Capture of the Ark

Open with Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 ““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Opening Remarks

Parents, this morning you come and dedicate your child to the LORD. We recognize that every child is a gift from the LORD and that each life here rightfully belongs to God. Just as Hannah surrendered Samuel to God’s service, dedicating him to walk in the ways of God even before his birth, so you too now offer and surrender your child to the Lord, to know Jesus and to serve Him faithfully, raising and instructing Him in the truths of the gospel to know and serve the Lord. We do not believe that this in some way imparts salvation to the child, and it is as much more a commitment of the parents that anything else, declaring before the LORD and this congregation that you will raise your children to the glory of the LORD, in accordance to His Word, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Charge to the Parents (facing you)

With this in mind, parents, in presenting your child to the LORD, do you promise in dependence upon God’s grace and upon the partnership of the church, to teach him the truths of the Christian faith, to set a Christian example before him, to bring him up in the instruction and discipline of the LORD, and to encourage him to surrender his life to Christ’s lordship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Charge to the Congregation

Do you, as members of the church, promise to join these parents in the teaching and training of these children that they may be led in due time to surrender to Christ’s lordship and confess Him in baptism and church membership? If you accept this responsibility, will you indicate it by standing?

Close in Prayer

Father, I pray for Joe and Carson and Cooper this morning. I pray that you would strengthen Joe and Carson to raise their son in a fear and knowledge of who you are. I pray you would give them the wisdom they need to both teach and model love for You, love with their whole heart and soul and might. As they study Your Word, write Your truth on their hearts, that they might teach Your truths to Cooper. May Your Word be a constant in their home. May they talk about Your Word at all times. May it be clearly evident, especially to their son, that the Bible is indeed the foundation of their home. We pray this to Your infinite glory!

Numbers 6:24–26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

EXCITE

Happy Mother’s Day! Today we honor not only biological mothers, but every woman who has embraced the God-given role of nurturing others in the faith. Some of you are moms in the traditional sense—raising children, shaping hearts, managing households. Others of you are spiritual mothers—women who disciple, encourage, and walk alongside others in their journey with Christ. Whether through family, friendship, or faithful service in the church, your influence matters deeply. So today, we celebrate all of you—women who nurture, who serve, who pray, who lead by example—and we thank God for the strength and wisdom you bring to the body of Christ.

Today, as we study through 1 Samuel 4, by God’s grace we’ll have a better understanding of the passage, but we’ll give a little extra attention to our ladies today as we look at The Capture of the Ark and how it relates to daily life.

EXPLORE

The Defeat Of Israel

Interpretation:

Israel enters into “battle” (v.1) against the Philistines, and after they draw up lines against each other, “Israel was defeated before the Philistines” and “about four thousand men” died in battle (v.2).

Without seeking God’s guidance, acting presumptuously solely on the advice of the “elders” (v.3), Israel decides to bring “the ark of the covenant” out in battle. Honestly, at first glance, you might think this sounds like a good idea. After all, Numbers 10:35 (“And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.”) called for Israel to set the ark before them in battle, and Joshua has multiple accounts where the ark was instrumental at moments in their history. However, let us remember that God’s way of working in the past isn’t always the way He will work now. The presence of the ark certainly didn’t mean that God had to rescue Israel. And, there is no means or way in which we can twist God’s arm to get Him to act how we want.

Regardless, Israel makes their decision and they send the ark out to battle, led by “the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas” (v.4). That should be a red flag for! This reflects Israel’s spiritual decay—the two who have already been condemned lead in the procession that was not commanded by God.

Nevertheless, when the ark arrives, the people “gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded” (v.5). The Philistines hear this, and they tremble over the presence of the ark. The reputation of the Lord preceded Him. The Philistines knew the testimony concerning YHWH. They didn’t know Him by name, referring to Him simply as a god, but they knew of YHWH’s reputation—that God had “struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague” (v.8). It’s truly a sad indictment on Israel that this nation of pagans knows almost as much about God as YHWH’s people do!

As they line up to fight, the Philistines utterly destroy Israel. “Thirty-thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell” that day (v.10). As far as the Philistines were concerned, they just defeated the God that defeated the Egyptians. Finally, in the defeat, “the ark…was captured,” and Hophni and Phinehas “died” (v.11). The entire narrative seems like the sad demise of God and His people. And, it seems a little right to ask, is there any instruction and encouragement we can draw from this passage? Yes, quite a bit, actually.

First, we see the misunderstanding of God’s people that there is no such thing as good luck charms and “rabbit foot” theology. Bringing the ark out and into battle showed that the people believed the ark to be more of magical power than a marker of God’s presence. And, it showed a misunderstanding about God as well. You see, God will not be manipulated or controlled. But, that’s exactly what Israel was doing. In essence, they were saying, “We’ll bring out the ark and force God to protect us.” Are there modern parallels to trying to manipulate and control God like this?

Absolutely!

Are you here today to honor and worship the risen Savior and to remind yourself that this is God’s story and we’re just a small part of it? Or, are you here hoping to earn a little favor with God, a little blessing from Him, a little smoother week because this past one was rough?

What about personal worship? Do you get up and start your day in God’s word because it’ll help the day go a little smoother? Or, do you spend time in Bible study and prayer because you know it honors God? Because you know you can’t live on physical food alone? Because you know you NEED to know God, His will, and how to respond to Him?

Spiritual disciplines are meant to mature us, not secure blessings for us.

Further, understand this about God in this passage: we know that He had already determined to discipline His people because Israel had turned to their own ways, and He is willing to suffer short-term shame in order to preserve His glory. God’s “defeat” then, if you can call it that, is actually to His credit. With the ark’s capture, the priests who were defiling His name and leading His people in unrighteousness were judged. According to one scholar, “He is removing false shepherds who caused His people to go astray.”

Application:

Here’s where we draw in a challenge to the women of faith in the room: There is a desperate need in our homes, our churches, and our culture for women who actively seek the Lord each and every day, women who don’t settle for secondhand spirituality passed down from others, but who walk closely with God.

Like Israel, families can quickly fall into the trap of trying to wield God for our own ends:

"If I get my kids in church, maybe they’ll stay out of trouble."

"If we say a quick prayer before school, maybe the day will go better."

"If I give to this cause, maybe God will bless our finances."

But that’s a faith that’s only transactional, and it quickly becomes shallow. Ladies, God hasn’t called you to manage outcomes by applying religious practices like formulas. He’s called you to model nearness to Him—to live out what it means to walk in obedience. You model how to seek God, so let your relationship with God be genuine, true, and intimate, not rote practices that can lack faith and tend to serve more as a spiritual “good luck charm.” You may not stand on a physical battlefield, but you do stand on a spiritual battlefield everyday. You’re handling all the things on a day-to-day basis that a family needs just to function, both at church and in the home. So know this: you are helping form the hearts of the next generation.

The Death of Eli (says Samuel in the Handout)

Interpretation:

Suffering massive defeat, “a man of Benjamin” (v.12) fled the battle, clothes tattered and dirt on his face. When He gets back to Shiloh, “Eli was sitting…by the road…for his heart trembled for the ark” (v.13). The story shifts back to Shiloh, where Eli anxiously waits for news about the ark. Though nearly blind and frail, he positioned himself to watch the road, deeply worried about the ark’s fate. Unlike the army, Eli discerned that using the ark as a battle charm was not a good idea and some scholars even believe he feared divine judgment. At this point, Eli is “ninety-eight…and his eyes were set so that he could not see” (v.15). He is terrified of what he might find out, yet he needs someone else to tell him; the city seems to know before Eli knows. The Benjamite let’s Eli know, “Israel has fled before the Philistines…there has…been a great defeat…your two sons…are dead, and the ark…has been captured” (v.17).

Eli remains composed until that last note…the ark has been captured. It’s the final blow, the one that proves too much to take. He falls “backward” (v.18) out of his seat and breaks his neck. The text even hints at Eli’s indulgences here, noting he was “old and heavy,” having “judged Israel forty years.” His death highlights the consequences of spiritual decline under his leadership.

The description of Eli in this passage gives reason to pause and think. It seems true that his physical ailments highlight spiritual shortcomings.

He is sitting by the road watching and waiting. Some might argue that he’s almost 100. I get that, not many 100 year-olds are leading in battle, but remember that Moses was 80 when God called him, and Abraham was 85 when he rescued Lot and 100 when he fathered Isaac. The descriptions of Eli being “old and heavy” seem to be an indictment on his leadership, not just a description of him physically. Instead of actively serving the Lord, his age and health have left and he’s simply waiting and watching. This seems a pretty accurate description of his leadership during this time.

His eyesight has failed him. There are aspects of Eli’s life where he proves to be lacking in spiritual understanding and discernment. Rather than removing his sons from ministry, he only rebukes them. Rather than halting the ark from being used as a good luck charm, he allows it to go, only to fear its return. There’s a lack of insight.

Finally, he is unaware of all that is taking place. He has to rely on another to relay the information about the battle, Israel’s defeat, and the capture of the ark. It’s already been noted that God had not been speaking to His people, and Eli’s ignorance of what was taking place mirrors the spiritual ignorance of the day.

Application:

In Eli, we see a man who held the title of priest, but he no longer had spiritual urgency. He sat, waited, watched, but did not lead with discernment. In contrast, many of us had or have ladies in our lives who never held a title, never wore a collar, never stood behind a pulpit—but they led us spiritually. To them I say, don’t underestimate the influence you wield just by staying spiritually engaged. Your prayers, the way you impart scripture in daily conversations, your faithfulness to the church…all of it “preaches,” if you will. It shapes. It trains. It cultivates the faith. Learn from Eli’s passivity; stay faithful, alert, and active, nurturing future generations in the fear of the Lord.

The Departure Of Glory

Interpretation:

Phinehas’ wife, Samuel’s daughter-in-law, learns of what has happened that day, and it brings on premature labor. The sad story intensifies. Ultimately, she doesn’t make it, but before she passes, one of the “women attender her” (v.20) notes that her desire was to have her new-born son named “Ichabod” because “The glory has departed from Israel…the ark…had been captured” (v.21-22). Her words strike powerfully, even if she is slightly off according to H.L. Ellison. She proclaims that the glory has departed because the ark had been captures, but the opposite seems to be the case — the ark was captured because the glory had already departed from Israel’s midst.

Regardless of the actual order, the point remains — sometimes God departs in order to cause His people to seek Him rightly. What a tragedy when the presence of God no longer abides among His people? Phinehas’ wife only has a few verses, and yet her words—“Ichabod...the glory has departed”—are some of the most theologically weighty words in the whole narrative. While the men around her were dying physically and spiritually, this grieving mother—amid labor and loss—spoke prophetically about the spiritual state of Israel.

The great tragedy in 1 Samuel 4 is that the glory departs because God’s people had abandoned their spiritual post. But let’s flip that on its head for a moment. What keeps God’s glory with His people?

We know that it’s not found in a box — the ark. The spiritual “trinkets” in our lives spawn the spectrum — Jesus fish on the back of the car, Bible verse wall art, and even our spiritual disciplines can become spiritual trinkets if they’re not practiced in faith. In Isaiah 1, God tells Israel He’s had enough of the very practices that He’d called them to, stating later:

Isaiah 29:13 ESV

“…this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

We know that it’s not found in a building — the tabernacle. True, this is where God had prescribed for His people to meet with Him, the building itself wasn’t necessary to facilitate this relationship. God met with Moses in a burning bush. God led His people by pillars of fire and smoke. God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden. And today, every heart that is surrendered to Christ is now the dwelling place of the Spirit of the Lord.

We know that it IS found in faithful surrender. Abraham faithfully surrendered, and he became the father of the faithful. Moses faithfully surrendered, and the seas were split as he led the people out of bondage. Joshua faithfully surrendered, and the land was finally inherited. Samuel faithfully surrendered, and not a single word of his fell to the ground. David faithfully surrendered, and now his throne is perpetually filled. Were any of them perfect? No. But did the grace of God use their surrender? Absolutely. And now, all those who would come after Jesus through sacrifice and surrender, well they’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit!

Application:

Some of you moms, grandmas, and spiritual mothers have been holding your homes together with prayers whispered in the dark and verses memorized in secret. Let me remind you today: that kind of faithfulness is what keeps the glory present. God doesn’t dwell in buildings made with hands—He dwells in hearts surrendered to Him.

EXPERIENCE

Today, let us all be reminded:

You don’t need a title to lead.

You don’t need a pulpit to speak truth.

You don’t need applause to be faithful.

You just need to be faithfully surrendered.

Let us not write Ichabod over our homes. Let us, instead, write Emmanuel—God with us—because His glory dwells with those who seek Him.

Mother’s Day Prayer Blessing Outline

I. Opening Thanksgiving

Thank God for all women present—biological mothers, spiritual mothers, mentors, and nurturers.

Acknowledge the many roles women play in the church, home, and community.

II. Connection to 1 Samuel 4

Reflect briefly on the key lesson: God's presence dwells with surrendered hearts, not religious symbols or formulas.

Recognize the contrast between passive leadership (Eli) and faithful, often unnoticed spiritual influence (like Phinehas’ wife).

III. Blessing Over the Women

Pray for strength in daily responsibilities.

Ask for wisdom in parenting, mentoring, and serving.

Speak peace into seasons of hardship or hidden sacrifice.

IV. Affirmation of Influence

Affirm that faithful living, even without titles or platforms, shapes lives and leaves a legacy.

Celebrate the unseen acts of prayer, service, and discipleship.

V. Closing Declaration

Pray that homes would not be marked by Ichabod (glory departed), but by Emmanuel (God with us).

Ask that their lives continue to be a dwelling place for God’s presence through faithful surrender.