We'd like to look at a few of the things here in the book of 1 Samuel that we've gone over, but we want to see just a few other things about those passages of Scripture, and then we'd like to go on. Here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4, we've noticed at the very beginning, and we also mentioned that it probably belonged in the previous chapter, or could have been put there very easily.

And then we have that the Israel went out against the Philistines. In verse 1, "...to battle, 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 four thousand men." And when the people were coming to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines?

As we mentioned, and we looked at this last week, there's many things that took place here, and the results of the battle, there's a lot of results to it, and there's a lot of varied views of this. And much is told as we look at it by the church, the results of this battle. The first thing that we notice is there was a lot of people slain in that battle. 4,000 of Israel were killed in that battle. That's the first and foremost thing that we notice.

But I also have to be reminded in Hebrews 9, verse 27, it says there, and as it is appointed unto men once to die. It was not by mistake. Now we may hold him accountable, and we may say we shouldn't do that, and we may say that that's not a good thing, but when that happens, it's appointed unto man once to die. I've had to deal with this several times just recently about our friend, my friend. the way he went out of this world, but it was appointed unto man, unto men, once to die, and after that, the judgment. So we have 4,000 men were killed, Israelites that were killed that day, and they met their appointment. The appointment, it's appointed unto man who wants to die, and after that, the judgment.

And another thing that I noticed here that is quite bothering, in fact, because this is Israel. Israel's reaction to what went on that day. We mentioned a little bit about this last week when we said, what did they say? What did they do? And we find out that they did some very foolish things instead of simply saying, we have sinned. I have sinned against God. We have sinned against God.

It's so interesting to read Daniel. And he's the one that says, we have sinned. He brought it up. He's including himself in the issue. We have sinned. But here we find none of that. We just find that they are blaming God for what happened that day. Why didn't God protect us? Why wasn't God with us? We are the children of God. We are the people of God.

God has taken care of them so many ways up to this point, and He will continue to do that until finally He says, I regarded them not." He's going to put an end to it. He's long-suffering. And generations he's been long-suffering with. And the same is true today. He's long-suffering even to uswards. as we find in the New Testament.

He's long-suffering to the church. You know there's going to be one thing complete when Jesus Christ comes back, and that is the complete number of the church will be the complete number of the church. So he's looking for completion, the completed number of the church. When the last one of the lost sheep of the house of God is brought into the fold, this will be over. But he's long-suffering. He has every right, except according to the covenant of grace, he is going to revoke, hold back until the last one, and then there will be much to pay.

So here, the consensus of the folks about what was their recent events, this just, it concerns me. The folks' attitude about what just took place. And you know, we hear that. Who did sin? Job's friends, if you hadn't of. And here they are, in retrospect, going over this list of things. Why didn't God take care of us?

How sad, this conversation in Israel, and of all places in Israel. This is God's chosen nation. This is God. He's giving us a grand experiment. What will happen to a people that he chooses from a fleshly standpoint, and he blesses them with every physical blessing that they could possibly have, what will happen to them spiritually as a result of all of that?

And we find out, as God has already shared with us, nothing took place spiritually in them except when he prompts it or brings it about. We have a few that the Spirit of God was with, Joshua and Caleb in particular, but many of them had no idea what this all was about. They expected the physical blessings. They expected God to take care of that, just as we have people today.

We should be taken care of by God, but then we find out that God shares with us it didn't change a thing about them. The Pharisees, during the time of the Lord Jesus, continuously brought up, when are you going to tell us if you're the Messiah or not? When are you going to let us know? Show us a sign. And I don't know how many miracles the Lord performed during his earthly ministry, but it was quite visible, and he shares with us, nothing was done in a corner. He did not talk in a corner and he did not do his activities in a corner.

Now he may have spoken in parables for a reason, but it was visible and other people overheard them. Most of them did not understand it. Yet we are brought to the conclusion that this Israel is like the rest of us, fell in Adam. They have a serious problem and they can't see beyond it. When we see the results of this battle and we hear the people back in the camp start to talk about the results and the answer for it, we can come to the conclusion they knew not God. That's just it. They didn't know God. So it's a sad situation, and you know, there's no one. I look at this and I said, surely someone could stand up and say something. Well, it wasn't God's purpose that they do, because whenever there is a people, that God has some of His lost sheep in, there's going to be someone there that preaches the gospel to them.

Let me show you an example found over in the book of Numbers, chapter 14. In the book of Numbers, chapter 14, we find that wonderful incident when two of those spies came back with a good report and what they attempted to do with the rest of the folks. Numbers chapter 14. We read there in Numbers chapter 14, beginning with verse 6. Numbers 14 and verse 6, it says, And Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers chapter 14, verse 6.

Here we have the wonderful blessing of God that he had somebody who stood up and said something, even though it wasn't listened to, but it wasn't wasted time. I believe anytime that God has His prophets, anytime God has His preachers, anytime God has His declarers say something, there is an eternal purpose in that. Now, it may be what we read over in the New Testament, it's just to tell them that they are without excuse. When they stand before God, they have no excuse. It has been declared.

All right, notice here in the book of Numbers chapter 14 verse 6, it says, And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes, and they spake unto all the company. So here we have faithful declares. that this can happen. We can go into the land, saying the land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it us, a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land.

It's interesting in the place where we've been reading over in 1 Samuel 4, there was nobody to bring up this message. And you know what? On purpose. There was no one to hear it. Here's someone. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bred for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel."

Now, this appearance that God came, the Lord came at this time, was not an appearance out of friendship. It was an appearance out of judgment. And He's gonna do exactly that thing. So here we have in the book of 1 Samuel 4, that there was no one to stand up. and say a word about what was suggested to do.

You know, this reminds me, as we read this, I'm going to read it a lot in my ministry ahead of me. I've read it a lot behind me. I've had other speakers in our pulpit, Mike and Mike, read it a lot. Lauren's read it. Romans chapter 9 answers a lot of questions for us. It says, the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. Take it to the bank.

You cannot, let me say this very clearly, you cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ and despise his word. A lot of people say, oh, I love Jesus. I love Jesus. You start talking about the word, I don't know, I don't believe that. You don't love Jesus then.

It is a fleshly love that they think they have an escape route. But those who truly love God, truly love the Lord Jesus, take His word and love it just the same. Oh, I love you, but I don't like what you're saying. You know, if someone said that to me, I'd probably not have a very good thought about it. I love you in the Lord.

Yeah, there you go. You know, I love what you're doing, but I don't care for what you have to say. Brother Richard Wormack had a missionary from Alaska just drop by. It's one of those times when you look down the line. It used to be in the phone book. There's no phone books. Look down the line online and here, oh, Ruston Baptist Church, let's go there because we don't have anywhere else to go. Got there and then went to argue with Richard after the service because he happened to mention elective grace. He can't be a missionary if he doesn't believe the Bible. He's not a missionary. He's out there for his own benefit. All right.

A stone of stumbling at which they were appointed. We find that in the scriptures. And God said, I will send them strong delusion that they will not believe the truth. Now that's what we have here in 1 Samuel 4. We have a whole group of people that have the idea that if we get a lucky rabbit's foot out, and bring it into battle with us, we will be okay. Who came up with that idea? Let's go back over to 1 Samuel 4. Who came up with that idea? Where did this come from?

It certainly did not come out of the Bible, because there's a lot said about what to do and not to do with that Ark of the Covenant. There's some pretty strong instructions about that and restrictions about that. And yet, here we have this brought up here in the book of 1 Samuel 4, and there it says, So the people, verse 3, and when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, the guys that are supposed to know something, the elders, they had been along the way. I wouldn't doubt that some of these folks were some of those that were spared from dying in the wilderness because they were underage. And here we have, after years, they don't know the first thing about the gospel and they don't know the first thing about God. It says, the elders, the elders of Israel said, wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord. out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, and we mentioned this last week, and I just underline it again, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

Isn't that interesting? Who came up with this idea? You know, I remember when I first moved to the Dalles, there was a group going to do something here. And the first thing they did, they took a survey of the town to find out what people wanted in a church. They took a survey.

It was the music, it was the coffee, it was the cookies and crumpets, it was the social time, it was this, but the word of God, very little attention given. And you know what? They build a big building here in town and they still are doing the same thing that they did then. Sad to say, that's the way it is. All right.

When it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. The ark came into the camp and there's lots of excitement and there's a lot of expectations. How the world and religion can only get excited about physical things. I remember Brother Rupert saying, you know, religion measures buses and busyness and business meetings and baptisms and the physical things, but Christ measures spiritual things. Are you faithful to me? I will save my people from their sins. Reminder, turn with me over to the book of Acts chapter 19.

You know, Saul, Paul went to a place called Athens, and last year Nancy and I got to go see Athens. Now only 10% of it, and we didn't get to see all of it because the rest of it's still covered up. And they told us that they probably will never uncover it because it's very expensive to uncover old towns. Now when we walked the street that we were on in Ephesus that the Apostle Paul probably walked on in his day, We saw, just like in the Dalles, in Dufur, in Lakeview, New Pine Creek only had two churches at one time, and one of them folded, but you could still see it. You saw all kinds of places of religion worship. I don't know how many in a block was dedicated to some god or goddess in Ephesus.

And one of them is mentioned here in the book of Acts. Would you turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 19? In Acts chapter 19, the apostle Paul is there visiting. And he's taking the gospel to these folks. And you know, to me, it's very interesting. When I read about what the attitude of many of the people in Ephesus was, and then we get the book of Ephesians. I mean, I just read that book for fun. It explains so much about God's great salvation.

Well, here in the book of Acts, chapter 19, we read this, the folks that were there that heard the Apostle Paul preach could only see the physical. just like we do over here in the book of 1 Samuel. In the book of Acts chapter 19 verse 24, 19 verse 24, we have this, And a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsman, whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said, sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth."

Completely economics. Moreover, you see it here, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that there be no gods which are made with hands." God is not physical? You've got to be kidding.

We know it as a silver goddess. so that not only this our craft is in danger to be said it not, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth." Now you notice the reasons for he brought up, what's the most important one? Right at the top, our wealth, and then our religion, and our buildings. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

And the whole city was filled with confusion. And having caught Gaius and Articulus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions, in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. And when Paul would have entered unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, desired him that he would not adventure himself into the theater. Some, therefore, cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the whole part knew not whether they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward, and Alexander beckoned with his hand and would have his people, his defense unto the people.

But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, for the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Talk about a service. and a long service, two hours of repeating the same exact thing. Now that's how deep that went. The beginning of it was, we'll lose our money, and after that, we're not gonna be honoring Diana, and after that, let's talk about it for two hours.

So here we have exactly what's going on over in the book of 1 Samuel chapter four. We have a whole bunch of people confused about what we should do, and the first thing is, we're gonna get our religious token out, and that is the Ark of the Covenant. that God had made many restrictions on, who could touch it. All this excitement was given credence by the priest's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, those two boys. Let's go back to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4 if you would. In 1 Samuel chapter 4, the religious leaders of the day are here, 1 Samuel chapter 4, and verse 4, So the people sent to Shiloh, that 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, 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."

The original says, as if the earth shook, it was such a loud. And verse six, the results in the camp of the Philistines. 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 coming to the camp, and the Philistines were afraid."

You know, this reminds me of an incident many years before this at Jericho. when two spies went in and there was a young lady by the name of Rahab and her comment to them was, we have heard of you since you crossed the Red Sea. 40 years ago, we heard about this. We find that mentioned several times in the Old Testament scriptures about the fear of God was brought upon people because of what he had done with those folks.

He had brought them through the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian army. Rahab mentioned that, and then said, when you come, please show us grace. Me, my parents, my brothers, and my sisters. And you know what? They did. Because they did what they told them to do, get in this place and stay there. And we find that happened.

Well, in Moses' song, he mentions that great fear that came upon all those folks. And he talked about Egypt and the destruction of Egypt. And Moses' song is found in Exodus 15, verse 11. Would you turn there with me for just a moment? The book of Exodus chapter 15. In Exodus chapter 15, we have these words recorded for us.

And it's Moses' song. The interesting thing about Moses' song, Moses' song is mentioned in the book of Revelation. it's still being sung. That's the victory that we have in Christ. That's the victory that the church has in what God has done on their behalf.

But here in the book of Exodus, chapter 15, verse 11, we read these words, Who is like unto thee, O Lord among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Now, this is a believer talking. This believer is talking as he is led by the Holy Spirit to talk He's not Mumbling and jumbling thou stretches out thy right hand the earth swallowed them. I He knows what sovereign grace is. He knows a sovereign God. He knows what a sovereign God will do in his sovereignty. And he is telling the world about it. And it's recorded here to be repeated time and time and time again.

Thou in thy mercy has led forth the people which thou has redeemed. In thy mercy, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. You have led your people in mercy and has redeemed. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. Now this redemption that he is talking about is mostly for this group of people, is a physical redemption. Brought them out of Egypt. Typical pictorial, yes.

But most of these folks are going to die in the wilderness in unbelief. The people shall hear and be afraid, verse 14, sorrows shall take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the Dukes of Edom shall be amazed, and mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold upon them. All the inhabitants of Cana shall melt away." And that's what Moses had to sing about, about his God. Now, this is brought over here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4. The Philistines said, what is going to happen now?

Well, let's go back there and they can only express what they know. You cannot share what you don't know. They couldn't share what they didn't know. You cannot make a good defense of God if you don't believe it. You just can't. I don't care what you say.

All right, here, going back to the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 4 and verse 5, it says, or verse 6, Verse 7, 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 hitherto. Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hands.

Now notice this, there is an S on the end of this word God. They are a polytheistic people. They believe in many gods and they cannot see God in any other way except in plurality. Deliver us out of the hand of who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods. Now I'm not sure that the translator should have put capital G's there because Our God is one God. Okay. These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

They could only relate what they knew. They could not get past that. They're polytheistic. They could not notice that this one was a monotheistic. He is God, the very God. He is one God. And they keep bringing this up. The person that says that is just like the Philistines, no supernatural sight, no spiritual sight can only reflect on God as they have known Him. Now, if we've never seen God, we've never been acquainted with God by revelation, by regeneration, we can only talk about God from the view that we have by nature, and it will always be wrong. That's why we have so many people talking about God that don't have any idea what God is.

God loves everybody. God died for everybody. God's doing all he can do. God's done all he can do. What cheapness about God that is, how cheap that is. But they can't get farther than that. They can't see beyond that. It takes the revelation of Jesus Christ to get beyond that point.

Left to himself Abraham would have been that same way all through his life because he was polytheistic to the core there hadn't been for God revealing himself to him and the same is true about Moses or Abraham Isaac Jacob all of the patriarchs all of those that are in the list that God said I've saved by my grace if it hadn't been for him and Revealing himself to them and the word to them.

They would have had the same feeling that these Philistines had What's the God's gonna do to us now? Well, what's the results of the inglorious decision by Israel To take the tabernacle into battle with them. Verse 10, When the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. The results of trusting themselves, trusting an idol, was 30,000 footmen died. The ark of God was taken. Two sons of Eli were slain.

The Lord Jesus spoke to a group of people one time. He shared a parable with them. And the title of that parable, as he brought it out, was To Them Who Trusted in Themselves. And that's what we have witnessed here in this book. Once again, God declares salvation is of the Lord. It's not in religion, it's not in ancestry, it's not in ordinances, it's not in free will, it's not in decision, it's not in works, it's not in an experience, but in God's great mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. The consequences of religion is more works. Jesus told a whole group of people. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of John. John chapter 8. In John chapter 8, the Lord Jesus told a group of people.

I was talking to Brother Wayne Boyd yesterday and he said, Norm, I want you to know you've been called a false prophet. And I said, really? And he said, you remember so-and-so over at the McDonald's? I said, yep. He said, he called you a false prophet. And Wayne says, well, why do you call him that? Because he preaches election. A false prophet.

And you know what? Some people, when they call you that, that's a badge of honor. That's a badge of honor. All right. Here in the book of John chapter 8, we find that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to call some people false prophets. He said here, not in word, not in a specific word. He says here in verse 19 of this chapter eight, John chapter eight, verse 19.

Then said they unto him, where is thy father? Jesus answered, ye neither know me nor my father. If you had known me, ye should have known my father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple and no man laid hands on him for his hour was not yet come.

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whether I go, ye cannot come. I had a young preacher tell me not too long ago that people go to hell because they reject Jesus. Jesus said, they go to hell in their sins. you shall die in your sins." Sin is the reason. We rejected Christ in Adam. The vote's already been taken. We don't have to worry about that. It's already taken.

All right, it goes on, then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins. Whether I go, you cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself, because he saith, Whether I go ye cannot come? And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath, you are from this world, I am from above. ye are of this world, I am not of this world. And that makes all the difference there is. You shall die in your sins. All that host of Israel died in their sins. They repeated what is reported in Hebrews chapter 3 They died in unbelief.

Well, going back there for just a quick read and then we'll call it an evening. Back to the book of 1 Samuel 4, verse 12. 1 Samuel 4, verse 12. And it tells us here, And there ran a man, a Benjamin, out of the army. 1 Samuel 4, verse 12. And came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head. This is a young man that escaped the 30,000. He was not part of it. I've often thought about all of those who brought the report to Job, and they said each one of them, and I only am escaped. How gracious.

And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside, watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, his eyes were dim, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.

And he said, what is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. What a list happened that day. And it came to pass when he made mention of the ark of God that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate and his neck break and he died for he was an old man and heavy and he had judged Israel 40 years. The end of our friend Eli. His sons are dead. 30,000 more men are gone. Ark of the Covenant is gone. What a desperate day for Israel that day. What a desperate day for religion. There is no consolation of any kind in religion. There's only hope in Jesus Christ the Lord. We'll stop there for tonight and we'll pick this up, Lord willing.