Samuel To The Forefront

Q: What does the Bible say about the holiness of God?

The Bible teaches that God is supremely holy and that His holiness demands absolute reverence and obedience. The holiness of God is a central theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing that God is separate from sin and demands purity among His people. For instance, in 1 Samuel 6:20, after the people experienced God's judgment, they trembled before the question, 'Who is able to stand before this Holy Lord God?' This reflects the reality that without God's grace, no one can stand in His holy presence. Moreover, passages like Hebrews 10:31 affirm that falling into the hands of a living God without Christ is a fearful state, emphasizing the need for a Savior who can mediate our standing before Him.

Q: How do we know Christ is our only mediator?

Christ is our only mediator because He alone was without sin and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. In Scripture, Christ is presented as the sole mediator between God and man, as established in Hebrews 4:14-16, where Jesus is acknowledged as our great high priest who understands our weaknesses. His sacrificial death on the cross, as expressed in Matthew 27:46, demonstrates that He bore our sins, thus allowing us to approach God without fear of judgment. This truth is foundational to the doctrine of sovereign grace, affirming that through Christ's atonement, believers can have confidence in their relationship with God, free from the condemnation of sin.

Q: Why is true repentance essential for Christians?

True repentance is essential because it signifies a genuine turning away from sin towards God and is a sign of salvation. True repentance is crucial because it involves a deep, transformative change of mind and heart regarding one's sin and God. Samuel's call to Israel in 1 Samuel 7:3 highlights the necessity of returning to the Lord with all their hearts and putting away false gods. This mirrors the New Testament understanding seen in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, where turning to God from idols reflects genuine conversion. Repentance is not merely a superficial act but signifies a heart changed by the Holy Spirit, aligning with the theological understanding that both faith and repentance are gifts from God that lead to salvation.

Q: How does God demonstrate His mercy in judgment?

God's mercy in judgment is evident through Christ's sacrifice, who took on the punishment we deserved. In the biblical narrative, God's justice is often tempered with mercy, particularly seen in the context of judgment. During the events of 1 Samuel, the severe judgment on the people who looked into the ark reflects God's holiness; however, it also sets the stage for understanding the mercy found in Christ. As noted in Matthew 27:46, Christ experienced the forsakenness we should face, and through His suffering, He provides a way for sinners to receive mercy. This reveals the profound truth that while God is just, He also extends grace through the sacrifice of His Son, which stands as the ultimate display of both His justice and mercy.

Well, join me, if you would, in the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel. As we continue our study in this great book, we're going to just do a very brief review of verses 18, 19, 20, and 21 of chapter 6. And then we want to get into chapter 7 tonight, because we're reintroduced at this point, and we'll have that introduction on an ongoing basis with Samuel. Samuel will be more or less at the forefront of leading Israel up until he dies, and I believe it's chapter 25.

In the book of 1 Samuel 6, verse 18, the scripture shares with us and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, both the fifth cities and of the country village, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereupon they set down the ark of the Lord, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.

And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they looked into the ark of the Lord. Even he smote of the people 50,000 and three score and 10 men. And the Lord lamented, excuse me, 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 for us?

And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kerjah-Jerim saying, the Philistines have brought again the Ark of the Lord, come ye down and fetch it up. Well, as we continue the problem that Israel had in going into the Tantum meeting, into the tabernacle, bringing out that Ark of the Covenant and taking it into battle, having it taken from them, we find that the Lord's hand was heavy upon the Philistines.

And I believe it's mentioned three times that they recognized the fact that it was heavy upon the Philistines. And they brought it back, it tells us. And we find that when they brought it back, people, And I think the term for it was curiosity. They opened up that arc. Now, our translation says there was 50,000 plus. Other translations say there was not that many. Some say that there was about 50. It doesn't matter. The number doesn't matter.

The displeasure of God is what we want to recognize. And the displeasure of God was that they had broken the covenant that God had made with them, and particularly that he had made with even Levi, the tribe of Levi. If you'll turn with me to the book of Numbers chapter 4, In Numbers chapter 4 we have just a little bit said here about the ark and the box that it was with and the contents. We have here in the book of Numbers chapter 4 verse 20 these words recorded for the use of the Levites.

But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. So there's only one Levite that was able to go into the Holy of Holies, and he did not go in without blood. He went in with the blood on the Day of Atonement. There was not another Levite that was permitted to go in, and nobody was allowed to go in and open that box up. Even Aaron, the high priest, only applied the blood to the outside, the mercy seat. And so there was a ruling that God had made so strong. And you know, it's the same ruling that God made with Adam and Eve, particularly Adam, day you eat. You shall surely die.

And we find that these people, when they broke that covenant, when they looked in there out of curiosity or for whatever reason, that they looked in there, oh, I'd like to know what the tables looked like, the tables of stone. Were they really marked with a finger? Was there scratch marks on them? All kinds of things could come up. I really want to know what that bread that they had, that manna that came down from heaven, what did it look like?

And it was in there. And, oh, I've heard all my life about Aaron's rod that budded. I want to see a rod, I want to see a limb that has leaves, blossoms, and almonds on it at the same time. So there could have been many kinds of reasons that people wanted to look into there, but none of them were good. And God brought down this great punishment upon them for doing that.

The men of Bethsheba said, who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And they truly make a statement. They make a biblical statement there, whether they believed it or not, whether they understood it or not, it doesn't say. But that's back over there in the book of 1 Samuel. If you travel back over there into the book of 1 Samuel 6, we read there in verses 20, verse 20 there, 1 Samuel chapter 6, verse 20, that who is able to stand before this holy Lord God, and to whom shall He go up for us? So they have this brought up after the punishment was taken, after God brought this upon them. The men of Beth-shemesh said this.

You know, there's only one place that we really have peace with God. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one place. There's only one place that we will never say who will be able to stand before the Holy God. We recognize that we are unable to stand before the Holy God alone.

And the gospel shares with us that there is one that stood in that place. And the Lord Jesus Christ brings that up. Who is able to stand? Another verse over in Hebrews chapter 10 says, it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Now we could back up and say, some of these people actually, it looks like they did. They fell into the hands of a holy God.

God gave no instructions for this. God had given instructions to Levi, never gave instructions that it was to be turned over to the general public. It was never to be taken into battle. It was never to be looked at as a, Rabbit's foot. It was never to be a special, secret, defensive weapon against all the enemies that we have. None of those things.

It was to be a picture, a type, and a shadow of the Savior, the Messiah that had been promised before Adam was created. In the covenant of grace before the foundation of the world, there was a Messiah promise that would take care of the sin issue that we were going to inherit through Adam.

All right. And so this, we have this up here. There's only one place that we have peace. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And I have, I found an illustration of that in the scriptures. And it's just, it was just struck me as I read that verse of scripture.

Turn with me, if you would, over to the book of Matthew 27. In the book of Matthew chapter 27, We have an incident in the scriptures when a man fell into the hands of an angry God. Matthew chapter 27. In Matthew chapter 27 verse 46, we hear the darling Son of God.

We hear the only beloved Son of God. We hear the Son of His in His beauty as He created the heavens and the earth. We hear Him in all those creation scenes. We hear Him in this world talking to His disciples, and we hear Him talking to lost people, and we hear Him revealing to lost people who the Savior is. And they walked away in a, my goodness, now I know Him.

But there is a time when He fell into the hands of an angry God, And that is, we read here in Matthew chapter 27, verse 46, those incidents with those people over there in the book of first Samuel, when they fell into the hands of an angry God, there was no mercy. When he fell into the hands of an angry God, there was no mercy. When we come in the name of the one that fell into the hands of the angry God, there's where we have mercy. He's taken the justice. He's taken the punishment. He's taking our justice for trying to peek into God, as those folks did, and try to define Him with words that cannot be defined. We will say, I know God, and not know a thing about Him. All right.

Matthew 27, 46, it says, and about the ninth hour, which is about three o'clock in the afternoon, Jesus cried. Very important who is doing the crying. is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of the living God. Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. That's what we have record of. And I love that record that was given to us through the mouth of Peter, a preacher of righteousness. And Jesus said himself at that very moment, you did not learn this in Bible school. You learn this from God, the Father. The Father has blessed you with this.

All right. Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lammas abactoni. Which that is to say, now, I'm thankful that it didn't leave us just Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani, because I'd had to go to Strong's Concordance to find out what that means. But here we have God so carefully designed his word at this point that the interpretation was going to be given along with the explanation, He said something. Okay. Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani.

That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now, when was that? Well, we know it's on the cross, but what in reality actually happened when he cried out that? Well, I think that Isaiah 53 and verse six helps us clear up the matter of what. happened at the time that he felt this great cry against God the Father. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He truly fell into the hands of an angry God because he, as it tells us in the book of Isaiah chapter 53 and verse six, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, all the elect.

At that moment, now some say it was in the garden. I'm not going to argue with that, where he started to have that laid on him. But I know when he said this from the cross, it was there. The sin of his people had been laid on him and he had fallen into the hands of a just God. And we read in that book of Isaiah chapter 53 that he was bruised and that's more than a black and blue mark that was on him. He had been stricken by the law of Almighty God.

So we see over here at those men that peeked into that ark and God justly brought them to the end of their life and they truly fell into the hands of a living God. How many? I'm not gonna speculate, maybe it was 50,000. 60 or 70, but they fell into the hands of an angry God without mercy. Now, I'm thankful that our Lord fell into the hands of his father in justice and was able to cry, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me on my behalf?

And when it was over, he could extend mercy because all my sin was paid for. He is a merciful God to His people. Alright, going back to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 6. 1 Samuel chapter 6 again. Would you join me in 1 Samuel chapter 6 and here in 1 Samuel chapter 6 and verse 21. Last verse of that chapter.

I was working on this yesterday and today and I've heard my daughter, who's a nurse, use the term STAT, STAT. I had no idea what it meant, but I know what it means now because that's kind of the word that these folks here used. That word mean is a medical term which means immediately or without delay. They said here, And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-Jerim saying, the Philistines have brought again the ark of God.

Come ye down and fetch it up to you. Stat. We've had enough of it. We paid enough for it. So we find that there's going to be a transaction take place. The Philistines have brought it. We're giving it over to you, but we want you to take it just as quickly as you possibly can because we are very tired of it. Now they're Israelites. They're sending it to Israelites. Here we have Israel. afraid of the presence of God, sending the presence of God to another group of people. And that's where we meet the next chapter, chapter seven.

The men of Gerim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord. Now, when I read that word fetched, I went over to read about Mephibosheth, because the same word is used there, but it's a different word. Over there, it means kind of like they jerked him into the presence of David. Here, it means they came down and quickly took it. So it doesn't have quite the effect. They fetched up the ark of the Lord and brought it again into the house of Abinadab in the hill. and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

Now it struck me when that verse of scripture is brought into for us to look about, I wondered, is this man a Levite? Because only Levites were supposed to take care of this ark. Well, there's no sign here that he was, but I went to Josephus. Josephus believes he was because it never, that ark was never to be in a place, and particularly for 20 years, that there wasn't somebody there that had been set aside to protect it.

And so here we have his son takes over. He has been sanctified. Eliezer's son has been sanctified to keep the ark of the Lord. And it's going to be there, as we find in the next verse, came to pass while the ark abode in Kerjeth-Jerim, that the time was long for it was 20 years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. So we have that ark here at this town in this place under this person that's going to take care of it for about 20 years. Well, hallelujah.

We find Samuel. He's in our next verse. We haven't seen him for three or four chapters. In fact, we find the last time that we met up with Samuel was over in chapter three. So if you'd back up just a little bit, I'd like to read two or three verses over here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter three. In 1 Samuel chapter three, verse 19. 1 Samuel chapter three, verse 19. Now remember, Samuel is a very special birth child. His mother was barren.

She and his dad have given a vision, they're gonna have a baby, and that baby is promised, once it reaches some maturity, to go back and spend the rest of its time there with Eli, and when Eli passes on, he's gonna continue, he's gonna be the new judge, the new prophet.

And so here it says, Samuel grew, verse 19, and the Lord was with him. What a statement we went over some time ago, how glorious it still is that the Lord was with him and did let none of his words fall to the ground. What he had to say was the word of God, and it wasn't an untruth. It was the truth that Samuel shared. What a glorious position that he is in. And in many ways, he is a wonderful type of our Savior, the Lord Jesus.

He is, the Lord's words never fell to the ground. He spoke the truth constantly and the truth was never fallen to the ground. Always had the effect God intended that word to have on the people that he spoke to. Some had raised their hackles and some bowed, but it had the effect that God intended. So his word was never wasted. You know what? The words of a saint is never wasted. words of a preacher. Gospel preachers never waste it. It is always there and assigned by God. Now we may speak foolishness at times. I don't think God's offended by us having some fun, but when it comes to his words, There's where the fun ceases and the greatness of God is declared. All right?

So, and then it goes on to say here in verse 20, and all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be the prophet of the Lord. So this Samuel has been so set aside that everybody in the entire area that we know as Israel, that was the boundaries, Dan to Beersheba. From the top, the north to the south, this is the boundary.

And in between this area, this man, Samuel, is the prophet that God has ordained to be there. He was established to be a prophet of the Lord. It took the grace of God for those people to understand this man is the prophet of the Lord. And God alone can do that. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. So here we have Samuel, and then we have that great travesty about Israel.

Couldn't they have been smarter than that? I've had people say, and you've probably said, and have had people say too, if I'd have been there, I wouldn't have done that. You know what? We don't know ourselves very well, do we? We would have done that. Except for the grace of God, there go I. So the Lord appeared again to Shiloh. The Lord revealed himself to Samuel and Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

And then we have in verse one of the next chapter, and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel was out against the Philistines to battle. The word of the Lord came to all Israel. And from this point on up to chapter seven, we have all that nonsense that went on. We have the true results of the fall. People will do anything and everything and say that they're following God and yet we find out that they were following Baal and Ashtaroth and everything else because that comes up in chapter seven. That's what Samuel has to deal with, with the people of God. You put these things away. Well, that's the only one that can cause us to put our idolatry away is the revelation of Jesus Christ in the new birth. And then we find out God gives us the grace to put those idols away.

We read that over in the book of First Thessalonians and guess where? We'll be over there shortly. In the book of First Samuel chapter seven, First Samuel chapter seven, as we continue on with Samuel coming to the forefront in First Samuel chapter seven, it tells us there, verse three, 1 Samuel chapter 7, verse 3. Here we have a picture. We have a type. We have a shadow. We have a prophet. We have a judge of God. Really, he's the first prophet and the last judge.

He has quite a place to fill. And he's going to do so much between this point and chapter 25 when he leaves this earth. A lot of things are going to happen in there. And we're going to find his name in so often in those chapters, because God is going to use him marvelously in his purpose of grace in the salvation of spiritual Israel.

All right, Samuel Spake, it tells us here in verse three of 1 Samuel chapter seven. 1 Samuel chapter seven, verse three. The word tells us here, and Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel. Now there's only one that can truly speak to all the house of Israel.

Now I'm talking about the Israel of God. I'm talking about spiritual Israel. I'm talking about the church. I'm talking about what is real, the church of the living God. That body that God has created in himself, that we are joined in this body to him. We find that that body has been purposed before the foundation of the world. And the first real member that was put into that body was Abel. Adam and Eve, probably, but I have record of Abel.

All right, it says here, Samuel spake unto the whole house of Israel, saying, if ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts. Now, what's he talking about there? He's talking about true repentance. True repentance is a change of mind about my God and God. True repentance is knowing that God, the very God, is the God, and that's what God directs us to do.

Now, it's not something that we can do on our own. All of the things that we can do are marred by the flesh. Our repentance is marred by the flesh. Our faith is marred by the flesh. We need a faith and a repentance and all the other spiritual blessings of God outside of our realm. We cannot have them attached to us because if they're attached to us, they are meaningless. They will not get the job done.

But if they are a gift of God, what faith is, is a gift of God. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He's the one extends faith to us. And that faith is a gift of regeneration. It's not something that procures regeneration. It is a gift of regeneration, just like repentance is. It's a gift of regeneration. God gives that to us when he regenerates us. He gives us repentance and faith. Repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He gives us a new view of God that we never had in our religious world. Never. We may have read the Bible through a hundred times and never had this view of God. We may have been preached to a thousand sermons about God's sovereignty but we never had this view of God because this view of God is God's view of God and not some human view of God. So this is repentance towards God is a new view. It is having a mind given to us that looks at God as the only, only, only, only, only one.

There's nothing else. Listen to the reading of Titus today and how those Judaizers, as they follow Paul wherever he went, he's okay as long as what he has to say, but he never brings up the necessary. You must be circumcised. Well, that's not what God's talking about. It's completely fulfilled. Everything is in it. We think for a moment that we have to add something to it. We don't have what he has given us.

So Samuel speaks of the house of Israel. If you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods of Ashtaroth from among you. Here we have, even in the days when this Great Ark has been returned and the process of having someone, the oversight of this Ark while it's there for 20 years has taken place. He's been sanctified for that job. Samuel comes along and says, you still are idol worshipers. We can think ourselves so sanctified and continue to be idol worshipers. So he says, this is the sign.

Idols put away, no more trusting in your idols, then there is a sign that God has visited you. It says, with your whole hearts, put away the strange gods of Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Do you know the Philistines are ready for a re-attack right now? Now, at this very moment, they are preparing to attack Israel. And God, through Samuel, is saying, what? He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Now, he never said that to Israel. He says, oh, go in and get the ark and I'll take care of it. But he always shares with his people, with the church, that Jesus Christ will take care of the entire payment for our sins. The whole payment, he will take care of without us lifting a hand.

So he said, the Philistines are gonna come, and they are. He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. And then it says the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtaroth and serve the Lord only. What happens when God comes through with a revival meeting? The preaching of the gospel takes place and his people are saved? Just that. They put away their idols and serve the Lord only. Now turn with me, if you would, over to the book of 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians, if you would. 1 Thessalonians chapter one.

I think the first time I ever paid any attention to this chapter, and I'd read it before, but you know how you do. You read things you don't pay any attention to. The first time I ever paid any attention to this, someone else read it out loud. One day, Mike read this out loud because he wasn't permitted to read it out loud where he had come from. And he read it out loud, and I just, oh my goodness. What I have missed.

Well, it tells us here in 1 Thessalonians, there's so much said in here about how we are saved and how God saves us and how grace is and everything else. But notice with me here in verse nine, this is the results of the salvation that God gives his people. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you. It was not in word only. but it was in power and in the Holy Spirit. That's what we find there in Acts chapter 10 with preaching that Peter had and what happened in Cornelius' house. The Holy Spirit fell. All right. And how ye turn to God, that is a wonderful way of looking at repentance. Turning from, to God, all right? Turning, you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

Now, when we read this over in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 7, it's almost an identical statement is being made as Samuel is declaring there is only one place for peace, there's only one place for hope. And that is in the God of heaven, that is in God Almighty, that is in the Messiah that has been promised. And when he preached that, and he said, your hearts have to be changed. You know, in religion, we're told how to do that. But in salvation, he takes care of that, too.

All right. And verse four, I would like to read verse four. Oh, that's in Titus, excuse me. Verse four, I gotta read this. Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. That's the secret part. All right, and then if you'll turn back with me, no, ahead with me to Titus. Titus chapter three. Titus chapter three, as we think about what Samuel was used to do there among Israel.

Now, I don't believe we are to ever interpret that, that every one of those Israelites were saved. But we can interpret that all Israel was saved. All the church was saved. Everybody that God had ever marked out was saved. All right. In the book of Titus chapter three, verse three, it says, for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceiving, serving diverse lusts, pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. What does that bring us to in the book of first Samuel? Everything that's gone on.

But after that, the kindness and love of God our Father toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. I can truly say, as we look at Samuel, God was gracious and kind to Israel to send somebody there that knew something about God.

And so we have Samuel coming on the scene. Let's go back over there for just a moment. In the book of 1 Samuel chapter seven, 1 Samuel chapter seven, and we read there in verse three, it says, Samuel spake unto the house of Israel. saying, if you do return unto the Lord with all your hearts. Now we know that the real heart, our natural heart, is deceitful above all things. So there's gotta be a new heart given. And that new heart is not our creation. It's the creation of God.

That put away the strange gods and astroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. What a promise God makes through Samuel to this people. And the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Astaroth and served the Jehovah Capitals. Only, what a statement. Now we realize only Israel did that. Not all Israel did that, but only Israel did that. But those that were of Israel did that. God was gracious to them and he delivered them from the hand of the Philistines. Everything that was against them was going to be taken care of. And you know how God did it?

With thunder. That's how he's going to take care of that business with the Philistines in this chapter. Now, it's probably not rolling thunder. It's probably really, really, really thunder. But he took care of it in a miraculous way. So as he did with Gideon, if you take more than 300, then you'll brag that it was you that did it. But if I take care of it, you can brag in God. You can brag in God. All right.

And then verse five, and Samuel said, gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray for you unto the Lord. We find this, Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. And I love that passage in the book of John chapter 17. I pray for you, I pray not for the world. That's just what we have here with Samuel. Get all Israel together and I'll pray for you. Well, we're going to stop there tonight and we'll pick this up at the next time and we'll continue with Samuel for several chapters here as the leader of Israel and what a type of Christ he is.

Samuel To The Forefront

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the holiness of God?

How do we know Christ is our only mediator?

Why is true repentance essential for Christians?

How does God demonstrate His mercy in judgment?

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Samuel To The Forefront

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the holiness of God?

How do we know Christ is our only mediator?

Why is true repentance essential for Christians?

How does God demonstrate His mercy in judgment?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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