1 Samuel 4:I And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.” (1 Samuel 4:1–5)

1 Samuel 4;10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.  12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13 And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. 17 And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

The Reason for a Memorial

The world has been cursed by religion. Most people think that we need more religion. Most Americans are religious, but we’re in deep, deep trouble. Religion never really helped anybody. Religion is man’s effort to somehow make himself acceptable to God.

Now Bible salvation and religion are not the same. Bible salvation is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The ark in the Old Testament was a symbol of the presence of God with His people. a piece of furniture, a treasure chest of blessing that was called an ark.. It was four feet long, two feet high, two feet wide, and that ark had on one side a golden cherub, an angel, and on the other side of that ark was a golden cherub. And the top was a solid slab of gold, and that solid slab of gold was called the Mercy Seat.

Inside that treasure chest there were three articles. There was Aaron’s rod,  a golden pot of manna, that miraculous bread that God had fed the children of Israel with when they were in the wilderness journey.

There were also the tables of stones on which the Ten Commandments were written.

These were in the Ark of the Covenant.

Now all of those represent the Lord Jesus Christ. A rod stands for authority, and that rod that budded speaks of the rule of the risen Christ. And then that manna speaks of the resources of the risen Christ. And the Ten Commandments speak of the righteousness of the risen Christ.

On the top, was a slab of gold, representing the glory of God. And they took the blood sacrifices, and they sprinkled the blood sacrifice on that gold on the Ark of the Covenant. And when the sin was atoned, and Christ was enthroned, that’s all pictured there.

That ark was a very significant piece of furniture. It represented to them in the Old Testament what Jesus Christ represents to us, as that ark was in the Holy of holies, Jesus Christ is in us, in the Holy of holies in us, in our spirit. They had a tabernacle; but we are His temple. In the Old Testament, God had a temple for His people. In the New Testament, He has a people for His temple. And the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us and makes Christ real in us, just as that ark was in the tabernacle so long ago.

The Ark went before them throughout the journey to and in the promise land, for guidance  and victory in battle. But there was once it did not work so well.

1 Samuel  4, tells how Israel and the Philistines were in a battle at Ebenezer. And the battle was going poorly for the people of Israel, they had lost 4000 people in this battle. They said, we’d better do something. And so somebody said, “I have an idea: Why don’t we go back to Shiloh, get the Ark of the Covenant, and bring the Ark of the Covenant into the battle? And we’ll just use the Ark of the Covenant to protect us.” And so they went to get the Ark of the Covenant to lead them into battle.

You Can’t Just Use God

V10. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. 1 Samuel 4:10–11

They thought, We’re going to get this ark. This ark is going to lead us to victory.

God will not be used.

Do you know what these people were doing? They were trying to use the Lord. They said, Hey, we’re in a mess. We’re losing the battle. Run, go get the ark.” God was not their first thought; God was their last resort.

Well, if we can just simply get God on our side; if we can use God, then we’ll have the victory.

It seems that today, that is what most religion is rooted in and based in: people who are trying to use God, carnal people who think somehow they can get God on their side.

You’re not going to go get God and bring Him into your battles and let Him fight your battles for you without honoring Him and without glorifying Him and without giving Him first thought.

Well, why did God let His people fail?

God will not cover up the sins of the saints to protect His glory.

God will not be used.

You Can’t Control God

The Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant. 1 Samuel  5:1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, Dagon was their fish god, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that came into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.” (1 Samuel 5:1–5) They got afraid to go in there.

verse 10. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron, another Philistine city. Send away the ark of God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.” (1 Samuel 5:10–11)

is telling us that you can’t just capture a religion from someone or somewhere and think God is in it.

We’re going to get the program from that church and it will work the same for us.

God is showing us that He cannot be captured, or borrowed. There’s no such thing as secondhand religion. Secondhand religion always causes calamity.

This same thing is in the book of Acts 19 in the New Testament.

There were seven men, seven sons of a man named Sceva, and they decided that they were going to cast the demon out of a man. The Bible says that this man was filled with supernatural power, and he turned on those seven men and beat them and bruised them and stripped the clothes from them. Acts 19:16

When they tried to cast the devil out of this man, this is what they said: We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth, come out of him. They didn’t know Jesus; they just knew about Jesus. All they knew was He was the Jesus that Paul preached. All they had was secondhand religion. They didn’t say, “In the name of Jesus, whom I know,” but, “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches. The response from the man was, I know Jesus and Paul, but who are you?

God Cannot Be Managed

The Philistines had gotten rid of the Ark of the Covenant, and David knows now that the Ark of the Covenant is in the house of a man named Abinadab. And David set out to get the ark of God.

2 Samuel 6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims”

And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.” (2 Samuel 6:1–5)

He gets a brand-new cart: nothing’s going to be too good for his God. There was one thing wrong, the Bible had strictly given direction as to how the ark of God was to be carried. Exodus chapter 25.

What a calamity. V6: “And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it, verse 7: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

And David was afraid of the LORD that day. 2 Samuel 6:6–9

He said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? (2 Samuel 6:9)

Well, God was a cruel God to kill that man Uzzah, because Uzzah, after all, was only trying to do right. He was only trying to keep the ark from falling. God had given a solemn warning concerning that ark, and it was this: that it was not to be touched in that manner. Numbers 4, God is showing how these holy vessels are to be carried. Numbers 4:15 God says, “Don’t touch it! Don’t do it! You’re going to die!”

What if Uzzah did not know, he certainly should have known, because he was in a serious business, handling holy things. You’d better be doubly careful that you don’t lay unholy hands on holy things.

How did David ever get the idea of carrying the ark of God on a new cart? Where did he get that idea?

Maybe, he got that idea from the Philistines. Remember, the Philistines sent the ark of God away on a new cart. He’s trying to manage the things of God. The Bible says he consulted with his friends. (1 Chronicles 13:1) Rather than going to God, and getting God’s directions, he consulted, he borrowed from the world, and he brought, judgment and death.

God said, That’s not my way. I told you how to bring that ark in there. And I have a way; I have a plan. And we’re not God. We’d better find out what God wants.

verse 13: And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. (2 Samuel 6:13), they that bare the ark of the LORD. No longer is the ark of the Lord now on a cart; now it’s being carried exactly as God said

A Memorial 20 Years Later

1 Samuel 7:12.“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”

Twenty years later they are in the same place thanking God for taking care of them all of those years.  Most of their troubles was because of their sin, Eli’s horrible sons had brought much of that on them, and Eli did nothing.

Samuel causes them to remember and set up a Memorial to remember all that God had forgiven and how He had taken care of them through those years.

How often do we stop and remember how God has forgiven and protected us when we did no follow His Word?