TAKING THE HUMAN HEAD AND HANDS
FROM THE DEVIL

The days in which Israel was invaded by the Philistines and the ark of the covenant stolen and placed in the temple of Dagon, their fish god, occurred when ELI was high priest, when the boy Samuel was dedicated to God and lent to him by his mother Hannah.

Israel was in a very backslidden state at that time.

• This was epitomized by her High Priest, Eli, being backslidden.

He could not hear from God.

1Sa 3:1-4 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.  (2)  And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;  (3)  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;  (4)  That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

HIS EYES WAXED DIM.

When God spoke, he did not hear, bit SAMUEL heard, who was a child.

THE LAMP OF GOD WENT OUT.

There was NO OPEN VISION and the Word of God was precious then because IT WAS RARE!

• (Sounds like some churches.)

The lamp should ALWAYS BURN:

Exo 27:20 KJV  And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

Lev 24:2-4 KJV  Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.  (3)  Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.  (4)  He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

And Eli's two sons were priests in the Tabernacle, and contrary to divine law, they were wicked men.

• HOPHNI's name means FIST FIGHTER.
• PHINEHAS' name means MOUTH OF THE SERPENT.
• These boys committed adultery and fornication with women of the "church".
• They forced offerings to be given rather than accept offerings.
• They made people hate giving to God.

1Sa 2:12 KJV  Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

God saw all of this and allowed the enemy to come and shake the kingdom.

The true Israel of God is the church today.

• We were set free from the Egyptian slavery of sin.
• The lamb's blood, Jesus Christ's blood, redeemed us to God!

And as Israel became backslidden, much of the church world today is backslidden away from the power of God and true godliness and leading of the power of the Holy Ghost.

• "Church" has become synonymous with "boring" or "dull".
• When Church is as Church should be, it is the most exciting thing a person can experience!
• Supernatural miracles and wonders and signs!
• They are meant to be Life-changing centres where drug addicts are delivered and alcoholics and murderers are changed from the inside out!

It has become so far removed from God's intentions that when religiously "Christian"  people hear of a church believing in the supernatural works of God and speaking in tongues and water baptism by immersion in Jesus' name, they sneer at it and call it fanaticism.

However, read the book of Acts and find out what Church is supposed to be like today!

But in carnal churches and even personally in carnal lives, there is the tendency to see the things we see in Eli's day.

• No hearing from God.
• The dedicatory lamp of God that MEN had to ensure remain lit will go out.
• That means dedication is lost.

God gave the fire of the altar from heaven that the priests originally took and used to light the candlestick.

• And although God first gave it, men were responsible to KEEP IT LIT!
• They had to trim the wicks of the lamps and keep oil flowing into the lamps everyday!

God gives us the Holy Ghost from Heaven.

• But we are responsible to keep it afire in our hearts!
• Daily they had to refill it with oil and trim the wicks, while daily we seek God and consider His words.
• We receive preaching of the Word to keep the oil burning!
• AND IT IS GOLDEN OIL, this preaching of the Word!
• PRECIOUS WORD.

Rev 2:1 KJV  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 2:4 KJV  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Rev 1:20 KJV  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Rev 2:5 KJV  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Notice he said HE WALKED AMONGST THE CANDLESTICKS.


This is the seven churches.

• And then He said he would remove the candlestick from it's place if they did not get back their first love.
• If he walked among the candlesticks, and He would remove this candlestick from it's place, then He would remove the candlestick from where He walked, and this church WOULD BE ABSENT OF THE PRESENCE OF JESUS!

And the candlesticks were shaped like branches of Almond trees according to Exodus 25:31-33

So the LIGHT and flame was like fruit coming from the branches.

• We need to ABIDE IN THE VINE IF WE ARE GOING TO PRODUCE FRUIT.
• In other words, John 15 says, if the branch does not bear fruit it is because it is not attached to the vine.
• Our relationship of love to Jesus makes we branches to be ATTACHED to the vine, to produce fruit.
• Jesus said He'd remove the branch and throw it away if it did not bear fruit.
• No wonder LOSING LOVE for Jesus caused Jesus to say he would remove the CANDLESTICK shaped like a branch!

Joh 15:5-6 KJV  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

THE LAMP WENT OUT!

No relationship with God.

• No worship no love for Him.
• Dead dry church.
• Deadened and dried Christianity

HIS EYES WERE DIM.

HE COULD NOT HEAR GOD SPEAK.

Mat 13:15 KJV  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
   
EYES WAXED DIM - heart waxed gross.

The two things Jesus mentioned about the EYES and EARS of the heart were represented by

Eli's backslidden condition.

Cannot see in the Spirit, and cannot hear God speak.

ELI ALSO REPRESENTS THE FLESH.

• THE OLD MAN.
• The carnal element that we're supposed to KEEP UNDER.

We read that the Philistines took the ark of the covenant.

1Sa 4:10-11 KJV  And 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.  (11)  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

The devil can come on into to our territory and defeat us and rule us if we are not led of the Spirit and seeing God move.

• "PHILISTINE" means "IMMIGRANT."
• The Philistine kingdom represents the KINGDOM AND DOMINION OF SIN.
• SIN IS AN "IMMIGRANT" you do not want in your country.

What is an immigrant?

• It is someone who was not born here who comes here to dwell.
• Now, when SIN is an immigrant we're in trouble.

But the meaning of PHILISTINE tells is something about sin.

• In the Christian lifestyle, SIN WAS NOT PUT HERE BY GOD.
• Some believers look at sin as something that BELONGS in their lives ruling them and pushing them around, because they cannot believe nor imagine having victory over sin.
• They look at sin as something every Christian will always be defeated by, and our only victory is to repent when we do sin.
• But Paul's message in Romans 6 teaches us that SIN IS AN IMMIGRANT!
• It does NOT BELONG in the Christian life!
• IT IS NOT FROM HERE!
• It's an INVADER.

And when the Philistines were conquering Israel I am reminded of the message Christians need to hear as sin rules over them and live as though it was expected and intended.

Rom 6:2 KJV  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:12 KJV  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:14 KJV  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

And the FLESHLY believer will live as though nothing can ever be done about sin, because their eyes are blinded to not see truth anymore, and their ears are deafened so they cannot hear from God, and their responsibility in keeping the Holy Ghost burning in them is GONE!

And such people have FRUIT come from their lives like Hophni and Phinehas!

• FIST FIGHTER and MOUTH OF THE SERPENT!
• Fights and grudges and cliques and divisions in the family of God.
• That is where PHILISTINES RULE.
• That is where sin is given free reign.

And just when the enemy comes along, and we lose the glory of God, there is a message God wants to send us.

1Sa 4:12 KJVR  And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

To rend your garments and throw dirt on your head represented extreme distress and a fearsome calamity had just occurred.

• It is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL to see sin conquer us and cause carnality and divisions amongst God's people, with works of the flesh being produced instead of fruit of the Spirit.

This Benjamite represents the Apostle Paul!

Phi 3:5 KJVR  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

And this messenger came to Eli and something significant happened to Eli.

1Sa 4:13-18 KJVR  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.  (14)  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.  (15)  Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.  (16)  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?  (17)  And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.  (18)  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 broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

Eli was VERY FLESHLY for the bible said "he was an old man, and heavy".

• When this sort of carnality runs the glory of God out of the country and the enemy comes riding in conquering, IT IS BECAUSE THE OLD MAN IS STILL ALIVE.
• ELI was an old man.
• And this critter needs to die.
• The old man is VERY FLESHLY.
• FAT.
• Lots of flesh.
• People who have lots of flesh, in the spiritual sense, are spiritually empty and carnal and too involved and steeped in fleshliness, and love of self and self-centredeness.
• They are picky and touchy.
• Easily set off and upset.
• No fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy , peace, etc.
• Just works of the flesh, represented by the two sons, FIST FIGHTER and SERPENT MOUTH.
  

They have a serpent mouth because their words are not inspired of God but of the devil.

• They're mean, or they're self-centred, or proud.

And PAUL represented by this Benjamite Messenger, ,ust come along and speak a message that WILL SLAY THIS OLD MAN!

This message of all messages, regarding sin controlling our lives is found in Romans 6.

Rom 6:2 KJVR  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

WE ARE DEAD TO SIN!

Sin should not be throwing us around!

• It does not belong here.
• It's an invader!
• It's not from here.
• It's an immigrant.
• Do not recognize it as being from here.
• And do not give citizenship status to this kind of immigrant!

Paul preaches to believers who NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING THEY OBVIOUSLY DO NOT KNOW IF SIN IS RULING THEM.

Rom 6:6 KJVR  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7 KJVR  For he that is dead is freed from sin.


When we really get this message, THE OLD MAN WILL BE DEAD!

ELI means LOFTY in english.

• This proud SELF of the OLD MAN.
• FLESHLY -- heavy with flesh.

He needs to fall off his chair and fall backwards like into a grave, dead.

• See his his miserable neck broken!

And all Paul's message was summed up in the thought that the cross of Christ caused OUR OLD MAN TO DIE so the SPIRIT COULD TAKE OVER AND RULE INSTEAD!

• And us RULE WITH HIM!

Read Romans 6 for yourself.

And then we read what happened to the ark.

1Sa 5:1-5 KJV  And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.  (2)  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  (3)  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.  (4)  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.  (5)  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

It was taken.

• THINK OF THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS.
• This represents PAUL'S MESSAGE of the cross.
• IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT AFTER A BENJAMITE GIVES A MESSAGE THAT SLAYS THE OLD MAN, WE READ ABOUT THE ARK IN WAYS THAT PARALLEL THE THREE DAYS OF THE WORK OF THE CROSS.

DAY 1- Ark is put into temple of Dagon.

• Tomb is place of death, like a temple of the devil!

DAY 2 - Dagon is seen fallen down on face before the ark.

DAY 3 - DAGON IS SEEN fallen down again with head and hands broken off on the threshold!

• And the Philistines are so stupid that they get rid of the ark when they know God is more powerful than their idol fish god, and send it away.

1Sa 5:7 KJVR  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

It's the hand of God upon us (our old man) and DAGON!

Get rid of it!

Luke 8:37 KJVR  Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Like the Gadarenes who'd rather have their swine than Jesus!

• Philistines would rather have a weak, defeated god Dagon rather than God!

The THIRD DAY the head and hands of DAGON were broken off.

1 Samuel 5:4 ...and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 

Literally it was ONLY THE FISHY PART that was left.

1Sa 5:4 YLT  And they rise early in the morning on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands are cut off at the threshold, only the fishy part hath been left to him;

• Dagon was a fish god.
• He had human head and hands, and the rest was the end of a fish.
• And Dagon represents the devil.

WHEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE CARNAL AND FLESHLY and the old man rules and lives, THE DEVIL HAS YOUR HEAD AND HANDS!

• The devil is not a human, so if he has human head and hands, HE HAS OUR HEAD AND HANDS!
  

That is why Paul, the Benjamite, comes along with a message about the glory of God that is departed.

• He has to deal with OUR HEADS AND HANDS.

Paul repeatedly said KNOW YE NOT?

• He taught we must get something into our HEADS!
• Some truth!

Bro Simmons said this morning that the idle mind is the playground of the devil.

• I thought to myself that if that is the case, then some people's minds are like "Disney land" -- a super internationally known playground!

Unless we KNOW THIS, in our heads, the DEVIL HAS OUR MINDS!

• He can use our IGNORANCE.
• And Paul proceeded with a message that they had to KNOW.
• They had to get their HEADS out of the clutches of the devil.
• The devil can USE THE MINDS of people who DO NOT KNOW they baptized into Christ's death so as to see the OLD MAN DEAD.

Rom 6:13 KJVR  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Once you KNOW with your head and your mind that you a re DEAD to sin, then you can KNOW you are alive from the dead.

Rom 6:9-11 KJVR  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  (10)  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  (11)  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.


When Jesus died he died to sin.

• SO DEATH COULD NOT RULE OVER HIM.
• SIN AND DEATH need to stop ruling us too.
• So we read LIKEWISE - IDENTICALLY -- What is true for Christ is true for us in every way... consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God!

So when Rom 6:13 says we are alive to GOD, it is ONLY THOSE WHO STARTED TO KNOW THIS ARE ABLE TO YIELD TO GOD AS ALIVE FROM THE DEAD.

That speaks of your HEAD -- your mind.

• If you do not KNOW you're dead to sin you will not KNOW you're alive to God!
• And only when you connect what Happened to Jesus to yourself... everyone knows what happened to Jesus, but hardly anyone realizes it is true for them as well!...
• ...can you present yourself as ALIVE FROM THE DEAD!

So to cut the human head from the devil is to STOP HIM FROM USING YOUR HEAD BY KNOWING what you a re supposed to KNOW with your Head.

• The devil is not a human!
• But he has attached to himself HUMAN HEADS AND HANDS through ignorant sinners and even believers WHO DO NOT KNOW who they died with Christ!
• And these folks DO NOT KNOW they con conquer SIN!

Paul teaches about the cross!

• The first day the Lord was put into the tomb.
• The third day satan's human head and hands were removed.
• The third day the fish idol lost its human head and hands!

That represents Paul's message!

But not just what is associated with your HEAD... you need to present YOUR HANDS as well.

Rom 6:13 KJVR  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead (a matter of the head that KNOWS one is dead to sin and alive to God), and your members (such as hands) as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Your members are your bodily parts.

• Once the devil loses use of YOUR HEAD because you now KNOW what you should KNOW, he then will lose your members, including hands, because if you know enough that you are alive from the dead, then you will proceed to  allow God to use your hands as well!
• Your members!

And what the ark did to Dagon represents what this message will do to the devil.

• He will LOSE YOUR HUMAN HEAD AND HANDS.

Where is the mark of the beast issued on people's bodies?

• HAND OR HEAD.

Notice this:

Speaking of head and hands.

HOPHNI means FIST FIGHTER.
PHINEHAS means MOUTH OF SERPENT!

What part of your body has a FIST?

What part of your body has a MOUTH?

HEAD AND HANDS!

Praise God!

You get rid of this carnality of Eli's and the flesh's works of the flesh, and you rob the devil of your hands and your head!

Dagon was a fish with HUMAN HANDS AND HUMAN HEAD.

The devil will not be able to lie to your mind once you KNOW the truth!

• What you KNOW or do not KNOW affects what you DO!
• And if you do not know the truth, the devil has your head.
• And if the devil has your head, it affects what you do -- your hands!

Let that blessed Benjamite messenger, Paul, get his message through to you and break off your human head and hands from the devil.

Recall that Eli BROKE HIS NECK.

• And note that Dagon's HEAD came off.
• That would be breaking at the neck as well!
• This TRUTH affects both the devil and our OLD MAN.
• When we see the OLD MAN'S NECK BROKEN, then so will the neck of the devil, holding OUR HUMAN HEADS in connection to himself, be broken.
• The devil uses OUR HEADS and OUR HANDS when the old man is alive and well.
• Let's remove this opportunity from him by learning the message of the great Benjamite, Paul the Apostle!