April 9: 1 Samuel 4-8

April 9, 1 Samuel 4-8

1 Samuel 4 Israel went to battle against the Philistines and they were defeated. The Israelites couldn't figure out why, so instead of seeking God, they figure that they would need a ‘good luck charm’ and they grabbed the Ark of the Lord. As you know, the Ark of God was sacred - not something to be trifled with. They were relying on ‘it’ to save them, not God. Who was with the Israelites when this decision was made? Eli’s two sons (not really surprised here… As we already know that didn’t know the Lord nor did they obey Him).

They brought the ark and the Israelites shouted and roared, so that it was heard by many. The Philistines heard it and asked what the Hebrews were up to (Calling them Hebrews was an ethnic term for them). The Philistines didn’t know the Lord and thought there were many gods of the Israelites, but they attacked them anyways. The Philistines defeated the Israelites again in masses (30,000 dead), including killing both of Eli’s sons. Worse than that - they stole the Ark of the Covenant (it held the Ten Commandments)!

A Benjamite ran 22 miles to go and tell Eli the news of the battle and about his sons deaths. The soldier told Eli what happened to the Israelites and his sons, but when Eli heard that the Ark of the Lord had been captured, Eli fell over his chair and broke his neck and died. He had judged Israel for forty years. Then Eli’s daughter-in-law died giving birth because of the loss of her husband, father-in-law, and the fact that the Ark had been stolen. She named her son Ichabod, because that means The Glory Departed. As well as the realization that Eli’s two boys that were sleeping with the woman in the entrance of the House of the Lord, were also married and cheating on their wives, as well as committing sexual immorality. 

1 Samuel 5 So, the Philistines captured the Israelites ‘good luck charm’ and put it next to their god, Dagon, in his temple. In essence, they are showing that their god beat the Israelites God. In the morning, Dagon was laying face down in front of the Ark, as a sign of submission. They put the statue of Dagon back up and the next day, it was laying down again, except this time its hands and head were cut off! God’s hand was clearly against the Philistines in Ashdod, as they were many that were killed there and those that weren't were inflicted with tumors, which wasn't the case before the Ark of the Lord arrived. They didn't know what to do… But it is interesting, that they didn’t want to serve the Lord, which was the more powerful God, more powerful than Dagon, but instead wanted to get rid of the other god they had stole and cursed their land with, so they could go back to serving their old god.

1 Samuel 6 The Ark had been with the Philistines for about seven months and the Philistine priests called on their diviners (sorcerers) to tell them what to do. You can see the hand of God throughout all of this… They advised that they return the ark with a guilt offering, and they didn’t know what a guilt offering was. Isn’t that interesting? Did their god not offer freedom from sin and guilt? I guess not. 

The guilt offering was consisting of two cows on a new cart with 5 golden tumors and big mice (apparently mice had been ravaging the fields since the ark came). The philistines also remember and recount history of the Egyptians, as the story about this ‘Hebrew God’ was now famous among them and they decided to not be like the Egyptians but instead honor this God of the Hebrews. Then they decided to have something go against cows natural mother’s instincts of leaving their new calfs and to let the cows lead it and if they go towards Beth-Shamesh, then it wasn't ‘coincidence’ but where the Israelite God wanted them to go. They did as they were instructed, and the cows went right down the road to the Levitical city of Beth-Shamesh. The people of Beth-Shames were excited to see the Ark and built an altar where it arrived and sacrificed the cows using the wagon’s wood to burn it. God struck down about 70 men who gawked at the Ark and the people were afraid and reacted a lot like the Philistines and wanted it removed from them.

1 Samuel 7 The Ark was brought to another place, and the story continues - some 20 years later… Samuel is now brought back in to the picture and calls the Israelites to repentance. He tells them that they are to direct their heart to the Lord, serve only Him, and get rid of their false gods. They repented and agreed. So Samuel agrees to pray for them, so they fasted before the Lord and realized their sins. Samuel did a sacrifice to the Lord. Then the Philistines were getting ready to attack them again and they asked Samuel to pray for them - so he did, and God answered him. In battle, God threw the Philistines into confusion and the Israelites conquered them. God then gave the Israelites peace.

Samuel went from town to town, judging Israel the rest of his whole life. 

1 Samuel 8 is a disheartening chapter. It tells us when Samuel became old, he had his sons become Judges. Unfortunately, his sons were corrupt and did not walk in his ways, which were the Lord’s ways. The Israelites knew it and since Samuel was getting old, they didn't want the corrupt sons to lead. Instead, they wanted a king to rule over them like the other nations. Samuel was not pleased, but God told him to give them what they wanted, but to caution them about what having a king is like. So, he did. He painted a dark picture of what it is like to have a king, but they didn't care - that is all they wanted. They wouldn't obey what Samuel advised and chose their own way again. As God would have it… a King of Israel.

To sum it all up:

• Are you relying on God or your horoscopes, signs, months of the year, and fortune cookies…? Do you see how ridiculous it is to rely on anything but God and also how it angers God when you do such things?
• Even though Samuel was a great Judge, he failed in rearing up his kids properly, and they were part of the fruits of his labor. How are you doing in raising your kids in the way of the Lord?
• When the Israelites trust in God, they are victorious. When they do not, God is not with them. 
• The Israelites wanted a King. But the Lord wanted to be their King. Is there something that you want more than what God wants for you? Will you be content or will you be like the Israelites and demand that you get your own way? As we will see, getting what they wanted, doesn’t always turn out like we think it will. Instead, we need to trust the Lord, and follow Him and His ways.