You can’t use God 1 Samuel 4:1-22

Introduction

Verse 1 of chapter 4 is the last we will hear of Samuel until chapter 7. In chapters 4-6 we see the Lord preparing Israel for a new leader. In chapters 1-3 Samuel was the primary focus, but now there is an abrupt shift in the focus.

The Setting vs. 1b-2

Here we shift to find the Israelites in battle with the Philistines.

The Israelites set up camp beside Eben-ezer

The Philistines set up camp in Aphek

Aphek was located on the coastal highway north of the Philistine cities and about twenty-two miles—as the crow flies—west of Shiloh. We don’t know the precise location of Ebenezer (v. 1; cf. 7:12); perhaps the battle occurred a little to the east of Aphek.

The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel

The word array means “Order; disposition in regular lines; as an army in battle array Hence a posture of defense.

They were ready for battle against the Israelites and from the beginning of the battle it was clear Israel wasn’t going to win.

They slew around 4000 men of the Israeli army.

I believe Israel had gotten so comfortable without the presence of the Lord they didn’t even realize it was missing in the battle. We are going to see the lack of discernment was going to cause them to bring the wrong answer to the right question.

The Battle vs. 3-10

Those who survived went back to the camp knowing they were going to lose the battle and look at the question they asked in verse 3 “Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines?”

They answered too quickly and didn’t heed to the warnings of scripture

In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 the Lord warns Israel that he would turn their enemies against them. If they would have done this they would have realized their defeat was due to their disobedience to God’s law.

Instead of thinking long and hard about the answer to their question, they decide to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us.

They thought that bringing the ark of the covenant would save them from the hands of there enemies.

How many of us have been thinking up an idea, and you come up with an idea, you tell others about it and try to get them on board with the idea only for them to remind you how silly the idea is?

Here that isn’t what happened, they hear the idea and then they execute the idea

They get some people to go to Shiloh to get the ark, notice this time the whole name is mentioned in verse 4

The ark of the covenant was that sacred, gold-covered, portable box, 3 ¾ feet long by 2 ¼ feet wide and high, which—unless ancient Israel was on the march in the wilderness—sat behind the thick veil in Israel’s worship center in the area called the most Holy place (Exod. 25:10–22; 37:1–9).

The ark of the covenant suggested the Lords rulership, revelation, and reconciliation.

Maybe they were aware of the history of the ark leading the Israelites in battle

Numbers 10:35 “35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; And let them that hate thee flee before thee.”

They believed bringing the ark of the covenant into their camp gave the Lord no other choice than to show up and help them win the battle. The end of verse 3 tells us there purpose for bringing the ark to the battle.

They didn’t truly desire the presence of the Lord, they just wanted to win the battle.

Do we truly desire the presence of the Lord in our life or are we just trying to use the Lord to win the battle?

The Lord had taught them how to fight their wars in Deut 20, but instead of searching their hearts and confessing their sins, the people decide to imitate Moses and Joshua and take the ark of the covenant into the battle with them.

The problem is they were using the Lord to accomplish their own purpose. Unlike Moses and Joshua, they weren’t walking by faith, and they weren’t seeking to glorify God.

One of the worst parts of the whole story is who was carrying the ark from Shiloh to Ebenezer, The priest evil sons Hophni and Phinehas. How could God bless these 2 who he had already pronounced judgement on but Israel believed it to be there only hope.

The whole Israelite camp rejoices when they bring in the ark. vs. 5

They believed they had just hit a home run and now there is no way they lose the battle.

in verses 6-8 we find the Philistine army worried

They heard the noise from the Israelite camp, but didn’t know why they were shouting and going on as they had just lost 4000 men.

After they realize the reason they are shouting the bible says they were afraid.

They had good reason to be afraid, this was the God who 300 years before smote the Egyptians with the plagues

Nobody had to explain to them who the God of the Israelites is, they had heard of him.

The Philistines were determined to win the battle, the phrase quit yourselves like men means to put away all fear and act with courage and strength.

This battle led to the slaughter of 30,000 footmen.

Weirsbe said this “God will not be “used” just to make sinful people achieve their own selfish purposes. God’s promise is “them that honour me I will honour”.

The ark removed vs. 11a

Never in the history of Israel had the ark of God ever fallen into the hands of the enemy.

The ark was supposed to be kept behind the veil in the tabernacle and only seen by the high priest on the annual day of atonement

Even when the camp moved during the nations years of wandering, the first thing the high priest did was cover the ark with the veil

The ark was the throne of God and now it was in the hands of the enemies, and God was going to use the ark to teach both the Israelites and the Philistines some important lessons.

One commentator said “it wasn’t a sin to bring the ark into battle if the people were truly devoted to the Lord and wanted to honor Him, but instead they were using the ark as a good luck charm.

The high priests and his sons removed vs. 11b-18

In the second part of verse 11 we see that Hophni and Phineas were slain just as the Lord had promised.

God had been longsuffering with them as the desecrated His sacrifice and defiled his people, but now their time was up.

After Eli’s sons were slain a messenger went back to Shiloh, with his clothes rent and had dirt on his head.

As the messenger came into the city we find Eli sitting on a seat by the wayside

He was trembling because his sons had taken the Ark of God into the battle .

He heard the messengers lament, so he asked him what had happened

He told him all that had happened in the battle, then Eli asks about his sons.

The messenger told him that not only were his sons dead, but the ark had been taken

After hearing this news Eli fell out of his chair backwards, broke his neck and died.

The Bible describes him as old and heavy.

He was likely heavy due too eating too much from the sacrifices and living a relatively stationary life.

These deaths were were the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s prophecy that Eli’s branch of the priesthood would be destroyed and a new line introduced.

The Glory Departed vs. 19-22

The wife of Phineas had more spiritual insight than all of the men of the family. The brothers used the ark as a good luck charm, Eli was concerned about the safety of the ark, but she was concerned about the glory of God.

When she heard the news, she laboured and had a son and before she died she named her son Ichabod which means the glory is departed.

When King Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of God returned, but before the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel saw the glory leave the temple and the city. The Glory of God didn’t return to this earth until the birth of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world.

This event was so significant that Asaph wrote about it in Psalm 78:60–61 “60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men; 61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the enemy’s hand.”

The Son’s of Eli thought their scheme would save the Glory of God, but it only took the glory away.

Conclusion

I believe today that Christians are still trying to use God for their own gain. God will not allow us to use him.

Maybe your’e here this morning and you have never trusted Christ as your personal saviour. Come this morning and we can show your from God’s word how you can be saved.