1 Sam 4 More.... more
The is a very interesting chapter. The dynamics of the encounter with the Philistines is important because of what it shows us.
Israel have degenerated to the point where Priests were having relations with women at the door of the shrine. This is a far cry from the fantasy picture we usually hold. God has already passed judgment and sentence on the line of Eli. Samuel is established as Judge and Prophet.
Note, Israel goes out to battle the Philistines. Israel gets whipped.
Israel gets the idea of using the Ark to defeat the Philistines. NOTE - the Irsaelites cheer and whoop so much when the Ark arrives that the Philistines are terrified.
1Sa 4:6-10
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” ESV
OK, the Ark is on the scene and Israel is really charged up. The Pilistines suspect, "A god has come into the camp."
Isn't it curious that even before Israel came into the land their God was known and feared but now it seems He is not. Note that the Philistines also say, "These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness,"
Here's the deal. Much is made of the "oral" tradition - stories passed down over the generations. But the little picture we have here of the Exodu is - well, wrong -very wrong. First the plagues didn't happen in the wilderness. Well, stories do get distorted over time and maybe the Philistines have it wrong but the Israelites have it right. That's not the killer. Did you catch it?
"These are the gods who struck the Egyptians. . . " This is important - veri important. The Philistines are under the impression that Israel has many gods. Not only that but they think Israel has always had many gods - at least during and since the Exodus. Ouch!
Wow - some witness huh? I'm willing to say that at this point in Israel's history she was indeed polytheistic. She acknowledged, worshipped and served several gods and was known, even by her enemies for it. What a far cry from what we see in Joshua 2:10 ff where Rahab makes it plain that the God of Israel and His might are known far and wide.
Though terrified, the Philistines whip Israel again and take the Ark captive. A bad day for Israel and ultimately not so good a day for the Philistines.
ICHABOD - the glory has departed Israel. But why? Because as we see in 4:21 Eli and Phinehas were dead and the Ark captured? Certainly these events are a result of the glory departing - God's glory that is. But, had not the "glory" departed long before? Had not Israel cut herself off from the glory of God by being unfaithful to Him?
Now here's JUST a thought. God's "glory" is everywhere. It can not be diminished but it can be ignored, reviled and abused. Is it that God's glory had departed or that Israel had departed. If God is ALWAY faithful then only we can be unfaithful.
Makes me think of what an Englishman once said about Americans and tea. He said that Americans didn't really like tea because: they boil water and make hot tea, then they add ice to make it cold, then they add sugar to make is sweet and lemon to make it sour. What you end up with is a cold drink to which tea is totally unnecessary.
This is kind of what Israel had done with God. They had taken His covenant and twisted it into something to which God was not necessary.
Here's just some of their erroneous thinking:
- We can violate the covenant without consequences.
- We can worship other gods just a little.
- We can still count on God cause He has to faithful to "us."
- Covenant curses, we don't need no stinking covenant curses.
- We still have the magic box of God that will either give us super powers or make our enemies weak.
- We are the people of God NA NANA Nananna ............
Oops ----- AND A BIG 'UN TOO!!!!!!!!
Go back to Deut 30 (or start with Chapt 27.vs 12&13....). The covenant with "Israel" is not real complicated. Obey and have blessings or disobey and suffer curses. God does not have any place to go here. He offers blessings and curses simultaniously and Israel gets to pick. Blessings under the "obeying" tent and curses under the "disobeying tent." Hmmmm guess which tent they pick most of the time!
Of course - for all you long lineaged gentile - don't get snooty - you'd have done NO different.
The is a very interesting chapter. The dynamics of the encounter with the Philistines is important because of what it shows us.
Israel have degenerated to the point where Priests were having relations with women at the door of the shrine. This is a far cry from the fantasy picture we usually hold. God has already passed judgment and sentence on the line of Eli. Samuel is established as Judge and Prophet.
Note, Israel goes out to battle the Philistines. Israel gets whipped.
Israel gets the idea of using the Ark to defeat the Philistines. NOTE - the Irsaelites cheer and whoop so much when the Ark arrives that the Philistines are terrified.
1Sa 4:6-10
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” ESV
OK, the Ark is on the scene and Israel is really charged up. The Pilistines suspect, "A god has come into the camp."
Isn't it curious that even before Israel came into the land their God was known and feared but now it seems He is not. Note that the Philistines also say, "These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness,"
Here's the deal. Much is made of the "oral" tradition - stories passed down over the generations. But the little picture we have here of the Exodu is - well, wrong -very wrong. First the plagues didn't happen in the wilderness. Well, stories do get distorted over time and maybe the Philistines have it wrong but the Israelites have it right. That's not the killer. Did you catch it?
"These are the gods who struck the Egyptians. . . " This is important - veri important. The Philistines are under the impression that Israel has many gods. Not only that but they think Israel has always had many gods - at least during and since the Exodus. Ouch!
Wow - some witness huh? I'm willing to say that at this point in Israel's history she was indeed polytheistic. She acknowledged, worshipped and served several gods and was known, even by her enemies for it. What a far cry from what we see in Joshua 2:10 ff where Rahab makes it plain that the God of Israel and His might are known far and wide.
Though terrified, the Philistines whip Israel again and take the Ark captive. A bad day for Israel and ultimately not so good a day for the Philistines.
ICHABOD - the glory has departed Israel. But why? Because as we see in 4:21 Eli and Phinehas were dead and the Ark captured? Certainly these events are a result of the glory departing - God's glory that is. But, had not the "glory" departed long before? Had not Israel cut herself off from the glory of God by being unfaithful to Him?
Now here's JUST a thought. God's "glory" is everywhere. It can not be diminished but it can be ignored, reviled and abused. Is it that God's glory had departed or that Israel had departed. If God is ALWAY faithful then only we can be unfaithful.
Makes me think of what an Englishman once said about Americans and tea. He said that Americans didn't really like tea because: they boil water and make hot tea, then they add ice to make it cold, then they add sugar to make is sweet and lemon to make it sour. What you end up with is a cold drink to which tea is totally unnecessary.
This is kind of what Israel had done with God. They had taken His covenant and twisted it into something to which God was not necessary.
Here's just some of their erroneous thinking:
- We can violate the covenant without consequences.
- We can worship other gods just a little.
- We can still count on God cause He has to faithful to "us."
- Covenant curses, we don't need no stinking covenant curses.
- We still have the magic box of God that will either give us super powers or make our enemies weak.
- We are the people of God NA NANA Nananna ............
Oops ----- AND A BIG 'UN TOO!!!!!!!!
Go back to Deut 30 (or start with Chapt 27.vs 12&13....). The covenant with "Israel" is not real complicated. Obey and have blessings or disobey and suffer curses. God does not have any place to go here. He offers blessings and curses simultaniously and Israel gets to pick. Blessings under the "obeying" tent and curses under the "disobeying tent." Hmmmm guess which tent they pick most of the time!
Of course - for all you long lineaged gentile - don't get snooty - you'd have done NO different.
No comments:
Post a Comment