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Monday, February 25, 2013

Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: Philistines And False God, Fall Before The Ark.


Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: Philistines And False God, Fall Before The Ark.

Occasion: Warning To The Philistines To Return The Ark.

Location: Ashdod.

Bible Text:
I Samuel 5:1-12 NLT (The Ark of the Covenant in Philistia.)
1 After the Philistines captured The Ark Of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
2 They carried The Ark Of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon.
3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of The Ark Of The Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.
4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before The Ark Of The Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.
5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.
6 Then The Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.
7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep The Ark Of The God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.”
8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with The Ark Of The God Of Israel?” The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.
9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.
10 So they sent The Ark Of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing The Ark Of The God Of Israel here to kill us, too!”
11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send The Ark Of The God Of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town.
12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.

When Israel (God's people), lost in battle to their enemies, there only was one reason for defeat,
sin was in the camp. And so it was, as Israel lost, one and then a second battle with the Philistines.

Israel had taken The Ark Of The Lord into battle, ...
I Samuel 4:3 NLT
"...Then they said, “Let’s bring The Ark Of The Covenant of The Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”

And they lost terribly. The presence and power of God, is not with those who do not live obediently to the Lord! The name of the Lord, is not a talisman, of victory, for those who live apart from Him.

Matthew 7:21 KJV
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

In Israel's defeat, The Ark Of God, was stolen by the Philistines.

I Samuel 5:1 NLT
After the Philistines captured The Ark Of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. (30 miles to the South.)

I Samuel 5:2 NLT
They carried The Ark Of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon.

Dagon: The god of the philistines (Atargatis). Human head and face with the hands of a man, and with the tail of a fish. An idol which stood for fruitfulness of the sea, especially by seafaring tribes. A temple of Dagon, was located at Ashdod.

I Samuel 5:3-5 NLT
3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of The Ark Of The Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.
4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before The Ark Of The Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.
5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.

Idols cannot stand in the presence of the Lord.

Exodus 20:1-6 KJV
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am The Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I The Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.
(See the blog posting......    Idolatry   )

Philippians 2:10,11 KJV
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God The Father.

I Samuel 5:6 NLT
Then The Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.

I Samuel 5:6 KJV
But the hand of The Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed* them, and smote them with emerods*, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

*Destroyed: Hebrew Shamem (Shaw-Mame): To make desolate, destroy, make waste.
*Emerods: Hebrew Ophel (O-fel): A tumor.

God killed scores of the Philistines by mice and tumors (I Samuel 6:4).

I Samuel 5:7 NLT
7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep The Ark Of The God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.”

Israel, may have forgotten their God, but the philistines knew only too well, that He was alive and well and able to slay all those who dared to oppose Him.

I Samuel 5:8 NLT
8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with The Ark Of The God Of Israel?” The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.

The five city Philistine confederation, had made a decision.
I Samuel 6:17 NLT
"...the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron."

I Samuel 5:9 NLT
9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.

I Samuel 5:9 KJV
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.

Wherever The Ark was moved the story was the same, disease, plague and death.

I Samuel 5:10-12 NLT
10 So they sent The Ark Of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing The Ark Of The God Of Israel here to kill us, too!”
11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send The Ark Of The God Of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town.
12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.

The Philistines came to the place that owning The Ark Of The Covenant was not a trophy to be admired, but something to be returned before all their people were destroyed by the wrath of The God Of Israel.

I Samuel 4:3 NLT
"...and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did The Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?...”

After The Ark had been returned ….
I Samuel 7:3,4 NLT
3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to The Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only The Lord; then He will rescue you from the Philistines.”
4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only The Lord.

And now an interesting question.
Can God, send disease, boils, ulcers, tumors, and death?
Surely a God of love cannot do these things!

Wrong!
Nahum 1:2,3 NLT
2 The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose Him and continues to rage against His enemies!
3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but His power is great, and He never lets the guilty go unpunished.

Romans 12:19 KJV
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith The Lord.

Hebrews 10:31 KJV
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God.

Psalm 145:17 KJV
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.


Ezekiel 8:9-18 NLT
9 “Go in,” He said, “and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there!”
10 So I went in and saw the walls engraved with all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.
11 Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the center. Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads.
12 Then The Lord said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us; he has deserted our land!’”
13 Then The Lord added, “Come, and I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”
14 He brought me to the north gate of the Lord’s Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.
15 “Have you seen this?” He asked. “But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”
16 Then He brought me into the inner courtyard of The Lord’s Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of The Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!
17 “Have you seen this, son of man?” He asked. “Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at Me, and provoking My anger?
18 Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.”

Dear friend, is your life filled with idols? False gods of wealth, power and influence, worldly possessions, etc. etc. which occupy your life.

Our God, is a jealous God!
Idolatry is a sin.
Forsake idols and turn to the Living God, who is a God of love and forgiveness.

I John 1:8,9 KJV
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and The Truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).

I John 2:15-17 KJV
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.