Rabbit-foot Theology
‘Rabbit-foot Theology’ (1 Sam -4:1b-22)
the power of charms
The equivalent of rabbit foots are well known in the world of sport. In most sports, touching lines prior to a match will bring bad luck in the contest. When changing ends in a tennis match, its said that players who walk around court will find good luck and success in the second half of the match. But players holding more than two balls at a time will bring bad luck in the set.
Fishermen are said to reel in much larger fish and have good luck if they throw back their first catch. At the same time, an angler must never discuss the number of fish he has caught until he is ready to head home for the day. If he does the fish will not bite for the rest of his time in the water. It is said to be bad luck if a barefoot woman passes a fisher on the way to the dock, and he will not catch anything.
Often sportsmen will carry crosses around their neck, or have some other jewelry that gives them the edge. Shoes must be done up the right way – things done in the right order – all these superstitious rituals might be enough to get you over the line. You never know, the ritual you choose might be the one which gives you the victory.
when things go from bad to worse
And Israel needed the victory but instead things were moving from bad to worse. Any hope for the future seems overwhelmed by the tragedy of the main storyline. In chapter 1, Hannah’s unfruitfulness echoes the failure of a nation. Israel is a state of anarchy as everyone is doing as they see fit. In chapter 2, Eli’s failure to restrain the horrendous sins of his sons draws and immediate and decisive response from God. Eli’s priestly line will be wiped out and God will raise up for himself a faithful priest who will honour his name. Eli’s descendants will die in the prime of their life. It seems like it can’t get much worse.
Dispersed throughout this tragic tale is the rise of young Samuel. Hannah dedicates him to the service of God, he grows in stature and in favour with the Lord and with men. Unlike Hophni and Phinehas, Samuel is faithful in the tabernacle. Then in chapter 3 the Lord calls Samuel into his service as a prophet. God is gracious to his rebellious people. The word of God was rare, but by the end of chapter 3, ‘Samuel’s word came to all of Israel’.
Now the word of God freely available and perhaps Eli and his sons have learnt their lesson and the people will repent and love the Lord their God. Maybe.
The narrative moves into chapters 4-7 and takes a change of direction. No longer is Samuel the centre of attention. We go into war mode. Israel’s battles against the Philistines are brutal and many men are slaughtered. The ark of the covenant moves onto centre stage and yet things still get worse for Israel. In the Ark Narratives things go from worse to ‘worser’ (if there’s such a word). The words against Eli and his family are fulfilled. Thousands of Israelites are killed in action – in one battle thirty thousand foot soldiers alone perish in action. The Ark is stolen by the Philistines and is held captive for twenty years. But after seven months the ark is returned to the Israelites not because they deserve it, but because it causes havoc throughout the Philistine territory.
The Israelites do eventually come to their senses. In the pattern of the Book of Judges, the people mourn and cry out for God – and God raises up a judge – and Samuel is waiting to bring the people back into relationship with God. Samuel subdues the Philistines at Mizpah and proves himself to be a faithful leader. He continues as judge over Israel for the rest of his life.
the ark is captured (4:1b-10)
failed leadership
Let’s go back to chapter 4:1. The Israelites go out to fight the Philistines. They’re defeated and about four thousand are killed. No small number of men. At the debriefing, the elders of Israel rightly ask in verse 4, ‘Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?’ A new military strategy is required because things have gone horribly sour. The answer’s quick in coming. ‘Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies’.
Perhaps the elders should have taken a deep breathe and considered more options! Maybe they should have gone back to Deut 28 which says, ‘if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees, all these curses will come upon you’. Then come the curses are listed – one by one. ‘The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies’ (verse 25). Alarm bells should be ringing. The lessons from the Book of Judges are ignored. The answer to Israel’s military defeats is repentance, confession, a recommitment to the promises of God. Do the elders of Israel say this? No. They are not the leaders that Israel need. Failed leadership.
Instead the elders get the ark and the failed Hophni and Phinehas front-and-centre. Now that’s trouble with a capital ‘T’. These priests should be on the dole queue and now they’re beside the ark and leading Israel into war. Israel’s leadership is incompetent – they ignore the word of God and they lead the people in the wrong direction.
It’s easy for us to make dumb choices. Like a man who walked into a shop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently the take was too small so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours. Police eventually showed up and arrested him. Sticking around was a dumb choice. We know what God wants but we take another course of action because its easier and more convenient. Not the right choice. We feel defeated in our Christian lives and instead of returning the word of God we devise our own solution and put our God on the backburner. It’s instinctively an easy thing to do. It’s easier to try and solve the problem myself rather than taking it to him in prayer. It’s easier to suddenly misplace my Bible rather than measure myself against the truth of God’s word. It’s easier to persist in sin rather than repent and confess my sin.
Let me speak to you who are feeling a little defeated in your Christian life. Your life may be tough and I don’t pretend to know your pain and all the details. And like Israel you may cry out, ‘why did the Lord bring defeat upon me today’? Maybe your problems are the result of your own sinfulness. Maybe you haven’t sinned and like Job you say, ‘What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me’. Here is a moment of decision. Like Israel go your own way and pretend its God’s way – or like Job cry out and say, ‘I know my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on earth’ (Job 19:25).
Look to the Lord Jesus – his world was collapsing around him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus looked nothing like a victorious warrior. And the lamb of God said, ‘Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’ (Mk 14:36). And he went to the cross and he rose and death was defeated and now he is our risen King and Saviour. Jesus never abandoned his Father’s words. He considered that his present suffering was not worth comparing with his future glory beyond the grave.
At that moment in 1 Sam 4, Israel show us what not to do in times of defeat. Israel show us what not to do after we’ve sinned – take the easy way out – keep on sinning – make things worse by allowing superstition to replace faith. We ignore the Scriptures to our peril.
putting God in a corner
The Israelites thought the ark of the covenant was the answer to their problems. The ark was that sacred, gold-covered, portable box, 3 ¾ feet long by 2 ¼ feet wide and high which usually sat in the tabernacle and behind the thick veil leading into the Most Holy Place. The ark reminded the people of the covenant made at Mt Sinai – the Lord in relationship with his people. The ark especially suggests God’s kingship – the ark was the sign of God leading his people, particularly against Israel’s enemies. The ark was there when Israel crossed the Jordan in Josh 3-4, it was there when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. The ark symbolized ‘victory’ and that’s what Israel needed right now – ‘victory’. Have the ark with you and victory is assured. Interesting assumption – have God with you and you’ll get your own way! ‘Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies’.
The elders assume this: ‘if we take God with us into battle, his reputation is at stake. Should something happen to the ark, it would make God the loser and this he wouldn’t want to happen. God will have to save us now, his honour is at stake’. The elders are cunning – put God under pressure and he’ll deliver the goods. Twist God’s arm and he’ll see things your way. Dale Ralph Davis calls this ‘rabbit-foot’ theology. Israel reckon the ark is like a rabbit’s foot that will change their fortunes. But what Israel did was nothing less than superstitious – a superstitious belief that when the ark is with you everything will be OK. A belief that God will do anything to preserve his reputation.
Whether it be the Israelites or us, putting God in a corner is no less than an exercise in control. Israel were interested in military victory – not repentance. They were interested in religious magic rather than spiritual holiness. We cannot put God in a corner. We can’t manipulate God by wearing certain types of jewelry; we can’t put it over God by being baptized and now God has no choice other than let me into heaven. We can’t put pressure on God because we attend church more often than not and so God is obliged to answer my prayers. I ought not think that God owes me something because I put money in the plate every Sunday – or I’ve served on a church committee for many years.
The Israelites thought they could shame God into submission. Put God’s reputation on the line. We need to know that God will suffer shame rather than allowing us to ever be in false relationship with him. And so it’s very important that we know why we do the things we do. We come to church – we pray – we read the Bible – we support one another – we have our meetings. I hope we do not think that we can organize God into submission, that he has no choice other than keep this church open because his name will otherwise be tarnished in Springwood. Our arkefact is this church which some of us built with out bare hands. Our arkefact is a heritage church (in Springwood) and a proud history in Springwood. Is God therefore obliged to do things our way lest the locals scoff his name?
It’s far better that we do the things we do because ‘Jesus is Lord’ and we delight in submitting to him. As Dale Ralph Davis says, ‘Whenever the church stops confessing “Thou art worthy” and begins chanting “Thou art useful” - well, then you know the ark of God has been captured again’.
the Philistines and the ark
The Philistines had most certainly heard of the god connected with the ark. The Egyptian plagues and the Hebrews amazing escape from slavery made headlines around the ancient world. These events were retold again and again and the Philistines knew the story. It petrified them. They were scared of Israel. It’s like me picking a fight with Willy Mason. The Philistines don’t want to pick a fight with Israel’s mighty gods. The Philistines respond in verse 8, ‘Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?’ They fire themselves up for the battle. ‘Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!’ Everything seems to be in Israel’s favour: the ark, the priests, a great reputation. So – verse 10, ‘the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of the covenant was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died’.
The result is totally unexpected. Israel thought they would win and the Philistines thought they would lose the battle. The ark is not a rabbit’s foot and Israel suffer another resounding defeat. And the Philistines walk away mighty proud of themselves, and thinking that their god, Dagon, is stronger than the gods of the Israelites. Amongst the thirty thousand soldiers killed are Hophni and Phinehas. The words to Eli in chapter 2 as these priests die on the same day. For a time God’s reputation is in tatters but Israel learn a valuable lesson. God cannot be manipulated. God can look after himself. Know that God will allow us to be disappointed with him if it takes this to awaken us to the type of God he really is.
the fate Eli and his family
the death of Eli (4:12-18)
News of Israel’s defeat soon reaches the people. In verse 12 we learn that a young man runs back and reports that the ark has been captured. ‘When the man entered the town and told what happened, the whole town sent up a cry’. Eli’s old – ninety-eight years old – and he misses the report. In verse 16 he asks the messenger, ‘What happened my son?’ Eli learns about the death of his sons and the capturing of the ark. He is old – the shock is too much – he falls off his chair and dies. Eli had led Israel for forty years.
We must be careful not to miss the way God is working here. The fighting – the tragedy of Eli and his sons – the capture of the ark – failed leadership and a corrupt nation. In the middle of this saga God is quietly working to prepare for the future. Although he brings judgment upon Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, God is acting with grace, for in his judgment he is removing the false shepherds who led his people astray. With the death of Eli a whole era will pass away – the leadership slate will be cleared in anticipation of Samuel and ultimately for Jesus.
the glory departs from Israel (4:19-22)
The last part of the chapter is also tragic. Picking the story up from verse 19, ‘His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention. She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured”’.
This women’s dying words sums up the state of Israel, ‘The glory has departed from Israel’. One clever commentator adds his assessment. Ellison says, ‘The glory of God had indeed departed, but not because the ark of God had been captured,; the ark had been captured because the glory had already departed’. Dale Ralph Davis says that ‘Ichabod and 1 Samuel 4 teach us that sometimes God must depart from us in order that we might seek him rightly. And in the meantime we do well to ponder what a tragedy it is when the presence of God is no longer abides the people of God’.
It is indeed a tragedy, many churches which claim to be ‘Christian’ have not seen the glory of God in years – the gospel has well and truly left their midst. The glory of God has departed and they succumb to the modern and post-modern gods of this age.
We must continually pray that the gospel sets the agenda in this church – that the leadership are faithful leaders (and that includes me) – and that we all have hearts that desire to love and serve our Lord forever and ever. God forbid that the glory of God ever departs from this church!
Conclusion
We’ve learnt much about the character of God this morning. God can look after his self. But he is merciful and for those who willingly submit to the king ship of Jesus, he will look after us for all eternity.