The Condescension of God
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  • Table of Contents
  • Chapters
    • To The Reader
    • 1 - The Condescension of God >
      • A Poetical Introduction: Look at the Cross
      • The Sovereignty of God in Determinate Counsel
      • God in the Ways of God
      • God in the Ways of Man
    • 2 - The Simultaneous Genuine Wills of God >
      • Lesser Matters
      • Weightier Matters
      • A Priestly Covenant
      • A Kingly Covenant
    • 3 - The Abrahamic Covenant >
      • Tracing the Abrahamic Covenant
      • The Exodus Generation Saved by Faith
      • Tracing Hebrews
      • Holy Mount Sinai
      • The Call, Mount, and Fear of the Prophet Like Unto Moses - Jesus Christ
      • Zion is the Mountain of our Covenant
    • 4 - The Exodus Generation >
      • The Exodus Generation - The Contrast of Simultaneous, Genuine, Paradoxical Wills in God
      • New Covenant Applications
    • 5 - Abrahamic Exemplification >
      • The Covenant Promises Subject to Conditions
      • Tracing Abraham's Life: The Trial of Faith
      • The Burden of Perfection
      • Understanding the Trial of Faith
    • 6 - The Davidic Covenant >
      • The Davidic Covenant: Seeking a Performance of the Promises
      • Bewilderment & Blindness by a Covenant Breached
    • 7 - Interceding Against Wrath >
      • Wrath Pursuing Sinners
      • Wrath Pursuing Saints
    • 8 - The Near Annihilation of God's People >
      • The Covenant of "the Called" in its Initiation: THE GREAT PAUSE
      • The Divine Struggle Continues
    • 9 - "I Am Weary With Repenting"
    • 10 - "Mercy On Whom I Will Have Mercy" >
      • "Mercy On Whom I Will Have Mercy"
      • Great Is Thy Faithfulness
      • His Mercy Endureth Forever
    • 11 - The Righteous Judgment of God >
      • The Righteous Judgment of God - By Principle: Horizontally & Vertically
      • Life - Tribe & Company
      • Life - City & Nation
      • Life - The Temple of God
    • 12 - The Glory of God in Wrath: Personification, Anthropomorphism, & Zoomorphism >
      • Personification, Anthropomorphism, & Zoomorphism
      • The Glory of God in Wrath
    • 13 - The Doctrine of Reprobation
    • 14 - The Damnable Abuse & Misapplication of Sovereign Election >
      • Jeremiah
      • Joshua
      • Jacob
      • Josiah
    • 15 - The Deception of God >
      • Froward for Froward
      • Eli
      • Balaam
      • Israel
      • Micaiah & Later Generations
      • Saints Who Recover - The Temporary Experience of the Deception of God
    • 16 - Have You Discerned Your "Day" & "Time" >
      • Where Is The Lord?
      • Spiritual Darkness
      • Spiritual Famine
      • Spiritual Drunkenness
      • Spiritual Drunkenness - Spiritual Infancy
    • 17 - A Biblical Study of Spiritual Infancy >
      • Introduction
      • The ROD
      • NT Darkness to Light: The Gospel of Regeneration
      • NT Foolishness to Wisdom: The Gospel of Regeneration
    • 18 - NT Lost to Saved - The Gospel of Regeneration >
      • The Gospel of Regeneration
      • Crucified/Mortified/Buried
      • Resurrected & Ascended
      • Baptized
      • Put on Christ
      • Quickened (Alive, Living, & Revived)
    • 19 - The Partial Completion of the Gospel >
      • Present Progressive Salvation Explained
      • Perfection
      • Blamelessness
      • Holiness & Sanctification
      • Without Spot & Blemish
    • 20 - The Gospel Calling
    • 21 - The Great Falling Away
    • 22 - The NT Gospel Call to Worthiness >
      • The NT Gospel Call to Worthiness
      • "GOD, HIS WAY IS PERFECT'
      • "GOD IS LOVE"
      • "GOD IS ONE"
      • GOD "IS HOLY"
      • GOD IS A STRANGER
      • GOD IS HEAVEN
      • "GOD IS LIGHT"
      • GOD IS GLORY & VIRTUE
      • GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE
    • 23 - The Condescension Withdrawn >
      • PATTERN #1: Our Only Hope - God's Faithfulness
      • Your Ascent or God’s Descent
      • PATTERN #2: God’s Eternality, Sovereignty, & Higher Righteousness Exalted
      • The NT Visitation of God – Final Judgment & Final Salvation
    • 24 - "The Goodness of God Leadeth Thee to Repentance" >
      • How is repentance wrought in the regenerate children of God?
      • "Groanings Which Cannot Be Uttered"
    • 25 - "Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen" >
      • Many Golden Chains: The Golden Chains Throughout History
      • The PURPOSE & INTENT for Salvation
      • NT Intercessions & NT Repentances
      • Called - Elect - Chosen - Foreknown
      • "Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen"
      • The Marriage & The Called, Chosen, and Faithful
      • The Epistles: A Commentary, Echo, and Practical Application of the Parables of Jesus Christ
      • A Pastor's Sermons to Make Sure Biblical Mercy
    • 26 - The Assurance of Eternal Election >
      • Believe His Word!
      • "What Manner of Love"
      • Concluding Statement
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Chapter 15: The Deception of God

froward for froward

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Eli

“And ere the Lamp of God went out in the Temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was…”
Froward for Froward
Eli
Balaam
Israel
Micaiah & Later Generations
Saints Who Recover - The Temporary Experience of the Deception of God

In the days of Eli, his unfaithfulness procured a breach of promise for his priesthood, for him and his household (as formerly addressed). Let us look and consider what it is meant for “the Lamp of God” to go out. It was written of this Lamp that, namely, it was “the Lamp of God”. God commanded this Lamp to be burning, always lit, emanating a perpetual light in the holy place. This is emblematic of the light of God’s shining face when it shines upon a blessed generation. It was written, “cause the Lamp to burn always” (Ex. 27:20), and if it would go out, what would become of the Spiritual Light of God’s presence? Indicative of this, it is said of this woeful generation that God “forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men” (Ps. 78:60), and this was the place, God says, “where I set my name at the first” (Jer. 7:12). It was because of the Tabernacle-forsaking, people-rejecting, wrath of God that then, lo, the Lamp of God went out. It is as if God was exiting, and by this was exclaiming, “Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men” (Jer. 9:2). Shockingly, God did become as a wayfaring man. He left His people, literally, giving over the ark of God into the hands of the Philistines, so that they, as it were, carried Him away into a foreign land. Seated upon His throne, the ark, God was willingly carried away by unholy hands!

This is a woeful judgment! The same kind is later spoken of: “I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me; for I will not hear thee” (Jer. 7:15-16). God’s Tabernacle is the ground of all intercessions and prayers, as God said, “My house shall be called of all nations the House of prayer” (Mark 11:17), but now it is emptied of His Majesty. Israel is darkened at the absence of God, and behold, God walks over to a boy, Samuel by name, and abides with him in the time of wrath. Samuel is ordained to be a voice for God in the midst of a Godless nation, so that God can declare His doings whensoever He wills. The very moment the Lamp of God went out, it was then that God walked over to the sleeping boy, Samuel, and graciously called his name! Samuel became the only light of God left in Israel. Darkness was upon the Tabernacle of God, the high priest of God (Eli), the priests (Eli’s sons), and all other ministrations which bore the saving authority of the God of Israel were cast away. The spiritual climate of this day was dark so that, “The Word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (1 Sam. 3:1). These marks are those which characterize “days and times” which are given over to deception – “The Deception of God” – thus Eli’s life and generation serve as an introduction to what will be, hereafter, repeated for centuries. 

That which happened to the High Priest, the priestly lineage, and the Tabernacle of God, is a direct indicator of the spiritual climate that shall cover the whole land. Think of it! Eli, the High Priest – that was given “the breastplate of judgment” in the House of God, even “the Urim and the Thummim” – even he cannot go before the LORD (Ex. 28:30)! Access to God’s presence was a direct line of salvific grace for Israel, and all the people wept, for it was obsolete. From another angle, now let us consider Israel’s King, King Saul by name. He was given over to the torments and deceptions of demons! And more! He was locked under the silence of God at the hour of his need! Israel too, in subjection to their forsaken leader, did all abide under the spiritual curse of old, “thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass” (Deut. 28:23), and no prayer was breaking through for hope or salvation. Ordered armies did set their feet upon a charted course with their King, marching forward, but Saul was spiritually blind…he was being led by a thick deception, until finally, he and those following him, in all the pomp of their sophisticated marching order – “both fall into the ditch” (Lk. 6:39). “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets” (1 Sam. 28:6). The high priest Eli, dark and without God, was reduced to hear the Word of God from a child whom God found faithful – little Samuel – and lo, the boy opened his mouth to speak, but what could he say? “The LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, will also make an end” (1 Sam. 3:11-12).
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