1 Samuel 3-6 January 19, 2012

Welcome

Photo-Noise, water, and air pollution affect everyone

 What we do matters to those around us!

Cartoon- Our actions have an effect on those around us.

This cartoon illustrates fumes of cars and cigars as having second hand smoke. Foul language in a public event, littering affects others. Our bad attitudes can even rub off on others. Have you noticed at the hospital warnings that strong perfume may affect patients’ health? What about postings to silence cell phones-in the airport, at the doctor’s office, even at the drive thru? Do you care about others’ comfort?

 Our actions to others in CBS are so much more important. Some offenses mentioned to the Servant’s Team have been heavy cologne, texting during core time and lecture, cell phones’ ringing, and arriving late for class. If you have a Bible on your cell phone, do others know what you are doing?

1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,

Remember your actions at CBS affect someone else.

LESSON 16- 1 SAMUEL 3-6

            GOD REWARDS FAITHFULNESS-1 Samuel 3

            GOD JUDGEMENT ON ELI AND HIS SONS IN Fulfilled -1 Samuel 4

            GOD’S JUDGEMENT ON THE PHILISTINES AND Beth-Shemesh 1 Samuel 5-6

TEMPLE at Shiloh- Eli and Samuel would probably have slept in the temple. Samuel near the lampstand.

God Rewards Faithfulness 1 Samuel 3

·        Attentive ear-1-8

·        Obedient Will 9-12

·         Humble heart  13-21

V1 Under the direction and instruction of Eli, Samuel was capable of, such duties as opening and closing the doors, lighting the lamps, singing the praises of God, (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible) We usually think of the child Samuel at the age of 3-6 years. But now certainly was older if he tended the lamps in the temple. According to Josephus, Samuel was now about twelve years of age:

We know from Numbers 8:24,25 “the Levites: 25 year old to serve; at fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. Eli was too old and could not see and should have stepped down when his son became priests. His blindness was prophesied by the man of God in Ch.2

3 In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

The silence of God was the judgment for disobedience. There are other times when God was silent. Eli nor his sons had heard from the LORD. When the LORD cannot find an obedient adult, He sometimes calls a child. WW.

Samuel had an Attentive ear

Samuel must have been in charge of the Lamp of God. It would look like a Menorah. Numbers 3: ^31-36 Lampstand had six branches, three from one side and three from the other; put three cups on one branch, three on the next the entire Lampstand fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold.  ^37-38 "Make seven of these lamps for the Table. Arrange the lamps so they throw their light out in front. Make the candle snuffers and trays out of pure gold.  ^39-40 "Use a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand.

The lamp and light are symbolic of God’s Truth. The central candle must not go out.

⁴ Then the LORD called Samuel.  Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ Again 
⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.  ⁸ The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

   Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Obedient Will -9-12 Samuel did not understand that the voice he heard was from the LORD. But surely he must have heard the scriptures at his mother knee or read the scriptures to Eli as he grew blind. Nonetheless, he was obedient to Eli’s request; to go lie down and listen for the LORD’s voice. Samuel’s area of knowledge did not include a direct contact from the LORD. After the third time Eli must have discerned that God was speaking to Samuel. It must have confirmed to Eli that the LORD was indeed finished with Eli as a priest and was using Samuel to receive a message from God.

 ¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
   Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
 Can you imagine how Samuel must have felt for the LORD to come and stand and call his name twice. How marvelous that the LORD God of the Universe knows Samuel by name.
Ladies, God has written your name in His book of life when you accepted Christ as your LORD and Savior. He knows your name. Will you be still before the LORD (cut off you cell phones and computer and TV and radio) and wait for the LORD to call your name. How often do we have a quiet minute much less a quiet time to listen for the LORD to speak to our hearts, to speak to us through his Word, through his Holy Spirit. Sometimes even in church “and yes in CBS” we can get distracted by the person in front of us or beside us. Many times I will close my eyes when I am listening to a beautiful song or scripture being read or the pastor speaking the WORD. To enjoy an intimate relationship with the God who created you, the One who redeemed you. He must have your undivided attention.
Samuel has Humble heart 13-21
¹³ For I told (Eli) that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

It must have been difficult for Samuel to receive the stern judgment on Eli and his sons. Surely Samuel had grown to love Eli. Probably he had a hard time sleeping after he heard. Not only was Samuel attentive and obedient to the LORD’s call but he was humble of heart. He went about his regular chores dreading the time he must reveal to Eli what God had told him. This is the second time Eli has heard this warning from the LORD.

Eli did not act surprised by the words, in resignation says, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

1 Samuel 3 ¹⁹ The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.

Willful disobedience brings consequences on others besides Eli and his sons.

GOD JUDGEMENT ON ELI AND HIS SONS -1 Samuel 4

The Philistine army had been a nuisance to the Israelites the days of Samson in the book of Judges. Due to poor spiritual guidance and the disobedience of the people, the LORD was not with them. The Philistines easily killed 4,000 men. Unbelievable! “Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, carried the ark of the covenant of God.  They surely had the wrong priests to carry the ark.
All Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. The Philistines were afraid for they had heard of plight of the Egyptians. But God was not with them Israel.
 ¹⁰ The Philistines defeated Israel killing thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Two wrongs do not make a right. The ark was not a magic object to be paraded into battle. They did not consult the LORD.
How many times have we tried to second guess God and do something for Him that HE did not ask for and He did not bless? We must be very careful when we assume to speak for God. Study His Word and be silent before Him. Give Him the honor and tribute He deserves.
17 A man ran into Shiloh announced the heavy losses and told Eli “Hophni and Phineas are dead and the ark of God has been captured.”
 ¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli, 98 and blind, fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. Broke his neck died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.
 ¹⁹ His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, went into labor and gave birth to a son.
 ²¹ She named the boy Ichabod,²² She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
Willful disobedience can affect those you love.

GOD’S JUDGEMENT ON THE PHILISTINES AND Beth-Shemesh 1 Samuel 5

Philistines took the ark of God it to Ashdod set it beside Dagon( merman fish god. Early the next day, there was Dagon, his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place- Because an idol cannot move itself. How can something man has made with his hands have any power? ⁴ the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off.  ⁶ The LORD struck people of Ashdod afflicted them with tumors.    Now tell me God does not have a sense of humor.  He can control the tides, He can protect His Ark.

Map Shiloh to battle in Aphek, Philistine cities of Ashdod, Gath, Ekron and Beth Shemesh
So they sent it to Gath where God afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. ¹⁰ So they sent the ark to Ekron ¹¹ they called all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy upon it. ¹² Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors,
 Seven months the Philistines were punished with the presence of the ark; so long it was a plague to them, because they would not send it home sooner. Note: Sinners lengthen out their own miseries by obstinately refusing to part with their sins. Matthew Henry
Willful disobedience has severe consequence for everyone.

1 Samuel 6 The Ark Returned to Israel

After 7 months the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners “Tell us how we should send it back.” Send a guilt offering to Him. 5 gold tumors;  5 gold rats to the number of Philistine rulers.

These pagans believed in the power of  Israel’s God and they had more respect for God than his own people. They remembered what happened in Egypt?

They built a new cart hooked up 2 milk cows, penned up their calves. The loaded the cart with the ARK and the gold offerings and turned them loose. If the cows went back to their calves, then it was just chance they said. But those cows went straight to Beth Shemesh not turning to the left or the right.
 So joyous were the people of Beth Shemesh that The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. ¹⁵ The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock.
Proper movement of the ark     ¹⁹ But God struck down 70 of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD.
It took a tragedy for Israel to develop a new awareness of God’s power.

“Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”
God’s judgment was against the men of Beth Shemesh for their carelessness and failure to respect the symbol of the Living God. God departs from their presence. The Ark of the Covenant now goes to the hill country of Judah.

·        Just a few broken rules

·        Ark should be covered at all times Exodus 39

·        It is to be carried on poles Exodus 40

·        Only priests allowed to see it once a year Leviticus 16:2

·        Don't go near it. Stay back 1000 yards Joshua 3:4

·        Offering given by priests at Shiloh

·        Only unblemished male animals acceptable

Psalm 51
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart,
   O God, you will not despise.
God does not want our rituals and ceremony. God wants your heart. The place is not important as long as God is worshiped and obeyed. It is important to honor God every day, no matter where you are-on the job, in the car, or at home. Worship the Father in spirit and in truth and teach your children well.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT) Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed

Will you choose to show love to those around you by obeying God?