Bob Feather June 28th, 2008

Meditation Points:

• When in doubt, ask for advice. Who better to turn to than to priests and diviners (1 Samuel 6:2). Of course, you ought to consult the priests and diviners of the true God - or better yet, consult God Himself.
• Votive offerings-those gifts to deity which symbolize our thanksgiving. Ancient Greeks are known to have formed images of body parts that were recently restored to health, and they offered these. The museum in Corinth has various examples of thanksgiving images, including even “private parts”. Alas, the Greeks were not the first to think this way, for the Philistines offered the Lord five golden “emerods”, one for each of the great Philistine cities.
• And mice (5). Was there an infestation of mice, or even plague-carrying mice, too?
• Can unbelievers give glory to God (5)? For sure, Israel had not done so, and the glory had departed from them (1 Samuel 4:21-22).
• And a box of jewels for a trespass offering (8). Oh, how they had trespassed. Do you think one box of jewels would be enough? Nothing less than the sacrifice of a sinless Christ can atone for sin.
• Like Gideon’s fleece, the cow-drawn cart with the ark of the covenant was set before the Lord to do with as He pleased. And God pleased to lead the cows to Bethshemesh (12). Do cows have free will? Did God destroy their free will; or was it just an accident that they walked to Israel?
• Although the men of Bethshemesh rejoiced to see the ark arrive, and they respectfully called for Levites to remove the ark of the covenant from the cart, and reverently cut up the cart and offered the two cows as a burnt offering to the Lord, they rebelliously opened the ark of the covenant to see what lay inside. For this, the Lord smote many of them (1 Samuel 6:13-15,19).
• Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? Do you have the answer?
• Men from Kirjathjearim retrieved the ark from Bethshemesh; and the ark remained in Kirjathjearim for 20 years. The house of Israel lamented. Why? Samuel suggested that if they were really repentant, then they would rid their houses of false gods and false religious practices (1 Samuel 7:3-5). Then he could and would and did pray for them. Sound advice for today.
• On the occasion of Israel’s public repentance, the Philistines mounted an attack (7:7). Be aware that when you get serious about your sin, and begin confessing it to God and asking His forgiveness, the enemy of your soul will mount new attacks.
• Also know, that he who perseveres in prayer will prevail at these times (1 Samuel 7:8). As God confused the Philistines that day, so also in our defense will God make the devil run away.
• Samuel was a circuit-riding prophet (16-17).

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