You can't put God in a Box
1 Samuel • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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You can’t put God in a box
Introduction:
Well yesterday as I was driving to our training day – it was an encouraging morning. but I witnessed something as I driving in, things you can’t unsee that just made me go ‘God how can you let that happen?’ why would you let that happen? I drove past a bloke who was lying on the ground motionless, and a car had been half smashed not far from here. It was just one of those moments where you go why God?– God, why? It just makes no sense to me.
Friends, I reckon, we can all put God in a box. he should do this. He shouldn’t do that. For example, maybe in your life, you follow Jesus you wanted it to go a certain way but it hasn’t. and you blame God. God, I have followed you. I have served you and I should married by now. ive done this and done that so I deserve this good thing, I’ve thought that in the past. Or you look around the world, and you go God why the world filled with corruption? Corrupt leaders? Why would you do that God? or the other night my kids go just before bed of all times, is the bible real? I don’t see miracles in the world. we can all put god in a box.
testing testing the age i am brianantask
Context
As we come to 1 samuel 4 and 5, fascinating action packed chapters, We find that you can’t put God in a box. You can’t use him for your own wishes and purposes. You can’t contain him. he is the glorious all powerful God. I want you to help you think well that morning from the word of god. for from right doctrine comes right living.
Now
the setting of 1 Samuel 4 is not in Shiloh, it is now on the field of battle about 35 km west of Shiloh (Map). And our attention is not on the boy Samuel, but on Israel. it’s a battle scene. Chapter 4 verse 1 second half
1 Samuel 4:1 (ESV)
Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.
Aphek is at the top left, Ebenezer is just to the right. thats’ where they are.
Who’s the enemy? The Philistines. We will find that they keep popping up in 1 Samuel. They continue to be a thorn to Israel’s side. These two nations are at war. And here in chapter 4 we find two battles recorded for us. and the first battle does not go well for the Israelite's. look how many men of Israel die. Come to Verse 2
The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.
Now, if you were an elder in Israel what would you say to your soldiers to lift their spirits? To encourage them?
1. You can’t use God (4:1-22)
They try to use God. it’s a big mistake. you can’t use God. Here’s what they say.
1 Samuel 4:3 (ESV)
“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.”
The elders know God allowed them to be defeated. that’s the right diagnosis. God is powerful. he can defeat the Philistines. it could have been a stroll in the park for God. but instead of going to Scripture, seeking God out, they make a decision to bring the ark of the covenant into the battle. they try to use God in the battle. And here we’re introduced here for the first time to the ark of the covenant. Now it was a gold plated wooden box. Expensive box. here’s a replica here. As you can see, you had your gold plated rings for the priests to carry it. On top of the box was a lid called mercy seat. and on top of that two cherubim two like angels figures with outstretch wings and inside was the covenant of God, the two stone tablets Moses received on Mount Sinai. They were placed in this ark.
Why’s the ark so important? The ark of the covenant represented God’s presence among God’s people. That is, if God had a throne on earth, well this is where you would find him. This is where you go. This is where you go to meet with God. it’s so sacred that if you touched it you would die.
But here’s the thing. God is God. he’s everywhere. the ark was a symbol. it was a sacred symbol to remind God’s people of God’s covenant commitment on Israel. But on the flip side, it reminded Israel of his covenant demands on them. they needed to obey God. But that’s the problem. the elders here were not worried about whether they kept God’s word. Not at all. They were worried about God’s presence. they thought
“if we bring this ark of the covenant to battle, then we literally bring God’s presence with us. if he’s present in the battle, we will win. He’s in the battle”
At best they are treating the ark of the covenant like some lucky charm. But at worse they were cornering God. dragging him out on the battle field whether He liked it or not. And forcing him help them win. they were using God. they try to put him in a box. After all, he doesn’t want to embarrassed, he doesn’t want to look foolish in front of the other nations, he doesn’t want to be defeated by other gods. Now we know, forcing anyone to do anything is just a no no. you should never ever corner and force anyone to do anything. But here this is the God of the universe. it’s just not on.
Can you see what they were doing? They should’ve opened up scripture for an answer. It was the right question; verse 3 why did the lord bring defeat on us? but the wrong answer. We’ll just bring in the ark of the covenant. You see God had not forgotten his covenant promises. They had forgotten God’s covenant demands on them as the people of Israel. God is punishing them for their disobedience. For what does Leviticus 26:14 say? It says;
“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,
then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Leviticus 26:17–18 (ESV)
I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.
they should have repented.
they should not have used God like a bit of religious magic, A bit hocus pocus. it’s like superstition. i’ve heard lots of them. you know, like you don’t buy a house with the number 4 if you are chinese because it sounds like the word death Si. i’ve been in hong kong and in the lift there was no number 4. strangest thing. or i was told growing up, if you don’t eat every grain of rice, i was told i’d get all these pimples growing up. they wanted to use God. they wanted to bring in the ark and use God like a lucky charm? If they bring the ark then god would save them. But god will not tolerate it.
And if the elders of God’s people think this way, we see that the priests were worse. Hophni and Phinehas (alarm bells should be ringing – corrupt priests corrupt priests). They go with the soldiers and encourage the use the ark of the covenant as a lucky charm. They help bring the ark of the covenant.
And as they arrive. All the Israelite soldiers could not contain their excitement in verse 5 – a mighty shout so that the earth resounded. They thought we’ve got this. God is here now. We will win. And in fact the Philistines heard and trembled in fear in verse 7. So what will happen in this second battle? The ark is in their battle. Verse 10
So 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.
It was a terrible slaughter. 4000 dead in the first battle. 30,000 dead in the second battle. And that’s with the ark of the covenant there. You cannot put God in a box. You cannot manipulate God to your whims and wishes. He’s not a genie. They got destroyed. the Ark was captured. And God kept his promise. Hophni and Phinehas died on the same day. Just as the man of God had prophesized, just as Samuel confirm last week. God has fulfilled his prophecy. They died in battle. And in fact, it was all too much for Eli.
As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
Friends, you can’t use God. he will not be put in the box. But God would rather See his people killed. Suffer loss, suffer shame, lose face, be embarrassed by the nations than be used by his people. Can you see how much God hates it when his people try to control him? they try to manipulate him? He’s God.
So it looks hopeless. But as the theme of our 1 samuel series says, there is Hope for the helpless. There is hope because God will fulfil his plans and purposes even without the hands and feet of his people.
Yes, Eli Hophni and Phinehas are all dead. Leadership is dead.
Yes, Israel goes home shattered.
Over 30,000 families without a husband or father, a son or a child.
Yes, the ark of the covenant captured.. but the thing is, you can’t contain God.
2. You can’t contain God (5:1-12)
and that’s my second point; And as we come to chapter 5, we find that the Philistines have returned home with trophy. it’s like their god Dagon has defeated the God of the Israelites. So they place the ark of the covenant in their own temple. they place him at the feet of dagon in verses 1 and 2. See The Philistines revered Dagon. He was half man half fish. He was worshiped as god of vegetation and fertility.
The ark is set up beside Dagon. it is as if God is worshiping Dagon. But look at what happens the next day. It’s deliberately comical. God laughs at this idol. Verse 3
1 samuel 5:3
1 Samuel 5:3 (ESV)
And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.
They find dagon bowing down to the ark fo the covenant. to God. But that’s not only irony in story. Even though Dagon is supposed to be powerful and awesome. You notice he can’t even stand himself up. verse 3
1 Samuel 5:3 (ESV)
And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.
The people had to carry their God and put him back in his place. Prop him back up, dust him off off, freshen him up a little. But that didn’t last long. Look at the next verse, verse 4.
1 samuel 5:4
But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.
This was the work of God. God can’t be contained. This time Dagon was not just bowing prostrate before God, no. the literal reading is his hands and feet and trunk are ‘chopped off.’ Cut off. Friends can you see that God does not need help to stand up like Dagon? can you see that he does not need the hands and feet of Israel to rescue him? He can do it with or without them. The God of the bible makes it very clear, you can’t put him in the box. He does not need to be coddled, dusted, cleaned. he is not a block of wood like Dagon. he’s not an idol. It’s one of my big saddnesses when I visit my grandparents grave in Germany. It saddens me. When I see my aunt burning off some money to the grandmother in the afterlife. It’s a buddhist practice. She does this as she dusts off the little shrine and whatever god that is. Oh friends, that’s no living God. there’s only one living GOd. and You can’t contain Him. he’s the only living God. Even if He is in enemy territory. God is most powerful, most awesome, the only living God. he cannot be contained.
But the Philistines they don’t get it. they don’t worship God now and turn to him. they don’t throw Dagon into the tip. They establish more rules to pay homage to this false god even more. But God cannot be contained.
God’s power was not just felt within dagon’s temple. His heavy hand was felt in the land of the Philistines.
1 samuel 5:6
The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.
The ark may have fallen into the hands of the Philistines. But the Philistines have fallen into the hands of the living God. he does not need his people.
If it wasn’t bad enough Dagon lost his head, the people were inflicted with tumors. They wanted to get rid of the Ark. And that’s exactly what they tried to do. they called a meeting to have it moved to Gath verse 8 but the people of Gath they got tumors. So like a hot potato, they send the ark to Ekron in verse 10 but by this time it was pretty clear that God cannot be contained. They were under attack by God almighty. They were helpless. It was hopeless for them. The best thing to do was to surrender to Israel’s god. They call a meeting to figure out what to do with the ark. Verse 11
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
Friends, I hope you can see in these two chapters you can’t put God in a box. You can’t use him – or try to manipulate him. he’s God. and you can’t contain him. he doesn’t need the hands and feet of his people. He’s God.
3. For He is the glorious God
In fact, he is the glorious God. it looks like the glory of God has departed. But even when it looks that way, he is working out his purposes and plans. Look at who the ark of the covenant belongs to.
1 Samuel 4:4 (ESV)
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
Literally the Lord Almighty. Literally YHWH of armies. The God of armies. He’s the God who thumped the Egyptian superpower. He’s the God who dealt with every enemy on the journey to the promised land. The Lord almighty. It’s a title for sheer power and might. Friends, this very very very powerful God cannot be used. he cannot be contained. and how did he show his power and glory for us?
this glorious God came down to die for people who used him. abused him. shunned him. and I love Romans 5 verse 6 because it captures what we are like. and what christ has done. it’s glorious.
Romans 5:6 (ESV)
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
He died for those who did not honor him. he died for those who did not love him. he died for those who use everything he made and do not give him thanks. he died for us, when we hated God - He died for our sins. More than that, in what looked like a depressing situation. Where the ark was in enemy territory, AShdod, Gath, Ekron. God could not be contained. Jesus was surrounded by his enemies in Golgotha. The Jews in authority hated him, yelled abused mocked him. the soldiers struck him cast lots for his clothes, others laughed at him. And yet, Jesus cannot be contained. In what looked like a hopeless situation, we know Jesus died for us. it was glorious. He is glorious. The king who not only defeats armies, but our greatest problem. The problem of sin. We have a glorious God who loves people like us.Jesus is the glorious God. No one could have imagined God save us through Jesus.
Friends, you can’t put God in a box. He cannot be used. He cannot be contained. Yet in his love – he died for the ungodly. In a terrible situation, he worked out his plans and purposes. He’s God.
4. Responding to this God
Friends, how do we respond to this glorious God?
1. The first thing I want to say is ‘Let’s not put God in a box.’ He is God. He loves his people, even if our circumstances look hopeless with our eyes, and it can be really hard, you might even feel a deep sense of pain because life has not turned out the way you want it to. God is working out his plans and purposes. He is the helper for the helpless. When you see horrible events like I did yesterday, we know this world is broken. It’s in decay. But Jesus holds out the offer of hope. In a bad situation, he brings hope. He has saved us from our sins by faith. I prayed that those who were there would come to know the living God – Jesus. Come visit Epping. thats my prayer. Or when my child says the Bible seems hard to believe. I say confidently God is a God of miracles. he’s God. we trust what he says. Let’s not put God in a box. He is the glorious all powerful God.
2. highlight a sin in approach to God. God is not an idol …
3. The second thing I want to say is we must trust that God is working out his plans and purposes. he is in control. And as we think about our church and it’s future, we need to know he is building his church.
For God doesn’t need our hands and feet. He can do without them. when the ark captured, the Israelites didn’t lift a finger to save him. he did it himself. He beheaded dagon. He had the entire nation of the philistines trembling at their knees. we’ll see he brings the ark back on his own. He can accomplish his purposes on his own. Even without us. he can’t be contained.
This passage is wonderful for us. we need to remember God does not depend on us to build his church. Jesus will build his church. Jesus says to disciples I will build my church. he says I will. Not you will. Jesus will. It applies here. We are part of his universal church. To see God’s church built, we must remember he will do it. when the people were hungry Jesus fed them. When the storm raged Jesus calmed it. when the sacrifice for sin was need Jesus is the one who offered it.
So as we seek to do the work of the Gospel here, we need to remember, not what we can do for him. But what God has done for us. it’s so easy and tempting to feel like God needs us. we love to feel that way, who doesn’t want to feel important and useful. But the hands and feet that matter most aren’t ours, but the hands and feet nailed to the tree. our Motivation to do good, proclaim the Gospel is not because if we don’t do it then God can’t. it must be because God has done in Christ, God will do it, and so we want to part of it. trust that he is in control. be obedient to him and share the Gospel. he has looked upon us with compassion, saved us from our sins, that motivates us to have compassion for friends and family. We were ungodly but Christ saves us to use us for his glory. what a privilege it is to serve this glorious God. he’s the lord of lords, king of kings, conquered the grave calls us to follow him. let’s not put god in a box, but give him the glory for he is almighty. He is glorious. He rules and reigns forever. Let’s pray.
