[Christ Our Rock] The Battle For Shiloh (Jul 09)
Christ Our Rock Bible Church
One of the first major battles of the western front was about to take place at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The Confederates struck with the intention of driving the Union defenders away from the Tennessee River and into the swamps of Owl Creek. But the Confederate battle lines became confused during the fierce fighting, and Grant's men instead fell back in the direction of Pittsburg Landing. From a position on a slightly sunken road, nicknamed the “Hornet's Nest,” the Union forces were able to provide critical time for the rest of their line to stabilize under the protection of artillery batteries.
This two day battle would most certainly prove to be a real Hornet's Nest—with 24,000 troops killed, wounded, or missing, it would be the bloodiest battle thus far in the war. Though neither side had the decisive victory, it helped to shape the North's strategy for the next few years. Later, the battle and its location were named after the local log church at Pittsburg Landing—the Shiloh Methodist Church. On December 27th, 1894, the once bloody battlefield became a peaceful National Military Park. You see, the local farmers had complained that their pigs were constantly rooting up the remains of the men who had been killed during the battle, so the park was established. It is now part of the National Park Service, and is visited by thousands of sightseers every year. The Battle of Shiloh is one thing, but what about the Battle for Shiloh? You see, the word, “Shiloh,” is actually mentioned in the Scriptures 31 times, and in the original Hebrew, it refers to tranquility and rest. Ironic, isn't it? War and peace!
All but one of these references have to do with a place just 10 miles from Bethel where the Lord called the people to gather. It was supposed to be a holy place, but the people had other plans—“Is this house, which is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.” (Jer. 7:11,12)God had a great vision for Shiloh, but the people perverted it.The very first reference to Shiloh in the Bible, however, is a different story. In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons, and tells Judah—the tribe from which the Messiah would come—“The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (vs. 10) Praise God—all three of these terms, namely Sceptre, lawgiver, and Shiloh, are referring to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Just think of the mercy here—long before the other 30 times Shiloh is mentioned—and long before that town was given by the Lord for worship—the ultimate peace, tranquility, and rest is prophesied—Jesus!
Fifteen years ago, the Lord called my family and I out to start a new Bible-believing, Bible-living church. As we ventured forth, we had no insurance, no income, and no home—but, Praise God, He provided. Miraculously, our new mortgage was history in just a few years. To give the honor to the Lord, we placed a large plaque above the front door, giving the house the name, “Shiloh Bethel”—Peace in the House of God. In so doing, it does not commemorate the town of Shiloh, but rather, the house of Shiloh, and how our house would be a place of true worship—with His name upon it—focused on the soon return of our Shiloh. I think we need to be a little careful about our definitions here. Every moment of these last 15 years has been flooded with peace. Oh, I didn't say there have never been any difficult times, rough sailing, or even battles from the enemy. There most certainly have been trials and tests along the way, but peace isn't just a matter of not having conflict or troubling situations. True peace, according to the Scriptures, is a matter of being reconciled by faith to a Holy God through the blood of Jesus Christ. True peace only came through a bloody battle with Satan at the Cross of Calvary. True peace is the indwelling Jesus Christ!
Amy Carmichael put it this way, “The peace of Jesus stood every sort of test, every strain, and it never broke—then by His touch upon us we shall bear the image of the Man of heaven.” Concerning this, G. Steinberger wrote, “In His way, we find rest. We find peace in the same degree that we follow Him.” Oh, the world today has such a different definition. Today, peace is everybody getting along, and living in an ecumenical unity, even if we have to compromise the true Jesus in order to make others feel good. The result is a peace that the world and the worldly churches want. But the real Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you...If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 14:27;15:18-19)
Do you see how the world's definition of peace is so different from the real one? In fact, today, many people are seeking peace, but often it is so everything will go smoothly for them, hardly giving a thought for anybody else. Take, for example, the story of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, in 2 Kings 20. Verse one tells us, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” So, the king went right to prayer—”I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.” (vs. 3) Well, the Lord did answer his prayer and assured him that he would have another 15 years to live. Shortly after this, Berodach-baladan, the king of Babylon, having heard of Hezekiah's illness, sent a delegation with letters and presents—probably trying to butter him up in order to gain a military alliance with Judah for an upcoming battle with Assyria. Hezekiah was so thrilled, that he took the delegation on a grand tour, showing them everything he and his kingdom had—all their riches, possessions, and even military secrets.
When Isaiah heard of it, he confronted King Hezekiah—“Hear the word of the Lord. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (vss. 16-18) So, what was Hezekiah's response to this horrifying and tragic news? Did he fall to his face in repentance, and beg for mercy for his children and grandchildren so that they would grow up and be fruitful and productive for the Lord, and not spiritual eunuchs in the enemy's palace? Did he offer to do anything to make it right? No, in fact, he said to Isaiah, “Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days.” (vs. 19) Imagine that! He couldn't care less about anybody else, as long as his days were filled with so-called peace, ease, and comfort, as well as his own brand of truth. That is not true godly peace; that is nothing but the self-oriented peace of the world.
Only Jesus Christ Himself can offer and deliver the peace, tranquility, and rest we really need—“unto Him shall the gathering of the people be!” Oh, what peace there will be in our hearts when we truly long for His soon return to gather up His true Church—not as an escape hatch, but to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever. (1 Thess. 4) This glorious rapture, which could happen at any minute, is intended to fill us with peace—“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (vs. 18) Yes, our Shiloh—the peace that passes all understanding—must be our focus. First, the war; then, the peace! First, the battlefield; then, the park. Yes, there was a Battle of Shiloh, but Satan wants you to think that the Battle for Shiloh was lost when we made His house a den of robbers. Well, it wasn't, due to His mercy, but He still wants us to persevere. Oh, not in your own strength, for the Battle for Shiloh can only be won through surrender—utter submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! Break away from the quest for independence and depend on Him alone!
--
Posted By Christ Our Rock Bible Church to Christ Our Rock at 7/01/2009 01:00:00 PM