Superstition Instead Of Faith

As The high priest, Eli was responsible for seeing that the priests followed God’s law, and removing any who would not.  He knew that his sons were not following the commandments and warned them, but refused to put them out of office even after being warned by God twice.  As a result, the people were losing their respect for God’s commands.  While Samson had broken the Philistines power over forty years before, they had recovered and were again invading Israel in an attempt to take over, as we see in I Samuel 4:1-2.  “…Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.   And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.”

The only times Israel had lost so many troops was in civil conflicts, when Jephthah fought the Ephramites and in the fight against Dan.  They were shocked to loose so many to the Philistines in a single day.  They decided they needed God’s blessing, as I Samuel 4:3-4 tells us.  “And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? 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.   So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.”

The lid of the Ark of the Covenant was called the Mercy seat and represented God’s throne in heaven.  God had promised to speak to the people from the Mercy seat.  Anyone who touched the Ark would die.  The people came to believe there was special power in the Ark, and concluded that if they took it into battle, it would protect them.  They were sure they would win with it among them as we see in I Samuel 4:5.  “And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.”

The Philistines were equally superstitious, and were terror stricken by the thought the jews had brought God to fight them.  Their fear cause them to fight even harder as we see in I Samuel 4:6-11.  “And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.  And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God 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.  Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.”

Today, a lot of people fall for similar superstitions, believing that wearing a crucifix or a St. Christopher medal will keep them safe, or that having an open Bible by their bed will keep demons away while they sleep.  While the Ark contained God’s written word, as given to Moses on the two tables of stone, and the mercy seat represented God’s throne, The Ark itself had no power.  In crediting it with power, the people had begun to treat it as an idol, disobeying God.  God allowed it to be taken away so that they would not worship it anymore.  We are to worship God, not the religious symbols or things which direct our attention to him.  When we begin to focus on a preacher, a religious organization, or even the Bible itself, rather than on God, we make those things an idol.  God does not honor idolatry.  Even the Holy Spirit does not focus attention on himself, as John 16:13-14 tells us.  “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.”