Trembling For The Ark Of God
1. Times We May Tremble
When I am reading the Bible, sometimes the Lord will help me see a thought, or even a word, that is carried through several chapters or books. Recently, I have noticed the word "trembled". I began making a list of times that "tremble" or other variations of the word were used and I feel like this is where the Lord is leading me for our new devotional thoughts. We know what it is like to tremble in fear or maybe even in excitement. Being out in the extreme cold weather can make us tremble. Some have experienced earthquakes when the earth trembled. Let's look at some Bible verses and see what the Lord has for us about trembling.
2. Eli Trembled For The Ark Of God
I never got to hear the great preacher from Scotland, James Stewart. Michael was blessed to hear him before we began dating and he had some cassette tapes of some of his sermons, that he let me listen to. As I started thinking about our new devotions on, "Trembing", I remembered a sermon that James Stewart preached on, "Trembling For The Ark Of God." It was probably 45 years ago and even though I don't remember much of the sermon, it made such an impact that I still remember listening to it. The Philistines were fighting against Israel. The Israelites were losing the battle and they thought that if they brought the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, then God would give them victory over their enemies. Eli was the priest, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas were slain. In speaking of Eli, I Samuel 4:13 tells us that, "his heart trembled for the ark of God." There is a battle against the Lord's children today. The enemies are trying to take away what is sacred to us. Our hearts should tremble when they take away our religious freedom. Not, tremble in fear of the enemy, but tremble with the zeal of the Lord of hosts, and put our trust in Him, as we fight for our religious freedom.
"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.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 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.
18 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." (I Samuel 4:10-18)
3. "Were You There?"
As I thought about writing these devotionals on "Trembling For The Ark Of God", my mind went to a song that I heard when I was very young. I started singing the song as I was running the vacuum over the floor of the church. The Lord spoke to my heart and I did indeed tremble as I thought of my Lord being crucified on that cruel cross. There are so many things that distract us from the things of God. A hundred or more years ago people sang these old spiritual songs as they worked. This kept the Word of God close to their hearts. We need to put away our distractions and put our mind and focus back on God's purpose for our lives. This song was first printed in 1899. And yes, the thoughts of my Lord and Savior being crucified on the cross to pay for sins I committed does make me tremble. But, don't stop at the third verse. Jesus Christ rose up from the grave! That brought a trembling to the earth and to their hearts.
"1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid." (Mark 16:1-8)
"Were You There?"
Verse 1
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Verse 2
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Verse 3
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Verse 4
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
4. Who Makes Our Nation Tremble?
I am reading in the book of Isaiah and I came to another "Tremble" verse. When we see the sinfulness of our country and hear how people have turned totally against God and His Word, we know that judgment will come. One day Satan will not be able to make "the earth to tremble" and "shake kingdoms". The people that defy God will one day see that God Almighty really is the Holy One in control. Men and women have become so bold in their accusations against God and Christianity. One day they will fall on their faces before God and know that He is the only true and living God. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:22-23) Judgment is coming!
"12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;" (Isaiah 14:12-16)
5. The Earth Trembles At The Presence Of The Lord
Our verse today is Psalm 114:7, "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;" All the people who curse and shake their fist at God, and those who deny His existence, will one day tremble in His presence. This Psalm tell us that even the earth trembles at the presence of the Lord. Let's look at the reaction of a few people in the Bible that were in the presence of the Lord. Let's begin with Isaiah 6:1-5. King Uzziah reigned 52 years and was a good king. He died and maybe Isaiah wondered if the next king would follow God. Isaiah didn't have to wonder about the next king. He saw the King, the LORD of hosts. And he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone;..."
"1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Moses took off his shoes and turned his face.
"4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (Exodus 3:4-6)
Daniel stood trembling in the presence of a heavenly messenger.
"5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." (Daniel 10:5-11)
The Israelites fell on their faces.
"23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." (Leviticus 9:23-24)
6. God Made The Earth Tremble In Times Of Battle
Paster Jack Tripp preached from Psalm 124 Wednesday night, which begins,
1 "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;
2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:"
How many times in our own lives can we look back and say, "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side..."? Because I am looking at "tremble" verses, I thought of times when God caused the earth to tremble when He was on Israel's side in battle. David wrote this Psalm and he was well aware that it was God who was on his side and gave him the victory. God is the Creator, and He has complete power, so it is no hardship for Him to cause earthquakes and storms. In II Samuel 22:7-8, David said, "In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth."
God was on Jonathan's side when he had victory over the Philistines. "And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling." (I Samuel 14:15)
After victory over Sisera, Deborah sang, "LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel." (Judges 5:4-5)
And God caused the earth to tremble during the times of Moses and Aaron.
"17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." (Psalm 77:17-20)
7. Trembling Under Conviction
We have two men for examples for our thoughts today. First of all, we find Saul of Tarsus, persecuting the church, until he met the Lord. Then, he trembled under conviction, and was saved, and became Paul the Apostle.
"1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts 9:1-6)
Our next Biblical example also trembled under conviction. His name was Felix. He trembled, but yet he turned away from the Lord. We have no indication in the Bible that he ever found the "convenient season" that he sought.
"24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." (Acts 24:24-25)
Maybe you have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit and trembled. Don't turn Him away. We are not promised tomorrow. Ask the Lord to save you today!
8. Fear And Trembling
I want to close this series with the thoughts of "Fear And Trembling". There are many types of fear and I believe that most people have experienced this kind of trembling when afraid. If you hear a noise in the dark, if you are sitting in a medical office for an appointment to find out the unknown, actually any type of unknown dilemma can cause fear and trembling. Here are two examples in the Bible about trembling in fear. Both times they are told not to fear.
"And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)
"4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid." (Mark 16:4-8)
Sixty three times in the Bible we see these two words together, "Fear not." We are told 28 times to "Be not afraid." There are many more references with similar wording. When Pharaoh and the Egyptians came up against the Israelites at the Red Sea we read, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:13-14) Our Lord and Savior is our source of peace when we encounter fear and trembling. God can calm our fears and give us peace that passes all understanding!
