Taken Again

Hebrews 3:13-15

But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Remember before how that Shiloh represents the blessings of God in a now generation. So too does Matthew respond to the issue with "this evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign" But here the matter responds with a being referred back to the Lord as seen in the text. Then again will there "be no sign given save that of the prophet Jonas." 'What's the generation got to do with it' indeed you might wonder. Notice in all the service of God how the obediance along with their blessings move down through the ages. Such obedience echoes the visitation promised to the children of the third and fourth generation had these but served him too quite very well. In all this, is he not the God who remembers. Indeed he knows where you and I have been and where also we may end up. You might feel lost and forgotten about for now but hold on. Resurrection is coming. Indeed there remains a new life for the people of God. Nor does this sort come in all by itself. Rather it is found somewhere between the person of his Son and the new life in the Spirit with which John 6 was all too familiar. In him is the relationship perfectly made almost as Christ does the church. Such is the very same matter. Imagine then going to your husband one day and saying 'honey I'm sorry I'm here in the now only' for the temporary amount of whatever the stuff. Is that not just how some of us are in the habit of doing the Lord. For such have some mistaken his presence or like the Levites once found a disgrace.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Samuel 4:3-4

Here are the blessings of God in the now generation turned out to be for their sin. See, God will not always bear long with his people nor will he suffer any such to use him so thus. It seems the elders had taken a notion to use the ark of the Lord as though his very presence going before him themself into benefit. How many of you know know God is not your own personal genie to be ordered around up there so high in the sky. Nor can he be simply stuffed into bottle or well at it would appear. We on the other hand certainly can as the Psalmist so penitently declares to all who would listen. He certainly is the God who stores our tears in a bottle and keeps all their records down in his book. Might well you say the Lord is known of his people. Now though, the Levites had got themselves twisted and with it the people besides. God it seems in his mercy will not let any such thing go unpunished no matter how long. So do the records of the children's hatred stored up in the third and fourth generations so plainly tell. Just think what would only have been had they had one of those Hebrews sorts of good Words. Think of all the parents telling the children of the goodness of God really to all who would listen. It speaks of his nature see and thus can be trusted to keep us even from getting into our sin. For he can be trusted to keep our own house, affairs, and all very well; that way when the flesh and the world come a-knocking, it just so happens that no one is home. Rather let my prayer be this simply: 'Lord I know you promised the road is not always be easy and life would often be hard. But didn't you promise you'd be here through it all.' It might semawful hard to hear though at first this having left all to follow the Lord. My, the fellowship with him and the seat at his feet is worth all that and more we ever could bring is it not my friends. See at times when we are not faithful and some often stray, our God still remains a better man than any we would find. Such confidence then is hardly ours when it began with him first. Far better be it then to but trust and believe in him both now and forever, my friends. For then will we too not find shame at his own glorious appearing once more. Yet a little while until the end of indeed it is not in vain that we have waited this long. So too waits the house of the Father as he stands with arms spread open wide just waiting to welcome us home. Indeed it is a confidence that wants not for any nor yet to leave him alone. Though we believe not still he abides faithful. That is what confidence does for the soul. How often we like to sing in the church 'it is well' without the surety that comes with his rest. So too does this confidence have much to do after such whereby we know him then being found of his own perfect will. Such was not the case with Hophni and Phineas as seen in the text. See, this condition as being one without the move of the Lord. These essentially were involved in the worship of their own bodily temple. From there, the disorder spilled out into the people. It seems there is a danger in being found apart from the Lord as these all found to their hurt. Notice how the Philistines immediately recognized the ark of the temple and rightfully so as being part of his own presence so dear. Now at this time is their sudden desire to fight for the Lord as though to recapture him seen. The only thing though was the people had made a mistake. The Lord was not just some tool to be bartered with nor yet to be set out among with the rest. To both of these errors would Shiloh soon come. For there can be seen the rest of the Lord.