by Pastor Steve
Big idea
God is to be worshipped as the king of kings
1 Samuel 4
And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.
The Philistines Capture the Ark
Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”
When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. 8 We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Death of Eli
12 That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13 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. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”
The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”
Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”
17 The man who brought the news replied, “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.”
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led[b] Israel forty years.
19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.
21 She named the boy Ichabod,[c] saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
Israel go out battle with Palestines. Israel were defeated, 4000 men were killed. Israel attributed their defeat to the lord, instead of seeking God's reason for his displeasure. They thought is God's presence using the ark is the reason for the defeat. Israel fake it... By bringing arc of God to arm twist God. Regardless of their own spiritual condition.
1 Samuel 4:3-4
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
1 Samuel 4:5
When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
They acted like their victory were assured but they suffered big time, 30k lives were lost. For the first time Israel most sacred possession, the ark were now in the hands of the pagans .
God cannot be manipulated
Their trust was in the presence of the ark rather than God Himself
1 Samuel 4:10-11
So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Application #1:
God is to be worshipped as the king of kings, not manipulated or used for our own purposes.
Eli also died and his daughter in law died in child birth
It was not Yahweh who left Israel, it was Israel who left God. God's presence was not bound in a box. Israel also worshipped other gods
1 Samuel 4:8
We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
Yahweh was one of the gods that Israel worshipped. They have divided loyalty
Subsequently God demonstrated his superiority over other gods
1 Samuel 5:7
When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.”
1 Samuel 5:3-4
When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.
Broken legs and hands signify disarming powers
While the Ark was not to be treated superstitiously the way the Israelites did, it was not to be treated disrespectfully the way the Philistines did.
Philistines People either died or suffered from tumors
1 Samuel 6:14-15
The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord.
Beth shemesh is significance as in Joshua 21 is a Levitical city set aside for God. Levites was charged to carry duties in the tent of meeting ...
Cows were female
Leviticus 1:3 clearly mentioned only male cows to be used for burnt offering not female cows
Reckless violation and shameless act for the ark
1 Samuel 6:19
But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[a] of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.
They're not to look in, peak in the ark
Death of 70 men was terrible punishment but Israel still failed to recognise the power of God was a tragic.
Israel still wanted to worship God and other idols
1 Samuel 7:2-4
The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.
Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
After 20 years, Israel finally repented and returned to the lord, putting away all idols.
Application #2:
God is to be worshipped as the King of Kings, who demands our reverence and undivided loyalty.
How is our personal worship unto the lord today?
How has you experience and encounter with God today?
3 ways how we can truly worship God as the king of kings:
1. Acknowledge his supremacy in every area (battles in life, health etc) surrender and trust that God's plan is higher than ours
2. Remove idolrs in our hearts and prioritize God above all (positions, idols etc). Anything that competes with God
3. Live in obedience to His word. True worship is reflected in how we live daily, not just in church. Even when is difficult or counter cultural... uncontrolled desires or temptations
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