1 Samuel 4:1—11
Chapters 4—7 of 1 Samuel are often looked at as a single unit within Samuel, known as “The Ark Narratives” by many Bible scholars, and this section begins with what is arguably the lowest point in the life of the nation of Israel: the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines. The pathetic state of the priesthood, namely of the house of Eli, was at the root of this national disgrace. As unlikely as it may seem, there is very close connection between the spiritual state of a nation and that nation’s national prosperity. The Philistines, last seen back in the middle of the book of Judges, were the dreaded enemies of God’s people. They had been around since the days of Abraham and without exception, every time the people of God backslid, the Philistines became more and more aggressive toward the nation.
Of course, there are no more Philistines around today, in the 21st century. Or are there? How many Christians have discovered the truth that the farther they stray from God’s presence, the closer the enemy of their souls gets to them? We sabotage our lives every time we chose not to follow God because we give an opening to our enemy. We are just as clueless as Israel was.
Samuel became judge in addition to the nation’s prophet when war broke out with the Philistines. This was God’s crisis to put His man at the helm of the nation to give it the kind of direction it was lacking but desperately needed.
1. The Ark
What exactly was the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant was just a symbol of the presence of God. Exodus 25:22—
There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
This was the throne upon which the Lord would sit, rule, and teach the people. The Ark of the Covenant was also the mercy-seat, the medium through which He would condescend to commune with the people. What was the Ark of the Covenant to the ancient Israelites? What the Ark was to them, Jesus Christ is to us. He is the One through whom God the Father communes with His children. He is the revelation of God to man. Jesus Christ is the channel of God’s blessing to God’s people. Imagine how the Church would feel if Jesus Christ was suddenly stolen and we no longer had access to Him, and you might have an inkling how Israel felt when the Ark was stolen.
2. When the Ark was brought out, verse 3
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
This was after a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Philistines. We have no idea who was the aggressor in this skirmish, but we do know that the Philistines were inveterate enemies of Israel; so numerous and so entrenched in the land that eventually the name of the people, “Philistine,” became the name of the land.
It seems odd that the people of God would fall back on God only after a bitter defeat, but then isn’t that exactly what always do? We often seek the Lord’s help only after we have tried it our way and failed. It surely makes more sense to go the Lord’s blessing before we attempt anything! Does God need a calamity before He can come to us? Of course not!
3. Fear of the Ark, verses 6—8
Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.
The Philistines knew all about the God of Israel, and they had every right to be afraid. The Hebrews, desperate for victory, determined to take the Ark into battle with them, as sort of a “lucky charm,” guaranteeing victory. Eli’s two nasty sons accompanied the Ark and it was the shout of anticipated victory that really spooked the very superstitious Philistines. What is interesting is that the Israelites demonstrated, not faith, but superstition! The Philistines superstitiously attributed supernatural power to what was basically a box; and sadly the Hebrews held the exact same view of that box!
But, we need to give the Philistines some credit. They knew that, somehow, the presence of the Ark equaled the presence of God, and they were terrified. The presence of Jesus Christ in the life a believer makes that believer a threat to armies of Satan.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
The ungodly fear a godly person filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians would do well to make note of the Philistine’s response:
Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” (verse 9)
Jesus knew this when He told a parable and concluded it this way—
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (Luke 16:18)
That is some power the Christian has! We are more than just “mere men!” In 1 Corinthians 3:3, Paul excoriates the Corinthian Christians for behaving like “mere men”—
You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
Christians are so much more than just “mere men!” Not that we are any better; we are still sinners saved by grace. But we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies.
4. Faith in the Ark, verse 3
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
No, I’m not repeating myself. Verse 3 is a powerful verse on several levels and serves to graphically demonstrate the sad state of the nation. First, the people actually had the gall to blame God for their defeat. They went out without God; He wasn’t invited; He had nothing to do with this battle because He wasn’t asked. These people had no one to blame for their defeat but themselves. Second, and more important, is that it is clear that the people’s faith in the invisible God had morphed into a kind of superstitious reverence for a box, the material Ark of the Covenant. They worshiped the form, but denied the power behind the form. These people were clueless as they carried an empty box into battle—
He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. (Psalm 78:60)
God was nowhere in sight. Now, had the people, instead of saying, “Let’s get the Ark,” said in their hearts, “We confess our sins and we return to you, O Lord,” God would have been with them in an instant. One scholar has observed—
Multiplying forms in religious services will afford no security against the inroads of the enemy. The Gospel that is not in the power of the Spirit of God is only the Ark with the glory departed.
The Church of Jesus Christ is facing many spiritual Philistines today. We would do well to remember the words of 1 Corinthians 4:20—
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. (KJV)
5. Capture of the Ark, verse 11
The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
In a single event, God deftly cleaned up two problems. First, He got rid of Eli’s two nasty boys. Second, God removed the object of His people’s confidence so that their faith might be in Him alone. Be very careful in what you place your trust; you might find it gone someday, as God teaches you this very lesson.
There are three lessons to be learned—
- The ungodly cannot bring glory to the house of God. The disreputable and licentious sons of Eli where in charge of the Ark of the Covenant! That dishonoring association only served to bring scorn and ridicule upon the Lord. If anybody would have charge in the house of Christ, they must be clean and dedicated to the Lord.
- God will have nothing to do with “forms” when the Spirit is gone. An empty coffee cup first thing in the morning is a terrible thing to wake up to! Outward forms and rituals cannot satisfy and mean nothing if the Spirit has departed from a church. How many churches to day are coasting along on blessings and moves of God long since past, kept alive by mere form and stories?
- Defeat is the only result of sin. God will not hear us if we harbor sin in our hearts. Remember the secret sin of Achan? It brought shame upon the whole nation, not just himself. The disobedience of Saul caused God to withdraw His Spirit from him. Romans 6:23 tell us that, “The wages of sin is death.” Death takes many forms. Sometimes it is immediate. Most of time sin extracts its toll from man one heartbeat at a time, until finally, that man is left as an empty shell, making time until his inevitable end.
Stop being clueless; seek the Lord and experience lasting victory.
