What we can learn from the Philistines capturing the ark
In 1 Samuel chapter 4, the Israelites bring the ark of God into battle against the Philistines. But they are defeated, and the Philistines capture the ark.
Why? How could that happen? Here are some reasons, all of which have application for us today:
They went beyond God’s word
God never told them to use the ark that way. They went beyond what God said and instead made up their own beliefs regarding God and His ark. They just assumed it would work.
How many times have Christians invented a doctrine or course of action involving God that is found nowhere in Scripture, which He never taught them? For example, some in the hypercharismatic movement, such as Bethel Church, teach that we need to redeem certain New Age practices because they’re stolen counterfeits of the real thing. We should do what they do, just for God.
Really? When has God ever said anything remotely like that?
This is what religion is, in the bad sense of the word. It’s making up doctrines based on what we think God wants and how we think He works.
It’s also superstition. If we do this, God will do that. If we bring the ark into battle, God will give us the victory. If we say a certain number of certain prayers, God will absolve us of our sins. It’s idolatry; it’s how pagans treat their gods.
They were unholy
Verse 4 says “the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.” But in chapter 3, we’re told that “the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD.” So the ark was handled by wicked, unholy men.
God will not tolerate unholiness in His presence. He certainly won’t bless it.
There’s a similar story involving the ark in 2 Samuel 6, when King David atttempted to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The ark was put on a cart (again, not following what God’s word said about handling it). The oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and Uzzah tried to prevent the ark from falling by touching it. God killed him for that.
Uzzah died not because he was particularly wicked like Eli’s sons were, but simply because he was a sinful, unholy human being. Unholiness cannot exist in the presence of a holy God.
Thank God He imputes to us Christians the perfect holiness of Christ so that we can approach Him. But even today, we should not assume that God will bless our efforts, even for Him, if they’re unholy.
They put God in a box
After the battle and the loss of the ark, the widow of Phinehas gave birth and named her son Ichabod, saying, “the glory has departed Israel.” Her mindset was that if the ark was gone, God was gone. Just as the Israelites thought that if the ark was with them, God was with them.
They all limited God’s presence to the ark. They put Him in a literal box.
How many battles had God won for Israel without using the ark that way? Yes, He dwelled on the mercy seat between the cherubim, but not just there! As King Solomon prayed at the newly built temple, nothing can contain God.
How many times today have you heard that we need to go to such-and-such church at such-and-such time to experience an encounter with God’s presence? Forgetting that God is with us always? That we are His dwelling place?
When we say God is in a certain place, therefore we have to go there, we’re putting Him in a box, too.
They decreed and declared
This is related to the first point. In going beyond God’s word, the Israelites were asserting themselves as the authority on how God worked. They usurped His sovereignty.
After their initial defeat, the elders of Israel didn’t ask God to give them victory. They didn’t go to Him. They talked among themselves and decided to bring the ark to them.
They said, “Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” That’s a claim on God’s power. They named it and claimed it.
They thought they were releasing God’s power, as many charismatics say today. Naming and claiming is their MO. Some even say that we shouldn’t ask God to do things for us, that asking shows a lack of faith. No, they claim and decree and declare, thinking God must obey what we say.
Off the rails
Romans 15:4 says, regarding what we call the Old Testament, “whatever things were written before were written for our learning …” How to apply the Old Testament to our lives today is a deep, complicated and much-debated subject, but whatever differences there are between Israel and the church, one of the things we have in common is what not to do.
The Israelites, as they so often did, learned that the hard way. Christians today live in the all-forgiving grace of God, so we don’t have to worry about His wrath. But we can go off the rails by making the same mistakes that they did, and the results can still be disastrous.
