1 Samuel 4:1-11
Today’s Passage: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
This story is a great example of what happens when we take things into our own hands. Have you ever experienced that? When we do it our way instead of God’s way things don’t go as well. The Israelites learned this in this story today.
They go to battle against the Philistines. They camp at this place called Ebenezer. They go to battle and almost 4,000 of their men die and they are defeated. They KNOW that it was God who allowed them to be defeated (see verse 3) but they don’t know why.
Here is the kicker... they were not content in God’s will and plan.
So what did they do? They went and brought the ark thinking that the ark would bring them victory (v.4-5).
There are a few things wrong with this...
1) They did not rest in God’s plan.
2) They trusted in the ark more than they trusted in God.
God himself allowed them to be defeated. What would the ark do?
3) They made the ark something it was not.
The ark was the visible sign of the presence and power of God. It was not a good luck charm. They thought they could use it to force God to do their will.
They should have sought from God what sin was in their midst and why He allowed them to be defeated. Instead, like we do, they took things into their own hands.
It backfired and the Philistines captured the ark and as we will read later in 1 Samuel, God used it to show them who was really all powerful. He used this to showcase His glory.
We have to be careful not to be like the Philistines. We want to do things God’s way, not our way. We want to honor Him. We want to submit to His will and plan.
Because things just go better when we do them God’s way.
Written By: Nick Parsons
This story is a great example of what happens when we take things into our own hands. Have you ever experienced that? When we do it our way instead of God’s way things don’t go as well. The Israelites learned this in this story today.
They go to battle against the Philistines. They camp at this place called Ebenezer. They go to battle and almost 4,000 of their men die and they are defeated. They KNOW that it was God who allowed them to be defeated (see verse 3) but they don’t know why.
Here is the kicker... they were not content in God’s will and plan.
So what did they do? They went and brought the ark thinking that the ark would bring them victory (v.4-5).
There are a few things wrong with this...
1) They did not rest in God’s plan.
2) They trusted in the ark more than they trusted in God.
God himself allowed them to be defeated. What would the ark do?
3) They made the ark something it was not.
The ark was the visible sign of the presence and power of God. It was not a good luck charm. They thought they could use it to force God to do their will.
They should have sought from God what sin was in their midst and why He allowed them to be defeated. Instead, like we do, they took things into their own hands.
It backfired and the Philistines captured the ark and as we will read later in 1 Samuel, God used it to show them who was really all powerful. He used this to showcase His glory.
We have to be careful not to be like the Philistines. We want to do things God’s way, not our way. We want to honor Him. We want to submit to His will and plan.
Because things just go better when we do them God’s way.
Written By: Nick Parsons
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