1 SAMUEL 4

1 ¶ And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

• Because Samuel was called by God to be a prophet, God would now bring forth His word to Israel through Samuel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer (which means stone of help): and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

·      Throughout the period of the Judges up until the end of King David's rule these people were consistent enemies of Israel.

·      The Philistines were non-Semitic immigrants who settled along the coastal regions of southern Canaan, organizing their power in five chief cities: Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza .

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

• No reason is given in our English versions for why Israel went to war with thePhilistines. But in the Septuagint (i.e., the Greek Old Testament), we discover that the Philistines initiated this battle.
• Regardless of the reason, we see here that Israel experienced a horrible defeat with the loss of about 4,000 soldiers. Why did God bring such a defeat upon the Israelites? In God’s covenant relationship with His people, all battles were to be fought under God’s rules of war: (1) God was to lead Israel out into battle. He could be trusted in this because He was a warrior who would fight for Israel (Exod 15:3). (2) God was to be sought to determine if it was His will for Israel to fight or not (1 Kgs 22:5–12; 2 Kgs 3:11).
• Interestingly, 1 Sam 4 doesn’t state that Israel sought the Lord’s will on whether to go up against the Philistines. We are simply told that they went out to fight against them at Aphek. Samuel the prophet was nowhere to be found in this narrative. In fact, he doesn’t appear again until 7:3.

3 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.

• With the ark, the river Jordan stopped flowing so Israel could cross (Josh. 3). With the ark, the Israelites brought down the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6). So, the Israelites came to think of the ark as a secret weapon, a guarantee of success.
• Many Catholics used to have little statues of St. Christopher in their cars, it was said that he was the patron saint of the highways. Later it was discovered that there was no St. Christopher. Just as well, those little statues did not have any power to avert an accident anyhow. I do not say that to mock them or ridicule them, but to point out the plain truth about one of many superstitions that are held by Roman Catholic Theology.

• The elders here are asking the right question, why has The Lord smitten us today, but they are wrong in the concluding that the reason for their defeat was because the Ark of the Covenant is not with us. Instead of repenting of their sin and turning to God, they resort to superstition.
• Dr Keith Krell writes these words: The box was 3¾ feet long by 2¼ feet wide and high, and it symbolized God’s presence, His Power, and His Favor (Exod 25:10–22).The presence of the ark in the tabernacle represented God’s covenant commitment to Israel and the demands of His covenant. However, the Israelites had a superstitious belief that the mere presence of the ark would make them unconquerable.

• The confession made by the Israelites here about bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the battle is nothing more than religious superstition. They are placing their faith in a box, rather than in The Lord.
• Knowing the history of the ark- that as it had been carried down into the Jordan River, the water had been cut off so that Israel could cross over- they took the ark into the battle. They thought its presence would bring victory. They thought that there was some merit in the object. The merit was not in that box because God was not in that box! You cannot get God into a box. The merit was in the presence and person of God. J. Vernon McGee
• God wants His people to look to Him.He wants us to give all glory and honor to Him, not our “box” of religious practices or customs. Many of us have walked with The Lord long enough to have jumped through countless hoops, or checked off numerous “boxes”…..the latest fad, the hottest trends, only to find that they do not work. God wants us to be Spirit led day by day. Jon Courson
• Without a sincere faith in God their misplaced faith in religious objects was worthless. They did not need the Ark of the Covenant brought into the battle, they needed to repent and seek God.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

• Israel made the devastating decision to use the Ark of the Covenant like a lucky charm or a rabbit’s foot. Eli’s sons reputations for carnality were widespread throughout the land of Israel. Now here they are, carrying the ark into the camp, and no one in the congregation even stops to think that something is wrong with this picture.
• Like so many church people today who are in a crisis in their life, Hophni and Phinehas wanted God’s help but not God’s holiness. They wanted a God who would be there for them in a crisis, but they didn’t want this holy God to have anything to do in their private lives.
• They are in deep trouble and they know it. So, instead of falling on their faces and repenting of their sin, they get real spiritual and fetch the Ark of the Covenant. Let me make it real plain…they have been sowing to the flesh, and now it is payday. So what do they do? They go to church and start talking Christianeze! You’ve heard the old saying that there are no atheists in fox holes!
• Like Hophni and Phinehas, many people tend to treat God like He is a fire alarm: “Pull in Case of Emergency.” We pull the emergency lever and turn to God when our world falls apart or we are in a crisis.
• Beloved, beware of looking to God to solve your problems if in your heart, your life is not honestly devoted to Him and His will. God is not expecting sinless perfection, but He is looking for sincere devotion.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

• Can’t you see the crowd here in a frenzy? Can’t you sense the excitement? Problem it, it wasn’t because of the presence of The Lord, it was all carnally motivated by a religious superstition associated with the Ark of the Covenant. Beloved, God does not care about how high we jump or how loud we shout, but how straight we walk. They were simply whooping and hollering because the ark was there. A high degree of religious excitement is no guarantee of God’s favor or blessing.
• We must not build our faith on mere emotionalism. There is nothing wrong with being excited and emotional, but understand that your spiritual walk rests upon a solid faith in God, and a life that is determined to live in obedience.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

• The Philistines believed that the gods dwelt inside of the idols, thus, the believed that the Ark of the Covenant contained God. This is true today in India. Turns out that the “theology” of the people of God at this point in time was no different than the superstitious beliefs of the polytheistic Philistines.

8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

• The news of God’s victory over the Egyptians was common knowledge to the Philistines.

9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

• Twice the Philistine army challenges its soldiers to be men. My dear brothers in Christ, in what area or areas of your life do you need to “man-up” and obey God?
• Get on your knees and pray like a man then get on your feet and walk like one.

10 ¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

• Turns out that the ark didn’t help matters at all. In fact, more soldiers were killed in the war after bring the ark alongside of them than before. Reason? Instead of repenting of their sin and looking to The Lord for direction, they carried on with a spiritual “business as usual” mentality and paid the price for it.

• 30,000 Israeli’s died in the battle. Beloved, the wages of religious superstition is always death.
• Saints, when our walk with Jesus turns into a “box” or checklist, thinking that there is some kind of merit or virtue in doing those things, we are falling into the same trap that Israel was in here. How important it is for us to make sure that our relationship with The Lord doesn’t turn into a checklist of “boxes.” The “box” of Bible reading; the “box” of going to church and tithing; the “box” of morning or evening devotions. Beloved, Christianity is all about relationship with Jesus Christ. God will not be “put into a box” or reduced to some “formula”.
• However, if our bible reading and church attendance and morning and evening devotions are driven by the desire to meet with The Lord and have deeper fellowship with Him, that is a beautiful thing.
• 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
• 1Jo 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
• Our faith is about developing a deeper and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

• By allowing the ark to be taken, God was saying that He was departing from the nation. They refused to be governed by Him, so He refused to stick around.
• The two sons of Eli died exactly the way that God said that they would. Beloved, God is not mocked….by me, by you, by anybody! 1Sam. 2:34 "...This will be the sign to you which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall die."
• Beloved, it may have looked like these two men were getting away with ripping off the people of God and living in sexual immorality. But here we see that it catches up to them…and it will catch up to any and all who refuse to repent and turn to God.
• Prov 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

• In biblical times runners were used to carry urgent messages. This messenger had run about eighteen miles.26 He arrived with torn clothes and dirt on his head—traditional signs of mourning. He then told Israel that they had lost 30,000 men. The narrator makes the important point that Eli’s heart “was trembling for the ark of God.”

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.

16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

• Back in verse 13, we read that Eli's heart was trembling not for his sons, but for the ark of God. And it was when the man told what had happened to the ark that Eli fell backwards off his seat, broke his neck, and died.

19 ¶ And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

• Ichabod-Where is the glory? or, There is no glory.

22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

• Psa 78:58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: 60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; 61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
• The children of Israel first departed from the Lord, and then the glory of the Lord departed from them.
• In one day, Eli the high priest, his 2 sons and daughter in law died. Phinehas’ son, Ichabod, is deprived of his grandfather, uncle, father, and mother—all in a single day.
• Due primarily to the loss of the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, Phinehas’ wife names her child Ichabod, meaning either “Where is the glory?” or “no glory.”
• When a person, a church or a ministry turns away from The Lord, it becomes an Ichabod…..all that is left is a form of godliness, but His presence and power are absent.

Some practical applications from our study tonight:

(1)         Beware of using God to solve your problems if your life is not yielded to Him.

(2)         Beware of looking to Christian activities as the means of solving your problems instead of looking to Jesus Himself. Many times we hear people say : I’m reading my Bible / I am going to Church / Praying / I am following these ten principles for successful Christian living – Yet it is not working – Why ?  Problem is you are looking to an IT instead of to Him. Bible/ prayer /Church are all meant to bring us to a place of Fellowship with & Surrender to The Lord Jesus Christ. 

(3)         Beware of thinking that the Name of Jesus at the end of a prayer is equivalent to abracadabra….magic! God isn’t our cosmic piñata & in Jesus name isn’t the magic stick that whacks the piñata & all the goodies fall out of heaven. Pastor Brian Bell

(4)         Beware of allowing hatred and bitterness towards others fill your heart. Like in the case of old Eli, sin brings about blindness beloved. It is interesting that in 1 John 2.9-11, one of the manifestations of blindness is hatred towards others.

(5)         The glory of God is paramount. Nothing is so important as the glory of God. Paul tells us in Ephesians one that everything God has purposed and everything he does in the redemption and salvation of his people is to the praise of his glory. In the worship and service of our God, nothing is important compared to the glory of God. And what brings glory to God? When we individually and as a body walk by faith in Him, and when we as an individual and as a body walk in His love, because it is impossible to please God without faith and faith works by love.