Wow, what a day! So much happened that it’s a bit overwhelming. The Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, the priests Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the Ark of the Covenant was taken. When Eli the High Priest heard these things, he fell off of his seat and died.
It was the lowest point in the history of God’s people. His presence,
His power, and His glory, which were all symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant,
and which had been in their midst for centuries, had departed. Phinehas’ wife understood
the solemnity of the occasion; she named her son Ichabod — “Israel’s glory is
gone!”
All of these things had happened, of course, because the people of
Israel had rebelled against the Lord and abandoned their covenant. They were
worshipping idols, neglecting God’s laws, and doing what was right in their own
eyes. Thus, God would not honor a people who did not honor Him.
When the Philistines got their hands on the Ark of the Covenant, they
were ecstatic. It was a sign that their god Dagon had defeated the God of
Israel. In fact, they treated the Ark like a trophy and placed it in the temple
of Dagon. However, they soon found out that the Lord is not a trophy
to put on display. He is the one true God, who alone is worthy to be worshiped
and obeyed.
His power frightened the Philistines and they quickly sent the Ark back.
In the absence of the Ark of the Covenant (twenty years), “all Israel
mourned because the Lord had abandoned them” (7:2). Even with the rise of Samuel, the godly judge,
a terrible transition occurred. The people began clamoring for a king. Rather
than return to the Lord, obey His statutes, honor their covenant, and live in
liberty, they believed that the solution to their problems was “to be like the other nations” and to enthrone a human ruler.
Though Samuel pleaded with the people, the Lord told him to give them what they
wanted. “It is Me they are rejecting,” He said, “not you. They don’t want Me to
be their King any longer” (8:7).
Daily Reflection
The Israelites had missed the point of it all — instead of being God’s
ambassadors, set apart to reflect His glory and power to surrounding nations, they rejected Him to
be like everyone else around them. They were God-followers in name only, treating Him like
a trophy instead of submitting to Him as their Lord.
What does it mean that they or the Philistines treated God like a
trophy? Are you guilty of treating the Lord this way?
When God chose the people of Israel, He did so that they might display
His glory and goodness to those around them. Instead, they rejected this role
as His ambassadors and wanted to blend in and be like the nations around them.
The Lord was simply someone they turned to when it was an emergency; the rest
of the time, they did what they wanted. God is not a trophy to display in order to make you
look good;
rather He is One to obey. He is not to be paraded around when it is convenient
for you, but your agenda, your priorities, and your decisions are to revolve
around Him. Is God on display for you, or are you on display for God?
BiAY.org | Day 100 — 265 Days to Go
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