1 Samuel
Speaker: Sam Low
Date: 29th September 2013
Passage: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Father God, we thank you and praise you for your word. We thank you for the chance to gather around
00:00:04 --> 00:00:10 it tonight and we ask that as we do it that you would open our ears to hear what it is that you
00:00:10 --> 00:00:17 have to say. As Samuel prayed last week, we pray that you would speak for we your servants are
00:00:17 --> 00:00:26 listening. Amen. Sometimes privilege can become a problem. Sometimes you can be generous to
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 somebody, you can be good to somebody and they can begin to presume on that generosity.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:39 Being a father, I have been learning this very quickly. My son is quite a sharp kid. He learns
00:00:39 --> 00:00:44 very quickly what are things that he wants and what are things that he doesn't want.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:51 And for some reason, he usually wants what I have. So I could have fed him like 10 times more food than
00:00:51 --> 00:00:56 he needs. But if I then walk out of the kitchen with a piece of toast, there is nothing more desirable
00:00:56 --> 00:01:00 in this world than that piece of toast. He literally eats more breakfast than I do already.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:07 And yet when I go and get my toast, having fed him, he absolutely cracks it if I don't give him a piece
00:01:07 --> 00:01:11 of it. And the first few times I thought, oh, that's sweet. He wants to eat what daddy's eating. And so
00:01:11 --> 00:01:18 I'll be generous and I'll give him some toast. But he has begun to assume that now it is his right for
00:01:18 --> 00:01:25 daddy to give him toast. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop with food. My mobile phone is as much his as it is
00:01:25 --> 00:01:30 mine now. He's already figured out how to get on there and open up the photos and play videos of himself,
00:01:30 --> 00:01:36 which he thinks are very entertaining. But if I need to make a phone call, it's his phone, it's not my phone.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:42 My generosity in giving him access has come back to bite me because now he thinks it's his right.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:50 Sometimes privilege can become a problem. Now, so far in the Old Testament up to this point,
00:01:50 --> 00:01:56 God has been very good to Israel. He has chosen them as a nation out of every other nation.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:01 He's rescued them out of Egypt. He's led them through the desert and made sure they had enough
00:02:01 --> 00:02:08 food and enough water. He now dwells with them in his temple. Now, there are a few instances of
00:02:08 --> 00:02:14 pretty severe judgment throughout the Old Testament, but they're always warranted. But as a rule, God has
00:02:14 --> 00:02:20 been good to Israel. Even when we opened the beginning of 1 Samuel a few weeks back and God
00:02:20 --> 00:02:28 declared judgment on Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, it's still wrapped up in goodness. The reason he brings
00:02:28 --> 00:02:33 judgment is because he wants to look after his people. And we saw in chapter 3 that that judgment was
00:02:33 --> 00:02:38 going to mean a better priest, a better priesthood. So God is being good even when he was judging.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:46 And so finally, Israel will continue to enjoy the benefits of being God's people. They'll get to
00:02:46 --> 00:02:51 enjoy talking to God. They'll get to enjoy hearing from God, being protected from God, having a relationship
00:02:51 --> 00:02:58 with God. God has been and God is being good to Israel. He loves them. They're his people.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:10 But that doesn't change how serious it is when they reject him. God has cared for them, but that doesn't
00:03:10 --> 00:03:17 mean that they have a right to presume upon his care. God has protected them, but that doesn't mean
00:03:17 --> 00:03:24 that they have a right to expect his protection. Now that God's word is returning to Israel, Israel must
00:03:24 --> 00:03:33 pay attention. So let's walk in to 1 Samuel chapter 4. The first word that God delivers to Samuel after a
00:03:33 --> 00:03:39 period of considerable silence is one of judgment. We looked at it in detail last week, so I won't go
00:03:39 --> 00:03:45 into it too much, but basically it's judgment directed at Eli and his sons. But we've got to be careful
00:03:45 --> 00:03:52 that we don't assume that everybody else was innocent. I don't know if you guys remember, it was probably
00:03:52 --> 00:03:57 close to a year ago now, there was the News of the World scandal out of England. And basically,
00:03:57 --> 00:04:02 it was a dodgy media organization that had been tapping people's phones without permission,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:07 listening in on conversation so that they could get leads, so they could get secret information to put
00:04:07 --> 00:04:12 into their papers and onto the web, which of course meant they sold more and made them look great.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 And when they got found out, of course, the people at the top of the tree at News of the World
00:04:17 --> 00:04:22 got in a fair bit of trouble. News of the World owner, Rupert Murdoch, got in trouble,
00:04:23 --> 00:04:28 the managing directors got in trouble, and basically the leaders were held accountable.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:34 But that doesn't mean that the people working in the organization didn't also share the guilt.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:40 It's only the leaders who were taken to court for their role, but what about the person who was
00:04:40 --> 00:04:44 taking the dodgy information and putting it into the paper? What about the person who was actually
00:04:44 --> 00:04:49 putting the taps on the phone so they could listen in? Just because the leaders are the only ones who
00:04:49 --> 00:04:54 face judgment doesn't mean that there isn't more guilt down the line. And we'll see as we go through
00:04:54 --> 00:05:02 1 Samuel that although judgment comes to Eli and Hophni and Phinehas as the priests, there is plenty of guilt
00:05:02 --> 00:05:09 to be shared by Israel as a nation. Samuel's word was coming to all Israel. And that's not just a general
00:05:09 --> 00:05:16 statement there in verse 1. It's this word about judgment that all of Israel has heard. Everybody
00:05:16 --> 00:05:24 knows that God is unhappy. Everybody knows that God is angry. And what do they do as a response?
00:05:25 --> 00:05:32 Verse 1. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. They pick a fight.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:41 The first word from the Lord in a long time is God telling them he's not happy. And they think the
00:05:41 --> 00:05:47 best thing to do would be to pick a fight with the country next door. Now to be fair, this fight has
00:05:47 --> 00:05:52 probably been going on for a while. Israel and Philistine are both trying to take control of the
00:05:52 --> 00:06:01 same area of land. But having just heard that God is angry, the first thing they do is go over and
00:06:01 --> 00:06:07 fight someone else. Having just heard God's not happy with them, what would your first step be to
00:06:07 --> 00:06:13 annoy someone else? Now all throughout history it's been God who gives victory to Israel.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:18 They've had some spectacular victories. They've won fights that they shouldn't have won.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 They've won battles where they were outnumbered, battles where they were scared.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:30 But right now, God is angry with them. Surely the first step for them would have been,
00:06:31 --> 00:06:35 let's get God on side, then let's go lay waste to these annoying Philistines.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:42 But no, God's angry, let's just continue on and pick a fight. Remember, God destroyed the
00:06:42 --> 00:06:49 Egyptian army by swallowing them in the sea. Armies aren't a big issue for God. If God is with Israel,
00:06:49 --> 00:06:58 the Philistines are an absolute non-problem. But right now, he's angry with them. And they still
00:06:58 --> 00:07:05 go off and pick a fight. They need to deal with the bigger issue first. Because if God is with them,
00:07:05 --> 00:07:12 the Philistines don't matter. But right now, God is angry. So often, when I talk to people about Jesus,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:17 you hear things like, look, I hear what you're saying, but I'm just going to figure that out later
00:07:17 --> 00:07:23 on in my life. I've got a lot going on right now. Work is really busy. There's a lot of stuff for my
00:07:23 --> 00:07:27 family that I'm dealing with. I've got a lot of things to stress about. I'm trying to buy a house
00:07:27 --> 00:07:33 at the moment. But you've got to understand that your relationship with God, your relationship with
00:07:33 --> 00:07:38 the one who created you, is more important than any of these other things in your life. It's not to
00:07:38 --> 00:07:42 say they're not important. It's not to say they don't matter. But when you say, I've got to figure out
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 which house I'm going to buy, and I've got to figure out whether God matters in my life,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 you've got to deal with the most important issue first.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:59 Your relationship with the God who will judge you is more important than finding a job.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:06 It's more important than buying a house. It's more important than finding a husband or a wife,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:12 choosing or paying for your next holiday, even defending yourself against an invading army.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:19 more important is your relationship with the God who made you and who you will answer to when you
00:08:19 --> 00:08:25 die. Now, it's not to say that any of those things are wrong or bad. Get married, buy a house, go on a
00:08:25 --> 00:08:32 holiday, do all those things. But don't let that be an excuse or a distraction when it comes to figuring
00:08:32 --> 00:08:40 out where you stand with the God who made you. It's more important. When you neglect the most important
00:08:40 --> 00:08:46 thing, inevitably these less important things, still important but less important things, will falter
00:08:46 --> 00:08:54 as well. Israel ignores God. They ignore what he has to say, or at very least they're more worried
00:08:54 --> 00:09:00 about the Philistines just over the hill. And so what happens? Verse 2.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:24 What happens? They lose. Badly. 4 soldiers die. This is God's people. This is God's army.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:34 And they lose. 4 dads and sons and brothers die in battle. Now, what do you do with that if
00:09:34 --> 00:09:40 you're Israel? What do you do with that when you're supposed to be God's people? When he's supposed to
00:09:40 --> 00:09:47 protect you? When he's supposed to look after you? I mean, Israel has won battles before. Israel was a
00:09:47 --> 00:09:52 confident army because they had the God of heaven with them. It didn't matter who they were facing.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:59 And then this happens. They lose. What do they do with that? Have a look at verse 3.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:09 Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines?
00:10:09 --> 00:10:15 Let us bring the ark of the Lord's covenant from Shiloh so that he may go with us and save us from the
00:10:15 --> 00:10:21 hand of our enemies. Why did God do this? It's a really important question.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:30 Notice that they don't ask, Who did this? Or they don't ask, Did God do this? They know this is God.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:36 They know that God's in control. They know that even though it's a loss, it's still something that
00:10:36 --> 00:10:40 God is responsible for. If you look closely at verse 3, it says,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:45 Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines?
00:10:45 --> 00:10:53 From Israel's perspective, even though the Philistines were the ones with the swords, it's almost like they were watching as God made Israel loose.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 They understand that God is in control.
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 And in fact, it's almost like he has made an example of his own people.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 But the question is, why?
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 Why did he do this?
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 And this isn't the first time.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 This has happened before. Not very often.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:15 But it has happened and God has been behind it whenever Israel has lost like this.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 So why is the right question to ask?
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 But they couldn't get the answer more wrong.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 Have a look at verse 3 again.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:32 Let us bring the ark of the Lord's covenant from Shiloh so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:37 Let's go get the ark so that God will win.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 So just walk through this logic with me for a second.
00:11:41 --> 00:11:44 We lost today, which means God wasn't there.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 Go get the ark of the covenant.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:51 Then God will have to fight for us because he's promised.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:57 It's like their answer to the question, why did God do this, is he must have forgotten.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 Doesn't he know that we're Israel?
00:12:01 --> 00:12:01 We're his people?
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 Doesn't he remember what he promised us?
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 I mean, we've got it in writing.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 It's in the Ten Commandments.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:12 They're sitting in the ark where he says, you'll be my people, I'll be your God.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 God, look at the contract.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:17 Bring the ark over and we will remind him what he's supposed to do as God.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:24 God, it's almost like something that I annoyingly do to my wife.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 I am a big fan of back tickles.
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 I don't like massages, but I like back tickles.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 And so I insist that she occasionally gives me back tickle vouchers.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:39 Because usually the time when I want one is the time when she can't be bothered.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 And fair enough, because I ask most days.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:47 But if I have it in writing, I can wave it in front of her face and say, look, remember, you promised.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:53 It's almost like Israel gets out the Ten Commandments and goes, God, what are you doing?
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 You said we have a contract from you.
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 You must deliver.
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 And so they figure out that's the solution.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 And verse 4,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:16 So they bring the ark, they bring the priests.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 Now Samuel's already told them that God's angry with the priests.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:26 In fact, the reason God had been silent up until the point when Samuel arrived,
00:13:26 --> 00:13:33 it's been judgment on Israel and their dodgy worship centered around Hophni and Phinehas.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:39 And yet, somehow they think it's a good idea to bring them to the field of battle.
00:13:39 --> 00:13:52 No one thinks, even for a minute, that the fact that God is angry and the fact that they lost are at all connected.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 There's been judgment.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 They've all heard it.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 That's what verse 1 said.
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 Samuel's word came to all Israel.
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 They've lost a battle.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 And for them, there's no possibility that those two things are related.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 It must have been that God forgot.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:12 Their privileged position as God's people has suddenly become a right.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 He has to fight for us.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 He has to defend us.
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 It doesn't matter what we're doing to Him.
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 He promised.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:26 God has gone from being their creator and protector and sustainer, God,
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 to some sort of machine that gets wheeled out when they need Him.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 Uh-oh, we're in trouble again.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 Someone go get God.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:38 And make sure you bring the ark in case he's forgotten what he's supposed to do.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:44 There is so much wrong with this story that it's almost hard to know where to start.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:51 I mean, they're trusting in two guys, Hophni and Phinehas, who God has explicitly said He's going to kill.
00:14:51 --> 00:14:58 And they've just brought them to a field of battle where the chance of death has got to be at least a little bit higher.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:04 They have called on God as if they're the master and He answers to them.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:12 I mean, the whole priestly system existed to explain and show them what the right way to relate to God was.
00:15:13 --> 00:15:17 They were so unworthy of God that there were sacrifices they had to go through,
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 that there were specially elected people they had to go through.
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 And none of that seems to come in.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 There's no sacrifice.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:29 And the only priests that they've got along with the ark are dodgy and about to get killed by God.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:36 And yet somehow, they feel entitled to His protection.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:42 There is no reverence for God at all among God's people here.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 If anything, they're annoyed at Him.
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 They feel like God's let them down.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 Forget what they've done.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 Where was God when they needed Him?
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 They just lost a battle.
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 4 men just died.
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 I wonder if you ever do something similar in your own life.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:05 Do you ever get annoyed at God because you feel like He hasn't delivered on some entitlement that you've got?
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 Why am I still sick, God?
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 Why am I struggling to pay this bill, God?
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 Why am I still single, God?
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 Where's my answer to prayer?
00:16:19 --> 00:16:25 And yet at no point do you reflect, even for a second, on the person that you're talking to?
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 Or on the way that you're treating Him?
00:16:28 --> 00:16:35 Israel is asking the right question in this passage, but they come up with the wrong answer.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 Verse 5.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:52 Forget what happened yesterday.
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 We've got this army covered.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 God has to fight for us.
00:16:55 --> 00:16:58 They get so excited that with their shouting, the ground shakes.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 Listen to the Philistines' reaction in verse 6.
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, what's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?
00:17:06 --> 00:17:10 When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 A God has come into the camp, they said.
00:17:13 --> 00:17:16 Oh no, nothing like this has happened before.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 We're doomed.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?
00:17:20 --> 00:17:24 They were the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:29 There's a bit of fear from the Philistines, but not really.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:32 I mean, what is it they're afraid of?
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 A God?
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 Or some gods?
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 It's almost like they're not really sure.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:42 They've heard the rumours about Israel's God and what He did in Egypt, and that's impressive.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 That's kind of a story that their great-great-great-grandfather told them.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 And so they're thinking, this God's kind of impressive.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:56 But this generation of Israel has failed so badly to show everybody what God is like, that
00:17:56 --> 00:17:59 the Philistines think that there's probably multiple gods.
00:18:00 --> 00:18:06 Israel has brought in so many other extra gods, gods of fertility, and gods of rain, and
00:18:06 --> 00:18:11 gods of crops, and all these other gods that they could worship, that the Philistines, who
00:18:11 --> 00:18:16 are their next-door neighbours, don't even know that what's distinct about Israel's God
00:18:16 --> 00:18:22 is that He is the only God, that He is the one God, that He is above all other gods.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:27 And so when the Philistines look, they're kind of scared, but they think, we've got gods.
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 What's the difference between their gods and our gods?
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 The Philistines are scared, but not really.
00:18:36 --> 00:18:39 Listen to their strategy for fighting against God.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:47 Verse 9, be strong, be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews as they have been to you.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 Be men and fight.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:54 The Philistine battle strategy for fighting God is man up.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 I mean, does that sound ridiculous to anyone else?
00:18:58 --> 00:19:02 Surely our first step would be, if you're about to face off with the god who swallowed the
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 Egyptian army with the sea, beg for mercy.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 Put up a white flag and hope for the best.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 Surely doing a few extra push-ups in the gym between battles is not going to make the
00:19:12 --> 00:19:15 difference if you're facing the god who made the muscles on your arms.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 But that's their strategy.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:28 Israel was supposed to be a light that shined the majesty and glory and power of their god
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 into the world.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:36 But it's done such a bad job that a few soldiers think that with their strength, they'll be
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 able to overcome him.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:44 How far they are away from the prayer that Hannah prayed in chapter 2 when she declared
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 that by strength man will not prevail.
00:19:48 --> 00:19:53 No one in this passage, on either side, understands the power of God.
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 Israel thinks they have control.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:59 The Philistines think they can beat God.
00:20:00 --> 00:20:05 And Israel's small vision of God has become all that the world gets to see.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:10 And so in ignorance, they go into battle again.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 Verse 10.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:19 So the Philistines fought and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 The slaughter was very great.
00:20:21 --> 00:20:25 Israel lost 30 foot soldiers.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:30 Israel loses badly again.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34 30 this time dead.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 And they flee.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 Not for another battle.
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 They've lost now.
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 Verse 11.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:56 God's word is fulfilled.
00:20:58 --> 00:21:04 Hophni and Phinehas both die on the same day exactly as God said would happen in chapter 3.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:14 And the ark, the symbol of God's presence with his people, the symbol of his promises to care for them and provide for them and protect them,
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17 is now captured by a foreign army.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:21 This whole episode is really about verse 11.
00:21:22 --> 00:21:25 The answer to the question, why has God done this?
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 Why have we lost?
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 It's because he said he would.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 This is judgment.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:37 And to make it worse, this is judgment that God warned them about.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:42 Israel has completely misunderstood what it means to be the people of God.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:46 They've misunderstood what it means to have a relationship with God.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:55 It's taken a gift and a privilege of being called into that relationship and it's become an excuse to treat God like he answers to them.
00:21:57 --> 00:22:00 When God speaks, Israel should listen.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:08 When God spoke through Samuel, Israel should have heeded the warning and turned back to God in humble repentance.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:14 But instead, they continue thinking, we're God's people.
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 He has to be good to us.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:22 Their privilege and their position as God's chosen nation has become their downfall.
00:22:23 --> 00:22:26 They've lost sight of the God who chose them in the first place.
00:22:28 --> 00:22:33 What we've got to understand is that grace doesn't change who God is.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:39 God's mercy and God's goodness don't change the fact that he's God.
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 Don't change the fact that he is far above us.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:47 Don't change the fact that he is just and holy and powerful.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 I mean, he is their God.
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 He's committed to them.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 The commandments were a genuine commitment.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 The covenant he made is real.
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 He does want a relationship with them.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 He does want them to know him.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:03 He is their God.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 But he is still God.
00:23:09 --> 00:23:12 He's still the one who spoke the earth into creation.
00:23:12 --> 00:23:17 He's still the God who Hannah prayed to, who stands alone, who is unlike any other God,
00:23:18 --> 00:23:22 who breaks the bows of the mighty and raises up the humble.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:27 He is holy and powerful and he will not tolerate sinful people.
00:23:27 --> 00:23:33 God reminded them when he spoke in chapter 2 and verse 30,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:36 it is far from him to tolerate those who dishonor him.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 He is worthy of more than that.
00:23:40 --> 00:23:45 Being in a relationship with God is not like any other relationship we have.
00:23:46 --> 00:23:50 If you dishonor a mate or a girlfriend or a wife,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:54 you know, you can give a bunch of flowers.
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 You can write a letter.
00:23:56 --> 00:24:03 But if you dishonor God, he's well within his rights to pour out his judgment on you
00:24:03 --> 00:24:05 because he is God and he made you.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:11 That's why the relationship between God and Israel has boundaries.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:17 Those boundaries that God has given in the form of priests and sacrifices and the whole system
00:24:17 --> 00:24:21 is actually a gift for the sake and protection of Israel.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:26 It's out of love for them that God protects them from a judgment that they rightfully deserve.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 That's why they have priests.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:32 God wants them to know him as their God,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:36 but they must understand that he remains God.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:41 He doesn't become less when he calls us in a relationship with himself.
00:24:42 --> 00:24:46 He gives us a privilege of knowing him and he is still to be feared.
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49 If you call yourself a Christian,
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52 if you're following Jesus,
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55 you are in a unique and privileged position.
00:24:55 --> 00:24:59 God has invited you to refer to him as your heavenly father.
00:25:00 --> 00:25:03 He has welcomed you to talk to him and pray to him.
00:25:03 --> 00:25:05 He has promised to do good to you.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:11 But you must remember he is still the God of heaven and earth.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:15 Yes, he has invited you to call him your God.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:20 But he is still a God who sits above all creation.
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 One thing is different for us.
00:25:28 --> 00:25:32 Romans 8 tells us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 Israel feared the judgment of God,
00:25:36 --> 00:25:40 but Romans 8 tells us that in Christ we need not fear it.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:43 Jesus fulfills our end of the bargain.
00:25:43 --> 00:25:47 Israel was holding out the contract that God had made with him saying,
00:25:47 --> 00:25:50 God, you have to hold up your end even though we're not.
00:25:51 --> 00:25:54 But for us, Jesus is our end of the bargain.
00:25:56 --> 00:26:01 The life that God expects of those who follow him is perfect obedience and service.
00:26:01 --> 00:26:03 And for us, Jesus fulfills it.
00:26:03 --> 00:26:11 The covenant cannot be broken because it is maintained by God and Jesus.
00:26:12 --> 00:26:18 Galatians 2 tells us that we have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer us who lives,
00:26:18 --> 00:26:20 but Christ who lives in us.
00:26:21 --> 00:26:26 When God looks at our lives, he no longer sees our imperfect attempts at following him.
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 He sees the perfect obedience of Jesus.
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 What that means is,
00:26:34 --> 00:26:38 God will never say to me what he said to Eli.
00:26:40 --> 00:26:46 God will never do to those who follow him what he did to Hophni and Phinehas on the battlefield.
00:26:48 --> 00:26:51 He will never kill them in judgment for their sins
00:26:51 --> 00:26:55 because Jesus has fulfilled the covenant.
00:26:56 --> 00:26:58 But be careful how you hear me.
00:26:59 --> 00:27:02 Be careful that you don't hear this and make the same mistake that Israel does.
00:27:03 --> 00:27:06 That security that we have in Jesus,
00:27:06 --> 00:27:09 that confidence we have because he has done what is required,
00:27:10 --> 00:27:16 is not an excuse to treat God as less powerful or less holy
00:27:16 --> 00:27:19 or less sovereign or less important in your life.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:25 His grace to you is that you get to know him even when you don't deserve it.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:28 But it doesn't change who he is.
00:27:29 --> 00:27:33 In fact, if you treat God like he's some sort of accessory in your life,
00:27:33 --> 00:27:36 if you treat God like he's an insurance policy for when you die
00:27:36 --> 00:27:40 and he has no impact on your day-to-day decisions,
00:27:40 --> 00:27:42 no authority in your life,
00:27:43 --> 00:27:45 chances are that the confidence you have that you're saved
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 is false confidence.
00:27:49 --> 00:27:53 Because there's no separation between saying Jesus is my saviour
00:27:53 --> 00:27:55 and Jesus is my Lord.
00:27:55 --> 00:27:57 You can't have one half.
00:27:58 --> 00:28:02 Now, I'm not saying you need to be good enough for Jesus to save you.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:06 But to comprehend who Jesus is as saviour,
00:28:06 --> 00:28:09 you must comprehend who he is as Lord.
00:28:09 --> 00:28:12 To understand what he did on the cross,
00:28:12 --> 00:28:17 you must understand that Jesus sits on the throne in heaven with all authority.
00:28:19 --> 00:28:23 Only the King of heaven could die in your place and offer you forgiveness.
00:28:23 --> 00:28:28 When we are forgiven by God,
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31 a transformed life is the evidence.
00:28:33 --> 00:28:37 Paul says it like this in Ephesians 2, verse 8.
00:28:37 --> 00:28:39 It says,
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41 It is by grace you have been saved through faith.
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 And this is not from yourselves.
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 It is the gift of God,
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 not by works so that no one can boast.
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 Nothing you do
00:28:50 --> 00:28:53 can actually enable you to have a relationship with God.
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 It's a gift.
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 It's his grace.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 It's his invitation.
00:28:56 --> 00:28:59 But there's a really important thing here in verse 10.
00:28:59 --> 00:29:09 It's the evidence.
00:29:10 --> 00:29:14 The grace that God gives us isn't just about being given a ticket to heaven.
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 That's part of it.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:20 But it's about being called into a relationship with our heavenly Father.
00:29:20 --> 00:29:24 We are both children of God and servants of God.
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 Not one or the other,
00:29:26 --> 00:29:28 not sometimes children and sometimes servants.
00:29:28 --> 00:29:31 Just as Jesus is saviour and king,
00:29:32 --> 00:29:38 we are forgiven and we are given the opportunity to serve our king.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:43 Being a Christian isn't just about being forgiven.
00:29:45 --> 00:29:48 It's about having a relationship with God.
00:29:51 --> 00:29:54 Being forgiven is what gives you the chance to have that relationship.
00:29:54 --> 00:30:01 But obedience and service is what the relationship looks like.
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 Let me say that again.
00:30:05 --> 00:30:09 Being forgiven is what gives you a chance to have a relationship with God.
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 And it's the only thing.
00:30:10 --> 00:30:12 Forgiveness in Christ Jesus.
00:30:13 --> 00:30:16 But obedience and service is what that relationship looks like.
00:30:16 --> 00:30:20 Not oppressive obedience.
00:30:20 --> 00:30:23 Not burdensome service.
00:30:23 --> 00:30:30 But obedience to and service of the loving saviour who gave everything for you.
00:30:30 --> 00:30:36 The question I want to leave you with tonight is,
00:30:36 --> 00:30:40 are you following the God who is both merciful and holy?
00:30:40 --> 00:30:44 Or are you just picking the half that you like?
00:30:49 --> 00:30:52 Are you accepting the gift that God has given you?
00:30:53 --> 00:30:56 And embracing the life that he's prepared for you?
00:30:58 --> 00:31:01 Or are you trying to take advantage of a gracious God?
00:31:01 --> 00:31:04 Let's pray.
00:31:10 --> 00:31:16 Father God, we want to acknowledge that it is easy to forget what it costs you
00:31:16 --> 00:31:19 to call us into a relationship with you.
00:31:21 --> 00:31:23 We want to admit that often we demand from you
00:31:23 --> 00:31:27 without acknowledging our failures in relating to you.
00:31:27 --> 00:31:33 And God, we want to ask that you would open our eyes to see you more clearly.
00:31:35 --> 00:31:38 To see your power and your majesty and your holiness.
00:31:39 --> 00:31:43 God, we want to ask that we would wake each day excited and enthusiastic
00:31:43 --> 00:31:48 for the opportunity you give us to love you and obey you and follow you.
00:31:50 --> 00:31:55 God, we want to ask that we would rejoice in the chance to serve and obey you
00:31:55 --> 00:31:59 as much as we rejoice in the forgiveness that you have given us.
00:32:01 --> 00:32:04 God, we pray that although Israel failed,
00:32:04 --> 00:32:07 we ask that as your people now that we would shine your glory and majesty
00:32:07 --> 00:32:09 to the world around us.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:12 May they see the satisfaction that is in you alone.
00:32:14 --> 00:32:16 May they see your incredible worth.
00:32:16 --> 00:32:23 Father, we thank you for calling us into a relationship that we don't deserve
00:32:23 --> 00:32:29 and giving us the strength to stay in it by your Holy Spirit.
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 Amen.