From Ichabod to Ebenezer
1 Samuel 4-7
From Ichabod to ebenezer
1 Samuel 4-7
Main Idea: God will not allow his glory to be manipulated and graciously accomplishes victory for his unworthy people.
I. The Superstition of Israel (4:1-22)
When Israel is defeated at the battle of Ebenezer, they ask the right question (“Why has the Lord defeated us today?”), but neglect to pray to God. Instead, they treat the ark of the covenant like the other nations treated their pagan gods by using it as a means to their own ends, removing it from its proper place to co-opt it for their own purposes.
The “ark” was to be a remembrance of God’s glory, holiness, and presence. It was topped by cherubim with a lid made of solid gold (called the ‘mercy seat’) where the once a year atoning sacrifice was offered (Lev. 16). Inside, it held 3 reminders of his redemptive acts in history toward his people (Heb. 9:4):
Tablets of Stone (God’s Word)
A Jar of Manna (God’s Provision)
Aaron’s Rod that Budded (God’s Salvation)
Here was a pressure tactic, a way of [trying to] twist God’s arm. That is not faith but superstition. It is rabbit-foot theology. When we, whether Israelites or Christians, operate this way, our concern is not to seek God but to control him, not to submit to God but to use him. So we prefer religious magic to spiritual holiness; we are interested in success, not repentance... The text forces two important implications upon us: Yahweh will suffer shame rather than allow you to carry on a false relationship with him; and Yahweh will allow you to be disappointed with him if it will awaken you to the sort of God he really is.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
Upon hearing of the capture of the ark, Eli falls over backward and dies, an “inglorious” ending to his reign as judge and high priest in Israel. Phineas’ wife also dies in childbirth, naming her child ‘Ichabod’ (lit. ‘the glory has departed’).
II. The Submission of the Philistine (5:1-6:9)
The Philistines assume they have defeated Yahweh by capturing the ark; they place the ark in the temple of their chief god, Dagon. But the Lord defends His own glory by:
Forcing Dagon to bow down to the ark, requiring him to be “put back in his place” (5:3)
Knocking Dagon prostrate again the next morning, cutting off his head (cf. 1 Sam. 17:51) and his hands (representing ‘power’) (5:4)
Isaiah 42:8 : I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
While Dagon had no hands, the “hand of the Lord” was “heavy” on the Philistines in judgment, as they are struck by a plague as the ark moves through the land. Underneath this Exodus-like judgment (cf. 4:8, 6:6), the Philistines send the ark back to Israel with a guilt offering of gold (cf. Ex. 12:35-26).
III. The Success of the Lord (6:10-7:14)
1 Samuel 4-7 is arranged in a “chiastic” structure:
A: The Israelites are defeated by the Philistines at Ebenezer (4:1-11)
B: The ark is exiled in Philistia (4:12-22)
C: God plagues the Philistines (5:1-12)
D: The Ark Returns (6:1-18)
C1: God plagues the Israelites (6:19-21)
B1: The ark is exiled in Kiriath-jearim (7:1-2)
A1: The Israelites defeat the Philistines in the battle of Ebenezer (7:3-17)
Israel’s disobedience should have led to their defeat and exile per the Mosaic Law. However, the Lord:
Goes into exile on their behalf
Travels through the promised land, defeating the enemy
Uses a seeming defeat to bring about a victory
Returns to his unfaithful people who abandoned the ark
Accomplishes victory and salvation for his unworthy people
God takes his glory so seriously that he himself takes the weight of glory on himself. Jesus comes as our representative and our substitute. The weight of God’s glory pressed down on Jesus and crushed the life out of him. He died in my place. In these chapters, the defeat of God proves to be the means of victory. The ark of God is taken to the temple of Dagon as a trophy of victory and tribute to Dagon’s superiority. But in the morning, Dagon lies fallen before God. The defeat of God leads to his victory over the Philistines. It is the same at the cross. The dead body of Jesus was Satan’s trophy of victory. But through Christ’s death the power of Satan was broken. Satan’s triumph became his ultimate defeat. Jesus walked victorious from the tomb and we walk out with him.
~ Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You
Where there was ‘no glory’ (‘Ichabod’), now Samuel helps the Israelites to raise an ‘Ebenezer’ (‘a rock/stone of help’) (7:12). God has brought about a great reversal for Israel, and his glory and grace should lead to genuine whole-hearted repentance and worship (7:6ff).
Falling and Rising
1 Samuel 2:12-4:1a
FAlling and Rising
1 Samuel 2:12-4:1a
Main Idea: Though earthly leaders rise and fall, God’s Word remains a steady anchor pointing us to Christ.
I. The Fall of Priests (2:12-36)
The sons of Eli were “worthless men” who “did not know the Lord” despite serving as priests in the tabernacle. They sinned greatly by:
Taking more meat offered for sacrifice by worshippers than was allowed (2:13-14; cf. Lev. 7:31-32, Deut. 18:3)
Robbing God of His portion and stealing the choice pieces by force (2:15-16; cf. Lev. 3)
Committing sexual immorality with women serving in the tabernacle (2:22; cf. Num. 25)
Though Eli did not abuse the priestly office in the way that his sons did, he sinned by enjoying the fruit of his sons' corruptions. He had become “very heavy” from feasting on sacrificial food. ‘Heavy,’ interestingly, is from the same Hebrew word as ‘glory’ or ‘honor.’ Eli is glorifying himself by fattening himself with the Lord’s food, instead of glorifying God by offering food to Him.
Peter Leithart, A Son to Me
The Lord holds Eli accountable for his son’s actions. His tolerance of their sin showed he despised and disregarded the things of the Lord, though he knew of His kindness and grace (2:27-28; cf. Heb. 10:26-28, 31). Consequently, the Lord will cut off and reject his household (cf. 1 Ki. 2:26-27), and those who “fattened” themselves will become “hungry beggars” (2:36).
II. The Rise of a Prophet (3:1-18)
The author strategically drops in reminders of Samuel’s growth, faithfulness, and ministering to the Lord, set in contrast to the downfall of the house of Eli (2:11, 18-21, 26, 3:1; cf. Lk. 2:52). The word of the Lord was “rare” in those days, indicating two spiritual realities:
The judgment of God (cf. Amos 8:11-12)
Hard and unreceptive hearts (3:2, cf. Mark 4:1-9)
That is how the word of God still becomes rare; people have no ears to hear (Mark 4:9). In fact, even the ability to hear must be a divine gift (Mark 4:10–12). We may have the Scriptures but suffer from deafness, and so the word is rare. Starvation may not come from absence of food but from lack of appetite. But God’s word—written, preached, welcomed—is the token of God’s grace to God’s people.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
Despite this reality, God is doing a new work through Samuel: his light has not yet gone out and the ark is still in the tabernacle (3:3). The Lord breaks his silence and speaks directly to Samuel, patiently calling to the boy in the same way he called others in his redemptive work in the past (cf. Gen 22:11, 46:2, Ex. 3:4).
This calling from the Lord begins Samuel’s training as a prophet, as he must be able to:
Discern between the words of man and the words of God (3:8-9)
Deliver to the Word of God to the people of God, regardless if it is a word of judgment or a word of comfort (3:11-14, 18)
III. The Steady Word of God (3:19-4:1a)
Through the rise of Samuel, the Word of the Lord will go from being “rare in those days” to the word of Samuel coming to “all Israel” (4:1a). Despite the rising and falling of earthly leaders, and the variable spiritual state of his people, God is committed to his glory and his word.
Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
In the crises of your life, you need God’s word. God’s word refreshes the soul, makes us wise, restores joy to our hearts and gives light to our eyes (Psalm 19:7–8). We need to be reading the Bible, engaging with the preaching of our church, speaking the word to one another and reminding our own hearts of God’s word… And in the crisis of our culture, we need God’s word. Our hope will not come through legislation to defend Christianity. It will not come through gimmicky methods or trendy services. We will never compete with Hollywood for entertainment. Our hope is in the power of God’s word.
~ Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You
Ultimately the Word of God is pointing us to the true & better:
Priest, whose priesthood never ends and who saves to the uttermost (2:35; cf. Heb. 7:15-16, 24-25)
Prophet, the even greater word-bringer, who incarnates as the Word made flesh (Deut. 18:15-19, Jn. 1:14, Heb. 1:1-2)
Our Weakness & God’s Strength
1 Samuel 1-2:11
OUr weakness And god’s strength
1 Samuel 1-2:11
Judges 21:25: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Main Idea: God uses our pain and weakness to draw us into dependency upon his sovereign strength and redemptive power.
I. Hannah’s Pain (1:1-8)
1 Samuel begins in obscurity: “a certain man” named Elkanah, living in a rural hill country, with an ordinary lineage tracing back to the small town of Ephrathah (cf. Mic. 5:2), who had two wives. Throughout 1 & 2 Samuel, God will use the unexpected, weak, and seemingly insignificant in order to bring renewal and restoration to his chosen people.
Hannah’s infertility was painful personally, as her family's future security was at risk; it was painful nationally as she was excluded from one of the great promises to God’s people (cf. Gen. 3:15, 22:17-18). Her suffering was marked by an internal ‘irritation’ (‘a thunderstorm’) as she is provoked by Peninnah (2:6) and pitied by her husband (2:8).
It is frequently that new chapters in Yahweh’s history with his people begin… with nothing. God’s tendency is to make our total inability his starting point. Our hopelessness and our helplessness are no barrier to his work. Indeed, our utter incapacity is often the prop he delights to use for his next act... When his people are without strength, without resources, without hope, without human gimmicks—then he loves to stretch forth his hand from heaven. Once we see where God often begins, we will understand how we may be encouraged.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
1 Corinthians 1:27-29: But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
II. Hannah’s Prayer (1:9-18)
Hannah takes her pain and turns in a prayer of lament to the Lord. Despite her distress, weeping (1:10), affliction (1:11; Ex 3:7), troubled spirit (1:15), anxiety and vexation (1:16), she urges the Lord to “remember” and “not forget” her and the covenant promises to his people.
Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust. You might think lament is the opposite of praise. It isn’t Instead, lament is a path to praise as we are led through our brokenness and disappointment. The space between brokenness and God’s mercy is where this song is sung. Think of lament as the transition between pain and promise. It is the path from heartbreak to hope… Lament is how we learn to live between the poles of a hard life and God’s goodness. It is an opportunity to remind our hearts about God’s faithfulness in the past, especially when the immediate events of life are overwhelmingly negative. While we’re still in pain, lament reminds our hearts of what we believe to be true.
~ Mark Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament
By urging the Lord to ‘remember,’ Hannah is situating her barrenness in the long line of God’s redemptive activity through miraculous birth:
Sarah (Gen. 11:30, 17:16
Rebekah (Gen. 25:21-26)
Rachel (Gen. 29-30)
Samson’s Mother (Judg. 13)
Elizabeth (Luke 1:7)
Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
Romans 4:17: …as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Hannah’s faith is set in contrast to Eli’s ignorance; he assumes she is drunk (cf. Acts 2:13-15) rather than earnestly praying. He is in a position of spiritual power, but Hannah’s posture shows true spiritual power, and her faith turns the fortunes of Israel around.
III. Hannah’s Prayer (1:9-18)
Hannah offers Samuel ‘back’ to the Lord as a permanent ‘Nazirite’ to serve the Lord in the tabernacle; she sees her story through the lens of the grand, redemptive work that God has promised, rather than merely personal fulfillment.
Hannah’s song is full of ‘great reversals’ that are steeped in Scripture, sets up the rest of 1 & 2 Samuel, and point us to the ‘anointed King’ (2:10) that is to come (cf. Luke 1:46-56)
Those who weep will rejoice in the strength of the Lord (2:1-2)
The ‘high’ and ‘proud’ will be brought low, while the lowly will be exalted (2:3, 7-8)
The ‘mighty’ and ‘strong’ will be broken, while the feeble strengthened (2:4, 9-10a)
The ‘full’ will be hungry, while the hungry will be fed (2:5a)
Life will come from barrenness and resurrection from death (2:5b-6)
The Test of Commitment
Revelation 3:14-22
The Test of Commitment
rEVELATION 3:14-22
Ephesus: zealous for theological purity and yet growing coldly indifferent to one another
Smyrna: wracked with poverty due to persecution and suffering, yet standing firm
Pergamum: full of love and compassion but in danger of theological and moral compromise
Thyatira: the epitome of growth and development but overly tolerant of false teaching
Sardis: known throughout the world for life, but spiritually dead in reality
Philadelphia: small and seemingly insignificant, yet faithful and patient in the face of a hostile world
Main Idea: Jesus calls the apathetic to repent and become zealous again.
I. The Amen Speaks (3:14)
Revelation 3:14: And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
The Amen (2 Cor. 1:20)
The Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 19:11)
The Beginning of God’s Creation (Col. 1:15-18)
II. The Lukewarm Confronted (3:15-17)
Revelation 3:15-17: I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Five Indictments:
Wretched
Pitiable
Poor
Blind
Naked
III. The Loving Reproof (3:18-20)
Revelation 3:18-19: I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
How do the apathetic become zealous again?
The Riches of Christ (Is. 55:1-3)
The Wardrobe of Christ (Rom. 13:14, Col. 3:12-17)
The Healing of Christ (2 Cor. 3:16:)
The Discipline of Christ (Heb. 12:5–6)
The Renewal of Christ (Song of Sol. 5:2)
IV. Jesus Clothes, Comforts, and Calls the Church (3:5:6)
Revelation 3:21-22: The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Matthew 19:28-30: Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
The Test of Witness
Revelation 3:7-13
The Test of witness
rEVELATION 3:7-13
Main Idea: Despite our surroundings, the Church must endure as a faithful gospel witness.
I. The Witness of Works (3:7-8)
Revelation 3:7-8: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Christ and the Key
Christ and the Door
Isaiah 22:22: I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
The Christian does not find himself, after being accepted by God, in a comfortable luxury hotel, smoking big cigars and reading the newspapers. He is a missile, a man destined to be sent through the open door into the society of the world to share the meaning of love and grace
~ Eugene Peterson, This Hallelujah Banquet
II. The Witness of Words (3:9-10)
Revelation 3:9-10: Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
Unseen realities
Bold endurance
Worldliness is what any particular culture does to make sin seem normal and righteousness seem strange.
~ David Wells
We need to be familiar with the Bible to realize we are the normal ones, but we have to know what is normal in God’s eyes, so we don’t lapse into thinking that the sinful ways of the world are normal. This ought to give us a unique confidence and bold witness while enduring whatever is to come our way.
III. The Witness of Wonder
Revelation 3:11-13: I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Gospel Opportunities
Gospel Confidence
Gospel Conviction
It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.
~ C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Revelation 14:4: “We follow the lamb wherever he goes.”
The Test of Reality
Revelation 3:1-6
The Test of REality
rEVELATION 3:1-6
Main Idea: Jesus brings dead things to life.
I. Jesus Knows the Church (3:1)
Revelation 3:1: And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Seven Spirits of God (Isaiah 11)
The Seven Stars (Revelation 1:20)
We must pray in the Spirit, preach in the Spirit, worship in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. A stale church can be refreshed by him, a sleepy church awakened, a weak church strengthened, and a dead church made alive.
~ John Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church
II. Jesus Evaluates the Church (3:1b)
Revelation 3:1: I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross. ~ H. Richard Niebuhr
Matthew 23:27-28: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
What are the marks of a dead church?
Pride
Spiritually lethargic
A loss of wonder over the gospel
Lack of missional engagement
What are the marks of a healthy church?
Humble before Christ
Spiritually Awake
Wonder over the gospel
Faithful to bear witness.
III. Jesus Challenges the Church (3:2-4)
Ephesus - to love
Smyrna - to be faithful
Pergamum - to discern
Thyatira - to think
Sardis - to wake up
Revelation 3:2-3: Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.
Wake up
Strengthen what remains
Remember what you have heard
Keep it
Repent
Revelation 3:3: If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
IV. Jesus Clothes, Comforts, and Calls the Church (3:5:6)
Revelation 3:4-6: The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 12:11: And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Clothed in white (Isaiah 61:10)
I will never blot out your name (Luke 10:20)
Confess our name before the Father (Matthew 10:32-33)
The Test of Holiness
Revelation 2:18-29
The Test of HOliness
rEVELATION 2:12-17
Main Idea: Jesus reveals what is truly in our hearts, which either leads to our hardened defiance or repentant faithfulness
I. The Evil We Tolerate (2:18-20)
Three movements of Jesus:
The Revealing Look
The Affirmation of Works
The Loving Confrontation.
Performing: minimizing God’s holiness by reducing His standard to something we can meet, thereby meriting His favor
Pretending: minimizing sin by making ourselves out to be something we are not
II. The Rewiring We Need (2:21-25)
Three Rewirings We Need:
Rewired Understanding of Immorality
Rewired Understanding of Sin's Consequences
Rewired View of Freedom
I have to wonder: when encouraging them to go ahead and participate, did she perhaps add, “Jesus knows your heart,” suggesting that Jesus would judge their hearts to be in the right place even when their bodies were invested in sexual immorality? If so, in a way she was right. Jesus did know their hearts. His eyes like a flame of fire saw into their souls to see exactly what their hearts were like. And what he saw was not innocence and good intentions but spiritual adultery worthy of eternal punishment. Sexual sin is spiritual adultery. Idolatry is spiritual adultery. No one can persist in sexual sin and adultery, excusing it as either unchosen orientation or basic human need, assuming that “God knows my heart and will forgive me” and expect that he or she will not be burned by the fire of God’s anger.
-Nancy Guthrie, Blessed
Ephesians 2:1-6: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
The Gaze of Christ is:
Sympathetic
Loving
Freeing
III. The Reward We Are Promised (2:21-25)
Three rewards that are promised to those who conquer:
Authority Over All Nations.
Rule with a Rod of Iron
The Morning Star
The Test of Truth
Revelation 2:12-17
The Test of Truth
rEVELATION 2:12-17
Main Idea: Christ calls us to faithfully hold onto the truth that leads to eternal reward.
I. What are you holding on to? (2:13-15)
A. Holding onto Christ (v. 13)
Satan’s Attack Plan
Persecution
Seduction
Deception
B. Holding onto Christ and… (v.14-15)
Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Jesus + Anything = Nothing
II. Where does it lead? (2:12, 16-17)
Revelation 1:16: […from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword…]
Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…
Ephesians 6:16-17: In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…
Revelation 1:16,20:In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword...As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
A. Hidden Manna
Psalm 78:23-25: Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
John 6:31-15: Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
B. A White Stone
Those who triumphed in games were given white stones for entry into celebratory banquets. Such stones were used also in court cases to signify acquittal. Those who overcome will enjoy the messianic banquet and stand clean before God forever.
-Tom Schreiner
C. New Name
Revelation 19-11:12: Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
The Test of Our Suffering
Revelation 2:8-11
The Test of Our Suffering
rEVELATION 2:8-11
Main Idea: Christ calls us to enduring faithfulness in suffering by looking to him who has overcome death.
I. The Form of Suffering
The suffering and persecution in Smyrna was marked by:
Tribulation (2:9a): they faced the constant ‘pressure’ of living in Smyrna, one of the centers of the cult of Roman emperor worship.
Poverty (2:9a; cf. Rev. 13:17, James 2:5): though they are impoverished physically because of their commitment to Christ, they are rich in the things that matter eternally.
Slander (2:9b): they were encountering false accusations and skepticism, being viewed as disloyal citizens to Rome.
Implication: Do not be surprised by trials and suffering (cf. John 15:18-21)
1 Peter 4:12–13: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
II. The Source of Suffering
There are “layers” to the suffering and persecution the church in Smyrna was facing:
Some of the Jewish people (“Synagogue of Satan”) were reporting the Christians to the Romans
“The devil” is instigating their imprisonment in order to “test” them
The true saint should not be afraid of the devil’s attempts to bring about compromise in the church through persecution. Indeed, Jesus employs the devil’s efforts for the purpose (‘that you may be tested’) of strengthening His people through these tests… Even the work of the devil is used by God for the furtherance of His plan. As the devil’s plans at the cross were used by God to bring salvation to the world, so the suffering of the Smyrneans will result in blessing and ultimate deliverance for them.
~ G.K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary
The triune God is ultimately the all-sovereign one who is overseeing all of history (2:8), including the devil’s activity
Implication: Do not fear what you are about to suffer
III. The End of Suffering
The risen, glorified Jesus assures the church that their tribulation will be brief; it will be “10 days” (likely symbolic; cf. Dan. 1:12-15). All suffering in this life is but “a little while” (1 Pet. 1:6, 5:9-10) compared to the eternal joys that await us.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18a: The risen, glorified Jesus assures the church that their tribulation will be brief; it will be “10 days” (likely symbolic; cf. Dan. 1:12-15). All suffering in this life is but “a little while” (1 Pet. 1:6, 5:9-10) compared to the eternal joys that await us.
God’s people are called to look to Christ in the midst of their suffering, because he is the one who “died and came to life” (2:8). He promises those who “conquer:”
The “crown of life” (cf. James 1:12, 1 Tim. 4:8, 1 Pet. 5:4)
Escape from the “second death” (cf. Rev. 20:6, 14, 21:8)
Implication: We can be “faithful unto death” because Christ knows our suffering firsthand and is with us even through death.
Are you willing to die for your faith? And are you willing to give up anything along the way in order to pursue it – those little deaths that sometimes seem as difficult as the final one, dying to impulses of ambition, of lust, of pride, of security, of comfort?... Until we pass the martyr test, we live neither deeply nor widely. Until we are ready to die for Christ, we can’t live for him freely, openly, and exuberantly. If we spend all our energies trying to protect our interests, to preserve our safety, and to negotiate and compromise with the opposition in order to keep what we have at all costs, we will live meagerly. But if we live at risk, giving up all in witness and commitment and love, we are released from death to live in the power of the resurrection.
~ Eugene Peterson, This Hallelujah Banquet
The Test of Our Love
Revelation 2:1-7
The Test of Our love
rEVELATION 2:1-7
Main Idea: Christ calls us to hold fast to orthodoxy without neglecting our first love.
I. The Concern of Christ (2:1 | cf. 1:20)
Because Jesus dwells in the midst of the lampstands that represent the church (1:13, 20), he knows intimately their true situation (seen and unseen), and gives a report to each church. The words to these 7 churches are addressed to particular Christians in the 1st century, while also having a universal, timeless application to the church in all times and all places.
The same pattern is (typically) repeated from Jesus through the Spirit to the churches:
An identification with an aspect of his glory in chapter 1, applicable to the specific issues in each church
A commendation and encouragement
A confrontation and challenge (cf. 3:19)
A promise to those who ‘conquer’ (cf. 21:7) and endure faithfully to the end
Ephesus was a major port city in the Roman Empire, steeped in idolatry and the cult worship of Caesar. The church faced social and economic pressure from Rome as a result of their faith in Jesus.
II. The Commendation of Orthodoxy (2:2-3, 6)
The church in Ephesus is commended by Jesus for their:
Toil, patience endurance, and “bearing up” for the name of Christ
Doctrinal faithfulness; they had an intolerance for evil and rejected false teachers & teachings (‘apostles’ and ‘Nicolaitans’; cf. 2:15)
Ephesus had a rich legacy of holding fast to orthodoxy (Acts 20:28-32) and was well-taught under apostolic leadership; Apollos, Paul, Timothy, and John all ministered in Ephesus. Their doctrinal discernment and commitment to the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) was the foundation for their faithful endurance in a chaotic and confused world.
III. The Correction of Love (2:4-5, 7)
Christ warns that he has something against them: “you have abandoned the love you had at first.” This “first love” is likely holistic, entailing a love for God (vertically), a love for one another in the church (horizontally), and a love for those outside the church (outwardly). A true love for God necessarily results in a love for others (cf. 1 Jn. 4:20-21, Mk. 12:29-31, 2 Cor. 5:14ff).
It’s possible to have the body of orthodoxy and yet not the beating heart… There is a pseudo-orthodoxy that masquerades under doctrinal precision and theological certainty but lacks vibrancy and power. Saying the right things can hide a heart unwilling to perform the right actions. The problem, of course, is not in what we say, or the pursuit of doctrinal precision or the deepening of theological conviction. The problem is not what is there, but what’s not: an experience with the living God, a heart set on fire by the gospel.
~ Trevin Wax, The Thrill of Orthodoxy
Matthew 5:14–16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus urges the church in Ephesus to “remember from where you have fallen” (cf. Acts 19:10, 21ff) and to “repent, and do the works you did at first,” or their lampstand will be removed from its place.
Removing the lampstand means the church will lose its status as a Christian church; the light of Christ will no longer shine, and the message of the gospel will no longer resound from a church that has lost its first love. It will harden into a parody of a Christian church, for a church without love is a church without the gospel – a church animated by the gospel is full of love, as the continued need for mercy and grace echoes throughout the church.
~ Tom Schreiner, ESV Expository Commentary: Revelation
Jesus promises that those who “conquer” will be granted to eat of the “tree of life” (Gen. 2:9, Ex. 25:31-36, Rev. 22:1-5), which represents the presence of God dwelling with his people in eternal joy and love.