This wasn’t simply a driverless cart; it was moving exactly the opposite way the cows longed to go! An offering had been prepared by the Philistines, but how could the ark be transported back to Israel? The priests advised: “Make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the […]
Even in Philistia there was proof that God’s light lightens every man who comes into the world. Dagon’s image lay in ruins on the temple floor at Ashdod. With it lay the delusion of the Philistines: “Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon […]
Read More… from September 19, 2023 — A Trespass Offering—From The Philistines?
Imagine worshiping a god who can’t get up off its own face! Isn’t God supposed to help you up? Every country has its national treasures and, throughout history, victorious armies have delighted in capturing and displaying those spoils of war as the evidence of their superior might. I think of the Arch of Titus in […]
Read More… from September 18, 2023 — When Dagon Bows Before Jehovah
Her husband dead; her father-in-law dead; she is dying; but the real tragedy? The glory has departed! Israel has been defeated. Scores lie dead on the battlefield. Then inspiration hits. Why not force God to be with them? So Eli’s sons commit the ultimate blasphemy, treating God like a good luck charm. Israel, like Samson […]
Read More… from September 15, 2023 — Ichabod: The Glory Departs
The advantage of idols: you can make your god do what you want. But Jehovah won’t be pushed around. When Eli heard the solemn pronouncement on his house, he responded, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him” (1 Sam 3:18). We could admire his acquiescence if we didn’t know more […]
Read More… from September 14, 2023 — God Is Not A Good Luck Charm
Old-time preachers sometimes sounded like a fire alarm—because they believed there was a fire! “Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision” (3:15). Who wouldn’t be? It was a message of judgment. This cuts close to home, doesn’t it! The message we have is tempered with God’s marvelous mercy, but it includes the message of […]
Read More… from September 13, 2023 — The Whole Counsel Of God
The title looks forward to the Millennium, but God has spoken by children through the ages. What an honor to be God’s voicepiece to the nation! When Samuel responded to the voice of the Lord in the night hours at Shiloh, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Sam 3:10), did he grasp that he would […]
Read More… from September 12, 2023 — A Little Child Shall Lead Them
A feeble priest. Failing eyesight. A flickering lamp. But a faithful young servant to carry on! The scene changes. We are now inside the living quarters of the priests at Shiloh. It’s bedtime. A series of markers are given to set the scene. First, we are told that, although young, and unlike Eli’s own sons, […]
Read More… from September 11, 2023 — Speak, For Your Servant Hears
The child Samuel proves that even little flames can show the difference between light and darkness. Immediately following the conclusion of Hannah’s glorious prayer (1 Sam 2:1-10), we catch the interplay between light and darkness with which we are so familiar in this world. Listen to these two sentences: “The child ministered to the Lord […]