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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever visited a historic battlefield, perhaps like the beaches of Normandy or maybe Pearl Harbor or Nagasaki? What did you experience there as you remembered what took place there? How was human history changed in that place? How does it affect your life today, many years later?
Today, I invite you to a historic battlefield of the Bible, found in 1 Samuel 4. After the loss of 4000 soldiers, the elders of Israel made a fateful, fearful decision. They sent soldiers to Shiloh and requested of Eli that the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD God be removed from the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle, and sent to the front lines of the battlefield, in hopes their fortunes of war would change!
Let’s look at what happened next beginning in verse 5 “When the Ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook… the Philistines were afraid… We’re in trouble! (the Philistines said) Nothing like this has ever happened before. Woe to us! They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong Philistines!…”
The truth is twice before God had instructed His people to follow the Ark in their advance. Once when they crossed the Jordan river, dried at flood stage by God’s power, and the Israelites moved from their desert 40 years of wandering into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4) And a second time when God instructed His people to march around Jericho once each day for six days, following the Ark. (Joshua 6)
But both of these were at God’s specific direction and for specific purpose. In 1 Samuel 4, the elders and soldiers of Israel had taken the Ark, by force out of the Tabernacle and brought it to the battlefield. There had been no inquiry of God and God had not instructed them to do so. This was a very dangerous moment in Israel’s history.
Now look at what happened my friends as recorded in verse 10,11: “So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated… the slaughter was very great. Israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers. The Ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas died.”
Tragedy! No further description is needed. The worst imaginable result has happened. For the first time, since the days the Ark was fabricated and placed in the Tabernacle by Moses in Exodus 40, the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD God Almighty, was in enemy hands!
The narrative in 1 Samuel 4 continues, telling us a reporter ran from the battlefield back to Shiloh to report the terrible news. Verse 13 says “When he arrived there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the Ark of God.” That tells me there was still a little sensitivity in Eli’s heart and he knew what he had done was a terrible thing piled on top of his failure as a Dad and failure as High Priest, the spiritual leader of Israel. That’s a reminder friends that the Holy Spirit never stops working to draw people to God, even if their hearts have become hard and they are far from God.
Then, as in our day, a live report from the battlefield quickly draws a crowd. “The man who brought the news said ‘Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also, your two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.“ (1 Samuel 4:17) While bad news from the battlefield had come many times in Israel’s history, never before had those fateful words been spoken “the Ark of God has been captured.” This was a terrifying first. What could it possibly mean? How would God respond?
Verse 18 is terrible. “When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair… His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel 40 years.” Do you see how things are turning from very bad to much worse, cataclysmic in fact?
By this time I presume Samuel had been summoned. Perhaps he had been in the Tabernacle tending to his duties. Wailing was spreading through the town of Shiloh. Eli the high priest, lay dead on the ground with a broken neck. Hophni and Phinehas, his priestly sons, and 30,000 Hebrew soldiers lay dead on the battlefield. I suspect the people turned to Samuel. What would he say? What should any of them do now? Perhaps they all turned toward the Tabernacle to cry out to God for help.
But the Tabernacle was not the same, things had suddenly changed… drastically! The Ark of the Covenant was gone! The Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle was empty. Despair likely swept through Shiloh like a Tsunami washing away all hope and filling that place with fear, dread and hopelessness. This was a situation unlike anything the people of Israel had ever faced!
But the crisis was not yet complete, read ahead my friends, verse 19-22. Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas was pregnant, and when she heard this devastating news, “..she went into labor and gave birth but was overcome by her labor pains. As she was dying, the women attending her said, ‘Don’t despair, you have given birth to a son.’ But she did not respond… She named the baby Ichabod saying ‘The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.” (1 Samuel 4:19-22)
Have you ever heard the word “Ichabod” used in a phrase? It usually is a word describing ultimate despair, hopelessness, judgment, devastation. With her dying words Phinehas’ wife described one of the darkest moments in the long history of the nation of Israel.
The golden Ark of the Covenant and the precious stone tablets of the 10 Commandments inscribed by the finger of God, were gone, captured by the enemies of Israel. The people had every reason to conclude God may have left also. Perhaps God had abandoned His people because they had defiled His holy Presence? What could possibly be ahead for them?
There is no record of what Samuel said or did. The narrative turns immediately to follow the captured Ark, now in the hands of the Philistine army. Tomorrow we’ll join that journey in chapter 5. For now, though, may I invite us to reflection and prayer?
No other nation inscribes “In God We Trust” on its currency, only the USA. How true is it by those who use American currency today?
No other nation has references to God in its founding national documents as the USA does. What difference is that making in our nation today?
No other nation has a history of sending more Gospel missionaries to the far corners of the world, than the USA. And yet, look over the recent history of America.
Recent Supreme Court decisions have changed the laws of America, legalizing both abortion and same gender marriage, among other God defying abominations.
Decisions of our Congress and national leaders have lead our nation far away from God and His Holiness and Truth. Is it possible the time has come that we could write “Ichabod” over the USA my friends? What do you think? What does it look like from where you live?
And yet God reminds us it is never too late for repentance: “If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes are attentive and My ears are open to the prayers offered in this place…”
Those are God’s words, spoken to King Solomon, on the occasion of the dedication of the great Temple in Jerusalem 3000 years ago. (2 Chronicles 7:14) While that Temple is long gone, destroyed for a final time by the Roman army in 70ad, I ask you today dear friends, is God’s promise still valid for you and me and God’s people around the world in 2020?
Is God waiting for His people to do those four things He stipulates?
* Humble ourselves
* Pray
* Seek God’s face
* Turn from our wicked ways
And if we do, in any city, any nation in the world, can we expect God will do as He promised? Is He a promise keeping, Holy God?
Oh Lord God Almighty, we bow before you in shame for the “Ichabod” conditions in so many parts of our world, especially in the USA. We acknowledge many in leadership have made decisions and laws which are creating societies which are rejecting You O God and forcing God out of our schools, our health care, our politics, our businesses, and our legal system.
We acknowledge millions of us have made personal and family decisions that have pushed God out of our lives and our families. O God, we bow before You today overwhelmed that the historical truth of Your Word and Israel in 1 Samuel 4 calls us to see the ‘Ichabod’ we are creating all around or world and we hear Your call to repentance in 2020! We acknowledge You are Holy God and we deserve nothing but judgment, but we come to You, seeking Your mercy, O God.
Click to read today’s chapter: I Samuel 4. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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