PLS I BEG U....READ THIS POST..... EXPECT YOUR MIRACLE! » GOD’S BLESSING RESTS WHERE HIS PRESENCE DWELLS Posted at 11:42 pm under original sermons Text: 2 Samuel 6:11 “And the ark of the Lord continued to dwell in the house of Obed Edom, three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his household.” The ark of God represented God’s presence . It normally went before the Isrealites into battle – no one could touch it or look into it, or he would die. In 1 Samuel, chapters 3-6, the ark was not taken before them in a battle with the Philistines. I do not know the reason, but by reading chapters 2 and 3 of 1 Samuel, I thought of a few possible reasons. Eli, the priest, was an old man, and his two sons, Hophini, and Phinias, were doing the priestly work. These men are descirbed as being anything but holy. They refused to abide by the rules concerning sacrifices, and took not what was assigned to them of the sacrifices, but whatever portion they desired. In chapters 2 and 3, Eli is told by the child, Samuel, and by a man of God, that destruction would come to his household and that his two sons would die. I give you this background to show a possible reason for the ark not being reverenced like it should have been, and not being taken into battle. Eli was weak concerning his sons – his son’s were sinful. The ark was kept in the tabernacle, and it should have gone to the battle. The Israelistes needed God’s presence in the battle – we as well need His presence with us. In this battle, the Israelites lost 4,000 men. They realized that they needed the ark to go with them to the next battle, but still they were defeated and lost 30,000 men. Was it judgement because of the corruption of the priests? We don’t know. The ark was captured as the Philistines engaged Isreal in this second battle. The two ungodly priests (Hophini and Phinias) were killed, and when Eli heard the news that the ark was captured, and his two sons dead, he fell over dead himself. What did the Philistines do with the ark? We will f ind out that the ark could not, and would not, dwell just anywhere! The ark could not dwell amongst unbelievers. The Philistines took the ark, and they put it in the temple of their god, Dagan. In the morning, as the citizens came to view it, the idol had toppled over, face to the ground. They set it up again, and the next morning, the same thing had happened! The idol had toppled over once again, but also, it’s hands and feet were severed; and only the trunk of the body was left. Then the ark went to other places in Philistine territory, and terrible plagues broke out. The ark could not dwell among unbelievers. Finally, the ark was sent home, and the people that saw it come were overjoyed. They made sacrifices to God. Now another judgement took place, as some men looked into the ark and seventy of them perished. They then sent it to another place, and installed a priest to look after it. The ark rema ined there twenty years. The ark could not dwell amongst presumptuous believers. In 2 Samuel, chapter 6, David attemped to bring the ark home to the city of David – but aga in, as the ark shifted on it’s cart, and the priest Uzzah touched it to steady it – he died. The ark could dwell amongst true and righteous believers. David was angry at the Lord, and was afaid to take the ark further, so he turned aside and left it at the home of Obed Edom. The ark could dwell there, as as our text says – in this apparently godly household. Obed Edom and all his household were blessed. How about you? Are you an unbeliever, a presumptuous believer – or a true and righteous believer? Judge yourself by t his old poem: If Jesus Came to Your House If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two, If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do. Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, And all the food you’d serve to Him would be the very best, And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there, That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare. But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor? Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in? Or hide some magaz ines and put the Bible where they’d been? Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard? And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word? Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? And I wonder, if the Savior spent a day or two with you, Would you go right on doing the th ings you always do? Would you go right on saying the th ings you always say? Would life for you cont inue as it does from day to day? Would you sing the songs you always s ing, and read the books you read, And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed? Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go? or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so? Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends? Or would you hope they’d stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on? Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? It might be interesting to know the th ings that you would do If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you. Can God’s presence dwell with you? You will be blessed.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 23:08:32 +0000
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