Who carries the Ark?
1 Samuel 4:2-10 (NLT) The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing four thousand men. After the battle was over, the army of Israel retreated to their camp, and their leaders asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” So they sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, helped carry the Ark of God to where the battle was being fought. When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake!
“What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!
Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. Fight as you never have before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours!” So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; thirty thousand Israelite men died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents.
Introduction: Calvary salutations to all the redeemed of the Lord.
May the Lord fill us with all wisdom and spiritual understanding in Jesus name.
In the cause of reading the book of 1 Samuel chapter 4, the question I raised in my heart was, “Why did Israel suffer loss despite the Ark of the Covenant?” The question that came to my heart is “Who carried the Ark?”
The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God amidst Israel in their wilderness journey towards the promised land and in life battles. The Ark must be carried by the priests. For example, river Jordan was cut off at the presence of the Ark carried by the priests to give way for Israelites to pass.
Joshua 3:13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
Looking at our text, there was an attack by the Philistines against the Israelites which obstructed peaceful existence. The battle was lost by the Israelites with the death of four thousand men. After the battle, Israelites raised a vital question;
1 Samuel 4:3a After the battle was over, the army of Israel retreated to their camp, and their leaders asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?”
They decided to go to Shiloh and carried the Ark of the Covenant that guaranteed presence of God and deliverance from enemies in the battle.
1 Samuel 4:3b Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”
They had won several battles with the Ark of the Covenant, therefore they rejoiced with a shout of victory that shook the ground.
1 Samuel 4:5 When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake!
The Philistines were afraid when they heard that the Ark of the Covenant of the God of Israel would be coming to battle. They have heard what God did to Egyptians the oppressor of Israel.
1 Samuel 4:6-8 (NLT) “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness.
The Philistines encouraged themselves and went into battle with Israel, they defeated them killing thirty thousand men while survivors ran forgetting the Ark of the Covenant.
1 Samuel 4:9-10 (NLT) Fight as you never have before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours!” So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; thirty thousand Israelite men died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents.
I asked why Israelites were defeated despite the presence of the Lord, the strong tower that should be safe for the righteous.
Proverbs 18:10 (AMP) The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong.
The question that came to my heart is “Who carries the Ark?”
1 Samuel 4:4 So they sent men to Shiloh to bring back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, helped carry the Ark of God to where the battle was being fought.
❓Do you remember Hophni and Phinehas? Do you remember their activities in the Tabernacle of God as priests?
Let us go back a little to read about the dossiers of Hophni and Phinehas, the priests with the Ark of the Covenant.
1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22 (NLT) Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting. The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must first be burned.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
🛑 The priests that carried the Ark of God to battle were scoundrels, thieves and fornicators.
❓Are you aware that followers of Christ, believers or Christians are priests of God?
1 Peter 2:9 (MSG) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
❓Are you also aware that Christians carry God inside them anywhere they go?
2 Corinthians 6:16 (NLT) And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
❓Do you know that as Believers, there are battles to be fought with spiritual wickedness in high places?
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
❓What can make God to depart from any Christian in the battles of life?
Remember Adam and Eve found themselves naked after they sinned, God’s glory departed from them.
Sinning is deadly to Christians, the priests of God.
Isaiah 59:1-2 (NLT) Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem—your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
✍ Finally brethren, “who carries the Ark” into the battles of life will determine victory or defeat for Christians in the face of battles with Satan, through flesh and the world.
Our adversary, the Devil looks for our unguarded hour to strike like gorilla warriors. Anytime we experience defeat in the battles of life, let us look inward if there are unrepented sins that can cause death ( physical, spiritual and eternal) in our battles.
We live in Dispensation of Grace with opportunity to take advantage of the Blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sins. Is there any secret sin? Do not allow the adversary to take advantage of God’s absence in the life of sinners to devour.
1 Peter 5:8(AMP) Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
✋ Maranatha
