Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

In chapters 3-5 we read of where God calls Samuel to deliver a message of judgment against Eli’s family (v.11-14).

Israel engages in war with the Philistines (v.2-10), the Ark of the Covenant is captured in battle (v.11), and Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons are killed (v.17).

After hearing the news that the Ark of the Covenant is captured, Eli falls off his seat backward, breaks his neck and dies.

The Ark is transported throughout Philistia and wreaks havoc in the land.

A.

Israel suffers two defeats before the Philistines (4:1-11)

1.

The First Defeat: Israel is Defeated before the Philistines (v.1-9)

/a)        /The Routing: (v.1-2):

The Philistines kill 4,000 Israelites in the first encounter.

§           And the word of Samuel came to all Israel (v.1a): this does not mean that Samuel gave instruction for war.

Some manuscript traditions make it clear the Philistines initiated this war.

§           Israel went out to battle against the Philistines (v.1)… and were defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men  (v.2):

The Philistines, are mentioned nearly 150 times in 1 and 2 Samuel alone.

1)        The Philistines had much influence from far away Greece.

Greek military equipment (such as helmets, shields, coats of mail, swords and spears) made the Philistines formidable opponents.

The Philistines were the first people in Canaan to process iron, and they made the most of it.

/b)        /The Rallying (v.3-9):

Because of this defeat, the Israelites decide to go to Shiloh and bring the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield to /encourage/ Israel and /frighten/ the Philistines.

But the Philistines stage a rally as well.

§           Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?

(v.3):

The question the elders had asked showed that they had a clear understanding that the Lord fought their battles.

But Rather than getting on their faces & seeking God in repentance, they blame Him. 

1)        /Don’t Blame The Lord For Our Disasters.

/It is interesting to me how that so often when disaster strikes, people just want to blame God.  /They don’t want to look at or examine their hearts/.

(a)      If they would have had a time of national repentance and prayer, seeking God, and coming to Samuel and saying, “Samuel, seek the LORD for us; and find out if God wants us to go to battle against the Philistines,” then surely the LORD would have directed them & they would not have experienced defeat.

(b)      I find it very interesting that people who don’t really want anything to do with God, to seek His guidance, to submit their lives to Him, they only want to blame Him when things go wrong.

That’s the way Israel was, like so many people today: just blaming God for the tragedies and the calamities, but never seeking God for guidance and direction for their lives.

(c)      Numbers 14:36-45: The spies destroyed the people’s faith & trust in God.

Which lead to murmur and complaining against the Lord.

In this case defeat clearly demonstrated the Lord was not with them.

(d)      1 Samuel 17:45-47: The boy David had great trust and dependence on God!

 

/c)         /The Trusting in the “magical power” of the Ark:  

§            Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord… /it/ may save us from the hand of our enemies (v.3b-4).

After the defeat in battle with the Philistines, with the loss of 4, 000 men, the elders of Israel, decided the next battle could be won if they took the Ark of the Covenant with their soldiers.

I trusted in having the Bible in my passenger seat.

1)        /The Ark Had Gone Into Battle Before & there were miracles Connected With it/.

(a)      /The Jordon River Was Divided (Joshua 3:8-17 ; 4:7)/

(b)      /The Fall of the Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-8)/.

(c)      /The Fall of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1-4) & the Plague of the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:6-12)/

(d)      Later, during the rebellion launched by Absalom, David had the right perspective, he knew the ark was not a “lucky charm,” so he he sent it back to Jerusalem when he fled the city from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:24-25).

2)        /The Ark Was The Most Sacred Instrument Of the Jews Religion.

/

(a)      /The Presence of God Dwelt There (Exodus 25:22).

/There were many other things which they held holy; but this ark always stood in the most holy place, and it was rendered doubly sacred, because, between the outstretched wings of those cherubic figures that rested upon the mercy-seat, there was usually to be seen a bright light, called the Shekinah, which manifested that Jehovah, the God of Israel, who dwelt between the cherubims, was there (Spurgeon).

(b)      /It Represented The Throne Of God Among The People Of Israel/.

It was kept in the most holy place of the tabernacle never seen by the people.

In that most holy place, only the high priest would enter and see the ark, and only once a year.

Yet, they wanted to take this /representation of the throne of God /out of the holy of holies, cover it, and take it into battle with them.

It would give them confidence God was really with them.

/d)        /In Our Defeats We Must “Seek” & “Inquire of the Lord”.

1)        WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK THE LORD?

It means you will:

(a)      /Put God First In Your Lives/.

No matter what happens to us or around us, we choose to obey God, follow God, and have a daily and intimate relationship with God.

(b)      /Want The Lord In Your Life.

/Those who seek the Lord are in pursuit of the Lord.

They talk to Him, listen to Him, and are eager to consult Him at all times.

(c)      /Be Reading God’s Word On A Regular Basis.//

/Over time, we will grow in our understanding of the fullness of God’s plan and His desires for us.

(d)      /Be Asking The Holy Spirit To Lead And Guide Our Daily Decisions./

We will turn often to the Lord and ask, “Is this something You want me to have?

Is this something that has Your stamp of approval on it?

Is this something that is right for my life?”

(e)      /Consult God First & Foremost In All Matters /(Prov.3:5-6;

16:3; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 26:5; 1 Samuel 23:2-4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19-20, 22-25; 21:1)

1.

To inquire is to ask, and to continue to ask until an answer is received.

We do this when we shut ourselves away with God and His Word, and as we read God’s Word, we continually ask or inquire of the Lord (2 Kings 22:13).

2)        EXPECT AN ANSWER.

“How can you be sure that it was the Lord speaking to you?”

(a)      I’m familiar with His voice—Illustration of Mom calling me to dinner

(b)      John 10:2-4—Give Background on these verses.

Any person who immerses himself daily in the Word of God and who is in an intimate relationship with the Lord, communicating daily with Him through prayer and meditating on His Word, will know when God speaks.

3)        REWARDS GO TO THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.

In these following verses, note especially that /blessing/ and /righteousness/ are the rewards of those who seek God with a /humble /and /repentant heart/:

q         Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.

(2 Chronicles 19:3 NKJV)

q         But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause-- (Job 5:8 NKJV)

q         The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

(Psalms 14:2 NKJV)

q         He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This /is/ Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face (Psalms 24:5-6)

q         One /thing/ I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.

(Psalms 27:4)

q         /When You said/, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek.

(Psalms 27:8)

q         O God, You /are/ my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

(Psalms 63:1-2 NKJV)

q         The humble shall see /this and/ be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

(Psalms 69:32)

q         I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

(Proverbs 8:17)

q         With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early (Isaiah 26:9)

q         But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

(Matthew 6:33 NKJV)

 

What are some truths we might summarize from these verses?

§            When we seek the Lord, He makes Himself known to us.

He is forever accessible and available to those who seek Him.

§            We are wise to seek God anytime we have sinned, and to do so with prayer, fasting, and a genuinely humble heart.