Shiloh

What Happened At Shiloh?

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“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

‘Thus saith the LORD; ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: if so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent Me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.” Jeremiah 26:1-7 (KJB)

Shiloh is the place where the ark of the covenant was kept in the Tabernacle in the wilderness which Moses had made after the pattern of God’s in Heaven.  Shiloh was the place from which it was taken foolishly by the priest thinking it had special powers even when the hearts of the people had turned against hearing the word of the LORD.  It would do the reader good to read 1 Samuel 1 – 4 to get the background of what Jeremiah is saying.

When people will not hear the word of the LORD, and do what He says then you can be sure no amount of prayer, special offering, sacrifice will suffice to please God. He is pleased when we hear His word, and do it.

There are many places that are alive with activity in the name of the Lord, but full of ignorant, disobedient, sacrificing, giving people; separated from God, and do not even realize it. Their lives are empty and without meaning, because these places have a whole lot of fire, but not fire from God in Heaven. They will not hear and heed the word of the LORD.

“Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name,…. The temple, as in Jer_7:11, for though it was called by his name, and his name was called upon in it, yet this could not secure it from desolation; for so the name of the Lord was set in the tabernacle at Shiloh, and yet he forsook it through the wickedness of the people:

wherein ye trust; they trusted in the sacrifices there offered up, and the service there performed; in the holiness of the place, and because it was the residence of the divine Majesty; wherefore they thought this would be a protection and defence of them; and this was trusting in lying words, as in Jer_7:4,

and unto the place which I gave unto you and your fathers; meaning either Jerusalem; and so the Syriac version renders it, “and to the city”; or the whole land of Judea, as in Jer_7:7,

as I have done to Shiloh; See Gill on Jer_7:12.”  From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible on Jeremiah 26:6

O hear the word of the LORD. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.  That is a starting place.

Destruction happened at Shiloh.  Life eternal happens at the cross of Jesus Christ. Hear the word of the LORD.

A Prophet of the LORD

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“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.” 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (KJV)

At this point of time with the people of Israel God is not pleased with those who are the spiritual leaders of the nation. Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phineas who were very immoral with them and treated the Lord and His offerings with contempt. This was so even to the point of the judgment of death, the taking of the ark of the covenant by the Philistines; and the departure of the “glory of God” from Israel (4:10-22).

Before this judgment came upon them the LORD provided them a prophet, Samuel. The word of the LORD came to Samuel. He was not familiar with the voice of God, and needed instruction. The LORD God still reveals Himself through the word of the LORD.  The LORD will do nothing accept He reveal through His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).  His Word speaks quite clearly to all who will read it, believe it and heed it; an today.

His Living Word is Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. The crucified, buried, resurrected, and coming again King of kings and Lord of lords.

The glory of God may be gone from the nation, but not from His prophets, and His faithful people. Believe His word. Believe God. Believe His Son.

City on a Hill

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“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.” Psalm 87:1-3 (KJV)

Our thoughts of the mountains are often of their strength and power; their height as they reach into the clouds.  The “Holy mountains” are those where Jerusalem is setting.  Jerusalem is the place where our Lord Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again.

That is the place where God chose for His  name to dwell.  It is the place that He loves more than all the dwellings of Jacob, ie., more than Shiloh, and the other places the ark of the covenant has been.

If you will note the final word of the above verses.  “Selah”  It means “Pause”, or I see it as pausing to think about what has just been said.  God is holy.  The gates of Zion are holy.  This can really be speaking of the person of Jesus Christ.  He is the One, the only One by whom God’s people can enter into the holiest of all places; the throne of God, and worship Him.

Glorious is His name.

The Lovely Dwelling Place

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“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!” Psalm 84:1

A Psalm for the sons of Korah (See Numbers 16).

The word “Amiable” means lovely.  Tabernacles is the dwelling place of the LORD.  The wilderness tabernacle was moved from one place to another as the children of Israel travelled, until they reached the promised land, and then it was kept at a place called Shiloh (Joshua 18:1;  1 Samuel 1:3, 9, 24).

When Jesus Christ came into the world and gave Himself an offering for our sins; following His ascension into heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to be God within all who will trust and believe in Him (Romans 8:9).  Now we are told by the apostle Paul that we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19).

The tabernacles of the LORD are lovely; because they are the dwelling places of the LORD of hosts.  Are you one of His dwelling places?  Then, prove it.  Show Christ Jesus alive, and at work in you.

Day 18 – God in the Box

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We have some Christian leaders today saying to us, that God is bound to answer our prayers, answer our demands, and so forth; maybe not in so strong a fashion but many times in more subtle ways.  One thing we need to realize as Children of our GOD is that God is obligated to us in no fashion.  God is obligated to Himself, and His Word.

In my reading this morning (1 Samuel 1 – 14) I read of the dark sins of the sons of Eli, and the faith of a woman named Hannah.  Hannah is actually the first mentioned in the historical account of the last Judge of Israel.  Hannah received from God the son she requested, and she kept her word with God, giving Samuel to the LORD all his days.

The Ark of the covenant was given to give the people of Israel the assurance that God was in their midst.  The tribes, as they journeyed through the wilderness were arranged so that the tabernacle was in the midst of the camps.  When they arrive in the promised land the tabernacle is set up in Shiloh, and there is where all the offerings are to be made.

The people however had began to think of the Ark as the source of all their need.  As long as the Ark was with them, then, they could live anyway they chose, do anything they liked, give God worship on the Sabbath day, and the Ark would always be their power and means of escape and deliverance from their enemies.  That is not any more clearly seen than in chapter 4,

“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.'”  1 Samuel 4:3 (KJV)

The Philistines are destroying them in battle.  They call for the Ark to be brought into their camp; and they are about to learn a very hard and fast lesson.  At the end of this battle the two sons of Eli – Hophni and Phineas – are killed, the army of Israel is defeated and the Ark of God is taken (4:10-11).

What God desires of His people is to know that He is with them wherever we are.  We do not need a box, a set of beads, an idol.  For those who have called on the name of the Father through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross we have the abiding presence of God within us.  Yet, I know that there are certainly times we do not feel His presence.  We have His assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  There are times, however, that we do stray from Him.

The problem with Israel at that time was they were engulfed in rebellion.  Their spiritual leadership was defying the commandments of God.  God had sent messengers to Eli to correct his sons, yet the abominations continued.  Thus, the penalty was death, and the capture of the Ark of God.

O, how miserable a lot we can be when we think we can live as we please; in rebellion against God; and think that we can still have power with Him.  That is probably the greatest weakness of the present generation of God’s people in Christ.  We model the world “to try and win the world”; rather than model Christ and let His Spirit convict and convince the world of His love, mercy and grace.

When Saul had been chosen as king of Israel, and anointed as king by Samuel we hear these words,

“And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.” 10:7

Samuel had given Saul some signs; events and people he would meet on his return journey home.  That is when he tells him these words.  He is telling Saul “Do whatever comes to heart and mind” and for this reason: “For God is with you”.  The Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied.  We are not told what he preached, but he preached the Word of God for sure.

When we are right with God walking in His Spirit we will do what comes from God to please God.  The Spirit of God will not do anything that goes against God, His character, or His Word.  We do not have God in a box; however, the Christian has Christ within to do what ever the Spirit of the Lord leads us to do.  And that will be to honor and glorify God

-Tim A. Blankenship