1 Samuel 4

Bible Passage:  1 Samuel 4

Ichabod, this name summarizes the events in this chapter. God’s glory has left Israel and the result of this was defeat by the Philistines and death of many Israelites and their spiritual leaders. Worst still was the ark of God was captured!

Is not the Almighty God between the cherubim and His presence being in the ark of the covenant? That was what the Israelites thought and believed. They believed that God resided in the ark and that He will always be there. They believed that the reason why they lost 4000 men to the Philistines was that the ark of God’s covenant was not with them. They believed that the ark of God’s covenant had mystical powers and that it was their trump card or secret weapon in battle.

However, their belief was flawed and as a result they suffered greatly in battle. They emphasized too much on the physical and thought that the physical ark could save them. What they did not realize was that only when God’s presence or abidance is with them, will they be victorious in battle. It did not matter if the ark of God went before them actually. If God’s glory has left them, the ark of God’s covenant is only a piece of furniture.

Last week when I was in Israel, thank God that I had the courage to talk to those Jews whom I have been working with about True Christianity and our beliefs. I had always wanted to share our beliefs with them but did not have the courage nor know how to start the conversation.

However, this time I did manage to share how we keep the Sabbath Day, One True God, Jesus the messiah and the reason for His suffering and death on the cross. From the conversation I have gathered a few understandings of their belief. They emphasize greatly on keeping the law and traditions (for the religious Jews) albeit not understanding completely. They keep it more out of fear. They emphasize a lot on the physical like keeping the law outwardly (with many rituals, dressings etc) and believing that the land they live is holy land.

The religious Jews believe that they are able to draw near to God by living in Israel (since they consider their land Holy Land) and to them the Wailing Wall (or Western Wall which is part of the Temple renovated by King Herod) is extremely sacred.

Their prayers to God is more on the physical like for world peace and thanking God for the physical. It seems that they are still not able to transcend to the spiritual and their contents of their faith revolves mainly on the physical.

In Romans, Paul expounds the importance to be a spiritual Jew, one that is circumcised in the heart or inwardly rather than only being physically circumcised. He even challenged the Jews then that their physical circumcision is counted uncircumcision if they do not practice good and keep the spiritual aspects of the law.

Today, thank God that He has given us spiritual eyes. He has given us this faith and discernment of the things that are eternal and the things that are transient. He has given us understanding that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works. He abides in us and our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

When we go into spiritual battle, we ought not to be like the Israelites who were mudded headed, believing that God was with them when He has actually left them. God left them because they have first deserted Him and worshipped foreign gods. Their priests defiled themselves in God’s sacrifices and Eli the high priests did not punish his sons for their erroneous ways. The Lord executed judgment on them by the hand of the Philistines and He was even willing to let His Name be humiliated by Israel’s enemies.

Let us be watchful and determined to walk in newness of life. To continually cleans our hearts before Him so that He will abide with us forever and that Ichabod is a name that will not be uttered.

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”  (Revelation 21: 2-3)