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1 Samuel 4:3 - "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies."
Read all of 1 Samuel 4-7.
There is an interesting book that's been around for several years entitled "Games
People Play". It's about the "games" adults play with each other
(mostly selfish and manipulative) in their interpersonal relationships. Hopefully, growing
Christians at least try to be more honest than this in their relationships--even
though we must confess that we are not immune to playing such games. However, an even more
serious matter than playing games with people is playing games with God. Nonbelievers
habitually play games with God. That is unfortunate, but to be expected. But it is
particularly sad and discouraging when believers are not honest in their relationships
with the Lord.
In 1 Samuel 4-7 we find some examples of people playing games with God.
Let us take a closer look at these games, as well as the results, and learn the lessons
God has for us from this portion of His Word. But first we should sketch the historical
background and setting for these chapters. At the beginning of chapter 4 we find that
Israel went out to fight with their perennial enemies, the Philistines (4:1). The time in
history was more than 1000 years before Christ, and Israel still did not have a king. For
the previous 300 years or so they had been ruled by judges. (The judges came after Joshua
who came after Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt.) The days of the judges were by
no means a spiritual high in the history of Israel. The people were constantly turning
away from the Lord to serve other gods. Thus God would purposely allow them to be
oppressed by their enemies until they cried out in repentance. Then the Lord would
"pick up the pieces" and send them a deliverer (a judge). Through this judge God
would defeat the enemy and once again there would be peace and rest in the land--until the
people disobeyed again. How often we growing Christians follow this pattern! By the time
of Samuel (sometimes called the last judge and first prophet of Israel), the people of
Israel had gone through this cycle at least seven times. No wonder this period is called
the dark days of the book of Judges. And now (1 Samuel 4), even during the days of Samuel,
that great man of God, Israel is about to go downhill again.
The Philistines attacked and Israel was defeated (4:2). Why? The obvious
answer is right there between the lines. We don't read that Israel prayed to the Lord for
guidance and help before the battle. In fact, it seems that Israel had not consulted the
Lord through His prophet Samuel for quite some time. They certainly recognized Samuel as a
prophet of the Lord (3:20) and knew that he spoke the Word of the Lord (3:21 and 4:1), but
they didn't obey the Word. We don't find Samuel mentioned again until the beginning
of chapter 7. Finally, after more than twenty years Israel lamented after the Lord (7:2).
Only then did they listen and obey the Word of God spoken by Samuel (7:3-6). Only
then did they take advantage of the power of prayer (7:5-9). Only then did the Lord
intervene on behalf of Israel (7:10). Only then did Israel defeat the Philistines
(7:11-13). And only then was there peace and progress in Israel (7:14-17). What a lot of
good lessons for us! If we follow the principles above we too will have victory in the
spiritual battles and struggles of Christian living. God did not have these facts recorded
in Scripture just for the historical record! They were "written for our
learning" (Romans 15:4).
But what about the games we were talking about? Where do they fit in?
Well, when Israel was defeated by the Philistines (4:2), they began asking, "Why has
the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?" Instead of turning to the Lord
for the answer, they decided that if they merely took the ark of the covenant into battle
with them, it would save them from the Philistines. Notice carefully in verse 3
that the people were not depending on the Lord for help, but on the ark. They were playing
games with God! Let's call it the game of placating God. Israel had the
superstitious idea that they could placate or manipulate God by use of the ark. The ark
was a wooden box-like structure overlaid with gold. It symbolically represented the
presence and power of God in the midst of His people. To be sure, the ark played a
significant role in the relationship between God and His people (see Exodus 25:10-22). In
fact, God promised that His personal presence would be associated with the ark if the
people would obey and follow Him (Exodus 25:22). But God had never confined Himself to a
golden box that could be used as a good luck charm! Perhaps the people remembered the
story of how their ancestors had seen the walls of Jericho collapse when they marched
around the city with the ark (see Joshua 6). Maybe they thought they could pull off the
same kind of victory by use of the ark. But what a difference! That former generation had
by faith followed direct orders from the Lord (Hebrews 11:30). This new generation was
following form without faith. They had the ritual but no reality. The ark had become just
a talisman to them.
The game of placating God is played today. Religious ritualism without
genuine spiritual relationship is certainly placation. Some people get religious around
the Christmas holidays and think they are doing God a favor. Others build nativity scenes
almost as a kind of "offering" to God, for which they expect God's blessing on
their business or house or lawn! This too is nothing more than placating God--an attempt
(maybe unconciously) to please God by outward actions rather than by inward attitudes.
Placating God can even be more subtle, and growing Christians should be careful. What
about wearing crosses and religious medals? Is this an outward expression of true faith?
It can be. But it can also be a form of placating God. If we think that by wearing a
religious symbol we are more protected from evil or more likely to get our prayers
answered, then obviously we are playing the game. Saying the Lord's Prayer or taking
communion or even carrying a Bible all the time may be a subconscious form of
placating God. If we think that merely mouthing the Lord's Prayer or routinely taking
communion or religiously carrying a Bible all the time will somehow please God, then we
are guilty of playing the game of placating God, God is neither appeased nor pleased with
religious tokenism.
As we read on in 1 Samuel 4 we see that the ark itself was unable to
save Israel from the Philistines. The fact that the wicked priests Hophni and Phineas (see
1 Samuel 2) were directly involved in this futile strategy is a further indication that
Israel's heart was far from the Lord. Not only was Israel soundly defeated but the ark was
captured as well. In chapter 5 we have the record of the ark of God in Philistine country.
Here the Philistines played the game of reducing God. They took the ark and put it
in their temple beside their idol Dagon. As far as they were concerned, this was a place
of "honor" and the Israeli god connected with the ark deserved to sit beside
their own god. After all, this Hebrew god or gods had the power to bring plagues on the
Egyptians (see 4:8). The Philistines did not deny that there was a god for Israel,
but they reduced Him to the level of Dagon, the Philistine fish or grain god. We saw that
it was wrong for Israel to think of the ark as the magical presence of God. It was equally
wrong for the Philistines to think of the ark as representing a god who would share
the position of God.
God is reduced in much the same way today. In just about every high
school and college in this country it is taught and implied that Christianity is just
another religion--one way among many! It is also taught that the Bible is just one of many
good religious books. These are obvious examples of unbelievers reducing God. Do true
Christians ever play the game of reducing God? Anytime our priorities are such that the
Lord is not in first place or only "sharing" first place, then God is reduced.
He is reduced before our friends and associates because our testimony and lifestyle are
inconsistent. He apparently is reduced even in our own minds because otherwise God would
be God in every area of our lives. Let us not play the game of reducing God.
In chapter 6 we learn of another game which certain Hebrews played. It
was simply the game of disobeying God. At the beginning of the chapter we read of
the elaborate plans made by the Philistines for returning the ark to Israel. The fact that
the two milk cows left their calves was proof to the Philistines that their problems were
not coincidence (6:9). The God of Israel was supreme--over their gods, over their health
and lives and over their cattle as well! At the end of chapter 6 we read that certain men
of Israel were struck down by the Lord because they dared to look into the ark. Why?
Because they disobeyed the express written law of God. God had commanded that only the
priests and the Levites were to come near and handle the ark. Laymen were not to come near
under penalty of death (Numbers 1:51). God meant what He said--regardless of the
circumstances. The men who disobeyed were irreverent and took the law of God lightly. They
were happy that the ark had returned--but they disobeyed the Lord. It was not ignorant
disobedience either, because the Levites were there to inform them. What a lesson for us!
God has given us His Word to follow and obey. There are many instructions in Scripture
that we might not fully understand or appreciate right now. For example, the different
roles given to men and women in the family and the church is instruction which is not
always easy to obey. But to disobey is to play games with God. Playing games with God is
not for growing Christians.
David R. Reid
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