How We Are Powerless Without God’s Presence (1 Samuel 4-7)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Do you struggle with trying to fight life’s battles on your own?

One of the greatest mistakes Christians can make is trying to get through life with just as little of God as they can. They ask God to bless their finances, careers, and families but make their plans without him and choose to battle through life alone. This was the problem with the Israelites in 1 Samuel 4-7.

These chapters recount a critical time when Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines and then got it back. They show the fallout from Israel's disobedience and weak faith, emphasizing the need to honor God and the impact of true repentance. Israel is beaten by the Philistines and loses the Ark because they value it more as a symbol than for its connection to God. The Philistines face disasters because of the ark, leading to its return. Under Samuel's lead, the Israelites turn back to God, ditch other gods, and commit to Him, which renews God's favor for them.

The Bible doesn't provide a detailed description of the Ark of the Covenant, specifically in 1 Samuel chapters 4-7. However, from earlier descriptions in the Scriptures, specifically in Exodus 25:10-22, the ark was a gold-plated wooden chest with intricate details, including a lid adorned with two cherubim (angels) facing each other. The ark was designed to be carried using poles inserted into rings on its sides, emphasizing its sanctity by ensuring that human hands did not touch it directly.

The ark symbolized the presence of God. With it, Israel could win tremendous victories. Without it, they were nothing. Thinking it must have been the ark itself that had magical power, the Philistines set out to capture it. But when they did, their god, Dagon, fell face down on the ground, and many of their people died from tumors. Realizing they cannot manipulate the power of Yahweh to suit their own purposes, they return the ark to Israel.

This story teaches us two invaluable lessons. First, God’s presence is to be valued above all else. Today, God’s presence resides in human hearts, but just like the Israelites, our sin can result in God’s absence from our lives. Second, we cannot manipulate God’s activity to suit our selfish desires. When we do this, we invite God’s judgment.

To avoid these two pitfalls, we do as Samuel led the people to do in Chapter 7. We confess our sins, worship God, and invite him to fight our battles.

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | Heavenly Father, I praise you for your unfailing love and mercy. Just as you were with the Israelites, guiding them through Samuel to turn away from their idols and back to your embrace, I acknowledge your sovereign power and grace. You are my rock, deliverer, and stronghold in times of trouble.

Release | Lord, I come before you to release my own idols and the things that keep me from fully serving you. Help me to lay down at your feet all that draws me away from your presence. I seek forgiveness for the times I have strayed, knowing that your mercy is boundless and your love is unconditional.

Ask | I ask, O God, for the strength to serve you wholeheartedly, to follow your ways, and to heed your call in my life. Guide me by your Holy Spirit to live in obedience and faithfulness, as Samuel led the Israelites to do. Protect me from the adversities of life, as you protected your people from the Philistines, and help me trust in your deliverance.

Yield | I yield to your will, O Lord, trusting that you know what is best for me. Teach me to listen for your voice and to follow your guidance in all things. May my heart be ever turned towards you, ready to respond to your call with faith and obedience. I rest in the assurance of your love and the promise of your presence with me always.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

When the Philistines realize they cannot manipulate Yahweh to their advantage, they turn to their priests and diviners for help. In response, they’re told in 1 Samuel 6:5 to “Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel’s God, and perhaps he will stop oppressing you, your gods, and your land.” To give God glory is to give him “weight.” As Phil Long writes,

God’s desire to be honored, or glorified, may on a shallow reading seem vainglorious. But that God should require his creatures to honor him, to give him weight, is no more vainglorious than that the law of gravity requires to be acknowledged. Simply put, God has weight! To neglect this fact is to lose one’s own center of gravity. Giving God the center is at the heart of accepting the gospel. Every line of the prayer Jesus taught his followers to pray manifestly gives weight and centrality to God (Matt. 6:9–13). As our hearts are gripped with the magnitude of what God has done for his people in the gospel of grace, we are compelled to gladly ascribe all honor and glory to God alone.^[1]

We give glory to God and become more like Jesus when we take him seriously. We’re not casual in our approach to God, and we treat him with reverence. We stop trying to manipulate him to suit our agendas. And we invite him to take complete control of our lives.

^[1]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1362.