The Philistines and the Ark
God delivers us, not for our sake, but for His glory.
One of the keys to thinking truth is realizing that God does not need us. He’s not a politician looking for votes, a general who needs soldiers to execute a battle plan, or a chef searching for just the right ingredients to prepare a meal. There is no quid pro quo with God. The only reason God has a relationship with us at all is because He wants to. Really stop and ponder that for a moment. God only has a relationship with us because he wants to. That means serving God is much more of a privilege than an obligation.
During the time of the Judges, before Saul became Israel’s first king, the Israelites went out to battle against the Philistines. They were easily defeated and lost 4,000 men. Afterward, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” (1 Samuel 4:3)
Isn’t it interesting how they asked that question rhetorically? The elders of Israel were not actually interested in Joining God. They wanted God to join them. They wanted God to serve their needs. Whenever we attempt to turn God into an idol we begin to tread on dangerous ground.
“As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.” (1 Samuel 4:5–8)
For a moment it looked like the plan was going to work. But, as we so often do in our own lives, the nation of Israel once again had to learn the hard way that God is not mocked. “The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured.” (1 Samuel 4:10–11)
Not long after the ark would be returned to Israel. The same God who struck the Egyptians with plagues would finally visit so much death and destruction that they not only returned the Ark, they sent it back filled it with a gold sin offering. After the ark had been returned, the prophet Samuel “said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.” (1 Samuel 7:3–4)
God delivers us, not for our sake, but for His glory. When we fail to join God, making our own crisis bigger than His character, we risk delaying our deliverance.
Shawn