Why the Defeat?
1 Samuel 4:2-3(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.”
Introduction: Welcome to the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ as we are taught by the Holy Spirit from the Scriptures that speak.
🙏 I pray for open fertile hearts as we look into His words this week in Jesus name
👨💻 Reading through this chapter of our text today, the question raised by leaders of Israel when they retreated to their camp after defeat of the Philistines caught my attention; “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?”.
🛑 I realise that the question “Why the Defeat”? is common to all of us that must face one battle or the other in this life. Defeat is the experience of being beaten in a battle, game, contest or failing to achieve what you wanted to. I have asked this question severally when things did not go the way expected especially when I prayed, fasted and seemed to do all that is expected of me.
I come to the conclusion that God is faithful and committed to His words.
Psalms 138:2 (AMP) ….for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
▶️ We know that there must be battles to be fought in this life until we depart this world. Christians as soldiers indicate that there must be battles to be fought.
❓For those who have faith in the word of God, what has God said in His words pertaining to the Chosen ones?
Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Deuteronomy 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you
❓Why then are we defeated atimes? Why the Defeat?
Reading through 1 Samuel 4, when Philistines defeated Israel and killed 4000 men, leaders of Israelites asked;
“Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?”
▶️ Let us learn some facts from this chapter.
1️⃣ They unanimously agreed to go to Shiloh and carry Ark of the Covenant that represented God’s presence to the battle ground. The Ark had given them several victories from Egypt through the wilderness to the promised land.
1 Samuel 4:2-3(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.”
✍ First thing worthy of note is that Christian or Soldier of Christ facing any battles of life without God’s presence is facing doom. Let us be certain God is with us as we face battles of life, contest or in pursuit of our goals.
Romans 8:31(AMP) What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
🛑 David who experienced battles from his youth to old age as king said;
Psalms 118:6(AMP) The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
2️⃣ Israelites, the Chosen of the Lord went to carry the Ark, God’s presence to the battle ground with joy and assurance of victory before the battle began. Eli’s sons carried the Ark to where the battle was being fought.
1 Samuel 4:4-5(NLT) 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!
❓Who carried the Ark? Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Are they qualified to carry the Ark?
1 Samuel 2:12,17(NLT) Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord. So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
✍ Another point to note as Christians or soldiers of Christ that must face battles in this life; is to sincerely examine ourselves by His words if we are qualified to carry His presence into the battle of life.
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.
3️⃣ The Philistines heard the shouts and rejoicing from the camp of the Redeemed of the Lord. They heard Israelites was coming with the Ark to the battle ground. They were afraid due to victorious antecedents of Israelites with the Ark of God.
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.
✍ What to note here is that every child of God is a terror to the kingdom of darkness. Devil and his cohorts know when they see light. They tremble at the name of Jesus Christ.
James 2:19(NLT) Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!
▶️ For every child of God who carries God’s presence, the name of Jesus should destabilize powers of the Enemy in the battle ground.
Philippians 2:10(NLT) And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees,
4️⃣ Philistines summed up courage to face Israelites in the battle despite what they knew about the Ark of God. Their major reason was to make Israelites their slaves and put them under bondage. They did not want to be controlled by Israel. They fought desperately and won the battle.
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.
✍ What to note again is that Satan will never give up in the battle to have dominion over every child of God. Satan took over dominion from everyone born of a woman as a result of the fall of Adam. Christians regained dominion through Jesus Christ. The battle through Satan, the Flesh and the world against every child of God is to put Christians under bondage again. Pharaoh of Egypt also decided to pursue Israel so as to bring the Redeemed back to bondage.
Exodus 14:5(NLT) When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites were not planning to return to Egypt after three days, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all these slaves get away?” they asked.
⚠️ The prince of this world will never want to allow the Redeemed of the Lord to be free. There will be battle for the soul of every child of God by Satan using all arsenals to bring Christians back to worldly lifestyles and put them under bondage. As usual, Satan uses sex, power, food and money as powerful arsenals to bring Christians back to his dominion. Apostle Paul wrote to church at Galatia;
Galatians 4:9(NLT) And now that you have found God (or should I say, now that God has found you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual powers of this world?
❓Is there any identifiable areas of your life that weakens you in the battles of life? If Samson had identified Delilah as the weakened point, he would not had been captured, tormented and disgraced by the Philistines.
1 Peter 5:8(NLT) Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
5️⃣ The Ark of God that Israel took to battle with the assurance of victory was captured and carried away while the custodians of the Ark were killed.
1 Samuel 4:11 The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.
✍ Point to note here is that God can be silent when sinful Christians go to battles with erroneous belief that God will fight the battle as He promised.
▶️ When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were naked. When Saul disobeyed God, he didn’t hear from God again and in frustration he consulted a witch. Samson rose from the lap of Delilah to fight as usual but God had departed from him and he was captured by the Philistines.
Several church leaders seem to carry God’s presence while leading Christians into battle, many are killed and wounded.
Hosea 4:6(NLT) My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. It is all your fault, you priests, for you yourselves refuse to know me. Now I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
✍ Finally brethren, reasons for defeat of God’s children in the battles of life can never be as a result of God’s unfaithfulness to His words and promises. The defeat mostly is caused by God’s departure that gave birth to Ichabod.
1 Samuel 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
🛑 Satan knows when Ichabod is at the battle ground with audacity to fight.
Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
▶️ While examining “Why the defeat” in our lives, let us look inward like David and boldly say “The Lord is faithful “
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
✋ Maranatha
