If you have ever seen Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, this Bible passage might seem familiar to you. It is the story of human beings trying to use God’s power for their own ends which inevitably leads to their defeat.
1 Samuel 4-5 challenges both the Philistines and the Israelites about where God is in the battle. The Ark of the Covenant (at that time) is God’s presence and power on the earth. When the Israelites were in battle, facing impossible odds, they made a mistake. They did not pray to God nor did they even trust him! They tried using God as their weapon. So they pushed the Ark onto the battlefield, and guess what; they still lost. The Philistines captured the Ark into their own camp as a battle trophy, and they were tormented by tumors and panic. This was no simple relic or treasure, but the living God!
The Israelites and the Philistines both forgot where God was. The Living God is not a weapon to be used nor a trophy to be acquired, but God is God and we are not. When we face our own battles in life, we find ourselves asking the question: “Is God on our side?” We pray to use God’s power to defeat our enemies and hope for some amount of vindication. This passage challenges us to ask a better question: “Am I on God’s side?” Have I aligned myself with the God of peace, justice, and mercy? Am I treating God as my puppet (or worse, my weapon!), or as the Creator of the heavens and the earth? When we trust in the Living God, we are reminded that “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).