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1 Samuel 4:5–8
And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook…. So the Philistines were afraid … (vv. 5–7a).
When the ark of the covenant is brought from Shiloh to the Israelite encampment, it sparks two reactions, one among the Israelites and one among the Philistines. These reactions, though very different, are based on remarkably similar assumptions.
Among the Israelites, the ark inspires great joy. As it is carried into the camp, the Israelite troops forget their disappointment and sadness over the previous day’s defeat. Their spirits rise and they shout with incredible intensity, such that the ground shakes. Their shout also may be intended as a greeting for their great warrior God, for every Israelite, from the elders to the infantrymen, seems to assume that the arrival of the ark means that God is now present with His army. It is difficult to know where they get this idea. True, the ark was carried around Jericho each day for a week before the city’s destruction (Josh. 6). However, while the book of Joshua notes on several occasions that God fought for Israel, there is no indication that the ark was physically present during any of Israel’s other victories during the conquest. Somehow these Israelites have come to associate the ark with God’s presence in a mechanistic way. They believe that if they bring the ark to the battlefield, God must engage the enemy. “They imagined that they could oblige God to appear for them the next time by bringing the ark into their camp,” Matthew Henry writes. “Now they thought themselves sure of victory.”
In the Philistine camp, the reaction is far different. The arrival of the ark and the Israelites’ triumphant shout inspire great fear. However, like the Israelites, the Philistines are assuming that the arrival of the ark means that God is now present on the battlefield. They even say so: ” ‘God has come into the camp.’ ” This is very bad news from the Philistines’ point of view, for they know how He ” ‘struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.’ ” God’s mighty acts on behalf of Israel hundreds of years before are still striking fear into the hearts of the enemies of His people. But the Philistines have never exhibited this fear while fighting Israel when the ark is not present. They have the same mechanistic view of God as the Israelites. Such a view is understandable in pagans such as the Philistines, but it is deplorable when it is held by the very people of God.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God cannot be manipulated. We must never forget that He is the almighty Lord of the universe and worthy of all honor; we must never treat Him as a personal blessing factory. He is God, not a machine, and we must relate to Him on His terms. Search your heart for assumptions as to what God must do for you, then repent of them.
For Further Study
- Ex. 33:19
- Deut. 7:7–8
- Rom. 9:15; 12:6