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50,070 Israelites were killed at Beth-shemesh for mishandling the Ark of the Lord.

October 9, 2011

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1 Samuel 7 1 And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the Ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. 2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty yearstwenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

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Israel was sorrowfulsorrowful because the Lord had seemingly forsakenforsaken them.

The Ark satArk sat at Kirjath-Jearim;

Nobody was harmedharmed; Nobody was blessedblessed.

Twenty yearsTwenty yearsWhat is lackinglacking?

Why is God not blessingnot blessing His people?

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3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do returndo return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.

That's what was missingmissing.

Repentance; returningreturning to the Lord.

Serve Him onlyonly.

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5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LordI will pray for you unto the Lord. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

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Pouring out water was important onlyonly in what it signifiedsignified -- their sorrow for sin.

They poured out their heartshearts in repentance,

Fully confessingconfessing their sins, and determiningdetermining to turn awayturn away from sin and false gods,

UntoUnto the True and Living God.

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They destroyeddestroyed their idols of Baal and Ashtoroth,

Publicly confessedconfessed their sins,

And vowedvowed to serve the Lord God and Him only.

That is truetrue repentance.

Not only turning from from sinsin, but

turning unto the Lordturning unto the Lord.

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7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

Whenever God's people begin to repentrepent and draw neardraw near unto Him,

The enemy attacksattacks full force.

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As long as we are laxlax and lazylazy, the devil is contentcontent to let us be.

But when he sees us on our kneeson our knees in prayer,

Or with our hands upliftedhands uplifted in worship;

When he sees us living life God's WayGod's Way --

He comesHe comes against us with all the weaponsweapons at his command.

DiscouragementDiscouragement, AngerAnger, Entice-Entice-mentsments, pridepride, fearfear, grudgesgrudges

Many moreMany more.

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8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. 9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the LordSamuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord the Lord heard himheard him.

After we have repented -- turnedturned from false gods and from sin --

Unto the LordUnto the Lord,

God willGod will hear our heart's cry and answer.

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10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

The enemy is helplesshelpless when GodGod defends His people.

The Philistines were defeated with thunderthunder.

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11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it EbenezerEbenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

We need to markmark the times and places

Of God's HelpGod's Help and DeliveranceDeliverance.

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We need to mark them in our hearts and mindshearts and minds to remember themremember them for the rest of our lives.

We also need to mark the timestimes of God's Deliverance with testimoniestestimonies of thanksgiving.

AnniversariesAnniversaries to celebrate

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13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of all the days of SamuelSamuel. 14 And the citiescities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restoredrestored to Israel, from Ekron even unto GathEkron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

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The Philistines had set up strongholdsstrongholds within the boundariesboundaries of the Promised Land.

Where does the enemy set up strongholdsset up strongholds against the people of God today?

In our minds.In our minds.

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2 Corinthians 10 3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty mighty through Godthrough God to the pulling down of strongholdsstrongholds;)

Casting down imaginationsimaginations (human reasoning; human logic), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thoughtthought to the obedience of Christ;

We don't have to let demons roostroost in our mind.

We can resistresist him the Power of GodPower of God.

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15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.

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Just as the Israelites brought the Arkbrought the Ark into Abinadab's house and treated it with respectrespect,

But nevernever reunited it with the Tabernacle.

Too many people return to the house of God, but never really regain fellowshipregain fellowship with

GodGod, Whose house it is.