Reading: I Samuel 4-7
And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies(I Sam. 4:3).
The nation of Israel was born of a Godly promise and was crafted by His law. Joshua led them triumphantly into their inheritance and proudly stood before them as every man amongst them openly pledged their allegiance to God. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey (Josh. 24:24). Yet over the next 450 years (Acts 13:20), the people willfully turned their hearts from the Lord time and time again. They pulled further away with each withdrawal, and with every step back, more and more of His commands and decrees were compromised or forgotten entirely. Their sporadic attempts to return themselves to His service were imperfect and irreverent, the actions of men who had forgotten the true nature of the God they were supposed to serve. Under the leadership of Eli and his thoroughly corrupted sons (I Sam. 2:12-17), they fell even further away from the teachings of Moses, which is probably why, when defeated in battle by the Palestinians, they had what they thought to be a brilliant idea. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies (I Sam. 4:3).
On the surface, it sounded like a good plan. The nation was in trouble, so naturally, they should turn to God for their salvation. If indeed this had happened, they would have found the help they sought, but that is not what occurred. They did not cry out to God, nor did they fall to their knees in prayer. Instead, they brought out the Ark as a protective talisman, a representative idol of the power of God. They believed that having control of the Ark meant that they also had control over God’s power. They placed it at the head of their armies as a sign that they were preparing to use that power to defeat their enemies. In their quest for victory, they turned a blind eye to one of God’s most basic commandments: Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God (Lev. 26:1).
The sin of idol worship is not limited to the act of lusting after an image of a manmade deity. It occurs in much more subtle forms on a daily basis in self-identified Christian homes the world over. Anytime we place our faith in objects that we deem to represent God instead of in God Himself, we are guilty of idol worship. The power is contained in the living Word of God; it cannot be printed, bound, and placed on a shelf. God’s protection comes from the Spirit He has infused us with; it cannot be fastened to a chain and hung around our necks. There is nothing on earth that can contain or invoke God’s power. Only by placing our faith in Him, and Him alone, will we be assured of His constant presence in our lives.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device(Acts. 17:29).
Thought for Today: We cannot push God in front of us and expect to coast through the difficulties in our lives; rather, we must walk behind Him with humility and trust.
Christ Revealed:Through the rock called Ebenezer, which means the stone of help (I Sam. 7:12). Jesus is our Rock of salvation; our help comes from Him (Ps. 18:2; 121:2). I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phil. 4:13).
Word Studies:4:1 pitched = encamped; 4:9 quit yourselves like men = be courageous and exercise all the strength you have; 4:12 his clothes rent . . . his head = signs of great sorrow; 4:19 travailed = gave birth.
Pray For Staff:Tifany Parisi • Government Officials: Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME) • Country: Ireland (4,775,982) Off the coast of Western Europe • Major Languages: English, Irish • Religious Freedom • 87.4% Catholic; 2.9% Church of Ireland; 1.9% Other Protestant; 2.1% Other; 4.2% None; 1.5% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Remember that it is by the blood of Christ that we have access to God in prayer (Heb. 10:19).
Optional Reading Acts 3