1Sa 4:12 KJV 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.
1Sa 4:15-21 KJV 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 to day 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 brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. (19) And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. (20) And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. (21) And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 1Sa 5:4 KJV 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.
(Put your local town or city in the place of Winnipeg, wherever you may be.) The Benjamite man relating a message about the taking of the ark represents Paul's message about the crucifixion of Christ.
Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin and of all the NT ministers, Paul's message was most extensive and dealt with conquering sin AFTER THE CROSS and we are saved. Eli is the OLD MAN (1 Sam. 4:18) and had LOTS OF FLESH, depicting the OLD MAN that the message of the cross teaches as having been destroyed. His two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, whose names respectively mean FIST FIGHTER and SERPENT MOUTH, represent the vile works of the flesh that exist from the lives of carnal believers, whose OLD MAN is not rendered dead. The Philistines did not know it, but when they took the ark of the covenant, they took what would be to their own destruction.
And After the message of the Benjamite saw ELI fall back and break his neck in death, we read the ark was taken and put into Dagon's temple.
We preached Sunday about removing the HUMAN HEAD AND HANDS from the devil. Satan is not a human, any more than a fish is human.
But when the old man is crucified with Christ, the old man's NECK breaks and then the devil's neck that holds this HUMAN head breaks and the devil loses both the head and hands of human beings. He needs human head and hands to survive and manifest his filth and sin in the world.
So as the ark was taken and Hophni and Phinehas died and Eli was killed, when Christ was taken in death our old man was intended to be killed along with the works of the flesh. See the sequence: 1) Hophni and Phinehas are slain. 2) Eli dies breaking his neck. 3) The ark breaks the neck and hands off Dagon It translates as follows: 1) The works of the flesh are ended. 2) The OLD MAN IS DEAD 3) The devil no longer can use our head (mind) and hands (bodily members) We are going from the outcroppings to the source!
Paul's message in Romans 6 teaches us to KNOW some things with our HEADS.
Hands simply represent your body and your ACTIVITY or ACTION. (People use their MOUTHS AND HANDS more than anything else!) Phinehas was MOUTH OF THE SERPENT, because the DEVIL HAS PEOPLE'S HEADS. So all of this was TRUTH CONCERNING WHAT JESUS ON THE CROSS did for us.. not just to save us from hell, but to also KEEP US IN VICTORY OVER SIN THE REST OF OUR LIVES!
Rom 6:6 KJV 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 6:13 KJV 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. Let us find the connection to this verse and see how the issue really is OUR HEADS AND HANDS. Rom 12:1 KJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Notice that both 6:13 and 12:1 mention the same idea YIELD/PRESENT.
Note that we see plural and singular terms in 12:1.
We all know the CHURCH is the BODY OF CHRIST. Col 1:18 KJV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. And before the church began, He only had his flesh and bone body that was A SACRIFICE!
2Co 5:15 KJV And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. AS MUCH AS CHRIST'S FLESH AND BONE BODY ON THE CROSS WREAKED DESTRUCTION AGAINST SIN AND SATAN, SO IS THE CHURCH BODY OF CHRIST SUPPOSED TO WREAK DESTRUCTION. 1Jo 3:8 KJV He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. To stop people from committing sin.
So the body of Christ is still intended to destroy the works of the devil.
Romans 12 is the remedy. Stop looking at yourselves as individuals in the overall scheme and see the greater good of ONE BIG SACRIFICE! Rom 12:(2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ELI's name means "LOFTY".
After talking about MANY BODIES and ONE SACRIFICE, we read about OUR MINDS and OUR BODIES.
And then verse 3 openly speaks of THINKING.
Rom 12:4-7 KJV For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; (7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; We are members of ONE BIGGER BODY.
As Christ's body on the cross defeated sin, Christ's body, the church, will not allow sin to rule over us, when it is the body it is meant to be. Christ ruined it's rule and the church must ENFORCE THAT. Notice that the bible concentrates upon the single sacrifice of Jesus ONE BODY. Heb 10:11-13 KJV And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (13) From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Notice the note about many sacrifices says they can never take away sin.
So it will be when the church UNITES IN MIND as one BODY and their BODILY MEMBERS become the members of the Lord and not themselves. 1Co 6:19-20 KJV What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. As much as Jesus smashed the devil's kingdom in his ONE SACRIFICE, when the church members consider each of their individual bodies as ONE SACRIFICE, we will PUMMEL the works of the devil in the world! Forgiveness is required! Financial giving and giving of our time and our selves is required.
When a church unites in this fashion, it destroys the works of the devil.! Rom 12:9-21 KJV Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (11) Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (12) Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (13) Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. (14) Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. (15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (17) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (20) Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Notice verse 16. (16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. ONE BODY and also ONE MIND. Your body and your head! This will break the human hands and head off the devil in good shape! We must put an effort froth to be UNITED in purpose and work.
Agreement with ONE MIND towards each other in humility and towards God's WILL to be done will destroy the works of the devil.
The third day victory of Jesus must be repeated in our lives as a CHURCH BODY. Its so important to straighten out ministries in the church body.
There is a greater good than just feeling good about doing something WE want to do. Divisive tendencies in members ruins the opportunity Christ gave us to destroy the devil in our city. The body of Christ on the cross died and thereby caused havoc in hell's kingdom!
|