1 Samuel (5:1) 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. 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;
"Philistine" means IMMIGRANT.
One immigrant we do not want to have in our land is THE DEVIL and evil spirits.
SIN is another immigrant we do not want in our land.
TWO VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS of our lives are represented as HUMAN HANDS AND HEAD on Dagon.
Many think sin is something we have to put up with and expect it to beat us up every so often.
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. Israel was in a backslidden state where the spiritual leader, Eli the High Priest, had eyes that were dim.
We also read : 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.
The word of God was precious because there was very little of it.
All these represent severe fleshliness and carnality. Eli had two sons who were wicked and adulterous. HOPHNI's name means FIST FIGHTER.
1 Samuel 4:10 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.
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.
This man from Benjamin is very significant.
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;
Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin as well. 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.
After 40 years in the Exodus wilderness. due to carnality, the carnal generation who doubted died. 40 days and nights of flood rains wiped out sinful world. This man of Benjamin had a message that caused a FAT FLESHY MAN to fall backwards and break his neck and die. A Benjamite man also killed another fat fleshly man: Judges 3:15-17 KJV But when
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a
deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by
him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of
Moab. (16) But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges,
of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right
thigh. (17) And he brought the present unto Eglon king of
Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
Not only was ELI dim-sighted and had sons who lived like devils, fist fighter and mouth of the serpent, but he was VERY FLESHY and was called AN OLD MAN. All of that flesh represents fleshliness and carnality that defeated Christians have ruling their lives. They get upset easily and pick fights with people and cannot let something die, but hold grudges.
Fleshly People hold grudges and cannot forgive because their SELF was attacked, and when you attack a selfish person you are attacking what concerns them the most more than anything in the world.
Jesus told us we need to lose this carnal love for self, and be willing to deny self. Matthew 16:24 KJV Then said
Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
1 Corinthians 6:7 KJV Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 1 Corinthians 6:7 MSG These
court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far
better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it?
Romans 12:17-19 KJV 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. Romans 12:17-19 MSG Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. (18) If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. (19) Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." We live like everyone has to treat us perfectly and cannot say anything about us, and we act like maniacs when WE are treated a certain way or something is said about US.
Philippians 3:18-19 KJV
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell
you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of
Christ: (19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
The cross teaches us to DENY SELF, not please it in every possible manner.
YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.
This message from this man of Benjamin caused the OLD MAN TO DIE. The message above all other messages that stops sin from ruling in our lives is found in Romans 6. SIN rules in the lives of people who love self too much. The thing that appealed to Eve in Eden was when the serpent said something that caused her to focus on her self more than anything else.
When we were baptized into Jesus Christ's death WE DIED WITH JESUS.
Paul preached the cross. CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
Paul preached the cross in Romans 6 and told us we're crucified with Jesus. Romans 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.
AND IT SLAYS THE OLD MAN! DESTROYED means MAKE OF NO EFFECT -- PUT DOWN --
1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV But I
keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
This means THE FLESH CAN RISE UP even after you become spiritual and have put it down, if you stop KEEPING IT DOWN. Just like the message TIME TO GO BACK WHERE JESUS LAID, we must REHEARSE THESE TRUTHS IN OUR HEARTS when our flesh and sin affects us too much.
If someone hurts you and are unfair and wrong, just leave them alone and remind yourself, "This is good for my flesh. It keeps it crucified for me!" Like Paul's message, the message of the man of Benjamin killed the OLD MAN. KNOW THIS and get victory! Recall the message of TIME TO GO BACK WHERE JESUS LAID.
The boy SNEEZED SEVEN TIMES
In our text, not only did the PHILISTINES have to be dealt with, BUT THE OLD FLESHY MAN IN ISRAEL had to die as well! You are the spiritual leader of YOUR LIFE.
We need to rule with Jesus instead of letting SIN RULE in us! THINK OF THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS.
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.
If the devil and sin ever had a TEMPLE it would be a tomb!
DAY 1- Ark is put into temple of Dagon. Tomb is place of death, like a
temple of the devil!
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! And the Philistines are so stupid that they get rid of the ark when they know God is more powerful than their idol fish god, and send it away.
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.
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 you are carnal, and led by the flesh and ruled by sin, THE DEVIL USES YOUR HEAD.
And if the devil has your HEAD, he HAS YOUR HANDS.
You need to go back to the place where Jesus laid.
Straighten out your mind with the message from the man of Benjamin, Paul, in Romans 6, and UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH. The reason we read about the ARK causing the human head and hands to come off Dragon on the third day is because the victory Jesus had over death and the sin and the devil is YOUR VICTORY since you were saved. Just because Israel was God's people did not mean the Philistines could not conquer them and defeat them.
LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE! Reckon yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God because you died with Jesus and resurrected with Jesus.
KNOW speaks of your HEAD. 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.
But YOUR HANDS are involved here, too. 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.
Some think that they are not servants to sin even though they commit sins occasionally because they think no one can stop sinning. Romans 6:17 KJV But God be
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
But Jesus said that committing sin means we are servants of sin. John 8:34 KJV Jesus answered
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin.
So when the bible says we are not to yield ourselves Notice that the MARK OF THE BEAST is on THE HEAD AND HAND. FOREHEAD, right HAND. Notice that THE HEAD AND HAND can be seen in FIST FIGHTER and MOUTH OF THE SERPENT. When you BREAK THE NECK of the OLD MAN with the truth, that is when the DEVIL gets his neck broken and LOSES YOUR HEAD! When you affect the old man with the cross, you affect the DEVIL!
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