I Samuel 6
Philistines ask how they should return Ark of Godverses 1-2
And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months
and the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners
saying
What shall we do to the ark of the LORD?
tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place
Philistine priests told them to send it with a giftverse 3
And they said
IF you send away the ark of the God of Israel – send it not empty
BUT in any wise return HIM a trespass offering
THEN you shall be healed – and it shall be known to you why
HIS hand is not removed from you
Philistine people wanted to know what type of giftverses 4-6
Then said they
What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to HIM?
They answered
Five golden hemorrhoids – five golden mice
according to the number of the lords of the Philistines
for one plague was on you all – and on your lords
Wherefore you shall make images of your hemorrhoids
and images of your mice that mar the land
and you shall give GLORY to the God of Israel
peradventure HE will lighten HIS hand
from off you – from off your gods
from off your land
Wherefore then do you harden your hearts
as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?
when HE was wrought wonderfully among them
did they not let the people go
and they departed?
Philistine built new cart and test cowsverses 7-9
Now therefore make a new cart – and take two milch kine
on which there has come no yoke – and tie the kine to the cart
and bring their calves home from them
And take the ark of the LORD – and lay it upon the cart
and put the jewels of gold
which you return HIM for a trespass offering
in a coffer by the side thereof
and sent it away – that it may go
And see – if it goes up by the way of his own cost to Beth-shemesh
then HE has done us this great evil
BUT if not – then we shall know that it is not HIS hand that smote us
it was a chance that happened to us
Cows went straight to Israel with Arkverses 10-12
And the men did so – and took two milch kine – and tied them to the cart
and shut up their calves at home
and they laid the ark of the LORD on the cart
and the coffer with the mice of gold
and the images of their hemorrhoids
And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh
and went along the highway – lowing as they went
and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left
and the lords of the Philistines went after them to
the border of Beth-shemesh
People of Beth-shemesh rejoiced and sacrificedverses 13-16
And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley
and they lifted up their eyes – and saw the ark
and rejoiced to see it
And the cart came into the field of Joshua – a Beth-shemite
and stood there where there a great stone
and they clave the wood of the cart
and offered the kine a burnt offering to the LORD
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD
and the coffer that was with it – wherein the jewels of gold were
and put them on the great stone
and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings
and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it
they returned to Ekron the same day
Golden hemorrhoids represented cities of Philistinesverses 17-18
And these are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned for a
trespass offering to the LORD – for Ashdod one – for Gaza one
for Askelon one – for Gath one – for Ekron one
And the golden mice – according to the number of all the cities of the
Philistines belonging to the five lords – both of fenced cities
and of country villages – even unto the great stone of Abel
whereon they set down the ark of the LORD
which stone remains to this day in
the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite
Seventy men of Beth-shemesh killedverses 19-20
And HE smote the men of Beth-shemesh
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
And the men of Beth-shemesh said
Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God?
And to whom shall HE go up from us?
Messengers sent to Kirjath-jearim to come get Arkverse 21
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim
Saying
The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD
Come ye down – and fetch it up to you
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. (7495 “healed” [rapha] means cure, repaired, personal distress, be made healthy again, or restored)
DEVOTION: Israel is warned not to use diviners in Deut. 18: 9- 19. It was a sin for them to even consider these false prophets in their search for truth. The Philistines had no problem consulting them. They told them what they thought they should do and so they did it. They wanted to be cured of the plague that was killing many of the people in the cities of the Philistines.
They told them to use milch kine or cows that were nursing their calves. They were to keep the calves in the barns and send the mothers to see if it was really the LORD who was causing the plague.
The milking cows left their calves and went to Beth-shemesh to show the lords of the Philistines that it was the LORD who caused the plague in their cities. They watched the cows and then returned to their cities.
Our world doesn’t understand that when it doesn’t honor the LORD, HE has to judge the world. HE does it in many ways today to show the world that HE is still in control.
We have many false teachers talking about global warming and we have found that in the last few years HE has shown that it is not global warming that is happening because of the intense cold HE has sent into our world. Now they want to use the words “climate change” and those who know the history of climate also know that the patterns that are happening today have happened before in our history.
Our world needs to be restored to a healthy understanding of what the LORD is really doing in our nations. HE wants them to realize that HE is in control. HE wanted the Philistines to know that HE was not going to let them get away with their sin of touching the Ark of the Covenant. HE is going to show us that HE is in control of our climate and what is happening in our world. HE is trying to get the attention of our world just like HE wanted to get the attention of the pagan world in those days in Israel’s history.
CHALLENGE: God is not asleep. HE has not lost control. We have to acknowledge HIM before our world.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 And see, if it goes up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us. (4745 “chance” [miqreh] means an accident, fortune; something befallen, event, or hap).
DEVOTION: The world around us believes that things happen by accident. They say when something bad happens that it is just bad luck. Or they might say that their karma is not right. Or it just happens.
The Philistine lords wanted to know if the plague was from the LORD or it just happened by chance. They send the Ark of the LORD on a cart pulled by two milch kine, on which, was never a yoke. They had young kine who needed fed but this was the test. Would the mother kine leave their young behind and go toward the Israelite city of Beth-shemite. If the mother kine left their young and headed in that direction it was of the LORD and if not then it just happened. The kine went toward the city lowing or crying as they went. They didn’t want to leave their young but a greater power was driving them away from them. It was the LORD!!!
If we are a believer in the Sovereignty of God, we know that nothing happens, by luck or chance or karma. We know that the “steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” WE know that God is in control. HE knows the beginning from the end. HE has a plan for our lives and HE is working HIS plan.
Do we have choices? Yes. Because HE is omniscient, HE knows what choices we will make before we make them. Does HE ever force us to sin? NO!!! Each trial that comes the way of a Christian is for that individual’s growth in the LORD.
This same word was used of Ruth working in the field of Boaz and here it is used of a plague that has come upon the Philistines. People seem to think that God is not in control of the past, present and future. HE IS. Once we realize that HE has a plan and is working HIS plan, we can face what is going on in our lives.
HE wants us to be more Christ-like before we die and HE is working toward that end in our lives. HE really likes to stretch us, but nothing is happening by chance.
The Philistines were not believers in the LORD. They had their own gods. They were just seeing if the LORD had any power. They found out that HE did. Did they become believers? NO!!!
Many people see the power of God working but still reject becoming a follower of Christ. It is our prayer that no one reading these devotionals has chosen to not become a follower of Christ. Remember there are two places that are going to be full for eternity: heaven and the lake of fire or hell. The choice is real. Not everyone is going to heaven. More are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire than in heaven.
CHALLENGE: When things happen in our lives we need to realize that the LORD is working. Circumstances can bring us closer to the LORD or further away. Choose to grow closer to the LORD. HE is Sovereign over individuals, animals and creation.
: 13 And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. (8055 “rejoiced” [samach] means glad, joy, merry, to gladden, to feel happiness or joy, exult at, or appears to be that o fa joyful and cheerful countenance)
DEVOTION: The Ark of the Covenant was taken in battle by the Philistines It had been out of the hands of the children of Israel for seven months. Their place of worship was gone. The presence of the LORD was gone because of the sin of the people.
They had depended on the Ark rather than God to help them win the battle. Now they knew that it was not the ark that gave them victory but the LORD.
Once they saw the Ark of the Covenant returning to them they were happy. They knew that if the Ark was in their midst they could worship the LORD again properly. They could offer sacrifices that would please the LORD and bring blessings back to them.
However, we find that they offered sacrifices but they also didn’t treat the Ark of the Covenant with the respect it deserved.
The priests were the only ones who should look into the Ark. The people thought they could look in and not suffer the consequences from the LORD.
We need to make sure that we reverence the LORD in all that we say and do. If we do things that are not respectful to HIM, HE will judge us for our disrespect.
Today we don’t have an Ark of the Covenant to show us the presence of the LORD. However, we have common practices like the LORD’S Supper that we celebrate on a monthly basis in most churches. If we enter into the LORD’S Supper without examining ourselves we enter into it without the respect the LORD wants us to have for it.
In the New Testament we find that those who didn’t respect the LORD’S Supper were killed of the LORD for this disrespect.
CHALLENGE: We are to honor the LORD in all that we do. We need to be sure that we enter into HIS presence with Godly fear and reverence.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering to the LORD. (5927 “offered” [‘alah] means to present a burnt sacrifice to a deity as an offering, to bring up, to cause to ascend or climb, bring up of gifts, to exalt, climb, be taken up, or offer a sacrifice)
DEVOTION: Beth-she-mesh was a Levitical town. They knew the meaning of the return of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. They were excited that it was returned to Israel. The first thing they did was offer the cows as a sacrifice to the LORD.
They cut up the carts and offered the cows as an offering to the LORD to show HIM how thankful they were to receive the Ark back.
When God’s people are excited about what is happening in their world they want to offer sacrifices to the LORD. This should be true today just like it was in the days in the book of I Samuel.
What do you do when the LORD gives you a great blessing? Do you offer sacrifices to the LORD or do you just expect HIM to bless you and expect more without saying “THANK YOU” to HIM?
We need to be a thankful people if we expect the LORD to continue to bless us on are regular basis. This is a habit that needs to be developed in our life and in the lives of our families and churches.
When was the last time you offered a thank offering to the LORD? When was the last time you said thank you to the LORD?
CHALLENGE: Always thank the LORD for the blessing HE sends your way. HE will reward your actions.
: 19 And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, 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. (5221 “smote” [nakah] means slay, kill, beat, slaughter, strike dead, be struck down, destroyed, conquer, subjugate, or ravage)
DEVOTION: There are some verses in the Bible that cause problems for those who are translators. They have to work with many manuscripts that are only partial. There are problems with numbers at times because of those scribes that wrote out the Bible from generation to generation.
Here we have a question as to whether there were 50,000 men in the town of Beth-she-mesh. There were a group of men who looked into the Ark of the Covenant which only the High Priest was to see. These men were killed because they disobeyed a command of the LORD. No one but the High Priest was supposed to see inside. It was the law.
Now the town was made up of Levites so they knew the Law and they were judged because of it. It is thought that only 70 men died because they looked into the Ark. The fifty thousand number is not in the best manuscripts.
We are to be obedient servants of the LORD. Even those who are in ministry have to be obedient and not overstep their authority. These Levites had overstepped their authority and the LORD judged them for it.
The LORD will do the same to us today. HE wants us to be obedient to our calling. Some are called to be pastor/teachers. Some are called to be prophets. Some are called to be evangelists. Some are called to be apostles. This is all according to Ephesians 4: 11. Each leader has a calling and needs to stay within their calling.
The Levites were called to help the priests. The priests were called to help the High Priest. The High Priest was called to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to offer atonement for himself first and then for the nation. Each had their individual responsibility and if they worked outside their office they would be judged of the LORD as they were in this case.
CHALLENGE: God is a HOLY and JUST God who wants us to obey HIM at all times. HE will chasten those who are disobedient. Sometimes the chastening is death!!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SOUL
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Ark of the LORDverses 1, 2, 15
Ark of the God of Israelverse 3
Trespass offeringverses 3, 4, 8, 17
Healing
Five golden emerods
Five golden miceverses 4, 18
Jewels of gold
Ark of the LORDverses 11, 18, 19, 21
Offered burnt offeringverse 15
Levitesverse 15
Great stone of Abelverse 18
Field of Joshua
Beth-shemite
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 2, 8, 11, 14, 15, 17-21
Ark of the LORDverses 1, 2, 8, 11, 15, 18, 19, 21
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 3, 5, 20
Ark of the God of Israelverse 3
God of Israelverse 5
Philistines to give HIM glory
Holy LORD Godverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Philistinesverses 1, 2, 12, 17, 18, 21
Trespass offering of Philistinesverse 4
Five golden mice
Five golden emerods
Heal the plague
Lords of the Philistinesverses 4, 12, 16
Egyptiansverse 6
Pharaohverse 6
Kine went lowing but away from their youngverses 7-12
Ekronverses 16, 17
Ashdodverse 17
Gazaverse 17
Askelonverse 17
Gathverse 17
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
False priestsverse 2
Divinersverse 2
Worshiping false godsverse 5
Hard heartsverse 6
Evilverse 9
Belief in chanceverse 9
Looking into Ark of the LORDverse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Healedverse 3
Give glory to Godverse 5
Rejoiceverse 13
Offeringsverses 14, 15, 17
Sacrificesverse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israelverses 3, 5
Beth-shemeshverses 9, 12-14
Field of Joshuaverse 14
Offered sacrifice to LORD
Smote men of Beth-shemeshverses 19-20
Looked in Ark
Inhabitants of Kirjath-jearimverse 21
Fetch the ark of the LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
The Israelites in the harvest field rejoiced to see the ark returned. However, they became curious and looked into the ark (vv. 19–20), and God had to judge them. The numbers in v. 19 have created a problem, for there were not 50,000 people in that little village. In Hebrew, letters are used for numbers, and it is easy for a scribe to miscopy or misread a letter. It is likely that seventy men were judged instantly, certainly a “great slaughter” for such a small village. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (1 Sa 5–6). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
6:19 looked into the ark. This action on the part of the men of Beth-shemesh constituted the sin of presumption. This is first addressed in Nu 4:20 and is mentioned again in 2Sa 6:6, 7. fifty thousand and seventy men. Some debate whether this figure is too large. However, retaining the larger number is more consistent with the context of “a great slaughter,” and the reference to 30,000 in 4:10 (cf. 11:8). However, a scribal error could have occurred, in which case the number would omit the 50,000 and likely be “seventy,” as in Josephus. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Sa 6:19). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
6:19–21 But the men of Beth Shemesh did not treat the ark of the Lord as holy; they had looked into the ark. As a result, God struck fifty thousand and seventy of them. Fearful of having the ark remain in their midst, the people sent messengers to the men of Kirjath Jearim, and asked them to take the ark. (It is doubtful that there were 50,070 men at Beth Shemesh. Josephus, Keil and Delitzsch,7 and many other authorities say that the text should simply read seventy men, since the 50,000 is lacking in many Hebrew manuscripts.) (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 301). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
6:13–7:1. The Israelites were so overjoyed to see the ark after seven months (6:1) that they offered a sacrifice of the cows to the Lord at Beth Shemesh, the border town where the ark had been directed, about 15 miles west of Jerusalem (see the map “The Wanderings of the Ark of the Covenant”). Unfortunately the people of Beth Shemesh not only rejoiced at the return of the ark (6:13) and offered … sacrifices in worship (6:14–15), but they desecrated it by opening it and looking inside (6:19) perhaps to see if the stone tablets of the Law were still there. This violated the Mosaic statute that only Levites could handle the ark and not even they could touch it directly, to say nothing of looking within it (Num. 4:5, 15, 20). Disobedience in this respect would bring death. The sin of the people of Beth Shemesh was a deliberate, “high-handed” violation of the clear will of God (1 Sam. 6:19; cf. 2 Sam. 6:6–7). (According to the niv and a few Heb. mss., 70 people were put to death. Most Heb. mss., however, have 50,070. This seems an unusually large number, but it may be accounted for in some yet unknown way.) The point, of course, is that not only unbelievers (the Philistines) suffer when the Law of the Lord is disregarded; believers (the Israelites) also suffer when they do not conform to His strict requirements. After this disaster at Beth Shemesh the ark was moved again (1 Sam. 6:21), this time to Kiriath Jearim (modern Abu Ghosh, about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem). No doubt the ark was taken there rather than to Shiloh, because the latter was destroyed by the Philistines, perhaps after the battle of Aphek (chap. 4; cf. Jer. 26:9). The ark remained in the custody of the family of Abinadab (1 Sam. 7:1) for about 100 years. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 437–438). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
6:19 The Lord brought judgment upon certain men of Beth Shemesh who were guilty of the presumptuous sin of gazing into the ark. They had shown a lack of reverence for the holy things of God and had directly violated Mosaic law (Num. 4:20). (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 355). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 19. And he smote the men of Beth-shcmesh, &c.] That is, God smote them, though they had received the ark with such expressions of joy, and had offered sacrifices on account of it; yet sinning in one particular after mentioned, which was highly resented, they were smitten by him with a thunderbolt, as Josephus says: because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; which was forbidden the Levites, Numb. 4:20. out of curiosity these men opened the ark, to see whether the Philistines had taken any thing out of it, or put any thing into it; and this, when in the tabernacle, being only to be seen by the high-priest; and supposing they should never have the like opportunity again, to look upon the tables of the law which were in it, took it; and the rather they might be emboldened to this action, since it had been in the bands of the uncircumcised Philistines, who had profaned it; and as yet not restored to its pristine purity, holiness, and place: even he smote of the people 50,000 and 70 men; but as Beth-shemesh was but a small place, a village, as Josephus calls it, and it seems not likely that there should be such a number of persons in it, and especially that should look into the ark; or that God, who is good and merciful, should destroy so large a number for this offence, however he might think fit to make an example of some, it is thought that the case was not as our version represents it. Some who think there were so many slain, yet distinguish them, 70 of the elders of the people, and 50,000 of the congregation, or common people, as the Targum; which accounts not for the difficulty at all: others think that only 70 of the men of Beth-shemesh died, and that 50,000 were such as flocked out of the country on this occasion; but as this was on the same day the ark came into those parts, it can hardly be thought that so great a number should be got together so soon; and still less that they should all of them open the ark, and look into it. Abarbinel is of opinion that only 70 men of Beth-shemesh were slain, and that the other 50,000 were the Philistines that died on account of the ark while it was among them; and reads the words, with the men of Beth-shemesh he smote—even he smote of the people 70; that is, of the men of Beth-shemesh; 50,000, that is, of the Philistines, and so this gives the sum of all that died on account of the ark, both whilst it was in the hands of the Philistines, and when returned to Beth-shemesh, which is not an improbable sense: but others, and perhaps more truly, think that only 70 persons were smitten with death; for the order in which this account is given is different from all others in the Hebrew text, the lesser number being put first with a considerable distinguishing accent upon it, whereas the greater number is always expressed first; it stands thus, of the people 70 men; 50,000 men; 5,000, according to the Syriac and Arabic versions. Josephus is express for it that only 70 men were slain, and so some of the ancient Jewsc; who say that these 70 were equal to 50,000, because of their superior excellency and dignity, as Ben Gersom observes, being the priests of the Lord, or the sanhedrim; but Bochart’s sense seems to be preferable to all others, that there is a defect of the particle מ, out of; and so to be read, either seventy men out of fifty thousand; that out of the 50,000 that flocked on this occasion from divers parts, 70 were smitten for the reason before given; or rather 70 men, 50 out of 1,000 men; that is, a 20th part of the number of them, so that, out of 1,400,70 men were struck with death for their curiosity. Something of this story seems to be retained by tradition among the Heathens; we are toldf, that when Troy was taken an ark was found, in which was the image of Bacchus; which being opened by Eurypylus, he was struck with madness as soon as he saw the image: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter; I see no occasion for the supplement many; it was a great slaughter, if we consider the awful manner in which it was made, by thunder and lightning, as may be supposed; however, by an immediate stroke from heaven; and the persons on whom it was made, men of a sacred character, priests and Levites; and a great number, considering it was but a small city. Hence the place was called Abel, which signifies weeping, mourning, lamentation, ver. 18. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 444–445). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God’s moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human. (Quiet Walk)
Waiting in Hope
Simeon . . . was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
Luke 2:25
In the movie Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, a college professor befriended a stray Akita puppy named Hachi. The dog expressed his loyalty by waiting at the train station each day for the professor to return from work. One day, the professor suffered a fatal stroke. Hachi waited hours at the train station, and for the next ten years he returned each day—awaiting His loving master.
Luke tells the story of a man named Simeon who patiently waited for the coming of his Master (Luke 2:25). The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he saw the Messiah (v. 26). As a result, Simeon kept waiting for the One who would provide “salvation” for God’s people (v. 30). When Mary and Joseph entered the temple with Jesus, the Holy Spirit whispered to Simeon that He was the One! The wait was finally over! Simeon held Christ in his arms—the hope, salvation, and comfort for all people (vv. 28-32).
If we find ourselves in a season of waiting, may we hear the words of the prophet Isaiah with fresh ears: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). As we await Jesus’ return, He provides the hope and strength we need for each new day. By Marvin Williams
THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES THE SON
He shall glorify me.
John 16:14
After the Lord Jesus Christ went back to heaven, He sent upon the church the Holy Spirit, and the business and work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son. Now this is a marvelous statement. We do not see the Holy Spirit—He is invisible, and in a sense that is because His work is to glorify the Son. Indeed, we read about the Holy Spirit in John 16:14 the same thing that we read elsewhere about the Son. Our Lord says that the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself, but “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” We are told precisely the same thing about the Son in relation to the Father. Therefore, the great controlling thought we must hold in our minds is that the chief work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
In a sense the final glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ was the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are told in John’s Gospel that the Holy Spirit was not yet come because Jesus was not yet glorified. We see this in the great promise our Lord made one day in the Temple when He said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). And John expounds on that: “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” So the Holy Spirit could not be given until Christ had finished the work the Father had given Him to do, until He had died and risen again, until He had ascended and taken His seat at the right hand of God. God then said, in effect, “I give You the promise; You send it upon the people.”
A Thought to Ponder
The chief work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 86-87, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
According to the Word
“Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:169)
The closing 22nd stanza of Psalm 119 repeats many of the themes of the previous 21 and summarizes this epic to the majesty of the Word of God
Seven passages contain prayer for “understanding,” which depends on the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds (John 14:26). Our finite minds cannot understand God’s eternal truths apart from revelation and the “mind of Christ” granted at salvation (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Thirteen passages use “according to thy word.” Nothing that we can do pleases God more than our efforts to “magnify” His Word in our lives and ministries (Psalm 138:2). Every sentient creature will be judged by what is “written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).
Eight stanzas include the prayer to have God “teach.” Again, apart from the Holy Spirit in our “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), we would be empty of both understanding and wisdom. Through reading and meditating on God’s Word after salvation, we grow effective and gain maturity.
The writer also promised in eight stanzas to “not forget.” Our minds need to become stabilized with memorized Scripture and our hearts ready and sanctified with the stored Word of God so that we can “give an answer” both to those who ask us (1 Peter 3:15) and when we need guidance for our own life decisions (Colossians 1:10).
The psalm ends with a prayer for all: “Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments” (Psalm 119:173-176). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
Always pray to have eyes to see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith I God AMEN!
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