1 Sam. 5 - a little price to pay for the eternal bliss
By Jimmy Lau
1Sa 5:1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
The Philistines feared God but would not worship and submit to Him. They knew His power. They tasted His wrath. They saw how God humiliated their god Dagon. Still, they did not want Jehovah as their God. Why? In spite of all the evidences that God showed to them to prove He is God like no one else, why did the Philistines reject Him?
The reason is simple: Because following the LORD means a huge change in thinking and living. For the Philistines, it is easier to follow Dagon. Dagon allows them to be themselves. Dagon allows them to live in the pleasures of sin. Serving Jehovah means giving up their current lifestyle.
I have heard various reasons by some why they will not follow Jesus in spite they know about Him. And top on the list is this: Not ready for commitment! They don’t want to wake up early on Sundays to come to church. They say other religions do not have this requirement. They also are not ready to change their lives and thoughts about morality. Their religions allow them to be what they want to be. They say our God controls the lives of those that follow Him.
Children think that their parents are controlling their lives and they hate it too. But why do parents want to do that? Children will only know and understand their parents’ actions when they become parents themselves. Our wise God says: “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).
Bastards are illegitimate children. They are cast off and disregarded by their fathers. They do not have their fathers to discipline and instruct them. As a result, they become wayward children. A father, who is worthy of the name, will do everything for the good of his children.
Our journey here is preparing us to go to heaven. It is a little price to pay for the eternal bliss. Do you want to go to heaven?
1Sa 5:1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
The Philistines feared God but would not worship and submit to Him. They knew His power. They tasted His wrath. They saw how God humiliated their god Dagon. Still, they did not want Jehovah as their God. Why? In spite of all the evidences that God showed to them to prove He is God like no one else, why did the Philistines reject Him?
The reason is simple: Because following the LORD means a huge change in thinking and living. For the Philistines, it is easier to follow Dagon. Dagon allows them to be themselves. Dagon allows them to live in the pleasures of sin. Serving Jehovah means giving up their current lifestyle.
I have heard various reasons by some why they will not follow Jesus in spite they know about Him. And top on the list is this: Not ready for commitment! They don’t want to wake up early on Sundays to come to church. They say other religions do not have this requirement. They also are not ready to change their lives and thoughts about morality. Their religions allow them to be what they want to be. They say our God controls the lives of those that follow Him.
Children think that their parents are controlling their lives and they hate it too. But why do parents want to do that? Children will only know and understand their parents’ actions when they become parents themselves. Our wise God says: “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).
Bastards are illegitimate children. They are cast off and disregarded by their fathers. They do not have their fathers to discipline and instruct them. As a result, they become wayward children. A father, who is worthy of the name, will do everything for the good of his children.
Our journey here is preparing us to go to heaven. It is a little price to pay for the eternal bliss. Do you want to go to heaven?
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