November 8, 2009
Scripture:
Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Hymn 338 - I love my Saviour
Prayer
1 Samuel 6
Vv.1-2. So the ark had been in the land of the Philistines for a long time, and now the Philistines, suffering from plagues, ask their priests what they should do with it. This reminds me of the time when Pilate asked the Jews, “What shall we do with Jesus?” Their answer, we know, was “Crucify Him!” Vv. 3-6. The Philistine priests called to remembrance the plagues of Egypt. They exhorted the lords of the Philistines not to harden their hearts like Pharaoh did. Vv.7-8. The priests told the Philistine lords to make a new cart, and to tie to milch kine (cows with nursing calves) to it. These cows would never have been put in a yoke before. Now, they would pull this cart. The priests also told the Philistines to make five golden mice - there seems to have been a plague of mice that wasn’t mentioned in the last chapter - and five golden emerods, and to put them in a box and to put the box on the cart. They were then to let the cart go. V9. So the lords did what the priests told them. Now, the cows wouldn’t want to leave their calves. They would only do this if God interfered. The priests said, “If the cart goes up to Israel, then God brought these plagues on us. If it doesn’t, then it was just a chance.” Vv.10-12. God did direct the cows to go to Israel, but it seems as if they were sad to leave their calves. God showed His power by overruling the natural instinct of the cows and having them take back the ark. V13. The men of Israel were happy to see the ark. Vv.14-16. They used the cart and cows for a burnt offering to the Lord, and put the ark on the Great Stone of Abel. In the Bible, a stone is often a type of Christ. We are to build our lives on Him. Vv.18-19. The Ark resided in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. It was very holy to God. The people of Bethshemesh shouldn’t have looked into the Ark. It was like disrespect for God. God had taken the Ark from His people because of their wickedness. He gave it back, they were thankful and offered this sacrifice, but they disrespected God by looking into the Ark. As a result, 50,070 people died. We must honour the Lord; we shouldn’t use His name in vain, but instead respect and praise Him through prayer and hymns. V20. It’s sad isn’t it? These people have disrespected God, were punished, and now want nothing to do with the Ark.
So that’s the story of how the ark came back, and how God showed His power and holiness. May we seek to honour Him.
We noticed last week how the Jews were made to understand the law. This really touched their consciences. They wept over their sin and realized that they were far away from what they should have been. They shouldn’t be mourning though; Nehemiah exhorted them to “eat the fat, drink the sweet … for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” We can look at the joy of the Lord in two ways: firstly, we can see it as the Lord’s joy in us. We are the joy that was set before Him, and when we do His will, we bring Him joy. We can also see it as our joy in the Lord. We are exhorted in Philippians to “rejoice evermore”; and Philippians portrays what should be our normal Christian experience. Without joy, our lives will have no strength. But if our minds are on the Lord, we can have joy and strength. Read Isaiah 26:3 & 4.
Consider what the Jews knew about the Lord; the law isn’t always comforting to read, but He had done much for them throughout their history: think of all he did to bring them out of Egypt and into Canaan. However, we have so much more to joy in: grace and mercy. V. 11: So the Levites calmed the people, and told them that it was a holy day. Then we see that they did as Nehemiah had commanded them to do. As we go on, we’ll see that the leaders will have a special session to read the Word themselves.
Hymn 330 - A message came from Heaven
Prayer