Missing the mARK - Rev Isaac Tan

“𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠?” – 𝐅.𝐁. 𝐌𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐫

In 1 Samuel 4:1–11, the Israelites were being defeated. It then dawned on them that perhaps they would win if they brought the ark along, hoping it would secure them victory.

Thousands of years have passed since that battle, but the truths remain strikingly relevant today.

The first is Israel’s blindness. The elders of Israel were blind to the pride that caused their downfall. When it was time to take responsibility, they shifted the blame to God. They wanted to use the ark as a means to get what they wanted. God was reduced to a reference, an object. The ark became their god. Not Yahweh Himself, but merely a symbol of Yahweh. Are we more concerned with symbols, practices, and rituals in our faith than with God Himself?

The second is Israel’s audacity. The Israelites were exuberant when the ark came into the camp. Yet they were not praising God. They were not worshipping Him. Instead, they placed their faith in the wrong things.

Lastly, there is a better way for us to live. In the familiar account of David versus Goliath, David did not allow Goliath to blind his faith in God. He did not allow the pride of Israel to lead him down the path of arrogance. David’s faith was rooted in the living God. Notice what was on David’s heart — not the victory of Israel, and not that Israel would receive the glory, but that the whole world would know about God and that He alone would receive all the glory.