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THE PROVIDENTIAL CHASTENING HAND OF GOD (II)
LORD’S DAY, MARCH 19
1 Samuel 4:10-22

Jeremiah 26:16-24

 

“And the ark of God was taken.”

 

THE PROVIDENTIAL CHASTENING HAND OF GOD (II)
 
The providence of God works for the glory of God and for good to them that love God. Even when the individual events seem negative, the end is still always the glory of God. The Philistines did not believe they could win for they had heard of the mighty power of the LORD, but even in their fear, they stirred up one another and provoked one another to fight manfully. Those who were shouting for joy with the shout of triumph were soundly defeated, while those who were terrified at the prospect of facing the God of the Israelites emerged victorious.
 
“And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten…” (1 Sam 4:10). The strength of Israel was their God, but, with their sin and rebellion, they had turned against their God. They seemed to fight for the right cause because during the times of the judges the Philistines oppressed Israel, and Israel would continue to fight even to the time of Saul (1 Sam 13:19-20). But they still lost to the Philistines. They also had confidence of victory and of the very presence of God with them in the camp upon the arrival of the ark. But they still lost to the Philistines. They had not dealt with sin. They entertained and accepted it. Their victory did not depend on their confidence, or on the rightfulness of their cause. Their victory was bound to their spirituality and their relationship to God.
 
“…The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken” (1 Sam 4:22). They had the only true and living God, but they knew Him not. Their conception of God was not according to the Word and revelation of God, but after their own unspiritual and depraved hearts. We are not told how the ark left Shiloh or of Eli’s involvement in it, but we are told his response when news of the capture of the ark came to Shiloh. It was news of calamity after calamity: Israel had fled before her enemy, there had been a great slaughter, Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and finally, the ark of God was taken. Eli fell back and died. His daughter-in-law gave birth prematurely. The greatest calamity to them was that the ark of God was taken! May we learn not to do anything that would bring upon us such an end.
 
THOUGHT: (Read Isaiah 59:1-2.)

PRAYER: (Use Psalm 51:9-12.)

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