1 Samuel 4-6: A Departed Glory
WE MENTIONED EARLIER THAT DURING THE LIFE OF SAMUEL THERE WERE YEARS THAT WERE SILENT ABOUT THIS PROPHET AFTER HE WAS CALLED BY GOD.
THE DETAILS OF THESE NEXT CHAPTERS REFLECT SOME OF THOSE YEARS AND THESE EVENTS SEEM TO HAVE HAPPENED AFTER SAMUEL WAS GIVEN THE CALL BY THE LORD.
CHAPTERS 4-6 HAVE NO MENTION OF SAMUEL EVEN THOUGH HE DOMINATES CHAPTERS 1-3.
THE DEATHS OF ELI AND HIS SONS ARE RECORDED FOR US KEEPING EXACTLY AS ANNOUNCED BY THE MAN OF GOD IN 2:27 & BY SAMUEL 3:18.
THE FOCUS OF THESE THREE CHAPTERS IS ONE OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, FIRST FULLY DESCRIBED FOR US IN EXODUS 25.
THESE THREE CHAPTERS TELL US OF ITS CAPTURE BY THE PHILISTINES IN CHAPTER 4, ITS POWER OVER THE PHILISTINE’S GODS IN CHAPTER 5, AND ITS RETURN IN CHAPTER 6.
CHAPTERS 1-3 HAVE GIVEN US NO HINT OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION WITHIN ISRAEL OR OF ISRAEL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER NEIGHBORS.
WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION WE ARE TOLD IN 4:2:
“… Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel…”
THESE WERE NON JEWISH PEOPLE LIVING MOSTLY ALONG THE COASTAL PLAIN AND WE KNOW FROM LATER CHAPTERS THAT THIS CONFLICT CONTINUED FOR MANY YEARS INTO THE TIME OF DAVID.
ISRAEL LOST THE FIRST MAIN BATTLE WITH NO REASON GIVEN FOR THIS DEFEAT. WE NOTICE THE OPINION OF ISRAEL’S ELDERS IN VERSE 3 AS:
“Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?”
THEIR CONCLUSION WAS TO MOVE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT FORWARD TO THE BATTLE LINES THINKING THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE ARK WOULD SAVE THE HEBREW ARMY.
MOVING THIS ARK EXPLAINS FOR US HOW THE SONS OF ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEAS, CAME TO BE AT THE BATTLE AS THEY WERE STILL PRIESTS COMMANDED TO MOVE THE ARK.
DO WE NOTICE THAT NO SCRIPTURE ALLOWS US TO KNOW ANY OF THE ELDERS OR PRIESTS SUBMITTED THEMSELVES HUMBLY BEFORE GOD TO SEEK HIS FACE & COUNSEL IN THIS MOMENT?
34,000 FOOT SOLDIERS OF ISRAEL DIED, INCLUDING THE SONS OF ELI AS GOD HAD EARLIER COMMANDED.
WHEN ELI WAS TOLD OF THE LOSSES HE FELL BACKWARD AND DIED FROM A BROKEN NECK.
AT THE SAME TIME THE WIFE OF PHINEAS WAS GIVING BIRTH TO A SON AND NAMED HIM ICHABOD MEANING “THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL, FOR THE ARK OF GOD HAS BEEN CAPTURED.” (4:21-22) SHE DIED IN CHILDBIRTH.
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ENTERED GRIEF FOR THE MANY LOSSES OF HEBREW SOLDIERS BUT THE WORST LOSS OF ALL WAS THE CAPTURE OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
THIS LOSS RAISED DISTURBING RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE.
DID THIS LOSS MEAN THAT GOD HAD LOST HIS POWER TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE?
DID THE CAPTURE MEAN THE ENEMY NOW CONTROLLED THE GOD OF ISRAEL THROUGH THE ARK?
DID THIS MEAN THAT GOD WAS NO LONGER PRESENT WITH ISRAEL?
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO THE CHOSEN PEOPLE?
A CLUE TO THE ANSWERS IS FOUND BACK IN 4:3 WHEN THE ISRAELI
ELDERS DID NOT ASK WHY HAVE THE PHILISTINES SMITTEN US, BUT RATHER ASKED WHEREFORE HATH THE LORD SMITTEN US.
THE LAST SECTION OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES ALLOWED US A PREVIEW OF WHY THIS TERRIBLE MOMENT IN HISTORY HAD COME.
THERE WE ARE TOLD THAT THIS WAS A FULLY EVIL TIME WHEN MEN WERE DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES.
IN ADDITION, THE SONS OF ELI HAD CORRUPTED THE WORSHIP OF ISRAEL AND THE HIGH PRIEST HAD THROUGH HIS NEGLIGENCE MADE NO EFFORT TO CORRECT THE WORSHIP FAULTS.
THOSE WHO BROUGHT THE ARK TO THE BATTLEFIELD WERE ALREADY UNDER THE CURSE OF GOD.
WE REMEMBER THAT THE ARK WAS CARRIED AROUND THE CITY OF JERICHO TO BE A SYMBOL OF THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH HIS PEOPLE BUT IN THAT TIME JOSHUA SOUGHT GOD’S INSTRUCTION AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD’S ARMY VISITED JOSHUA TO CONFIRM GOD WAS WITH THEM.
IN CHAPTER 5 WE ARE GIVEN STRONG DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PHILISTINES AFTER THEY CAPTURED THE ARK, AND PLACED IT WITHIN THE SHRINE OF THEIR FALSE GOD, NAMED DAGON.
THE NEXT MORNING THE STATUE OF THE FALSE GOD HAD FALLEN OVER ON ITS FACE INSIDE THE SHRINE.
THE STATUE WAS RESET IN ITS PLACE AND THE NEXT MORNING IT HAD FALLEN AGAIN AND THE HEAD AND HANDS OF THE STATUE HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF, LEAVING ONLY THE TORSO.
THE SURROUNDING CITY, ASHDOD, WAS RAVAGED AS THE PEOPLE WERE CURSED WITH TUMORS AS WELL AS THOSE IN THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY.
THE PHILISTINES KNEW THE ARK WAS RESPONSIBLE AND DECIDED TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE FALSE GOD STATUE TO THE CITY OF GATH.
GREAT DESTRUCTION FOLLOWED THE ARK AND THE PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CITY WERE CURSED WITH TUMORS AS WELL.
THE ARK WAS MOVED AGAIN TO THE CITY OF AKRON WHERE MANY MEN DIED AND THOSE WHO DID NOT DIE WERE ONCE MORE CURSED WITH TUMORS IN THEIR BODIES.
THE PHILISTINE PEOPLE CRIED OUT TO THEIR LEADERS TO GET RID OF THE ARK BY RETURNING IT TO ISRAEL.
THE PHILISTINE PEOPLE HAD FOUND THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED BY ISRAEL.
THE POWER OF GOD WITHIN HIS ARK WAS ALIVE AND FUNCTIONING IN THEIR CITIES.
IN ADDITION TO THESE AWFUL CURSINGS ANOTHER CURSE APPEARED WITH A PLAGUE OF RATS EVIDENT BRINGING GREAT PANIC OF DEATH TO THE PEOPLE.
VERSE 5:10 SHOW THAT THE PHILISTINE PEOPLE SAID THE ARK WAS BROUGHT AMONG THEM TO KILL THEM.
THEY WANTED THE ARK GONE FROM THEIR POSSESSION AS THEY HAD SEEN THE EVIDENT STRENGTH OF GOD WITHIN THIS HOLY ARK.
WHILE GOD HAD NOT PROVIDED THE VICTORY FOR ISRAEL IN THE BATTLES, HE HAD DISPLAYED HIS AWESOME POWER OVER THE ENEMY OF ISRAEL, AND THEIR FALSE GOD.
CHAPTER 6 PROVIDES THE METHOD USED BY THE PHILISTINES TO RID THEMSELVES OF THE ARK OF GOD.
THE ARK HAD BEEN INSIDE THE COUNTRY OF THE ENEMY SEVEN MONTHS, WHICH WERE SEVEN MONTHS OF DISTRESS OF DEATH AND PLAGUES.
THEY BROUGHT TOGETHER THEIR OWN PRIESTS AND THOSE WHO CLAIM TO DIVINE THE WILL OF THEIR FALSE GOD.
THESE ENEMY HOLY MEN SAID FIRST THAT AN OFFERING OF GOLD SHOULD BE MADE AS A TRESPASS OFFERING AS A CONFESSION OF THEIR SIN AND TO ACT AS A PLEA OF FORGIVENESS SO THAT THE ARK MIGHT NOT BE RETURNED TO ISRAEL WITHOUT THE OFFERING.
THE OFFERING WOULD BE GOLDEN AND SHAPED LIKE BOTH TUMORS AND RATS, AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE GOD’S ANGER AGAINST THEM.
THE ARK WAS PLACED UPON A NEW CART, NEVER BEFORE USED TO TRANSPORT ANYTHING, AND THE CART WAS TO BE YOKED TO TWO COWS WHO HAD NEVER BEFORE BEEN YOKED.
THE CALVES OF THESE COWS WERE PENNED AWAY FROM THEIR MOTHERS AND THEREBY SHOWING THAT IF THE COWS MOVED THE ARK AWAY FROM THEIR OWN CALVES, THE MOVEMENT MUST BE BY GOD COMMANDING IT.
THE COWS PULLED THE CART WITH THE ARK DIRECTLY TO THE NEAREST ISRAELI VILLAGE, BETH SHEMESH, WITH THE COWS USING THEIR VOICES TO ANNOUNCE THEIR COMING.
THE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES FOLLOWED THE CART FROM A DISTANCE TO OBSERVE HOW IT WOULD BE RECEIVED.
THE PEOPLE OF BETH SHEMESH RECEIVED THE CART, SPLITING THE WOOD THAT MADE THE CART, SACRIFICING THE TWO COWS AS A BURNT OFFERING UNTO GOD, PLACING THE ARK AND THE CHEST OF GOLD FROM THE PHILISTINES UPON A GREAT ROCK.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE OPENED THE ARK AND LOOKED INSIDE, A CLEAR VIOLATION OF GOD’S LAW.
GOD STRUCK THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE FOR THIS SIN AND FIFTY THOUSAND AND SEVENTY MEN OF THE PEOPLE WERE STRUCK WITH A GREAT SLAUGHTER BY GOD.
THOSE LEFT SENT WORD TO KIRATH JEARIM TO SEND PROPER PEOPLE TO REMOVE THE ARK FROM THEIR POSSESSION.
THESE CONTACTED CAME AND PROPERLY MOVED THE ARK TO THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB AND CONSECRATED HIS SON, ELEAZER, TO KEEP THE ARK OF THE LORD.
THE VILLAGERS HAD BEEN SAID TO REJOICE AT THE ARRIVAL OF THE ARK BUT CREATED A MOST SINFUL MOMENT BY OPENING THE ARK OF GOD.
IN THE END OF THIS EPISODE THE VILLAGERS OF ISRAEL WANTED THE SAME THING THE PHILISTINE PEOPLE WANTED, WHICH WAS TO BE RID OF THE ARK OF GOD.
THE ARK WAS NOT RETURNED TO SHILOH, THE HOLY LOCATION.
INSTEAD IT WAS PLACED IN THE HOME OF ABINADAB, A LEVITE, WHO LIVED IN JUDAH ABOUT 14 MILES WEST OF JERUSALEM. HIS SON, ELEAZAR, CARED FOR THE ARK FOR TWENTY YEARS.
GOD WOULD THEREFORE NO LONGER DWELL IN THE TABERNACLE IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE.
THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE TABERNACLE FROM 1ST SAMUEL 3:3 TO 2ND SAMUEL 6:17, A PERIOD OF ABOUT 100 YEARS.
DURING THIS TIME OF NEGLECT, THE GLORY OF GOD HAD INDEED DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL.
SIN HAD CREATED A SPIRITUAL BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND HIS OWN CHOSEN ONES.
THE FELLOWSHIP WAS CORRUPTED BY DISOBEDIENCE AND GOD WAS NOT DWELLING WITH THEM.
LITTLE IS HEARD IN SCRIPTURE CONCERNING THE ARK AFTER THIS MOMENT UNTIL KING DAVID MADE PROVISION TO BRING IT TO A MORE PERMANENT PLACE.
WE KNOW THAT HE HIMSELF TRIED TO MOVE THE ARK IMPROPERLY AND WAS TAUGHT A STRONG LESSON BY GOD AND THEN HE TURNED OVER THE MOVEMENT OF THE ARK BY THE LEVITES, WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE DONE ORIGINALLY.
THREE CHAPTERS ARE GIVEN US TO REVEAL THE POWER OF GOD OVER HIS HOLY ARK AS WELL AS OVER ANY WHO ATTEMPT TO MISUSE IT IN ANY WAY, WHETHER ENEMY OR HEBREW.
NO MENTION WAS MADE WITHIN THESE THREE CHAPTERS OF SAMUEL SINCE HIS CALL IN CHAPTER THREE.
ISRAEL WAS AS LOW SPIRITUALLY AS THEY HAD EVER BEEN.
THE HIGH PRIEST AND HIS SONS WERE DEAD.
THE ARK ITSELF HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY PAGANS.
1ST SAMUEL 4:22 CONFIRMED THE GLORY OF GOD DEPARTED.
FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS ISRAEL CHASED PAGAN GODS AND FORSOOK THE TRUE & LIVING GOD.
GOD HAD HEARD THEIR CRIES AT TIMES AND HAD SENT JUDGES BUT NO RESCUE BY THE LORD, EVEN TIME AFTER TIME, CHANGED THE HABIT OF ISRAEL’S DISOBEDIENCE.
OUR NEXT STUDY STOPS WILL TEACH US ABOUT THE RENEWING OF A COVENANT, DEPENDING UPON GOD ALONE, BUILDING PLACES OF REMEMBRANCE, THE FAILURE OF LEADERS, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A HUMAN KING IN ISRAEL.
SAMUEL WILL REAPPEAR NO LONGER A CHILD BUT AS A JUDGE OF ISRAEL, WITH THE PAST TWENTY YEARS OF HIS LIFE NOT EXPLAINED.
OUR STRONG LESSONS GIVEN WITHIN THESE THREE CHAPTERS ARE THAT GOD JUDGES THOSE WHO VIOLATE HIS COMMANDS, WHETHER THEY BE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL, OR PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THEMSELVES.
IN BOTH WE ARE TAUGHT THAT SIN HAS CONSEQUENCE AND THE FIRST HUMAN KING OF ISRAEL WILL LEARN THIS HARSH LESSON HIMSELF IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.