People Do Not Seek God
It's one of the hardest theological constructs to come to terms within the modern west. But the reality on the page of scripture is men do not seek God. God seeks them. For proof, you can check the third chapter of Genesis. You can also check the Psalms.
Psalm 14:2–3 (ESV) The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
Romans 3:11 (ESV) no one understands; no one seeks for God.
We are in 1 Samuel. So far in 1 Samuel, God has brought great judgment upon His own people. The nation of Israel has descended through the time of the judges to Samuel's birth into a morass of immorality. On top of that, their leaders are dead and the symbol of God's presence has been captured in war. It's a tragedy.
When the Philistines get the Ark they place it in the temple to Dagon. A funny thing happens to Dagon, his hands and head are broken off as he falls before the Ark. Because of this, there's a superstitious regard for a threshold mentioned in 1 Samuel 5:5.
What's incredible to watch is how the Philistines respond to the terror the Ark of God brings upon their nation. As soon as the God of Israel starts to prove Himself more powerful than their most powerful "god" they come to one conclusion: "Get rid of this God."
1 Samuel 5:11 (ESV) They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
It is incredible to see this unfold. The Philistines think they have proven the God of Israel to be subservient to their hand-made god. Yet when reverse appears true they respond with fear, dread and a resolution to get rid of this God. This is the heart of man exposed in the most transparent manner. We do not naturally seek God.
Now, why is this so? Because the God of Israel is stronger than our pride, more powerful than our strength and greater than our glory. Mankind is fallen, trapped in the pursuit of his own greatness as the enemy of our souls was in heaven before Creation. And when our impervious reality is shown for the fraud it actually is, we shutter and squirrel away from the Lord.
The Philistines were in the presence of the Lord! But they were too busy boasting of their own power and might. This never sits well in the presence of the Sovereign God. He proves Himself for who He is. He challenges their assumptions. He shows them their frailties and they run.
The great gift Israel offers the world is the God who came and found them. God chose Abraham who was an idolater in Ur.
Joshua 24:2 (ESV)And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.
Nehemiah 9:7 (ESV) You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
Psalm 14:2–3 (ESV) The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
You can ask Paul:
Romans 3:11 (ESV) no one understands; no one seeks for God.
We are in 1 Samuel. So far in 1 Samuel, God has brought great judgment upon His own people. The nation of Israel has descended through the time of the judges to Samuel's birth into a morass of immorality. On top of that, their leaders are dead and the symbol of God's presence has been captured in war. It's a tragedy.
When the Philistines get the Ark they place it in the temple to Dagon. A funny thing happens to Dagon, his hands and head are broken off as he falls before the Ark. Because of this, there's a superstitious regard for a threshold mentioned in 1 Samuel 5:5.
What's incredible to watch is how the Philistines respond to the terror the Ark of God brings upon their nation. As soon as the God of Israel starts to prove Himself more powerful than their most powerful "god" they come to one conclusion: "Get rid of this God."
1 Samuel 5:11 (ESV) They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
It is incredible to see this unfold. The Philistines think they have proven the God of Israel to be subservient to their hand-made god. Yet when reverse appears true they respond with fear, dread and a resolution to get rid of this God. This is the heart of man exposed in the most transparent manner. We do not naturally seek God.
Now, why is this so? Because the God of Israel is stronger than our pride, more powerful than our strength and greater than our glory. Mankind is fallen, trapped in the pursuit of his own greatness as the enemy of our souls was in heaven before Creation. And when our impervious reality is shown for the fraud it actually is, we shutter and squirrel away from the Lord.
The Philistines were in the presence of the Lord! But they were too busy boasting of their own power and might. This never sits well in the presence of the Sovereign God. He proves Himself for who He is. He challenges their assumptions. He shows them their frailties and they run.
The great gift Israel offers the world is the God who came and found them. God chose Abraham who was an idolater in Ur.
Joshua 24:2 (ESV)And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.
Nehemiah 9:7 (ESV) You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
It was not Abraham's search that found God. It was Abraham's steps that followed the God who came and got Him. There's only one way for a man to come to God, stop running from Him and turn and embrace Him. This too is a work of His grace. You are reading this by grace. Will you see Him?
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