Devotion 240
“God Dwelling in An Ark”
Reference: 1 Samuel Chapter 4
God has always dwelled among His people. This is the Emmanuel Principle; God with us.
Today, He is no longer dwelling in an Ark. He is God in us. We have become the Ark of God.
John 14:20 “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
That Day came on Pentecost. Men and women became the Ark of God when God the Holy Spirit came to dwell in them.
Acts 2:2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
They were all filled with God the Holy Spirit.
God has not changed. He simply moved from a wooden ark to a human ark.
Jesus Christ (the second Adam) was and is the Human Ark of God. He carried the Word, and He is the Word.
The First Adam was an ark of God.
There was a place in the heart of the First Adam where only God dwelled. Likewise, there is a place in every man and woman where only God can dwell.
The Philistines seizes the Wooden Ark of God.
Let’s read:
1 Samuel 4:1-10 “And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. [2] And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. [3] 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. [5] And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. [6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. [7] And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. [8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. [9] Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. [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.”
What made it an Ark of God was not the wood but the Word.
Israel had departed from the Word of God. Remember God is His Word. Their faith was in the wooden Ark of God and not the Word of God Who was in the Ark.
Many today have their faith in their church, denomination, and group instead of the Word. They are therefore being smitten by the Enemy in devastating ways.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 4:11 “And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”
The Philistines took the Ark but they took not God because they believed not in the Word.
When God the Word dwells in a man or woman, they become an ark of God.
Today, God the Word has come to dwell in us in the form of the Holy Spirit doing the same thing God did in the wooden Ark for Israel; directing them, and smiting every enemy.
He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 4:12-17 “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. [13] 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 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.”
Israel lost the spiritual Ark before the Physical Ark, for they had departed from the Word. Hophni and Phinehas died when they left the Word of God, a sign to Eli.
1 Samuel 2:34-35 “And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. [35] And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.”
The Lord cut off Eli the unfaithful priest for Samuel the faithful servant. The difference between the two is that Eli departed from the Word while Samuel stayed with the Word.
The Word dwelling in a man or woman is what made the difference then and what makes the difference today.
We conclude our reading:
1 Samuel 4:18-22 “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 I–chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. [22] And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.”
The Ark of God is the Glory of God, for it contained the Word of God. This Word of God is Jesus Christ the Glory of God.
Israel lost the spiritual Ark (Word) before the wooden Ark, because Israel stood at distance off the Word and Glory of God.
Let the Word of God keep you in contact with the Glory of God. BELIEVE, and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. The Word of God is the Glory, in Christ!
Reference: 1 Samuel Chapter 4
God has always dwelled among His people. This is the Emmanuel Principle; God with us.
Today, He is no longer dwelling in an Ark. He is God in us. We have become the Ark of God.
John 14:20 “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
That Day came on Pentecost. Men and women became the Ark of God when God the Holy Spirit came to dwell in them.
Acts 2:2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
They were all filled with God the Holy Spirit.
God has not changed. He simply moved from a wooden ark to a human ark.
Jesus Christ (the second Adam) was and is the Human Ark of God. He carried the Word, and He is the Word.
The First Adam was an ark of God.
There was a place in the heart of the First Adam where only God dwelled. Likewise, there is a place in every man and woman where only God can dwell.
The Philistines seizes the Wooden Ark of God.
Let’s read:
1 Samuel 4:1-10 “And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. [2] And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. [3] 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. [5] And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. [6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. [7] And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. [8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. [9] Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. [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.”
What made it an Ark of God was not the wood but the Word.
Israel had departed from the Word of God. Remember God is His Word. Their faith was in the wooden Ark of God and not the Word of God Who was in the Ark.
Many today have their faith in their church, denomination, and group instead of the Word. They are therefore being smitten by the Enemy in devastating ways.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 4:11 “And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”
The Philistines took the Ark but they took not God because they believed not in the Word.
When God the Word dwells in a man or woman, they become an ark of God.
Today, God the Word has come to dwell in us in the form of the Holy Spirit doing the same thing God did in the wooden Ark for Israel; directing them, and smiting every enemy.
He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 4:12-17 “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. [13] 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 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.”
Israel lost the spiritual Ark before the Physical Ark, for they had departed from the Word. Hophni and Phinehas died when they left the Word of God, a sign to Eli.
1 Samuel 2:34-35 “And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. [35] And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.”
The Lord cut off Eli the unfaithful priest for Samuel the faithful servant. The difference between the two is that Eli departed from the Word while Samuel stayed with the Word.
The Word dwelling in a man or woman is what made the difference then and what makes the difference today.
We conclude our reading:
1 Samuel 4:18-22 “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 I–chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. [22] And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.”
The Ark of God is the Glory of God, for it contained the Word of God. This Word of God is Jesus Christ the Glory of God.
Israel lost the spiritual Ark (Word) before the wooden Ark, because Israel stood at distance off the Word and Glory of God.
Let the Word of God keep you in contact with the Glory of God. BELIEVE, and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. The Word of God is the Glory, in Christ!
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
Devotion 121Devotion 108Devotion 107Devotion 106Devotion 105Devotion 104Devotion 103Devotion 102Devotion 101Devotion 100Devotion 99Devotion 98Devotion 97Devotion 96Devotion 95Devotion 94Devotion 93Devotion 92Devotion 91Devotion 109Devotion 110Devotion 111Devotion 112Devotion 113Devotion 114Devotion 115Devotion 116Devotion 117Devotion 118Devotion 119Devotion 120Devotion 122Devotion 123Devotion 124Devotion 125Devotion 126Devotion 127Devotion 128Devotion 129Devotion 130Devotion 131Devotion 132Devotion 133Devotion 134Devotion 135Devotion 136Devotion 137Devotion 138Devotion 139Devotion 140Devotion 141Devotion 142Devotion 143Devotion 144Devotion 145Devotion 146Devotion 147Devotion 148Devotion 149Devotion 150Devotion 151Devotion 152Devotion 153Devotion 154Devotion 155Devotion 156Devotion 157Devotion 158Devotion 159Devotion 160Devotion 161Devotion 162Devotion 163Devotion 164Devotion 165Devotion 166Devotion 167
Categories
no categories
No Comments