Eli the priest thinks she is drunk.

In due course, Hannah becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, and she names him Samuel. When the boy is weaned, Hannah takes him to the tabernacle to serve the Lord.

Application

Hannah’s prayer may seem strange to some. She is desperate for a child, but she promises to give him back to the Lord if he answers her prayer. Really Hannah is recognising that she has no right to hold on to something that comes to her as a gift from the Lord.

The followers of Jesus are required to lay down their lives, take up their cross, and live only for the Lord. Everything has to be sacrificed to Him.

What God gives back then comes to us as a double grace. He is not bound to give us anything, but still He gives us more than we could ask for.

When we yield to God the desires of our heart, then He blesses us abundantly.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the paradox of grace. When I give you the things that I most desperately want, you return to me a much greater blessing. Amen.