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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
God gave the fire of the altar from heaven that the priests originally took and used to light the candlestick.
God gives us the Holy Ghost from Heaven.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
What is an immigrant?
But the meaning of PHILISTINE tells is something about sin.
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!
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.
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".
They have a serpent mouth because their words are not inspired of God but of the devil.
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!
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.
He needs to fall off his chair and fall backwards like into a grave, dead.
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!
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.
DAY 1- Ark is put into temple of Dagon.
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!
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!
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;
WHEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE CARNAL AND FLESHLY and the old man rules and lives, THE DEVIL HAS YOUR HEAD AND HANDS!
That is why Paul, the Benjamite, comes along with a message about the glory of God that is departed.
Paul repeatedly said KNOW YE NOT?
Bro Simmons said this morning that the idle mind is the playground of the devil.
Unless we KNOW THIS, in our heads, the DEVIL HAS OUR MINDS!
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 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.
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.
Paul teaches about the cross!
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.
And what the ark did to Dagon represents what this message will do to the devil.
Where is the mark of the beast issued on people's bodies?
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!
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.
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