Calvary Church is
dedicated to doctrine, and we want you to experience
the life change that comes from knowing God's word
and applying it to your life. So we explain the
Bible verse by verse-- every chapter, every book. This is Expound. Good evening. Like the guy in the
video indicated, we are in the book of 1 Samuel. So let's turn in our Bibles
to the Old Testament, the book of 1 Samuel,
a portion of what was the scripture in the day
of Jesus, in the day of Paul. That's what they were referring
to when they were referring to the writings, or the law, or
the prophets-- the scriptures. We're studying what
was their Bible, some of these great stories that,
unfortunately, many Christians are not familiar with. You are the exception. You're the blessed exception. You are my tribe. I love the fact that you
love going through the Bible together. And there's such a great benefit
in going through the scriptures together as a congregation,
verse by verse, being on the same page. I trust that you have read in
advance some of these chapters, so that you're
familiar with them. And we are in 1
Samuel, chapter 2. We want to finish that out. The Chinese had a proverb
that said one generation plants the trees. The next generation
receives the shade. They get the benefit. It was Hannah and Elkanah
that planted the trees. It was the next generation,
through the Prophet Samuel, that received the benefit
of their planting. Now the story
begins with a woman who is unable to bear children. She's preoccupied with the fact
that she cannot have children. So she prays fervently that
the Lord would give her not just a child. But she's very specific. She wants a boy, a boy that
she can give back to God for the purposes of God. And she said Lord, if
you answer my prayer and give me a male
child, a boy, I'm going to giving back to you. I'm going to lend him to you
all the days of his life. He's going to serve you. So that was exactly in
line with what God wanted. He wanted to raise up a leader
during this very volatile time in Jewish history, the
period of the judges, as we mentioned last week. They went from a
theocracy, into anarchy. And now they're about to
enter into a monarchy. In this little
shoulder period, God raises up a prophet
to prepare the country for that, the land for that. And that is the prophet Samuel. The leadership in
Israel at this time was a man by the name of Eli. He is the priest in the
Tabernacle, the central place of worship in Shiloh. Eli is a good guy. He's a godly man. The only problem with him
is, he's a passive man. His two boys, Hophni and
Phinehas, are corrupt. We're told, in chapter 2,
they don't know the Lord. They're ministering. They're in the priesthood. But they don't care
about God's ways. They don't care
about God's laws. They seem to not
even care about God, if they even believe in God. So Eli has the
privilege of being the mentor to this young little
lad by the name of Shmuel. Shmuel is his Hebrew name. That's what Eli would
have called him. Shmuel means God
hears, God listens. And that's a great name. Because in the text
we're about to read-- we'll get to it tonight. Promise. He is taught to say by Eli,
when God calls his name, speak, Lord. For your servant is
listening, is hearing. He's fulfilling his name. So notice, in
chapter 2, verse 22, it says, now Eli was very old. And he heard everything
his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay
with the women who assembled at the door of
the Tabernacle of Meeting. First a word about this
designation of his age. Says he was very old. Now, I know age is
a relative thing. I know that, for
example, Paul the apostle refers to himself as old. When he writes a little letter
in the New Testament, Philemon, he refers to himself as Paul
the aged, or the aged one. Now, I've always found
that interesting. Because history
would indicate that Paul died at around age 58. Wasn't even 60 years old. He was born AD 6. He died around AD 64. So he's approaching 60. He's not yet 60. He's around 58 years
of age when he died. Yet when he writes Philemon,
he says man, I'm an old man. So I know age is
a relative thing. I know that people
travel long distances and got beat up a lot. And he was feeling his age. But I've already outlived
Paul the old man. But this guy, Eli, it
says he's an old man. Now that, he was old. He's-- well, again,
it's relative. I understand that. Methuselah was 969 years old. But Eli was-- he will
die at 98 years of age. So he's approaching 100
when this text is written. So when it says he's old,
I'm going to agree with that. He was very old. And he heard everything
his sons did. Now, he probably knew
all that they were doing. In fact, he does know
all that they're doing. But the best he can do is
sort of slap their wrist. Say boys, you know, I hear
that you put the flesh hook in, and you get the best meat. You don't take the boiled meat. You don't take the shoulder. You don't take the
thigh, like the law says. You're sort of taking
the best of the meat that people are bringing to the
sacrifice at the Tabernacle. You're taking it home and
cooking it how you want to. you know that's bad. You know that God
designated what we can have. And I hear that you're
sleeping around with women at the door of the Tabernacle. You know, guys, probably
not a good thing. You know, he's just a
kind of a passive guy. So the blame will
be laid on him. Now, just a note about this. When it comes to women
serving at the Tabernacle, there is a text. And I'll read it to you,
in Exodus chapter 38. That's the only reference
we have to this. So I'm going to read it to you. This is Exodus 38. In verse 8, it says he
made the labor of bronze, and its base of bronze, from the
bronze of the serving women who assembled at the door of
the Tabernacle of Meeting. That's the only other reference
we have to women serving at the door of the Tabernacle. What were they doing? We're not sure. Some think they were just
sort of cleaning up the place. Maybe they were
just like ushers, welcoming people
into the sacrifices. But by the time we get
to the New Testament, there's a woman who it says
does not depart from the temple. Her name is Anna. She is there day and night,
worshipping the Lord. And she, like a few others, are
waiting for the Lord's promise. But Hophni and
Phinehas, priests, were taking advantage of
some of these young gals, forcing themselves
upon them, and having sexual relations with them. Now, that was not unheard of
in Canaanite pagan worship systems. And that's the point, is
they're taking a practice from paganism. And they're introducing it into
this set apart, holy, singular worship of Yahweh,
worship of God. And it's all happening not
in their own private tents, but at the door
of the Tabernacle. We would suppose that the
safest place in the world. You could be is God's house. I'm going to church. It's going to be safe there. Well, if you think
about it in terms of Jesus and his disciples, you
may have said the same thing that the night that he had
the Last Supper in Jerusalem. You would have said,
man, the place to be tonight is that
upper room, where Jesus is hanging out with his
disciples, having Passover. But we're told that Satan
was there that night. Satan had an interest in
what was going on there. It says Satan entered
Judas Iscariot. So wherever God is working,
wherever God is moving, understand, there's going to
be a countermove of the enemy. So over the years, we've heard
of things that have happened at the church, on the grounds-- unsavory things that
have happened, from drug deals on down. So just because it's the
place where God's people meet doesn't make it necessarily
the most savory place. Because people are people. People need the Lord. People that come
aren't always saved. And Hophni and Phinehas were two
that served in the Tabernacle, but didn't know the
Lord, we are told. By the way, Hophni and
Phinehas are interesting names. The word Hophni, the name
Hophni, means tadpole. Now, I don't know why
he got named tadpole. But I do know that parents
often name their kids based upon circumstances
of their birth. He probably came out, and
was squiggling around, moving around. And so they just thought, look. He looks like a tadpole. Let's just call him that. So Hophni means tadpole. Phineas means dark one. And probably, Phineas had a
darker complexion than tadpole. So their name stuck, and
they became the priests. And maybe they just sort of
rebelled against their names, like a boy named Sue, like
Johnny Cash used to sing, and became ornery. So they lay with the
women who are assembled at the door of the Tabernacle. So dad found out about it. Didn't really do anything. Was passive. But let's pick it up in verse
27 of 1 Samuel, chapter 2. Then a man of God came to Eli. We don't know the name
of this man of God. We don't need to know the name. His description is
good enough for me. He's a man of God. And I love that title. I love that designation,
to be known as a godly man, a man of God, a woman of God. So some unknown person, but
a godly man, a man of God, came and said to him,
thus says the Lord. Now, this is the Lord's speaking
through this prophetic voice to Eli. And the Lord says, did I
not clearly reveal myself to the house of
your father, when they were in Egypt,
in Pharaoh's house, referring to the house of Aaron,
from whence came the tribe-- or the priesthood and
the tribe of Levi? Did I not choose him out
of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon
my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before me? Did I not give to the
house of your father all the offerings
of the children of Israel made by fire? Why do you kick that my
sacrifice and my offering, which I have commanded
in my habitation and honor your
sons more than me, to make yourselves fat with
the best of all the offerings of Israel, my people? Now, again, Eli was not
doing any of these things. But he knew what was going on. And he was passive
about his children. And in letting them
get by with all that they were getting by
with, the prophet says-- the Lord says,
through the Prophet-- you are honoring your sons
more than you are honoring me. Sometimes, a young couple starts
out in love with each other, but in love with
the Lord, determined to serve the Lord as
a couple, determined to raise a godly family. And they have children. And something happens. Not always, but
something happens. They turn and make the child
the center of the home. It's all about junior. It's all about him. It's all about her. It's called child
centered parenting, and that's dangerous. Well, we got away. You know, we used
to come to church. And we used to pray. We used to do a lot of things. But we can't now, because
it's all about the child, and the child's schedule. No bring the child, with
you to the Lord's house. Bring the child with you
to God's place of worship. Let the child see
you in love with God more than in love with him. Oh, I don't want to make
my child do anything. I don't want to
discipline my child. I want them to like me. Do you understand? Do you know, God
doesn't call you to make your child like you? And I've said this
so many times. What your child
thinks of you today is far less important
than what your child will say of you later on. And if you let them
get by with whatever you let them get
by with, they're not going to respect
you later on. But so many parents want
to make their children to be just like them. I want my child to like me, and
I want my child to be like me. If you are trying to get
your child to be like you, you will not like
what they become. So all the blame gets put
on Eli by this man of God. You honor your
sons more than me, and make yourselves fat with
the best of all the offerings of Israel, my people. Therefore, the
Lord God of Israel said, I said indeed
that your house and the house of your father
would walk before me forever. But now, the Lord says,
far be it from me. For those who honor
me, I will honor. And those who despise me. I shall be lightly esteemed. Behold the days are,
coming that I will cut off your arm, that is your strength,
and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not
be an old man in your house. In other words, you're
the last old man, old man. And you will see an
enemy in my habitation, despite all the good which
God gives for Israel. And there shall not be an old
man in your house forever. Now that, will be
fulfilled in chapter 4. But any of your men whom I
do not cut off from my altar shall consume your eyes
and grieve your heart. And all the descendants
of your house shall die in the
flower of their age. Now, this shall be
a sign to you that will come upon your two sons,
on tadpole, Hophni, and Phineas, the darker complected boy. In one day, they shall
die, both of them. Then I will raise up for
myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what
is in my heart and in my mind. Boy, this is a hard
message to deliver. If God said to whoever this was,
I want you to go to the priest. And you're going to lay the
hammer down to this guy. You're going to tell them
a message of judgment. I'm sure that he went there
with a lump in his throat. Probably not with
a lot of bravado, but I'm guessing humility. Somebody once said,
courage is just fear that has said its prayers. I'm sure he said Lord, help me. Deliver me from evil, but
help me deliver this message faithfully. Now, I know you're hearing this. And some of you are thinking,
well, I would never do that. I could never confront
a person like that. If you loved them, you could. If you were their
friend, you could. Proverbs 27 tells us, open
rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the
wounds of a friend. But the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful. So this man loved Eli. He loved God, loved Eli,
was a friend to him, and probably had a relationship
already established with him, and approached him
and spoke these words. But look at verse 35. Then I will raise up for
myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what
is in my heart, in my mind. And I will build
him a sure house. And he shall walk before
my anointed forever. And it shall come to
pass that everyone who has left your house
will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver
and a morsel of bread, and say please, put me in one
of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread. Now, I'm not sure exactly
who that is in reference to. But I have a pretty good hunch
about who this ultimately refers to. I'm going to venture a guess. It could be that
he is saying, I'm going to cut off your
lineage in the priesthood-- which means, and it happened
that the lineage eventually, that will end up with
Abiathar, the priest will end. And the priesthood
under a man named Zadok will be established. Also, it could be a reference
to the millennial kingdom, where we are told that the
descendants of Zadok will, in perpetuity, be
ministering the temple sacrifices during that time. But my greater hunch is
this is a reference to none other than the priesthood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the ultimate fulfillment
is that the priesthood of Aaron is going to end. And God is going to raise
up a priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. It's established in
the Book of Psalms. It's established in
the book of Hebrews that Jesus is a priest for ever
after the order of Melchizedek, not the line of Aaron, not
the priesthood of Aaron-- but that in the New Covenant
God established through Christ, he is the ultimate high
priest, whose lineage will stand forever as that. Now, in chapter 3,
we are told this. Then the boy Samuel ministered
to the Lord before Eli. I love it whenever
somebody young wants to minister to the Lord. I've always believed
in a youth movement. I was part of a youth movement. I was once a youth. And the movement was
called the Jesus movement. It started on the West Coast. And there were all these young,
crazy, long haired, drug-- once drug induced--
surfers who came to Christ. And the Lord used them. And we had a powerful mentor
who planted the trees. And we received the shade. And so I get so stoked. I get so excited when somebody
today, some young person-- the other day, I was in a store. And this gal came up to me. She goes, I just
love your sermons. And I talked to her. I said, how old are you? She goes, I'm 19. I said great. And she was just on fire. And I said, well,
what do you studying? She goes, I'm studying
political science. I went wow, that's brave. I said, what do you think
God's calling you to do? And she goes, I want to be
president of the United States. I said, I'll vote for you. Got my vote. 19, on fire, loves the Lord,
loves studying the word of God, and wants to be president? Come on. How good is that? The boy Samuel ministered
to the Lord before Eli. And notice this. The word of the Lord
was rare in those days. There was no
widespread revelation. I happen to like a translation
called the John Knox translation of this verse. The Knox translation
translates it this way. A message from God was a rare
treasure, a rare treasure. In other words, God wasn't
speaking much in those days. Well, why is that? My guess is, people weren't
listening much in those days. God had tried to speak
on a number of occasions. People shut that door. And because they
didn't want to listen, God had nothing more to say. So a word from the Lord,
a message from God, was a rare treasure. To be quite honest,
I think that this could be said of many pulpits. Many churches, the word of the
Lord, a message from the Lord, Bible based, based on the
exegesis of a scriptural text, is rare. So many people want to make it
about just an exciting event, or the next pop psychology
thing that everybody's about, or a political rally. The word of the Lord is rare. There was no
widespread revelation. And it came to
pass at that time, while Eli was lying
down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow
so dim that he could not see-- so you know, he's in his 90s. He's not able to see he used to. We can relate with that. You get cataracts
at a certain age. Most all adults do. So you lose that
clarity of vision. Of course, there's
surgery for that today. But this old guy needed glasses,
contacts, cataract surgery, whatever. He just-- he can't
see what he used to. His eyes began to grow dim,
so dim that he couldn't see. And before the lamp
of God went out in the Tabernacle of the Lord
where the Ark of God was, and while Samuel was
lying down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, here I am. OK, I'm going to
slow down just a bit. It was the duty of the
priest, morning and evening, to go into the Tabernacle,
later on the temple. And if you were
the priest, and you walked into that room
that was the Holy place, to your left hand side
would be a seven branched candlestick, the
menorah, the lamp stand. It was to be perpetually lit. The priest lit it every
morning, every evening. It was never to go out. It was never to flicker. It was never to
go completely out. It was always to be lit. I'll just give you the text. In Exodus chapter
27, verse 20, you shall command the
children of Israel, that they bring you pure oil of
pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp
to burn continually in the Tabernacle of
Meeting, outside the veil-- that is outside
the Holy of holies, which is before the testimony. Aaron and his son shall attend
it from evening until morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever
to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel. Eli was old. He couldn't see if
that lamp is on or off. Samuel, young, good eyes, could. So it sounds like
young Samuel actually slept in the Holy place. He had his bed there. He spent the night
in the Holy place, so that if that lamp
goes out, and it starts growing dim, starts
to flicker, he can get up and go get the
old man, who is the priest. And it was his duty
to keep it lit. He could go then go
in, and keep it lit. But I see this as a metaphor. The light is going
out in the nation. Spiritually, morally,
it's beginning to flicker. God is going to
rekindle the light through this young prophet,
through this youthful prophet, who's going to minister
before the Lord to the nation, be a spokesperson, raise
up a king, et cetera. God is going to turn on
the light through him. Know this. Whenever things get
really dark, God has something up his sleeve. God has a light out
there somewhere. The sky was awfully dark
one night in Bethlehem, when God decided to hang
a star in the sky that pointed to his star on the
stage, the coming of Jesus. So, young people, be available. Be God's next shining
star, lighter of the lamp, bringing the light to a dark
country, the next president of the United States-- well,
not the next one, but coming up. So, the Lord called
Samuel, Shmuel? Something like that-- just some
little-- just called his name. And he said, here I am. So he ran to Eli and said,
here I am, for you called me. And he said, I did not call. Lie down again, man. You're dreaming. And he went and laid down. OK by this time, we
think that Samuel was between 15 years of
age and 17 years of age. Now, he's going to be the next
prophetic voice, at that age. We usually picture prophets
as old, wrinkly, gray haired, not 15 years old,
not 17 years of age. But this one was. And the Lord, verse six-- notice this-- called yet again. Samuel? So Samuel arose,
went to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me. And he answered, I did
not call you, my son. Lie down again. Verse 7 says, now Samuel
did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of God
yet revealed to him. This is a brand new
experience for him. He wasn't used to
hearing God's voice. He didn't have a
relationship, where he was getting a
revelation from God, then giving it to the people. He didn't understand that yet. He's just getting his
spiritual feet under him. He's coming to know the God of
Israel through this experience. So here's what's interesting. He didn't know the Lord. But he's ministering
to the Lord. What about those of
you who know the Lord? How much more should you
be ministering to the Lord? And the Lord called Samuel
again the third time. And he arose and he
went to Eli, and said, here I am, for you did call me! Then Eli perceived that the
Lord had called the boy. Therefore, Eli said to Samuel. Go lie down. And it shall be,
if he calls you, then you must say, speak,
Lord, for your servant, Shmuel. Your servant is hearing. Your servant hears. So Samuel went and
laid down in his place. I just find it interesting
that God calls him three times, and doesn't reveal the
message till the fourth time. I don't know why that is. He could have just woken him
up and said, Samuel, I'm God. This is my voice
speaking to you. Here's the message
I want you to say. But he just says his name. So he didn't understand
what's happening. I can just sort of see
God behind the scenes, smiling, like this is so fun. I'm going to try it
again and wake him up. Samuel? Goes to the old guy. I didn't do it. I didn't call you. So on the fourth calling,
now God will reveal himself. And I find it interesting. Because Paul said,
in the New Testament, that he had an
affliction, a disease. He called it my
thorn in the flesh. And he said this. Three times, I asked the Lord,
I besought the Lord, to take it from me, and he didn't do it. Finally, like on the
fourth time, the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for you. My strength will be
manifested in your weakness. So sometimes, it would seem
like the Lord calls us and gets our attention, and we
don't know what it is. And then he makes it clear. Then he confirms that it's him. So now young Samuel is,
locked into the frequency. Now, he knows that's
God speaking to him. So it says, in verse 10,
the Lord came and stood, as at other times-- Samuel, Samuel. And he answered, speak,
Lord, for your servant hears. That needs to be our
position when God speaks. That needs to be our heart,
our sentiment, when we open up the Bible for our
times of quietude in the morning in meditation. Speak, Lord. Your servant hears. That needs to be our heart
when we come to church. Speak, Lord. Your servant hears. That needs to be our
condition when we go into a pastor for counseling. What is the Lord saying? I want to do the Lord's will. Sometimes, we have the approach
of, well, Lord, first of all, tell me what you want. Then I'll decide if I
want to do it or not. Because if you tell me something
that I don't want to hear, I'm going to take my
marbles and go home. That's very different
than speak, Lord. Your servant is
hearing, is listening. The Bible says
present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
wholly and acceptable, which is your reasonable service. I'm ready to do what
you want me to do, Lord. And that's how God wants
you to serve him, willingly. I'm hearing. I'm listening. I'll do what you I want. To do what you want. I'm willing to conform and obey. See if you don't want to
serve the Lord, please don't. You'll turn us all off. Rather than perspiration,
the Lord wants inspiration. Do it because you want to do it. Do it with joy. Do it with gladness. Any relationship of
love is like that. So it's been almost 40 years
when I stood at the altar. It really wasn't an altar. It was at a golf course. But it was my wedding
day, June 13, 1981. I had a ring in my hand. And I formally asked Lenya
Mae Farley, to be my wife. And I didn't have a ring in one
hand and a gun in the other. Like, I have a ring here. I have a gun here. You will do this or else. Now THAT could have
been effective, but only for a short time. It had to be willing. She had to want to do it. And serving the Lord
is the same way. We do it willingly. We do it because
we want to do it. Speak, Lord. Your servant hears. And the Lord said
to Samuel, behold. I will do something in Israel
at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. What does that mean? Not one ear-- both ears
of everyone will tingle. The word tango means to ring. And the idea is, when
you take your hands, and you stand next to someone-- I don't recommend you do it. If you slap them hard in both
ears, their ears will ring. That'll be the effect. So when it says tingle, it's
not like ooh, that's good. God spoke. It's not like a good tingle. It's like their ears
are going to ring. This is God's way of saying,
I'm about to slap Israel upside the head. Both their ear will tingle. In that day, I will
perform against Eli all that I have spoken
concerning his house from beginning to end. For I told him that I will
judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows. He knows it. In other words, he knows
exactly what is going on. He has no excuse. He knows it. Because his sons
made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. I do think that
there is a higher standard for those in ministry. Those whom God
calls into ministry to serve Him full time, God
calls to a high standard, including the family. If the family's
out of order, that will become problematic
for the one who is trying to minister to the
Lord, and to God's people. David had a similar problem. He was a man after
God's own heart. But he was far from
reflecting the heart of God when it came to his children. He had a son named
Absalom, who was a rebel. And he just let him go on,
and did not discipline him, the Bible says. Just let him kind
of do his thing, and steal the hearts
of the people, and cause a
rebellion that caused the lives of so many people. For I told him that I will
judge his house for the iniquity which he knows. Verse 14-- therefore, I have
sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of
Eli's house shall not be atone for by sacrifice
or offering forever. So Samuel lay down until
morning and open the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell
Eli the vision, understandably. And Eli called Samuel
and said, Samuel, my son? And the answered, here I am. And he said, what is the thing
that the Lord has said to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more
also if you hide anything from me of all the
things he said to you. Wow. Now, that is-- I want you to look at verse 17. Because that is a
common construction that you will find often
in the Old Testament. You will find kings,
you will find prophets, you will find pagans saying
God, or the gods, do so to me and more if whatever. It is the utterance
of an oath or a curse. So this old man is laying a
heavy trip on this young kid. He's pronouncing a curse on
him, if he doesn't tell him everything that God told him. See, he has a hunch. This kid's afraid. God told him something. But I need to know what
that information is. So God do so do you and more if
you don't tell me everything. Then Samuel told him everything
and hid nothing from him. That's how preaching
ought to be. Tell them everything,
and hide nothing. Tell them about God's love, but
tell them about God's judgment. Tell them about how to have
a good and godly family, and how to have patience
in the fruit of the Spirit. But also teach them what
happens if they don't. Teach them about heaven,
but teach them about hell. Hide nothing. Teach them about the
Nation of Israel, and the covenant God
made with the Jews. Tell them about eschatology,
and the coming of the Lord, and the rapture of the church. Paul said, I have not
shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Tell them everything. Hide nothing. Don't prepare your sermon
like, well what would make them really like me this week? Listen, if I were
to preach that way, I wouldn't have chosen
the book of Jude the last few weeks
to preach through. Tell them everything. And he says, tell me everything. Hide nothing. And he told him everything
and hid nothing. And he said, it is the Lord. Let him do what
seems good to him. Interesting and sad. Yes, he knows it's the Lord. Yes, he knows God has spoken. But why not say,
yeah, that's true. Therefore, I'm going to repent. I'm going to change things
in my life, starting now. And I'm going to begin
with my two kids. I'm going to fire those boys. And I'm going to have godliness
and holiness in this place once again. And I'm-- myself, I'm
determined to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. He just sort of bowed his head. And again, he just
resigns himself to yeah, that's the Lord. I'm done for. Let the Lord do what
seems good to him. So Samuel grew. The Lord was with him
and let none of his words fall to the ground. I love that description. That's an archery term. When you shoot arrows, if
you don't hit the target, they hit the ground. So this boy spoke. And every time he spoke,
the words hit their target-- bull's eye every time. Isn't that great? None of his words
fell to the ground. They were accurate. They came to pass. And all Israel from,
Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel
had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Now begins an era
of the prophets. In fact, did you
know that we believe it was Samuel who
started something called the School of the Prophets,
where he got a group of men and kind of taught them to teach
people the word of the Lord, the ways of the Lord,
the law of the Lord, how to listen for God's voice? That's what seems to be involved
in this school of the prophets. We'll find it throughout
the book of 1 Kings as well. So it lasts a while
and then goes away. But Samuel is the one,
probably, who started it. So everybody in the
land, from Dan-- that's way up North,
to Beersheba-- that's way down South--
that's sort of like saying from Maine to California,
or from the border with Canada to the border of Mexico. Or to be a little more local,
from Red River to Las Cruces, right, from North to South,
that covered the whole land. Everybody knew he was a prophet. Then the Lord appeared
again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed
himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Look at the next verse. And the word of Samuel
came to all Israel. So do you see the flow? The word of the
Lord came to Samuel. The word of Samuel
came to the nation. God spoke to him so that
God might speak through him. God speaks to you, not
just so you be blessed, but that he might use you to be
his instrument to bless others. That's a principle
throughout scripture. God revealed his word
to him, that God might reveal his word through him. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1,
Paul said, for the word-- our gospel-- did not come to you
in Word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. For from you the word of
the Lord has sounded forth. So Paul said, the word of
the gospel came to you, and the word of the Lord
has come through you. That is always the
flow of the gospel. We who are receivers at some
point become the transmitters. And so he transmitted. All of Israel went out to
battle against the Philistines and camped beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines
camped in Aphek. Then the Philistines put
themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined
battle, Israel was defeated by the
Philistines, who killed about 4,000 men
of the army in the field. A word about the Philistines
really quickly, because they're prominent, right? They showed up in
the book of Judges. Samson fought the Philistines. David will fight
the Philistines. They're going to be
around for a while, and they're going
to get stronger. Now, the Philistines,
interestingly, occupy what we would call
today the Gaza Strip. And they fought against
the people of Israel. So what happened
thousands of years ago is being played out
today in Israel, where 3,700 rockets have been shot
from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon into population
centers in Israel. Now, the Philistines came from
the Greek islands, the Aegean Sea. They came to the
island of Crete. They eventually
settled in Asia Minor, on the Mediterranean coast. Then they came
down toward Egypt, and they tried to attack Egypt. And they did, but they lost. Pharaoh Ramesses
III defeated them. So the Philistines, the
sea peoples of the West, settled along the Mediterranean
coast of Southern Israel, into a five city confederation. And you're going to
read about all five of these cities in the
next several books-- Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron,
and Gath, and Gaza. Those will be the five
cities of the Philistines, the stronghold. And they'll launch
attacks against Israel all the way through,
into the monarchy, until David finally
will put them to flight. Verse 3, when the people
had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said--
so they've been defeated. 4,000 died that day. The elders of Israel said, why
has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Why is it that people
who don't want anything to do with God when things
go wrong want to blame God? They don't care about God. They don't want to follow God. Something goes wrong. I can't believe a God of love-- really? You got religious
all of a sudden? What happened to you,
talking about a God of love? Why is the law defeated us
today before the Philistines? Let us bring the
Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us,
that when it comes among us, it may save us from the
hand of our enemies. So the people sent
to Shiloh, that they might bring from there
the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of hosts, who
dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli,
tadpole and Phineas, were with the Ark
of the Covenant. Israel made two mistakes. Number one, they forgot
the omnipresence of God. God is everywhere. God doesn't dwell locally in
a box, in a tent, in a church, in a temple. God isn't restricted spatially
to one place or another. Psalm 139-- where can I
flee from your presence? Where can I go from your Spirit? Answer? Nowhere. God is everywhere. So they forgot that. The second mistake is,
they replaced relationship with religion. They didn't talk about the Lord. They talked about the Ark-- when it comes, when it's here. Not when he comes, when he's
here, but when it comes. They had reduced the Ark of the
Covenant down to a talisman, an amulet, a good luck
charm, a rabbit's foot. As long as that's in
our midst, we're safe. It's like people who look to an
object and worship an object, whether it's a
crucifix or a statue. My mom would have a
statue in her car. And she-- I'd say,
mom, why do you $have $what tell me about
this Statue Well, that's the blessed virgin. And she'll protect us. When I was a kid, you know. And so I'd see the Statue. And I'd say, well, mom-- when would she
have road problems, or she'd get stranded,
I said, I think it's because you got Mary
facing the wrong direction. This is how a kid thinks. She's looking backward. You need to turn around
so she can see the road. See, that was my superstition. But it counteracted my
mother's superstition. So both of us were wrong. But Hophni and
Phineas were there with the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the
Covenant was in Shiloh 369 years before it
gets captured here. Now, when the Philistines
heard the noise of the shout, they said, what does the sound
of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? Then they understood
that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid. And they said, God has
come into the camp. So they're also
as superstitious. For such a thing has
never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the
hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who
struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Now, this is fascinating to me. The people of Canaan had
heard what happened in Egypt. It was well-known. The news spread about the
Exodus, the great deliverance. And do you remember when
the children of Israel, in Numbers 13, sent 12
spies into the land? Remember that? They came back, and
10 gave a bad report. Only two gave a good report. And the 10 that gave
the bad report said, oh man, these people are huge. They're giants, and we are
grasshoppers in their sight, and in our sight! And so they didn't go in. They wandered around
for another 38 years before they finally
entered the land. When they entered the land,
after a generation was dead, Joshua led them in. And the first place
they surrounded was the city of Jericho, right? Joshua sends in two spies. Forget the 10. They always have a bad report. All you need is two good ones. So we sent two
spies into Jericho. They went to the House of Rahab. And Rahab now told
them the reality of what the people in
Canaan were thinking. The two spies that we heard
about what you guys did to the Egyptians, and
how you destroyed them. And when we heard this,
there was no more strength left in us. For the fear of
has fallen on us. So, go back in time,
those 38 years. Children of Israel said, we're
grasshoppers in their sight. And the reality is, no. The reality was, the
Canaanites were scared to death of the Israelites. It was perfect time
for them to march in. But they wasted 38 years. The whole generation
died in the wilderness, because they did not believe. Be strong, verse 9. Conduct yourselves like
men, you Philistines, that you do not become
servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves
like men and fight. So the Philistines fought,
and Israel was defeated. And every man fled to his tent. It was a very great slaughter. There fell of Israel
30,000 foot soldiers. So 4,000 died one
day, 30,000 the next. And the Ark of God-- here it is. The Ark of God was captured. And the two sons of Eli-- tadpole and dark
complected-- died. Then a man of Benjamin ran from
the battle line the same day and came to Shiloh with
his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Never a good sign. When somebody was in mourning,
they'd rip their clothes, put dirt on their head. If you see a guy come in
with torn clothes and dirt on their head, bad news-- always bad news. So they look up. And here comes the headlines
coming their way-- bad news. Now when he came, there
was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside, watching. For his heart trembled
for the Ark of God. And when the man came
into the city and told it, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the noise
of the outcry, he said, what does the sound
of this tumult mean? And the man came
hastily and told Eli. Eli was 98 years old. His eyes were so dim
that he could not see. The man said to Eli, am here
you came from the battle. And I fled today
from the battle line. And he said, well,
what happened, my son? So the messenger
answered and said, Israel has fled before
the Philistines. And there has been a great
slaughter among the people. Also, your two sons, Hophni
and Phineas, are dead. And the Ark of God
has been captured. Then it happened, when he made
mention of the Ark of God, that Eli fell off
the seat backward by the side of the gate. And his neck was
broken, and he died. For the man was old and heavy. And he had judged
Israel for 40 years. He had a broken heart,
and then a broken neck. He died. Very broken-hearted. Now, his daughter-in-law,
Phineas' wife, was with child. Due to be delivered, when
she heard the good news that the Ark of
God was captured, and that her Father-in-law
and her husband were dead, she bound herself
and gave birth. For her labor pains
came upon her. And about the time of
her death, the women who stood by her said
to her, do not fear. For you have borne a son. She did not answer,
nor did she regard it. Then she named
the child Ichabod, saying the glory has
departed from Israel. Ichabod means no glory,
or where is the glory. So she called the child-- boy, that poor child. What's your name? Glory has departed, or
we would say, glory gone. Glory gone, Ichabod--
the glory has departed. The word departed means
literally gone into exile. Now the Ark of God that
they worshipped-- literally, that was their amulet, right? That was it, it, it. We want it. They put God in
a box, literally. When the Ark was taken into
exile with the Philistines, they regarded it as God
has gone into exile. God has left. The glory has departed,
because the Ark of God had been captured, and
because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, the glory
has departed from Israel. For the Ark of God
has been captured. So there's no Ark anymore
in the land of Israel. There's no Ark in the
Tabernacle of Israel. It means there's no Yom Kippur
that they can celebrate, and sprinkle the blood
on top of the Ark. There's no forgiveness
for their sin. The glory has departed. The glory has departed from
Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured. Only you can answer
this question. Has the glory departed
from your life? Have you reduced God down
to what they reduced God to? Do you have a deep,
personal relationship? Or do you have a
depersonalized religion? They had a
depersonalized religion. Samuel had a deep,
personal relationship. We are called to a deep,
personal relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. Don't let it become an amulet,
a talisman, a crucifix, a picture, an object,
a place you visit. Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. The object doesn't matter. The relationship matters. Father, thank you for these
incredible, timeless lessons-- timeless, and also
timely, well-timed for us. Thank you, Lord,
for the generation you are raising up to be
your prophetic voices. May they be heard. May be loud and clear. Lord, I pray that
your word would not be rare in places of worship. I pray that the sign
Ichabod would not be the sign that
should be placed above so many
places of worship-- the glory has departed. May your glory reign
powerfully in us. May you be revealed to
us, and then through us. Lord, I pray you will use
every single individual in this room, this
week, with their family, to their neighbors, in their
business, at their school, with their friends. May the word of the Lord be
sounded for through them. These are your people. These are your
spokesmen and women. These are your prophets. Fill them with your Spirit. Strengthen them to do your
bidding, your calling, to turn this world, this
community, this city right side up, in Jesus' name, Amen. For more resources from Calvary
Church and Skip Heitzig, visit calvarynm.church. Thank you for joining us from
this teaching in our series, Exposed.
