"The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, 'Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies.' So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded." -1 Samuel 4.2-5
Israel goes out to fight the Philistines, but they are defeated, losing four thousand men in the battle. They are slightly confused by the result, to say the least. they are the people of God, and He is supposed to be with them in battle, giving them victory and delivering them from their enemies. Someone thinks back to the conquest of Canaan, Israel would carry the ark of the covenant before them into battle. It was a symbol of God's presence with them, and victory was assured. They go to Shiloh, take the ark, and return to camp where the men are ready to fight again.
Long story short, they lose the battle because God was not with them. They tried to force the hand of God by grabbing the holiest object they had, but it was just an object without the presence of God. Thousands of years later the Crusaders would do something similar with what they claimed was the cross of Christ. They would carry it before them, into battle, believing it would give them victory, but just as Israel would lose the ark because God was not with them, the crusaders lost the cross because God was not with them.
Men, we cannot force God to move on our behalf. No ritual or object is going to appease God and cause Him to look favorably on a cause or endeavor when the life that tries to manipulate Him is far from Him. Not only do we end up defeated, but we lose what we hold to be most sacred. We cannot force God to move on our behalf when our lives do not live according to His standards. We cannot expect an object to bring the presence of God into our lives, that's a form of idolatry.
Let us be men who live righteously before God. Let us humble seek Him in prayer. And may we accept whatever decisions He makes.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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