Life Lessons

Disclaimer: I came across something last week while reading 1 Samuel that I haven't been able to get out of my head. I feel like I should share it. I've told several people, but now it's time to write it down. A documentation of sorts. For me. For others. For whomever the Lord wants to see it. God, correct me if my telling of this Biblical story and the application I feel that I get from it is incorrect. Stick with me though...

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From 1 Samuel 4-6 (Honestly, read it for yourselves. It's better that way.) This is just my re-telling...

The Philistines drew up in a battle line against Israel. And Israel went out to meet them, and they were defeated. 4,000 men died. The Israelites were puzzled. Why had they lost? Why had the LORD let them be defeated? The elders suggested that they try again, but this time with the ark of the covenant in their midst. They fetched the ark and assembled for battle again. And again they were defeated. 30,000 men died, and the ark was taken captive by the Philistines. Why exactly did the LORD allow them to be defeated? Perhaps it is to atone for the sin that was discussed in the previous chapter (3). Perhaps this was what God was talking about to Samuel when he told Samuel, "I am about to punish his (Eli's) house forever, for the iniquity he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them." Perhaps this is the only reason. But there is something else I see...

People in Israel learned of the capture of the ark, and some cried out that the glory of God had departed from Israel as a result. (Don't miss the beautiful verses in 4:12-22 -- there's much more to it than that.)

Change of setting: Philistine country. The Philistines set up the ark next to their rendering of their god, Dagon, as if the ark of the covenant were just another idol. But get this! The next morning when the Philistines rose, Dagon had fallen face downward "before the ark of the LORD"! They put Dagon back in his place, but the next morning, not only was he face downward on the ground, but the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold! And "the hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors." The people rallied together and decided to send the ark to another Philistine territory: Gath. The same thing happened in Gath, and they sent it on its way to Ekron. By then, word had spread about the hard hand of the LORD. Ekron wanted nothing to do with it, but they still broke out in tumors and many died, young and old.

The Philistines called together their priests and diviners and asked what they should do with the ark. They were told they should send a guilt offering back with the ark, golden tumors and mice to represent the plagues brought upon them. Then they were told, by the pagan priests and diviners, to "give glory to the God of Israel." They were to yoke two milk cows that had never been yoked before to a cart and place the ark on the cart. If the cart went of its own accord back toward the land from which it came, the Philistines were to know that it was God who brought this upon them. However, if the milk cows took the cart any other direction, the Philistines would know it was just a coincidence that they broke out in tumors and plagues when the ark of the LORD was in their city. (Does anyone else see the margin of error they are promoting? Any other of the 359 degrees and it was mere coincidence. But that one degree: then it was God.)


Guess what? Yep. God sent the milk cows back to the land from which they came. I love how the ESV even says "they went straight in the direction" (emphasis mine) and that "they turned neither to the right nor to the left." There was no doubt as the Philistines followed the cows all the way to Israeli lands (possibly hoping the cows would turn astray) that it was truly the LORD of Lords and not mere chance.

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Things have been difficult for me lately, for many reasons. But reading this, something hit me like a ton of bricks. At first glimpse, it might seem easy to ask, "Why, God? Why were the Israelites defeated when you were in their presence??" But the resounding answer I received was a gentle, "Sometimes it's not about the Israelites. Sometimes it's about the Philistines. Shannon, sometimes it's not about Shannon. It's about others."

34,000 casualties from war is a lot of heartache. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair. But God knew what he was doing. He showed his power among the Philistines, and they were even advised to "give glory to God." (Whether or not they actually did, it doesn't explicitly say.)

Sometimes we go through pain of our own. Sometimes it's not about our pain, but it's about that others see the glory of God through it.

It's not much, and maybe I'm reading too much into it. Forgive me if I am. But it has struck a cord with me.

Thanks for letting me share...

Photos not mine. Obtained from Google Images.