Don't Mess with God
Notes
Transcript
Pray
Have you ever played the game with God, that the Philitines played in last weeks passage?.
As the Ark of the Lord, His glory, His presence, entred the Israelite camp and the Israelites sent up a roar of excitemnt:
Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”
When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
Be men - be bold! Humanity is strong.
God may seem big - history may show you to have a huge problem,
but humanity has done pretty well for themselves -
They played the Game against God, of ‘give it a go!’
We play it too I think,
we mess with God’s glory and soverinty.
We know to go up against God is wrong - but does it mean we can’t give it a go?
If I sin again, then God will forgive me.
Or, I know these Christinas keep harking on about God and his judgement
- but I’ve done alreight so far by myself.
Perhaps our theology tells us to ‘give it a go’ - God will keep backing down and forgive.
Perhaps our experince tells us we might win.
I mean - The Philistines
well, they won the battle!
But they are about to learn a lesson we all need to learn:
Don’t mess with God.
Don’t mess with God.
We pick up the story after Israels defeat against the Philistines in chapter 4,
and the Philistines carry off the Ark of the Lord to Ashdod.
It’s a shock defeat,
and seems to shame God’s Glory
as the Ark that represents His precsene with his people is carried off by the enemy.
But any shock we or they had last week,
is nothing compared to what is to come
We’re going to see 3 insurmountable problems that humanity have with God this week,
3 problems that will leave God’s enemies and God’s people in no doubt at all about one thing:
Don’t Mess with God!
The 3 problems are
1 - The Problem of God’s Priamcy - 5v1-5
1 - The Problem of God’s Priamcy - 5v1-5
2 - The Problem of God’s Power
2 - The Problem of God’s Power
3 - The Problem of God’s Purity
3 - The Problem of God’s Purity
1 - 5v1-5 The probelm of God’s Primacy
1 - 5v1-5 The probelm of God’s Primacy
Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.
it’s almost comical isn’t it.
The apparently defeated God of Israel
placed at the feet of the Philistine god Dagon,
and yet who is it that is uncermonisously bowing to the other in the morning!
The phrase ‘they put him back in his place’ adds humour for me at least -
But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.
Again Dagon takes a bow to the Primacy of God!
- He is the One and ONLy God here or anywhere.
This time he has lost his head - his life, his thought, his power,
and he’s lost his hands!
His ability to do anything has gone! - not that he could anyway.
The God of Israel may appear to have been beaten in battle last week
- but whatever is going on is - ‘far’ from out of his control!
Jesus’ own death on the cross (defeated) bears an uncanny resemblance to this situation!
God is supreme over all other man made gods and idols!
God does not need man to defend him!
He is Supreme!
He will have no other god before him!
The first commandment springs to mind.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Don’t Mess with God!
The Problem of God’s Primacy is that he will tollerate no other idols or god’s in his presence!
I don’t know what you worship next to, or in place of, God,
, whether that’s ideologies or actual idols,
or another religion,
They Will all come crashing down before The prmacy of the one true God of the Bible.
The probelm of God’s primacy is that we are in serious trouble
if we put anything else next to him in our lives - as the Philistines are finding out.
All humnaity must worship the one true God of the bible!
He will tolerate no competition in our affections.
But the problme is not just one of Primacy over any competition.
It is not just fasle gods who will fall.
we now turns to the very serious problem for people
who have sought to Have god on their terms:
2 - 5v6-6v16 The Problem of God’s Power
2 - 5v6-6v16 The Problem of God’s Power
The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.”
Later we discover that they were also over run by rats
- so some conclude that this was the bubonic plague
- a life threatening, tumour infecting disease carried by rats.
What’s clear is that the people were in pain, terrified and many were dying,
They quickly pass on the problem of God’s power to another city, Gath
But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
They then send the Ark hastily to Ekron
- you can only imagine the fear in Ekron as they realise what’s coming their way!
and
So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it.
God Primacy is a very real problem to a humnaity who love to put God next to other things,
but there is a very real problem of his power as well,
when mere mortals do not follow his commands!
or treat him on their terms!
God’s judgement on these cities is severe, serious and real.
The problem of God’s Power is that there is no hope for us to bear up under it.
The Philistiones were rightly now terrified of God!
They conclude they must return the Ark to the Israelites!
We can’t be near this God!
Much like the power of Jesus when he cast the demons into the pigs who then ran off a cliff -
Get out of here Jesus - we’re terrified of your power! - the locals exclaimed!
God doesn’t fit into our undertsanding of power and control.
We interpret Him as if he was made in our image,
rather than us made in his!
I wonder if our problem of God’s power is that we’ve forgotten/denied or refused that he has any!
pause
In 6v3 they even deceide a guilt offering ought to be incldued in the return of the Ark,
to hopefully remove the curse of tumours.
They devise a test to send the Ark back in a cart pulled by 2 cows that have young calves.
When they drive the cows of with the Ark - you’d expect the cows to return to look for their young.
But, - if the cows do the opposite and head in a direction they will have never gone - towards ISrael
- then they will know that God’s power really has brought about the tumours and death upon them,
Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.
Let there be no mistake
- God is responsible for severe and terrible judgeemnt on those who treat God according to their own terms!
Pause
The cows walk directly, without faultering - for Beth Shemesh - Israel’s nearest city!
The Philisteine leaders follow and obeserve the whole thing - they want to make sure God has gone!
You would hope that having seen the severity and power of God,
that they would call their nation to believe in and humble themselves before this God!
But the Philistines return to their same-old same-old - as we’ll discover through 1 Samuel!
It’s a terrible mistake.
Just like King david in 1 Samuel will be amini saviour- foreshadowing the ultimate saviour - Jesus
So these mini-judgements on people here - foreshadow God’s ulitmate judgemennt on humanity
- if we reject his ulitmate saviour!
So, please don’t be tempted, as the Philistines are,
that if God is out of sight and out of mind - he can’t harm you.
And don’t be tempted to think we can make God to be a soft domesticated version,
lessening his holiness, power and justice and judgement.
That is to treat God on our own temrs like the Philistines!
If the God you worship is not
the God whose Power is too great to control,
and who’s judgement against his enemies is severe
Then you do not know God.
We might as well worship Dagon
Put him along side our worldy idols of money, pride, familiy, health.
No - we have a God who’s primacy is a problem if we put him next to anything else,
and who’s power is a problem to anyone who falls short of His holiness!
And that’s a huge problem - becasue we all do that!
But it is this biblical understanding of God,
that is the only understanding that brings us good News.
Becasue with this God of Primacy and power , holiness and justice in our minds -
Jesus having to actually DIE on a Cross - in our place - to take our sin and punishment
- no longer seems extreme or severe!
If seems like the only solution to a very insurmountable problem we have before God.
All this wrath and justice - satisfied on Jesus - not us.
If only we humble ourselves in repentace and faith in Jesus.
So we honour Jesus and His work,
when we hold God in awe and reverence.
Respect and fear.
For He is Supreme, he has the primacy.
He is severe in his judgement and power - he will not be demesticated to our way of thinking,
to our neive world views or morality!
The word ‘fear’ in realtion to God (Father, Son and HS)
occurs more than 300 times in the bible!
It’s about time we took note!,
For it is the only way to honour Jesus’ death for us.
Pause
So,
You can imagine the scene in Beth Shemesh as 2 cows plod along towards them with the Ark of the Lord towed behind them!!
6v13 - they rejoiced at the sight!
The Lievite Preists rightly handle the Ark,
the people build a fire
and offer the guilt offering sent with the ark before God.
So far, so good!
The problem of God’s power and severity is ‘not a problem’,
when it’s met with fearful, humble repentance!
But - there is still a problem for those who undermine God’s purity.
3 - The probelm of God’s Purity 6v17-7v2
3 - The probelm of God’s Purity 6v17-7v2
But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.
When the laws were given by God concenring the Ark,
Even the clan assigned to carry out duties in the Holy of Holies - were not to even look at the Ark!
Num 4 20 records:
But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”
These 70 forgot the problem of God’s Purity - they thought familiaraity or intruige would bypass God’s purity.
Unfortuanately God’s Purity has been eroded by modern day Christainity that treats God much more like a chum or a mate!
Now of course -there is much to be taught about Jesus our friend, our brother,.
Much to be said about God’s great and compassionate love,
But none of that ought to erode the fact that God is severe in his power and purity!
God is holy and powerful and ‘may god help us’ if we treat him as anything other than that.
This is again, preciesly why we need Jesus!
The biblical example of God being our Father - can help us here.
A good Father according to the Bible,
listens, and desires to hear from their chidlren.
He loves to give them what they need,
to be merciful and compassionate and patient,
But equally a good Father is not weak or afraid of strong disicpline when their child undermines Him,
lacks respect or overtly disobeys their instructions!
Over familiarity with ones Father leads to an undermining of His authroity.
A Father is not a mate - he is a parent who must trian and direct in love and compassion.
You see, We can hold together in our human relationships
the idea of a firm and ‘expectant of obedince’ Father -
with the same Father you can have a play fight with or confide in about a problem.
This is the way to understand God.
Not as an overly familiar mate,
but as a loving and pure Father.
And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
In short,
Over familiarity,
lack of respect,
failure to have enough fear to obey,
are some of the causes of both
dispbedient chidlren to their Fathers,
but also believers towards God!
And failure of an earthly Father to severly repremand and correct the paths and obedicne of our chidlren (as Eli failed to do with Hophnie and Phineas) is to demonstrate a lack of love!
The probelm of God’s Purity - is that if we choose to ignore it, or down play it,
through disobedince,
habitual sin,
a life lived for self not him,
Well, then we will perhaps find his discipline comes to bear on our lives.
One commentator wrote -
God is not indifferent to our indifference!
or another worte:
We must regard God’s presence as our supreme joy and our supreme peril.
This does not mean we cannot be intimate with God; it means we cannot be familiar with him.
Intimacy is able to call him “Father” and tremble at the same time
—and as we trembles know that we are therefore loved!
Pause
And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”
They sent God away becasue of His purity,
But we need not
We have someone to intercede,
to interviene,
to fill the chasmic void between God’s purity and our lack,
We have a saviour king.
This is preceisly the message God is giving the Israelites.
The problem of God’s Primacy,
Power and Purity,
are all designed by God to do one thing:
2b - second half only!
The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.
We should do likewise today,
In fearing God,
In so doing honouring Jesus’ salavtion for us.
and in humble repentace,
live lives of obedince and service Him.
PRAY