The Chapter-A-Day thread. (2)

[agamemnonoftroy]

Re: 1 Samuel 5: So the Philistines have the ark of God and they put it into the temple of Dagon, right beside the God they worshiped (Dagon the fish-god).

And lo and behold, the next morning they go in there and their god Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of God. (sometimes i wonder if God has a sense of humor)

Sooooo they set him back up, and the NEXT morning they go in there, and it must'a reeeeeeally shook 'em cuz Dagon not only was, again, fallen on his face before the ark of God, his palms were cut off and so was his head! And he was only a stump. THEN it says in verse 5:

verse 5: Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

This means that they were so shook up that the priests nor ANYONE ever set foot into Dagon's temple again, right?

And God plagued them with emerods (Tumors; hemorrhoids) in verse 6:

verse 6: But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

Soooooo they get even more scared and desperately try to take the ark of God elsewhere (i wonder how they even got it if no one ever set foot into Dagon's temple again?)

So there they are, carrying the ark of God, and they take it to Gath. And here's what happened in verse 9:

verse 9: And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

And in verses 10-12 the chapter ends with a severe reminder of WHO is God, and that HE is El Elyon, the living God and there is NONE like Him, and a reminder of WHOSE ark it is.

10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Brinny

Thank you for your wonderfully detailed study of
I Samuel Chapter 5

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

I Samuel Chapter 6

The Philisitines had captured the ark of the covenant. But every where they put it, it made everyone sick. So the Philistines called their own priests and asked how the could get rid of the ark of the covenant and send it back.

The priests of the Philistines told them to make five gold images and five gold mice and send the back with the ark, as a trespass offering for taking away the ark of the covenant. (Chapter 6 verse 4)

The Philistines sent the ark of the covenant back to Beth-shemesh where the people were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley.

And they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it.
(Chapter 6 verse 13)

 

[brinny]

Re; 1 Samuel 6: What's interesting here in this chapter is that the Philistines kept the ark of God SEVEN months in their country? THEN they are advised what to do, and that is to return the ark to Bethshemesh, but not only that, but to make graven images: mice of gold and the images of their emerods, and put those beside the ark, in a box.

WHAT exactly did they think they were going to accomplish? They send this "peace" offering...in other words, they "believed" this God of Israel exists, yet they did not "turn" to Him. They consulted "diviners" for advice on a peace offering to the God of Israel.

In verse 19, it looks like the Israelites were just as bad as the Philistines. Here's an indication that they did not KNOW their God nor did they "fear" Him or they never would've done what they did:

verse 19: And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

Brinny

Thank you for your wonderful comments on Chapter 6.

This was mostly an interesting stimulating chapter.

But there were just a few verses that I did not understand.

Verse 19 was too difficult for me.

So I chose not to comment on verse 19.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

Brinny

Chapter 6 is a good chapter up to verse 13. The Philistines were desperate to send the ark of the covenant back to Israel.

The Philistines understood that the God of Israel was greater than there own gods.

I myself have been in situations where I felt I had to get out.

I felt It worth paying a few pounds to wash my hands of it and only wish I had never got involved in the first place.

To that extent I sympathised with the Philistines.

The Philistines genuinely wished the had never taken the ark of the covenant.

 

[brinny]

verse 19 is referring to how the Israelites should've know their God only allowed the appointed Priest to come near the ark and to sacrifice to God. To LOOK INTO the holy Ark of God was a total disregard for and a dismissing of God's holy-ness. That's why they were killed. They profaned the very holyness of God...

profane: treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

verse 19 is referring to how the Israelites should've know their God only allowed the appointed Priest to come near the ark and to sacrifice to God. To LOOK INTO the holy Ark of God was a total disregard for and a dismissing of God's holy-ness. That's why they were killed. They profaned the very holyness of God...

profane: treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect.

Brinny

Thank you for your explanation of verse 19.

I like chapter 6. We have all started projects that turn out problematical.

And like the Philistines we look back and wish we had never got involved.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

I Samuel Chapter 7

In chapter 7 the Israelites put away the pagan god Baalim and all their other false gods, and returned to worship the one true God of Israel.

Once again God began to bless Israel. The Philistines moved again against Israel and God hit them with a thunderstorm and destroyed the army of the Philistines.
I Samuel 7 verse 10

Samuel was judge over Israel, and Israel prospered.

Quiz Question
What army in the Bible was destroyed by a thunderstorm ?

 

[brinny]

The Philistines?

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

The Philistines?

Yes Brinny

This is the only time that I know of where God destroys an army with a thunder storm.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

I Samuel Chapter 8

When Samuel became old he appointed his sons as judges buth his sons were evil. So the people went to Samuel and demanded a king to judge them, beause all the other nations had a king. Samuel asked God what to do, and God replied that the Israelites should have a king, instead the religious judges that they had up till that time.

 

[brinny]

Yes Brinny

This is the only time that I know of where God destroys an army with a thunder storm.

It's the first time i've heard of it...wow, that would be doubly scary, cuz they can be terrifying....

 

[brinny]

I Samuel Chapter 8

When Samuel became old he appointed his sons as judges buth his sons were evil. So the people went to Samuel and demanded a king to judge them, beause all the other nations had a king. Samuel asked God what to do, and God replied that the Israelites should have a king, instead the religious judges that they had up till that time.

That's sad that Samuel's sons were evil......

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

I Samuel Chapter 9

Samuel tells Saul that he is going to be the first king of Isreal.
It was God that selected Saul, and sent him to Samuel.

 

[brinny]

Saul was TALL, mon....

 

[brinny]

....it's interesting that prophets used to be called "seers"

vs 19 ~And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

Saul was TALL, mon....

From his shoulders upward Saul was higher than any of the people.

I Samuel 9 verse 2

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

I Samuel Chapter 10

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon Saul's head and kissed him. The Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance.

I Samuel 10 verse 1

And all the people shouted and said, God save the king.
Verse 24

 

[brinny]

Re: 1 Samuel 10: this verse really stands out, for although God gave them what they requested, by requesting a king, they rejected their God, and had therefore sinned:

verse 19: And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands.

 

[agamemnonoftroy]

Re: 1 Samuel 10: this verse really stands out, for although God gave them what they requested, by requesting a king, they rejected their God, and had therefore sinned:

verse 19: And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands.

Brinny

Saul was never considered to be one of the great kings of Isreal.

David is the next king. David is considered to be the greatest king of Israel.
King Solomon follows King David. King Solomon is also thought to have been a very good king.