Homecoming - The End of the Drought

Homecoming - The End of the Drought
Words of Faith 8-20-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 6
[13] Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the Ark, they rejoiced at the sight. [14] The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. [15] The Levites took down the Ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD. [16] The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron. [17] These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the LORD--one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. [18] And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers--the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock, on which they set the Ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

Can you imagine the joy that filled the hearts of the people of Israel in Beth Shemesh when they saw this awkward cart rising on the hill and slowly making its way toward them? It had been a difficult time. The Ark of the Covenant was the most sacred item in the Israelites' lives, a symbol and point of contact with God Himself. That it had been captured and held for seven months must have seemed like a national catastrophe.
Of course, the people had not been experiencing the sort of plague and hardship that the Philistines had. Still, there surely had been great mourning simply at the idea of the Ark of the Covenant being in the hands of others. It had been a season of difficulty and perhaps even despair. But now the Ark had come home!
The Ark arrived during the June wheat harvest after the spring rains. The people rejoiced at the sight. They used the cart for fuel and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering in celebration. A large rock in a field became the temporary locale for the Ark. The Levites, who alone were permitted to handle the Ark, removed it from the cart and set it on the rock, which served as a witness of the homecoming.
Meanwhile, the five Philistine rulers returned to their cities. The name Gaza is familiar to us, and to this day, it is inhabited by the descendants of the "Philistines," now called "Palestines" or Palestinians. Each of the five fortified towns was supported by several nearby "country villages."
So what do you do when "God comes back"? Well, God never left, of course. But their sense of God and His presence had returned for the Israelites. The symbols of God's presence and this unique earthly throne of God had returned. Their point of contact had been restored. And all this was right at the time of harvest. So, like the end of a long dry season, the presence of God was once again among the people of God. No wonder there was rejoicing.
Have you ever had a time like that? Many of the giants of the faith speak of the seasons of faith. We often experience a season that is dry spiritually or a winter that is cold in our life of the spirit. We may grow contemplative or even discontent. God never abandons us, but there are seasons when it may feel that way. The Good News is that such seasons do not last forever. Eventually, the cart comes over the hill. The time of harvest arrives. And it is a beautiful time when the drought is broken. There is a wonderful season when life returns to the land, and God's presence is experienced again.
Have you been experiencing a dry time, a drought, or a winter of discontent? The Good News is that God has not abandoned you. The season of harvest is at hand, and the time of great rejoicing is upon us.

Father God, I am ready to welcome Your presence. I welcome You back among Your people. I rejoice in the knowledge that You never leave us or forsake us, and when we have dry times, they are not for long. Knowing that Your presence returns to empower and guide Your people, I rejoice. I give thanks that You are good all the time. I rejoice in the season of the harvest. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.