What Speaks to You!
SCRIPTURE: So the men of Kirlath Jearim Came and took up the ark of the Lord. They took it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.
It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord. And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the ashtoreths and conmit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Phillistines. Sot the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
Then Samuel said, Assemble all Istrael at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you. When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. When the Phillistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Phillistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue uss from the hand of the Phillistines. Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord, He cried out to the Lord on Israel's behalf and the Lord answered him.
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Phillistines drew near to engage Isreal in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Phillistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Isrelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer saying "This far has the Lord Helped us" So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Phillistines.
OBSERVATION: How confusing this must have been to have an object such as the ark of the Lord and people who worshiped idols and false gods. If one was not instructed correctly, they would believe that they are communicating to the Lord through the ark, thus worshiping became based on worshiping something physical. For example to we worship the cross? No of course not, our relationship is with Christ.
APPLICATION: Keep the real thing the real thing. If I am distracted and not able to spend time with the Lord, maybe I need to look at eliminating whatever is taking that time. It has become a false idol and something more important that God.
PRAYER: Lord, forgive me, I have not spent enough time worshipping you and studying your word. Be with me and give me the streanght to push aside the false idols that consume my time.
YES: I will commit more time in worship and study for the Lord.
It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord. And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the ashtoreths and conmit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Phillistines. Sot the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
Then Samuel said, Assemble all Istrael at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you. When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. When the Phillistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Phillistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue uss from the hand of the Phillistines. Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord, He cried out to the Lord on Israel's behalf and the Lord answered him.
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Phillistines drew near to engage Isreal in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Phillistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Isrelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer saying "This far has the Lord Helped us" So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Phillistines.
OBSERVATION: How confusing this must have been to have an object such as the ark of the Lord and people who worshiped idols and false gods. If one was not instructed correctly, they would believe that they are communicating to the Lord through the ark, thus worshiping became based on worshiping something physical. For example to we worship the cross? No of course not, our relationship is with Christ.
APPLICATION: Keep the real thing the real thing. If I am distracted and not able to spend time with the Lord, maybe I need to look at eliminating whatever is taking that time. It has become a false idol and something more important that God.
PRAYER: Lord, forgive me, I have not spent enough time worshipping you and studying your word. Be with me and give me the streanght to push aside the false idols that consume my time.
YES: I will commit more time in worship and study for the Lord.
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