The armies of Israel, facing defeat by an overwhelming enemy, needed an edge. Hoping for a powerful weapon to employ upon the field, they called for the most holy object imaginable.

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

The ark of the covenant, built under the leadership of Moses, imbued with holiness, formed the center of the worship of Israel. Surely this powerful object would turn the tide. But the tide failed to turn. The enemy routed the Israelites who lost 30,000 men, and even worse, the ark of the covenant fell into enemy hands.

Why did this unbelievably powerful object of religious focus fail to bring success on the battlefield?

Because God controls the box, not the other way around.

The Israelites aimed God at their enemies. As if the ark were a missile launcher, they expected to hurl the power of God against whomever they wished. This despite the fact that the two priests who brought the ark, Hophni and Phinehas, were known cheats and philanderers, and the entire nation strayed from devotion to the Lord.

When the Spirit of God left, the ark of the covenant reverted to a shiny box. In the same way the cross on my wall is merely a decoration without the faith of a follower of Jesus to underscore its true meaning.

It’s a mistake to attempt to use God’s power for my ends. I might feel smug in my understanding of God and how he works, but the Lord will eventually blow up that box. God doesn’t come when we whistle—it’s actually the other way around.

1 Samuel 4:1-11

Photo by Igor Rodrigues