There’s a fascinating story in 1 Samuel 4 about the defeat of Israel at the hands of the Philistines nearly 3,000 years ago. Israel met in battle with the Philistines in a location called Aphek, which is considered to be eight miles east of the modern-day city of Tel Aviv. Tragically, Israel was defeated and lost nearly four thousand people. For perspective, that’s more than America lost on 911.
But instead of seeking the Lord in repentance, Israel regroups and tries again. This time, however, they bring the ark of the covenant with them. Perhaps you only know the Ark of the Covenant from Indiana Jones. But this was a special box constructed at the time of Moses, as Israel came out of bondage in Egypt. It contained the Ten Commandments, a bit of manna, and the staff of Aaron that had butted. It was called the “mercy seat” because it was the symbolic seat of Israel’s invisible God.
But Israel made a very unwise decision. They thought that God could be objectified. If they brought the ark of the covenant, God would never allow these holy objects to fall into the hands of his enemies. He would be forced to deliver the people. It’s a form of what one commentary calls “rabbit foot theology.” We view God as an object that can be manipulated rather than a loving, holy, personal God who must be treated as an active agent in the world.
Sadly, we can be a lot like Israel. We look to superstitious forms of worship, thinking that we can control God through our generous tithes or our feeble religious ceremonies. But God is the Holy, Righteous Creator of the universe. He is the One who put the stars in the sky. He is the One who orders everything according to the counsel of his holy will. He can’t be manipulated for our shallow purposes.
But as we return to 1 Samuel 4, we see that Israel was defeated by the Philistines a second time; this time, over 30,000 men lost their lives on the Israelite side. It was a massive defeat. The death toll rivaled many Civil War battles that were fought with guns and cannons. But the narrative teaches us a vital lesson: God is more concerned about our holiness than our outward success as the people of God.
Therefore, when Christians face political defeat in the culture or hardship in the church, our call isn’t to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and to keep going. Our call is to turn to the Lord in repentance, humility, and faith. We are to seek him first and foremost as the personal God who loved us so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life that we could never live and to die a sacrificial death in our place on the cross so that anyone who puts their trust in him can have eternal life and joy with God forever.
About Will Stern
Originally from Colorado, Will Stern is the pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church in Garnet Valley. He majored in violin performance for his undergrad and taught violin for a number of years before being called into ministry. He studied theology at Duke University and Westminster Theological Seminary.
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