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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : THE SWORD OF GOLLIATH: WRAPPED BEHIND THE EPHOD...PT II

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endlessjoe
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Joined: 2010/10/26
Posts: 157
University of Calabar Nigeria

 THE SWORD OF GOLLIATH: WRAPPED BEHIND THE EPHOD...PT II


TEXT: 1SAMUEL 17:50-51 & 21:8-9

"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was
no sword in the hand of David.Therefore David ran, and stood
upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the
sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they
fled."

"And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under
thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my
sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the
Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it
is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take
that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David
said, There is none like that; give it me."

Previously on this line of thought, we left an impression that the sword of Golliath became a sacred national possession for Israel: it constantly reminded her of her victory in the valley of Ella. This sword was not fashioned by Israel: it was a creation of philistine blacksmith. It did not originate with any godly man but with idol worshippers. The question then is: why should such a thing be allowed into the holy tabernacle? It was even kept behind/close to the the holy garments or vestments, the EPHOD. Further more, it was even wrapped in a clean linen(sanctified, consecrated and set apart.)

Yet this same sword had ended a lot of lives, for the owner thereof, Golliath, was a man of war from his youth: it was a blood-stained and blood-drunk sword. It was fashioned by an uncircumcised blacksmith. It was an instrument of death: when a man sees a sword, it strikes fears in him and reminds him of death. In our time, it is like a gun: the sight of a gun lives any one with fear and trembling. Why did this seemingly unsanctified instrument of war and death occupy a special place in the temple/tabernacle and scripture?

This sword foreshadows a great lesson for the new testament believers. Do we realise that when light is beamed on a standing or suspended sword, it cast a Crosslike shadow? What we mean here is that the shape of a sword is similar to the shape of a cross. The shadow cast by a sword is a cross! Praise God. When the light of revelation is beamed on the sword of Golliath, it gives us an image of the cross of Christ.

The cross of Christ was fashioned by the Romans(Gentiles) the sword of Golliath was fashioned by philistine blacksmith(Gentiles). It was meant to kill David: and actually, when David stepped out into that contest, he died in the heart of Saul, his family and the whole Israel: he died in a figure. David actually died even in the heart and estimate of the enemy. Isaac died on that alter according to divine revelation. The same thing with David. The sword was meant to kill David and then enslaved the whole nation to the enemy.

But glory be to God, what was designed to end the messiah and enslaved all men to the devil, became what cut of the head of the old serpent. If the princes of this world new, they would not have crucified the king of glory. The cross became the symbol of our testimony and the victory over the devil. Is a monumental figure! When we see the cross, we see our procured and provided victory.

The cross existed in the mind of eternity as a tree upon which the cursed would be hung. But men converted it into a wood and fashioned a cross therefrom to hang the messiah. He was slain by it: but same became the undoing of the enemy. The cross upon which Jesus was crucified is one of the most important doctrines of our faith. Our sins were nailed there! We died on it! We see forgiveness through it! We see justice through it. This is what the sword of Golliath foreshadows.

The cross is a sword...Paul refers to it as a two edged sword, shaper than the sharpest dagger. It can dig into the hidden part of any matter. The thin line that divides the soul and/from the spirit can be discovered by the cross. It is a divider...it is an alloter of inheritance.

Young and inexpirience Solomon came to a crossroad: his father was no more and he needed to settle a crucial dispute between two women as to who own a particular baby. No machine for DNA test to settle the matter. But he called for the sword: "And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king." ...that was all! (See 1King 3: 24)This is the lesson that the sword of Golliath foreshadows to the new testament believers. It has same semblance with the cross of Christ.

We should take not that the sword was not meant to be wrapped in a linen and kept away from sight: because the purpose of God allowing it into the temple or tabernacle was to make it visible to all who entered the place of worship. It is meant to be behold by all Israel as a reminder of God's power and protection. A doubtful man should develop faith at the sight of it...it should be made open to all...What then is the implications of keeping it wrapped in a linen behind the EPHOD? To be continued.


_________________
Emeka Joe Uzosike

 2015/7/19 16:15Profile





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