Explore the Bible Lesson Preview June 19, 2016 Worthy! Background: 1 Samuel 4:1-7:17 Lesson: 1 Samuel 5:1-6; 6:11-16

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview June 19, 2016 Worthy! Background: 1 Samuel 4:1-7:17 Lesson: 1 Samuel 5:1-6; 6:11-16 Motivation: Renewal must begin with a realization of sin and one s need for God (Ps. 51:3-4). In Israel s history, this often began with a military defeat. Following this realization of need, true repentance is often accompanied by a genuine sacrifice of worship (Ps. 51:7-10). The realization that God is one s top priority must be the ultimate result. (Matt. 6:33) Examination: I. Devastating Losses (4:1-22) A. The Enemy Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle (1) Explore the Bible Commentary, (Spring 2001) p. 40: The Philistines were not unlike the Vikings in Northern Europe. They were one of several seafaring peoples in the Aegean area. In their early history they were fond of raiding cities along the coasts of Egypt and Canaan. They also would sail up rivers to more inland areas. Ancient records in Egypt mention their raids. Eventually they settled in the southwestern coastal plain of Canaan. Their leaders either built or ruled the five major cities of the area: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath. Gath may have been the principal city of the group. It was more inland than the others were, and it stood both as the first line of defense and as the launching point for military campaigns. Because of the Philistine dominance in the region, that area became known as the land of the Philistines or Philistia (Ps. 60:8, 83; 87:4; 108:9). The name Palestine is derived from Philistine. While that name is not in the Bible, it traditionally is used in biblical studies to describe the Promised Land. Since the Israelites and the Philistines both were competing for land and resources in Canaan, they often were in conflict. 1 / 11

2 B. The Engagement Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about 4,000 men on the battlefield. (2) This particular defeat didn t result in revival but rather in a resolve to solve the problem on their own, an ill-fated choice. C. The Emblem Let s bring the ark of the Lord s covenant from Shiloh (3) HCSB: p. 450: 4:3 Why did the Lord let us be defeated? Is literally Why did the Lord strike us? The people associated the ark of the Lord s covenant (Ex 25:10-22) with God s presence, and they assumed taking the ark into battle would guarantee victory over their enemies. This is the equivalent of trying to manipulate God though a magical talisman. D. The End: In one of Israel s most devastating defeats, 30,000 soldiers were killed (10), the ark was captured and both of Eli s sons were killed (11), (fulfilling a prophecy of 2:34); upon hearing the news, Eli fell and died (18). Eli s grandson was named Ichabod because The glory has departed from Israel (21, 22) (Ezek. 8:10, 43:1-5) II. The Holy God After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, 2 brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue. 3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord 2 / 11

3 . This time, both Dagon s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon s torso remained. 5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon s threshold. (5:1-5) A. Capture: Since the Israelites treated the Ark as a magic artifact, the Philistines received it as a trophy of war. The implication of placing the Ark in the temple of Dagon is that the Philistines meant to show the superiority of their god to the Israelites God. B. Consternation: The theory of superiority began to fall apart almost immediately as on two consecutive mornings, the Philistines found their god bowing down to Israel s God. The destruction of the idol s head and palms represent his powerlessness before Yahweh. C. Consequence: Unfortunately, the unwillingness of the Israelites to trust God had many tragic results, one of which was the Philistines treatment of the Ark as an idol. So, rather than acknowledging the power of the one true God, the idolaters simply added another superstition to their idolatry. III. Judgment Experienced The Lord s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, terrorizing and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors. (6) Further demonstrating His power, Yahweh delivered judgment on the idol worshippers reminiscent of the plagues of Egypt. HCSB: p. 451 : 5:6 The Lord now oppressed the people of Ashdod, plaguing them as He had plagued the Egyptians (4:8). Tumors (Dt. 28:27) probably describe symptoms of bubonic plague, a disease spread by rodents (1 Sm 6:4). Others believe the term describes boils or hemorrhoids. A common misconception is that judgments such as these are simply natural events that are interpreted in a supernatural way. (6:9) However, note the attributes of a miracle: 3 / 11

4 A. Timing: The tumors occurred when the Ark was present. B. Location: As the Ark was moved, the tumors followed (5:8-11) C. Impact: Evidently the plague was not isolated to a few but widespread in each locality. D. Attribution: Just as Pharaoh recognized the hand of God, the people of Ashdod (6), Gath (8), and Ekron (10) recognized the judgment of God and the outcry of the city went up to heaven. (5:12) IV. Offering Prepared (6:1-10) A. Dilemma What shall we do with the ark of God? (1) The Philistines were aware of some power working in their midst, but were not 100% sure that it belonged to the God of Israel (9). The priests and the diviners (2) proposed a plan to both send the ark away as well as appease the God causing their troubles. HCSB: p.451: 6:2 Priests and diviners represented the Philistines religious authorities. Diviners were prohibited by the Law of Moses (Dt 18:10, 14) because they attempted to discern the will of the divine apart from the methods God had prescribed. B. Donation They asked, What restitution offering should we send back to Him? And they answered, Five gold tumors and five gold mice corresponding to the number of Philistine rulers, since there was one plague for both you and your rulers. 5 Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel s God, and perhaps He will stop oppressing you, 4 / 11

5 your gods, and your land. 6 Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, didn t they send Israel away, and Israel left? (6:4-6) HCSB: p. 452 : 6:4 The five gold tumors and five gold mice do not correspond to the items the Law of Moses required for guilt offerings (Lv 5:14-6:7). However, fashioning an offering in the shape of the thing from which people wanted to be delivered is well attested in the ancient world (Nm 21:6-9). V. Instructions Followed Then they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the box containing the gold mice and the images of their tumors. 12 The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh. They stayed on that one highway, lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh. (6:11-12) HCSB: p. 452 : 6:7-8 The Philistines put forth this one final test with a cart and two cows to make sure the plagues had come from the Lord s hand. Nonetheless, they were certain they needed to send the ark of the Lord away. Untrained cows would not normally know how to work together to pull a cart on the road, and they would not normally leave their calves behind, so when that s what happened, they know it was from God. 6:9 Beth-shemesh 5 / 11

6 lay in the Sorek Valley a short distance from Timnah, which was controlled by the Philistines (Jug 14:1). 6:12 The text emphasizes how the cows path left no room for doubt about God s guidance. The Philistine rulers followed the cart to the territory of Beth-shemesh, which probably marked the beginning of Israelite-controlled land. VI. Worship Offered The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed to see it. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people of the city chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 The Levites removed the ark of the Lord, along with the box containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 16 When the five Philistine rulers observed this, they returned to Ekron that same day. (6:13-16) The test of the divine origin of the ark by the Philistines convinced them. When the cows pulled together, away from their calves, and went straight to the nearest Israelite city, the Philistines were forced to acknowledge the power of God. VII. Accountability Demanded 6 / 11

7 God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord. (19) On the surface, the punishment didn t seem to fit the crime. However, specific instructions were given for the covering and handling of the ark (Nu. 4:17-20). Similar incidents of punishment are recorded in Leviticus 10:1-7 and 2 Samuel 6:6-7. One may ask why the Philistines were not similarly punished? Simply because they didn t know any better; God s people fall under a stricter standard of judgment than the lost world (I Pet. 4:17). The KJV and NASV record the number killed as 50,070 (19). Holman Christian, NIV and Septuagint record 70. The discrepancy comes from a supposed copyist error (one of the few places of dispute in the entire Bible. VIII.Spiritual Renewal (7:1-17) A. Rejection Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord. (2) The presence of God had been put on a shelf. In all, it was in Kirjath Jearim about 100 years until David retrieved it. (2 Sam. 5:5, 6:2). B. Rebellion Samuel told them, If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the Lord, and worship only Him. Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines. (3) Jesus said No man can serve two masters... (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13) (Matt. 12:30; II Cor. 6:4) Samuel made it clear that their failure to worship the one true God had resulted in their worship of other gods. Neutrality is not possible in the spiritual realm. Explore the Bible Commentary, ( Spring, 2001) p : Samuel challenged the people to return to the Lord with all their hearts. To do that meant ridding themselves of the Baals and Ashtoreths they were worshiping. In the religious beliefs of the land in which Israel was settled, Baal was the more significant god of the Canaanite pantheon of deities, the son of El. Baal manifested himself in thunderstorms and provided fertility of the land. Ashtoreth, the wife of Baal, was the goddess of fertility and love. The names often appear in the form of plurals ( Baalim and Ashtaroth 7 / 11

8 7:4 KJV; for clarity, the NIV uses Baals and Ashtoreths ). Baal at times was used as a general name for any manifestation of the god at a place or in a needed function (for example, Baal of Peor, Num. 25:3). Small handheld images of Baal and Ashtoreth were carried by Canaanites. Prayers were offered to these idols, asking for a good harvest, for conception of children, for success in battle, and for other life needs. Not only the Canaanites but also the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and sadly often even the Israelites worshiped these gods. Samuel knew that if the Israelites were ready to experience a spiritual renewal, they would have to put aside these false and empty gods. (Isa. 44:6-20, 46:9-10) C. Repentance We have sinned against the Lord (6) D. Rejection of idols So the Israelites removed the Baals and Ashtoreths... (4) E. Renewal of commitment and only worshipped the Lord. (4) F. Restoration of priority they drew water and poured it out in the Lord s presence. (6) (John 7:37-39) Water was a precious commodity; their sacrifice of something dear to them seemed to be a spontaneous act of worship and not driven by obligation to the Law. (Gen. 35:14; Ex. 29:40; Lev. 23:37) Paul stated yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all (Phil 2:17 cf. Rom. 12:1-2) G. Reaction When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. (7) If the enemy can t rob you of a victory, he ll try to rob you of the joy. Spiritual repentance does not remove the attacks of Satan. In fact, we should expect his counter attack of discouragement anytime we have a significant spiritual advance. H. Results So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel s territory again. The Lord s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel s life. ( 8 / 11

9 13) To their credit, the Israelites didn t return to their idols at the first sign of opposition. 1. they were afraid (7) A spiritual commitment doesn t put us beyond natural emotions. Heroes still have fear; they refuse to let fear control them. 2. Don t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us (8) The Israelites knew that the battle belongs to the Lord. (I Sam. 17:47; 2 Chron. 20:15; Phil. 4:13) 3. Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel. (10) Just as God had plagued the Egyptians with representations of their own gods, He now confused the Philistines by using thunder, thought to be in the dominion of Baal (I Kings 18:24). 4. Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, The Lord has helped us to this point. (12) Here s the reference for Here I raise mine Ebenezer... (Hymn: Come Thou Fount ) Believer s Study Bible, p. 387: 7:12 Ebenezer was a stone monument or testimony to the intervention of God in the life of Israel. As such, it stood for God s grace in behalf of helpless man. IX. Summary of Samuel s Ministry (7:15-17) Samuel is the undisputed leader of Israel judging the people in four sanctuaries all located north of Jerusalem. He was an impartial circuit-rider, settling disputes as well as providing spiritual direction. Application: 9 / 11

10 1. Renewal begins as a realization of need. 2. Renewal continues with repentance of sin. 3. Renewal is completed by a restoration of God as priority in one s life. Leader Pack: Item 7: Movement/Locations of the Ark No Illustrator Article Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: g ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: /13 7/17 Pastor Gregg s Sabbatical; 6/12-15 Camp Intersect; 6/18-25 HUB Intl. Mission Trip; 6/19 SPF Father s Day Lunch; 6/25 Men: Serve; 6/27-30 Loop only family night on 6/29; 7/10 HUB Ultimate WF; 7/10-14 Houston 1:8/Houston Project thru 15 th ; 7/18 RUSHWEEK Rally; 7/ / 11

11 RUSHWEEK 2016; 7/24 Lord s Supper; 7/24 SPF Birthday Bash; 7/29 Family Mission Trip (Loop Only); 7/31 School Supply Collection. 11 / 11