Sunday AM Service - Ere The Lamp Of God Go Out In The Temple Of The Lord
2/27/2022
Text: 1 Samuel 3:1-3 (KJV), 1 Samuel 2:29 ,Leviticus 24:1-4, Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)
1 Samuel 3:1-3 (KJV)
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was l aid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
Eli's Sin
1 Samuel 2:29 Wherefore kick you at My Sacrifice and at My Offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the Offerings of Israel My people?
Eli's sons treated the Ordinances as mundane, "kicking" at the Lord's Sacrifice (THE CROSS) and my Offering (CHRIST) things.
2. Eli the leader honored the wickedness of his sons over god
3. They made themselves "FAT" with the offerings of the people
4. They disregarded the ark (The Presence of God) and made mockery of God's word
5. God promised judgement upon the nation - "the welfare of my people"
Israel was in Serious spiritual declension - 1 Samuel 3:1
"No open vision," and "The word of the Lord was precious "rare"
The office of the prophet had not been established; the priesthood was corrupt Israel had no spiritual leadership!
Samuel was Israel's first prophet and her last judge
Eli, the leader of the corrupt priesthood "could not see," it was night" - He was blind physically and spiritually.
2. Samuel's Call
3:1 - And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli (served in the Tabernacle). And the Word of the LORD was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.
Came in the middle of great spiritual apostasy
First to stand in the OFFICE of a prophet
Throughout Israel's history, the Lord led the nation through the ministry of the prophet.
While some of the announcements of the prophets were predictions, MOST were a ministry of RIGHTEOUSNESS
They were EVER called to confront Israel about her Spiritual condition!
John the Baptist - the greatest of them all made FEW predictions
He was a preacher of righteousness
God is still calling prophets presently [Eph. 4:11];
The church today is led by the ministry of the apostle, which bring a special message as it regards the church
DOCTRINAL TRUTH is always at the heart of the apostles message!
And it concides with the word of God
The philistines attack and Israel grabs the ark of God (it had become a symbol)
Apostasy always turns the things of God into a magic show
God was not in their midst!
Philistines fight and there is a great slaughter
They recognize the power of the ark MORE than Israel does!
God fulfills his word! (JUDGEMENT OF SIN!
The Lampstands
What a testimony of the spiritual condition of Israel!
Leviticus 24:1-4 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the ail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the Lord continually: upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually.
2. The "lamps of God" in the tabernacle were to burn continually - a statute for ever in your generations - he shall order the lamps upon the pure candlesticks before the LORD continually!
3. "Night reinged; the lamp of God was going out in the Temple; the High Priest's eyes were grown dim so that he could not clearly see; and both he and Samuel were asleep."
4. It is a sad testimony that the things of the LORD were not more important to His people; is this not often the case in many churches today?
5. Just as Eli was placed in charge of the things of God during this time - as both a Judge and Priest, are not we who are born-again children of God also commissioned to do the same?
1 Sam. 4:8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these might Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
(The ark was but a symbol of the Divine Presence. Now, when confronted by the enemy, the symbol was made to displace the substance; however, such was not to be, even as such could not be. Had God overthrown the Philistines at Aphek, He would thereby have associated Himself with the evil of His people. God can make no compromise with evil; for the Lord to have granted victory that day would have shown that God thought lightly of sin; and that He was willing to identify Himself with the moral condition of a people living in willing bondage to the most gross of evils - Williams.)
There has been a great slaugther
Your sons are dead
The ark is taken
Proverbs 20:27 (KJV) The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
In revelation 2-3 we find the messages of our lord (He who walketh among the seven golden candlesticks) to the 7 churches of Asia.
In these seven churches (pictured as candlesticks), we find a sampling of every spiritual condition possibily in the church of God.
The 7 churches that were known for a variety of things: patience; persecutions; pollution; paganism; peculiarity; purity; and passiveness.
The Lord knows each and every local assembly today. He knows those that are dedicated; determined; delinquent; diseased; and downright dead spiritually!
Christ warned Ephesus to Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place... Revelation 2:5
As we look at the life of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3, I believe we can learn valuable insight for hat the Church of God should do in order to maintain the "Lamp of God".
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