Chapter 4 – THE CAPTURE OF THE ARK
Samuel’s training, which began in his childhood, resulted in his recognition by all Israel from Dan (in the north) to Beersheba (in the south) that he "was established to be a prophet of the Lord" (3.20). Bearing in mind that "when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him" (Jer 28.9), we now read, "And what Samuel had said happened to all Israel" (4.1, JND). So there was no doubt that Samuel had been "truly sent" by the Lord.
This solemn chapter records the fulfilment of God’s word through Samuel; hence the introduction. There is no further record of Samuel’s ministry for at least twenty years. As we shall see, the ark was in Philistine territory for seven months (6.1), and twenty years elapsed after that before we hear Samuel’s voice again.
1. The defeat of Israel (vv.1-2)
"Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle" (v.1). It seems that Israel took the initiative and challenged their enemies, but they were defeated in battle. The elders were quite right when they said, "Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines?" (v.3). The explanation is clear. In the first place, they just did not ask God for help and guidance, and, secondly, how could they be victorious when there was such corruption in national life? The reason for their defeat had been spelt out long before it happened. "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee...The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies" (Deut 28.15,25). The lesson is clear for us all, let alone Israel. Disobedience will bring defeat. When things go wrong in our lives, and we are unable to defeat the world, the flesh and the devil, it is a sure signal that something is wrong in our relationship with God.
2. The decision to use the ark (vv.3-5)
"The elders of Israel said...Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies" (v.3). Once again, God was not consulted. The leadership completely misread the situation. They were probably thinking of the grand "battle hymn" of Israel: "And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee" (Num 10.35). But in those days God was with His people. Ellicott’s Commentary is worth quoting here: "It was a curious decision, this baseless hope of the elders, that the unseen God was inseparably connected with that strange and beautiful symbol of His presence".
Woe betide any local assembly, when the elders either disregard the Word of God, or are insufficiently acquainted with its teaching. It has been rightly said that an assembly seldom, if ever, rises above the level of its spiritual guides. It has been pointed out that in 1 & 2 Samuel, the "elders of Israel" were invariably wrong. Notice too that it is always a recipe for disaster to say, "Let us" (see Gen 11.3). It is not surprising that following the counsel of the "elders of Israel", the "people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts" (v.4). We need not be surprised, either, that in the ensuing battle, God allowed the ark to be taken by the Philistines. Israel treated it like a lucky mascot. The previous defeat (vv.1-2) had not brought Israel before God in sorrow and repentance. They had not addressed the cause of their defeat. The presence of the ark at Eben-ezer was purely cosmetic. There was no consciousness of the claims of "the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims" (v.4). It was "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim 3.5). The lesson is brought home even more when we compare this passage with 2 Samuel 15.25. David was without the ark, but he had the presence of God. Israel, here, had the ark, but they did not have the presence of God.
This is very searching. If there is no spiritual reality, and no sincere repentance because of sin, we can pronounce the Name of Christ ad infinitum, but it will avail nothing. As A. McShane rightly observes, "The mere quotation of Matthew 18.20 does not assure us of His presence, if the conditions are not in accordance with His will". As we shall see, God had certainly not ceased to dwell "between the cherubims", but the conditions amongst His people precluded His help and blessing against the Philistines. Let us be warned. We must not treat Christ in the same way.
The arrival of the ark in the camp was greeted with "a great shout, so that the earth rang again" (v.5). The transfer of the ark from the tabernacle at Shiloh to the camp at Eben-ezer raises some interesting questions. For example, did Eli endeavour to prevent this happening, and why did Hophni and Phinehas survive when they entered the "holiest of all" to obtain the ark? The two priests certainly did not survive for long! Quite obviously, God had either withdrawn His presence, or did not intervene because He intended to teach Israel a lesson they would not easily forget. After all, "judgment must begin at the house of God" (1 Pet 4.17 citing Ezek 9.6). Israel could shout until they were hoarse, but God was not on their side. Some professing Christians make a lot of noise, often incoherent, accompanied by stamping, dancing, and wild gesticulations (just like the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.26-28), but we must not think for one moment that this is a sign of God’s presence.
3) The determination of the Philistines (vv.6-9)
Their fear
The Philistines were disconcerted by the arrival of the ark in the camp of Israel. "They said, God (Elohim) is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness" (vv.7-8).
In the first place, it was a wrong assumption. The Philistines expected God to be in the camp, in the same way that people expect us to maintain high standards, but God was not there. At least, He was not there to lead His people to victory. In the second place, it was a correct statement. He was a God of immense power, and quite capable of delivering His people. Alas, through their disobedience, Israel created the impression that the God who had so wonderfully delivered them from Egypt was insufficient to deliver them from the Philistines. What impression of God do we give to other people?
Notice too that the Philistines used the plural: "these mighty Gods...the Gods that smote the Egyptians". Keil and Delitzsch may be right in saying that "the Philistines spoke of the God of Israel in the plural, as heathen who knew only of gods, and not of one Almighty God", but it is interesting that the Philistines did call Him "Elohim", which is a plural word! They also "understood that the ark of the Lord (Jehovah) was come into the camp" (v.6). Perhaps the "heathen" world knew far more about the true God than we give them credit for! Put another way, the "heathen" world then was far more intelligent than the "heathen" world now, and for that matter, more intelligent than the so-called "Christian" world!
Their fortitude
"Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight" (v.9). The Philistines did not know the weakness of Israel, but our spiritual opponents, who are well-aware of our strength and resources, are still prepared to fight against us. Our enemies do not "throw in the towel" and leave the ring in defeat. The strength of the opposition is described by Paul: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph 6.12). We can rightly say, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8.31), but be prepared for a fight! The enemy will continue the battle with dogged determination.
To be continued.
