Not Fair

Q: What does the Bible say about war and its significance?

The Bible affirms that war is part of human history due to the fall and the nature of man, as seen in passages like Matthew 24. War has been a common part of human existence since the fall of man, as indicated in the Bible. Matthew 24 highlights that wars and rumors of wars will be prevalent as a sign of the times. Behind these conflicts lies the nature of man, driven by desires such as greed, hatred, and the thirst for power. The Lord continuously reminded Israel and His people that peace is only truly found in Him, illustrating the chaotic state of the world that exhibits the need for a sovereign God who governs all events, including wars.

Q: Why is God's sovereignty important in understanding human conflict?

God's sovereignty ensures that all events, including wars, serve His divine purposes. Understanding God's sovereignty is essential when examining human conflicts, as it asserts that God governs over all events in history for His eternal purposes. The sermon emphasizes that even in times of war and despair, God is actively working out His plan. He uses conflicts to test and prove His people, ensuring that they rely on Him rather than on their own understanding or resources. Acknowledging God's control over all situations provides believers with peace, knowing that He is orchestrating everything according to His ultimate will.

Q: How do the Israelites respond to defeats in battle?

Instead of repentance, the Israelites often turned to idolatry, seeking solutions from religious symbols rather than God. When faced with defeat, the Israelites frequently responded inappropriately by depending on physical symbols, such as the Ark of the Covenant, rather than humbling themselves before God. Their request to fetch the Ark, believing it could save them, illustrates a profound misunderstanding of their relationship with God. Instead of seeking guidance through prayer and repentance, they treated the Ark as a talisman of power, mirroring how fallen humanity often resorts to rituals in place of genuine faith. This reflects a broader theme in scripture regarding the dangers of idolatry and reliance on outward forms rather than the living God.

Alright, would you join me tonight in the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel chapter 4, we're going to read verse 1 and then we want to go back to chapter 3 for just a couple of verses of scripture that share with us a continuation that's mentioned here. In 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 1, and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now we're not going to read the rest of that verse, we'll come back to that, but the rest of that verse probably has nothing to do with what we find in the first part of this verse. We're going to read about some real interesting things going on in the rest of this chapter.

But if you would look with me back at the previous chapter, chapter 3 of the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 3 of 1 Samuel, verse 19, we have these words. recorded, and I think we just have a continuation there in the first part of that verse 1. It says, And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, where the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the capital word of the Lord, the capital W of the Lord. And then we find the very next phrase mentioned here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4, and the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

We might just interject at this point that when this book, the Old Testament, was written and all the books that make it up, there were no chapter divisions and there were no verse divisions. And how they found things, I have no idea, especially when it was in Hebrew. But anyway, I'm thankful for those who God gave wisdom to go in, but there are from time to time places where the divisions were made that it may not have been the most appropriate. And I think that that's one of those places right here.

So as we get into chapter four, we find out that verse one, the second part, now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle. and pitched beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched at Apec. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, and they slew of the army in the field about 4,000 men." Now, As we look at this, it is not uncommon to find war going on in the Bible.

You know, the Lord mentioned this in His ministry. In three of the four Gospels, He mentioned that. And I would take you over to the book of Matthew, chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. Would you join me there for just a moment as we read the words of the Lord, and I think he was speaking about the time from the fall until today, when we read about this here in the book of Matthew chapter 24. In the book of Matthew chapter 24, we read these words about this subject that we want to look at.

War is a common thing that has gone on in our world since the very beginning of time. I read a book one time and the guy just mentioned it's the nature of man to go to war. And I think that that's part of the fall. We're going to witness it all around us. As much as we want peace, it's going to happen.

And the Lord brought charges against several of the prophets in the Old Testament when they said, peace, peace, and there was no peace. Now, we may look at that in two different factors. They kept saying, we're Israel, therefore God's not going to allow that to happen to us. But when we really get down to it, we find out in everything else, there is no peace except in Christ Jesus, the Lord. That's where our peace is. We will have conflict in this world, but we can have peace in Christ Jesus. We have peace in God Almighty. We can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior. So the Lord mentions here in Matthew chapter 24 verse 4, and Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. What does Christ mean? It means anointed. And many shall come and say, I am anointed of God. I am the anointed of God.

I have a message of God. The most important message that we have to share with people when we start talking about the gospel is we're not talking about a Lord that's trying to do something. We're talking about a sovereign king. Oh, if I could just be honest every day with that very subject, that God is a sovereign king. I had to say today, as Eli said, be it according to the will of God. Just have to say that. And I pray to be settled on that. All right, so he says, be not deceived. Many will come and say, I'm Christ. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled.

I can go downtown in the Dalles and go into a building that was built to commemorate a war to, what? End all wars. World War I. 20 years later, we are in a war to, and it continues on. I appreciated hearing one time, I didn't appreciate it at the time, but after it was over with, I appreciated hearing, will God start a war to save one of his elect? And then I ran into a guy that was on an island in the South Pacific and war brought him to the United States where he got to hear the gospel. So that's God's business to deal with it that way.

So going on, it says, you shall hear of wars and rumors of war. See that you'd be not troubled. Don't be troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. There's going to be wars and rumors of wars. We can go back. Abraham was at war. We can go back before that. There was wars and rumors of wars all through history.

And it's interesting that there are about eight separate noted conflicts between Israel and the Philistines in a very short period of time in the Bible. Eight serious ones, plus all the other conflicts. You know, it's just about like what we see today. They had so many that they just measured the big ones. It was conflict weekly, monthly between the Philistines.

And we're gonna read a passage of scripture in just a moment of why God left those guys in the land when he gave them the land. All right, you shall hear wars and rumors of wars. Verse seven, for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places.

All these things are the beginning of sorrows. You know where the beginning of sorrow started? Right in the Garden of Eden with Adam, ate that forbidden fruit, sorrow started there and has been to here. There has been serious sorrow. And the only place that we have no sorrow is in the salvation that we have in Christ Jesus the Lord. He took our sorrow in that sense. All these things are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you. And it just is interesting, even as we go through the Old Testament, how many people that were arrested and many of them were killed in the book of Hebrews, the latter part of that. Just look at that list of people that were taken out and slain. for the purpose of God and for His salvation.

So it's a serious, serious business that we have. But God said there will be wars, and there will be rumors of wars, and this is just going to go on and on and on, but the end is not yet. And we know the measure of the end when he shall save the very last one that he may have snatched out of a country that had no gospel and brought to a place where there was some gospel."

It's just interesting. There was a book written about the great revivals during the Civil War. Of all times and of all places to have a revival meeting during the Civil War. Well, there's no greater time for need than when people are at conflict. All right, so the rest of this chapter and there are the book of Mark and the book of Luke also bring this subject up.

The Lord brought this up to his disciples and he brought it up to comfort them. He didn't bring it up to scare them to death. He brought it up to comfort them. You're going to see this. It's going to happen. There are going to be wars and rumors of wars. and we find it continuously in the book of Judges, and then we're going to see a lot of it in the book of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, when we're dealing with Saul and we're dealing with David and we're dealing with Solomon. Now, there is a wonderful statement made with regard to Solomon, who is a beautiful picture of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, and that is during his reign, Every man dwelt safely under his own vine. And that's what we have in the true Solomon, the Lord Jesus. We are dwelling safely at rest in this.

All right, join me, if you would, over in the book of Judges. The book of Judges chapter three. In the book of Judges chapter 3, we find why God left the Philistines in the land. Now he promised, and he did fulfill his promise, that he gave them all the land. Here in the book of Judges chapter 3, and some time ago we were here and some time ago we made some comments on this, but I believe it is worth refreshing our memory just a little bit to share with us about these folks that are in this chapter. Judges chapter 3. verse one, excuse me, Judges chapter three, verse one. Now these are the nations which the Lord left. to prove Israel by them. Why did God leave these people in the land? Why did He leave these Philistines that we're dealing with right here in the time of Samuel? Why did He leave them?

It says here, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan. only that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at least such as before knew nothing thereof, namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon from the Mount Baal-Hirmon to the entering in of Amos.

And they were to prove Israel by them to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites and Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And they took their daughters. And there's where we started in what we were in the book of Judges, what a bad thing took place. when they took the daughters of these tribes that were there, God left them there to prove them, and God left them there to try them, and to test them, and to improve them when it came to defending themselves.

So the Lord in all of this, the Lord, Israel and the Philistines in a state of nearly constant warfare for decades, We have almost all of the book of Judges, some conflict going on, and many of that, many of those are with the Philistines. Samson's era, Saul's reign, David's reign, King Hezekiah. They're still dealing with these. You know, it brought to my attention one of the verses about Saul of Tarsus, later named Paul.

You know what? He had a thorn in the flesh. Now, He doesn't tell us exactly what that thorn was, but it was given unto Him. And you know what? He prayed three times that that thorn be removed. And the Lord's answer to Him, as we find it in 2 Corinthians 12, verses 7, 8, and 9, He has answered to Him about that prayer. Let's just go over there and read that. Then I won't misquote it. 2 Corinthians. Chapter 12.

Why did the Apostle Paul have this thorn in the flesh? Now some people say it was his eyesight and some people say it was this and some people would say it was that. Personally, I believe he had enough to say about it. He got to see things in heaven that was not lawful for him to talk about. And so the Lord made sure that he didn't talk about it, and he gave him this thorn in the flesh to remind him, you can't talk about this. Well, that's my opinion.

In 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, we read this. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. Have you ever prayed that something might depart from you? Well, I know Paul did. He prayed that this would be taken from him, this thorn in the flesh.

And here is the answer. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I run a glory in my infirmities. that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And so he pled his case three different times. He prayed about this matter, and this is the answer that God gave to him. And I'm sure that all of us have had situations in our life that we have prayed that would be removed. You know, I wish I could get my memory back. But the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for thee. I'll take care of you. All right.

So we have this Paul's affliction. We're gonna watch the Israelites go up against the Philistines time and time again for the same purpose that God mentions to us in the book of Judges, that he might test them. And they identify themselves very quickly that they don't know the first thing about the gospel of God Almighty. They are going to go after an idol instead of pleading their case with God. We're going to see that right away. So here we have this statement made, the Philistines, as we go back to the book of 1 Samuel there, in 1 Samuel, we know as we look at this whole account that war is so common in every age, and we do know why war is common.

One causes greed. Now, whether it is the Israelites that are greedy or the Philistines are greedy, that doesn't matter. Greed is going to enter into it. Jealousy is going to enter into it. Hatred is going to be entered into it. Desire for power will enter into it. Revenge, religion, pride, and glory. All kinds of things enter into this subject that we're looking at, and most of the time we set aside the most important thing about why.

God's eternal purpose. Don't like to talk about it when it comes to war. We like to talk about it when someone else It's so easy to tell someone else, now you know that all things work together for the good of them that love God to those who are called according to His purpose, don't you? That's easy. The difficult part is when we are faced with it.

So here we have the most common thing, the most of the time we set it aside, and that is God is sovereign in this. He's working out all things according to His eternal purpose among all men everywhere. He's doing His work among His people wherever they are, and this is sometimes the fallout.

Before we get over to 1 Samuel, join me, if you would, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32, we find this verse of scripture that shares with us God, the God that saves his people from their sins, the God that rules and reigns over all things, the God that rules over our families and all the families of the world, the God that saves his people from their sins. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32, there in verse 39, we read these words about God. Now, I realize that in most of the pulpits, in the United States at least, if you read this verse of scripture, you'd probably be asked to leave and not come back. See now that I, God, even I am he, and there is no God with me. And he says, I kill and I make alive. Now we know that happens in two distinct ways.

Who guided the rock to Goliath's forehead? Who provided the ox goad? Who provided the jawbone? who provided all necessary things. Almighty God. It goes on to tell us here, I kill, I make alive. Now, it's wonderful that God does that spiritually for every one of his lost sheep. God's work. We can't accomplish it on our own. We can't even figure out how dead we are on our own, because most of us never admitted that we were really dead. I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

Now that's the God of our salvation. That's the God that takes care of all our business. So God, this God, this very God is the God that is in this book and in this chapter that's sharing with us some great things about people. This chapter is going to share with us, it's going to demonstrate to us the very fall at its worst.

All right, join me if you would now, back in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4, and we'll look at the latter part of that first verse and what follows. In the book of 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 1, we read that part that probably should have been part of the previous chapter, but now, now, in verse 1, now Israel went out against the Philistines. to battle and pitched beside Ebenezer and the Philistines pitched at Apec. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines." Now, this is something that these Israelites just can never come to grips with because they are all saying, we be the children of Abraham, Why would God ever let this happen to us? The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel, and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, and they slew of the army in the field about 4,000 men.

Now what do we do? What would have been the right thing to do? Oh Lord, we have sinned. Oh Lord, you've judged righteously. You have fulfilled that verse of scripture in Deuteronomy so clearly before our eyes that we now know that you rule in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay your hand or say, what doest thou? We realize beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're the almighty God. We bow before you. Give us grace. Give us mercy.

Well, what do they do? They're going to demonstrate what it is to be in the fall. They are going to demonstrate what fallen men, even though they're quite religious, they are of the right tribe, they are of the right group, they are called God's Israel, National Israel. God has taken care of them, protected them, watched over them. He bore them. He cared for them. He brought them into the land. He promised. And here they are in that land.

They have a battle with the Philistines. 4,000 men are lost in that battle. Doesn't tell us how many Philistines were lost, but the Israelites, there were 4,000. And then it tells us in verse three, and when the people were come into the camp, The elders of Israel, now underline that. These are the wise people. These are the judges. These are the people that should know better. Be careful who you go get advice from, because these judges, these elders would have given very poor advice. In fact, they do give poor advice.

It tells us here that these joined, these elders of Israel said, wherefore hath the Lord smitten us this day? For what reason? This is not fair. We're God's people. We should have won that battle. And so they are in a state of consternation about why God would, it's not fair. It is not fair.

You know, there's a first scripture or passage, I want to read it this time. It's in the book of Second Thessalonians. Second Thessalonians chapter two. This passage of scripture that we just read in our reading reminded me of this passage over here in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 that's always put very high in the modern eschatology, eschatology, in times preaching. Very high. I mean, here it is, right here. They almost always miss the point that we find in this verse of scripture.

In the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 1 through 5, we read this. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's coming back. And by our gathering together unto him, we're going to be gathered together with him and unto him. Every believer will be gathered together unto him. He's coming back.

We will be in his presence. that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." Don't get into this dither. You know what we are to be doing? Keeping the main thing? The main thing. Our ministry is not eschatology. Our ministry is preaching Christ and Him crucified. Now he says, don't get into this dither. Be not soon shaken in mind or troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter from us. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

Now, all my growing up time, this is somebody. Now, you know, when I was a kid, it was Richard Nixon. Because his name, spelled backwards or something, would, you know, they had all kinds of signs and wonders that the Pope has been called this so many times. All kinds of people, Hitler, man of sin has to be revealed. We're waiting for the man of sin. He's been revealed right here. We are sinners by nature, sinners by practice, and sinners by choice.

In fact, the next verse shares with us just how these folks were and just how we were before God saves us. It says there, who opposes and exalteth himself above all that is called God. The man of sin will always oppose God and will always argue with God about God's purpose.

Those elders came back and said, it's not fair that God would allow this to happen. 4,000 of our men died out there on the field today. They should have had a shroud about them by God's Holy Spirit and taken care of, but they died. It's not fair. Here we have, they exalted themselves in their own mind above what God intended to do. The sovereignty of God came into question. These guys question God, and so, as it's brought out here, who opposes and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. What does that mean?

What I, as a man, have more value than what God says in his word about God. I disagree with it. I don't know how many times I've had preachers say that. I don't believe that. It's in the book. I don't believe that. That's not right. Well, that's just someone saying, I'm better than God. God has written it, so I'm better than that because I disagree with it.

Well, that's exactly what happened there in Israel at that time when the elders heard about what was going on. Now, the solution that they bring up proves it. They did not say, you know, let's settle down here and figure this out. They said, Let's go right back over there. This is what they said. They're in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4. This is what they bring up as the solution. The solution to the problem that God didn't protect us like he should have. That it's unfair. We have had a defeat and it's not right. Their solution Well, let's just read that. It is, you know, we say, oh my goodness, I'd never do that. Careful what we say. All right, 1 Samuel chapter four, verse five, verse four, it says there, so the people sent to Shiloh. Oh, back up to verse three, there we go.

And when the people were coming to the camp, the elders of Israel said, wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us pray. Let us pray. Find out from the prophet. Let's go to Eli. Let's go to Samuel. Let's find out what's wrong.

Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, notice this phrase, this is idolatry to the core. It may save us out of the hand of our enemies. Isn't that an interesting statement that was made? It may save us out of all our enemies.

When the people were coming to the camp and the elders of Israel said it isn't fair, go fetch the ark. Now who's supposed to carry that ark? the Levite priests and it's a very special family to them. Was it ever to be brought out of that part of the tabernacle and later the temple? No. Was it to be seen by people? No. Was it to be made a idol? No. They turned the Ark of the Covenant into the same thing they turned the brazen serpent into, an idol. You know, after that whole incident was over with, someone says, you know, we better keep this. And they got that brazen serpent off of the pole. And 400 years later, a king by the name of Hezekiah said, we're going to destroy this stupid thing.

And he calls it, and in our languages, it's just a piece of brass. That's what the name he gave him. It's just a piece of brass. There's no godliness about this. It's a picture. It's a type and a shadow. And Jesus uses that picture, that type and that shadow in his ministry. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. But it's just a piece of brass. And here they had lifted that up in some of their groves and were worshiping it.

What are they doing with the Ark of the Covenant right now? Get the Ark of the Covenant. And you know Eli, not Eli, the two sons, Hophni and Phineas, they're the ones that consent to do this. All right, it says, let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant, verse three, of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

Now, how many its are mentioned in religion today as the savior of the people instead of he? It's the communion service. It's the baptismal font. It's the confession. It's the altar. It's the sign your card. On and on it goes down the road. It will be our hope.

And yet, they forget this very statement about God. Now, we shouldn't even say, you know, they should have known better. They couldn't know better. An unbeliever cannot know better. Well, they should have figured that out. We'd have been better than that. Left to ourself, we'd have been doing exactly the same thing. And left to ourself, we were doing exactly the same thing.

We were worshiping an idol, a figment of our imagination, a figment of our thoughts. We had God all figured out. And thank God, he comes along with the gospel. And it's preached to us and God gives us the new birth. And then we say, oh my goodness, the God I had and the God that's real is two totally different gods. So here they are, go get this ark.

So the people sent to Shiloh. Now who's at Shiloh? Eli, Samuel. Now it doesn't say a thing here about what Eli and Samuel did. But they go there, they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God."

Now these are guys that have the dress, they have the title, but they don't have the heart. They're just so common among natural man. They look like they're religious, they talk like they're religious, but they don't have the heart. And what they were doing, it was just terrible what was going on by those folks.

And it says in verse five, and when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth rang again. might have been more appropriate if that kind of thought and practice was going on about God. Brother DJ, we went down to visit him one time and right next door to him is the Rupp Gymnasium where the Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats play. And he said, people will go over there from this church and they will just shout and holler and kill the enemy and then come into church and not even say an amen? All right.

When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, the people shouted. Nothing but an idol. is brought into their presence at this time. And then it says, and when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, what meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the Ark of the Lord was come into the camp, and the Philistines were afraid.

For they said, God is come into the camp, and they said, woe unto us, for there hath not been such a thing hithertofore. Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

How many years has that been in the past, and it is still in the Philistines' memory. It's more in the Philistines' memory than it is in Israel's memory. They hadn't even thought about it. So we're going to come to a conclusion for tonight right about here.

And just remember, the shout for a idol took precedent over a shout for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for God Almighty. And we're going to see as who was that used to say we'll show we'll talk about more of the story next time paul harvey the rest of the story they take this idol into battle and lose it it's amazing god didn't kill all of them with regard to what instructions he had about who could see it, who could handle it, who could be around it, where it was supposed to be. And here they are out there, hauling it around in battle and lose it. Well, I'm thankful that our Ark of the Covenant is not so losable. our Savior, Christ Jesus. We'll stop there at this time and let's go to the Lord in prayer. And Brother Mike, would you lead us in prayer and remember these requests that have been

Not Fair

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about war and its significance?

Why is God's sovereignty important in understanding human conflict?

How do the Israelites respond to defeats in battle?

Sermon Transcript

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Not Fair

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about war and its significance?

Why is God's sovereignty important in understanding human conflict?

How do the Israelites respond to defeats in battle?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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