2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
The Lord continues to guide us along a path that reveals Him as Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. It seems curious to me that the first passage we look at today deals with a defeat by the Philistines of the Israelites, one that includes the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the enemy. Yet it points up the powerful impact that the Lord’s presence has on people’s lives. 1 SAM 4: 2, “The Philistines attacked, and after fierce fighting they defeated the Israelites and kill about four thousand men on the battlefield.” Once the survivors returned to the Jewish camp, they decided their chances would be better if they brought the Covenant Box from Shiloh. That was done by Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. 1 SAM 4: 5-7, “When the Covenant Box arrived, the Israelites gave such a loud shout of joy that the earth shook. The Philistines heard the shouting and said, ‘Listen to all that shouting in the Hebrew camp! What does it mean?’ When they found out that the Lord’s Covenant Box had arrived in the Hebrew camp, they were afraid, and said, ‘A god has come into their camp! We are lost! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before!’” That reaction lets us know that even God’s enemies have some idea of His power. Interesting enough, both the Jews and the Philistines were to come to appreciate the power of God’s presence as events unfolded.
1 SAM 4; 10-11, “The Philistines fought hard and defeated the Israelites, who went running to their homes. There was a great slaughter: thirty thousand Israelite soldiers were killed. God’s Covenant Box was captured, and Eli’s son, Hophni and Phinehas, were both killed.” Now, if the story ended here, we would be left questioning the importance of God’s presence and His power. But it didn’t. All during the time that the Philistines had the Covenant Box, big troubles came their way. 1 SAM 5: 3, “Early the next morning [after placing the Covenant Box next to the statue of their god, Dagon], the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward in front of the Covenant Box.” It was badly damaged. Later in 1 SAM 5: 6, we learn that the people of Ashdod experienced an outbreak of tumors. And so it went. It finally got to the point where they decided having it was a curse and they would return it.
In the meanwhile, Israel was learning how awful life could be without God’s presence in it. Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant. When she learned her husband had been killed, she gave birth to a boy, which she named Icabod, meaning “no glory.” 1 SAM 4: 21-22, “She named the boy Icabod explaining, ‘God’s glory has left Israel”-referring to the capture of the Covenant Box and the death of her father-in-law [Eli, who had also died] and her husband. ‘God’s glory has left Israel,’ she said, ‘because His Covenant Box has been captured.’” The return of the Covenant Box didn’t go easily. God wanted His people to really understand His sovereignty and the importance of His presence in their lives. That is the same message He gives us today.
The Lord’s goodness toward Israel and the way He has allowed His chosen people to survive all the persecution that has come her way over the years allows us to see His faithfulness. Because believing Gentiles have been “grafted in,” they too can depend on God’s faithfulness in return for their own [RO 11: 17-25]. Isaiah wrote about God’s goodness and His presence in IS 63: 8-9. “The Lord said, ‘They are My people; they will not deceive Me.’ And so He saved them from all their suffering. It was not an angel but the Lord Himself Who saved them. In His love and compassion He rescued them. He had always taken care of them in the past…” Israel and all the “ingrafted” believers are a very personal matter to God. When we rebel against His teachings, He takes it very personally-this I believe. If our “sin-slips” are ephemeral and we take responsibility for putting a stop to them, then I believe God will forgive us upon confession. However, if they take the form of a continuing life-style of sinning or are a heinous nature, that is another matter. When we are victorious over sin, no matter how small that victory is, I believe that God stands up and cheers for us. If He were not present in our lives, He wouldn’t be there to do that or to care as much as I know He does.
The Psalmist lets us know that God’s agenda has never changed. Today, it is the same as it was when he stated it all those years ago in PS 132: 8, 13-14, “Come to the Temple, Lord, with the Covenant Box, the symbol of Your power, and stay here forever,” [the Psalmist prayed]. “The Lord has chosen Zion. He wants to make it his home: ‘This is where I will live forever; this is where I want to rule,’ [God said].” God has made it clear that when His Kingdom is established, it will be in the new Jerusalem, Zion. We have been called to be citizens of that Kingdom and to eventually dwell their with Him too as joint-heirs to that Kingdom with Jesus Christ [RO 8: 17]. We must ask ourselves what changes, if any are necessary, must we make in our lives so that we can answer that call with a resounding, “yes?” How can we say, “yes,” to Jesus? Do we really feel God’s loving presence in our lives?
PRAYER: O Lord, You wanted to teach Your people just how powerful and important to them Your presence is. That is the same lesson You are trying to teach us today. In the time of Samuel, You demonstrated this by Your interactions with the Hebrews and the Philistines in the story of what happened with Your Covenant Box. You righteously demand nothing less that trust and obedience. When these are not given, then You righteously show us Your wrath. At the same time, You show us that when we do trust and obey You, our lives are abundantly blessed. You are a caring and just God. You are our Jehovah Shammah, Who wants us to be aware of Your presence in our lives. We can do this through studying the Scriptures and communicating with You through prayer. You loved us enough to see the work of the cross done, a great and painful sacrifice on Your part. We stand before You today to declare our desire to make whatever changes are necessary in our lives, so that we can prepare ourselves to say, “yes,” to Your Son. We humbly empty ourselves of human agendas and desire to make Yours our own. You are our Jehovah Shammah, and we are Your people. We reverently offer You our worship, adoration, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
Tomorrow, Jehovah Shammah leads us through more exciting stories from the Scriptures that demonstrate His remarkable presence. Because of the Holy Spirit, I never tire of returning to the Scriptures, even through some of these are stories we all have read before. What is amazing about all of this, is that every time we return to a passage we’ve seen before, the Lord has a new lesson to teach us from it. This is how our loving Abba feeds us spiritually and helps us to become mature believers. There is so much love in that. It just can’t be missed. If you are not feeling that love, turn to Jehovah Shammah in prayer. Pastor Bruce Wilkinson writes about a large warehouse in heaven filled with boxes of blessings. These are the ones we didn’t ask for in prayer, ones God is eager to shower upon us. Never be afraid to God to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to bless you abundantly. If you do, He will! Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn