King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, April 09, 2020
Chapters: I Samuel 4-7
Message: Worship God In Spirit And Truth
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today I kept thinking how ignorant people are to God, not just the world, but believers of Him as well. Do you think that these nations that worship false gods are not aware of the Almighty God? Even American Indians call Christianity the white mans religion. Every nation has some god they follow, I said it before, America is such a melting pot of nations that there are thousands of false gods here. And religion makes it worse by making up their own god and saying that it is God. So, why does God allow all this? Freewill. We have a choice. Why? Forcing people brings rebellion, inviting people brings obedience. Just believing in God is not going to save you, believing in some religion that believes in God is not going to save you. Only believing in Jesus Christ is going to save you! “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – Acts 4:10,12.
We must know God personally in order to be saved. Just as we read yesterday that Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, did not know God, even though they were priests, the same is true today for all who make God into who they want Him to be. God had already told Eli that both his sons would die because of their wicked ways, He also told this to Samuel, when he was twelve years old. Now, some time has passed, a war broke out between Israel and the Philistines, Israel was losing terribly, and four thousand men had already died.
“And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.” – I Samuel 4:1-4.
“it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” Fools! They spent so much time worshiping idols that they thought that the ark was God. God is not in an object, He is not in a building. God is a Spirit, and in order to worship Him, we must worship Him in spirit and truth. “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:22-24.
So, here come Hophni and Phinehas with the ark, and it caused quite a stir for both Israel and the Philistines. “And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.” – I Samuel 4:5-11.
“for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.” The Philistines did not even worship God, but they knew He was God, and feared Him greatly. Since Israel was so foolish to think that the ark was God, they lost even more men, and the Philistines were able to walk away with the ark.
“When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.” – I Samuel 5:2-4,7,9,11.
“When the Philistines took the ark of God,” So, why did God allow the Philistines to take the ark when only a Levite was able to touch it and live to tell about it? God was going to prove to both the Philistines and Israel that He is the only God. “Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD.” I love this, and everytime I read it I laugh because they thought the same as Micah when he had his own idol and thought he could worship God too, that they would be blessed even more. God will have no other gods before Him! And will not share His time with another god. Instead of accepting God, they tried to get rid of Him by sending the ark to another town, but every where the ark went, people died. So, they came up with a plan to get it back to Israel.
“Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.” – I Samuel 6:7-9.
“it was a chance that happened to us.” Is that not like the people who refuse to accept and worship God as He commands? They really do not want to believe that God would afflict them for their false worship of Him or not accepting Him. We must understand that God gives everyone a choice, no one is forced to accept Him, but if we choose Him, He expects us to take it as serious as He did when He gave His life on the cross. Yes, God is Jesus Christ in the flesh, who gave His life to save those who believe and accept this truth, (John 10:25-37). Well, the Philistines did send the ark back, and it did by the way to Bethshemesh, and Israel got a shock as well.
“And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh. And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?” – I Samuel 6:12-13,19-20.
“Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?” No one is able to stand before God and live, unless they are washed clean from their sin. God does not know anyone until we confess that we believe in and accept Him as He is, and that His Son died a perfect death to save them from their sin, (Romans 10:9-13). They finally went to Samuel and he told they what they needed to do to be saved. “And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.” – I Samuel 7:1-5.
“If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts,” God’s Word is not just some ordinary book written about a bunch of men and women who believe in God, they are His Words, His truths, and His thoughts. Do you want God in your life? Do you want his blessings? Do you want to be saved from death and hell? Then you need to worship Him as He is, through Jesus Christ, and believe every word is true. If you read King James, there are not missing words, they are no missing books, nothing has been added or taken from what God wants us to know. It was given to us for edification and consolation, so that we can worship Him in spirit and truth, (Ephesians 4:11-13).
“and I will pray for you unto the LORD.” Our pastors, teachers, worship leaders, and the ones who led us to the LORD pray for us, they want to see the blessings of God upon our lives. However, it takes an effort on our part as well, if we want all the blessings of God, His safety and protection from the enemy, we must come to Him with all our heart, and worship Him as He is, not who we think He is. Stop looking for ways to justify sin, return to God with all your heart, remove the false gods, and pray for your fellow brothers and sisters, (Ephesians 4:20-21,26-29). “that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” The lost, both those worshiping false gods and false religion need to hear the truth because without it they will die and end up in hell. We who know the truth are to tell the truth, not only in word, but deed. We are to be there to lead the lost to Christ, to help them learn and obey the truth. And to also be there and pray for the fallen. Samuel did just that and so did the people.
“And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.” – I Samuel 7:9-12,13-14.
“and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel;” Samuel prayed for Israel just as Moses did when they failed to worship God in spirit and truth. Let me tell you, Jesus prays too, but He does not pray for the lost, He prays for His believers. The ones who worship Him in spirit and in truth. The ones who accept that He is the only begotten Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. The ones who believe He is God in the flesh, who died a sinless death to save them from the price for sin, which is death and hell. The ones who believe that He alone saves them and nothing we do ourselves. And He prays for those who chose Him by confessing that they are sinners, who need Him to save them. “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” – John 17:9-15.
Today’s Prayer: God, You make it simple, You do not force people to worship You, You invite them to come to You in spirit and truth, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We do not need to go to church, say massive prayers, give tons of money, or follow every command in order to be saved from death and hell. We only need to admit we have sinned, believe in the Gospel of Your Son, and confess that He alone can save us, and nothing of own works. Thank You for making it simple, for loving us, and not giving up on us, and for the great sacrifice You made. Lord, Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your mercies, grace, wisdom, guidance, and teach me how to love all like Jesus. I love You, and need You, and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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