![]() In the passage before us Israel is once again pitted against the Philistines. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.” (2) Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. In 1 Samuel Four, verse one, “… Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. Unfortunately we will come to discover that the capture of the ark and its removal to the land of the Philistines only symbolizes what is already true, what has been true for a long time, the glory of God has departed from Israel. This lays the ground work for the departure of God’s glory from Israel. Don’t forget how 1 Samuel 3:1 described this period as a time when God was not speaking to his people very often: “… the word of the LORD was rare in those days there was no widespread revelation.” The spiritual leaders were corrupt and God’s people were not obeying his law so why should he say anything new to them? It seems that since men were not listening to God in those days he rarely bothered to speak to them. This dark time is epitomized by the departure of symbol of God’s presence, the Ark of the Covenant, from the people of Israel. You need to remember that this is the period of the judges, a time that scripture characterizes as when “every man did what was right in his own eyes” ( Judges 17:6). ![]() We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.We have seen how Samuel dominates the first three chapters of 1 Samuel and now he fades into the background while the spiritual condition and political affairs of Israel continue in a down-ward spiral. We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love to remember one another in prayer to aid one another in sickness and distress to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. ![]() We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions to religiously educate our children to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances to walk circumspectly in the world to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger to abstain from the sale of, and use of, intoxicating drinks as a beverage to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior. ![]() We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort: to promote its prosperity and spirituality to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God. Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God.
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