Bible Reading Blog
“The Supreme Leader”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 4-6
‘“The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”’ (1 Samuel 4.2-3)
Israel’s battle with the Philistines did not go well. “Oh, we forgot to bring God along,” they thought. So, they brought along the ark expecting it to bring victory against these enemies of God’s people. But the plan backfired. Not only did they lose again, but the ark was captured and put in the temple of the Philistine god Dagon (1 Samuel 4.10-11, 5.2).
The Philistines were proud of themselves, thinking they had not only defeated Israel but their God as well. Pretty quickly they discovered they were dead wrong about YHWH. The next morning, they found their god face down in front of the ark. The day after they found Dagon lying on the floor cut into pieces (1 Samuel 5.3-4). Soon after, YHWH ‘terrified and afflicted them with tumors’ (5.6). They sent the ark to different towns which were all met with the same outcome. They finally had enough and sent the ark back (1 Samuel 6.2-ff). They were no match for this God.
This episode was a lesson for God’s people as well as his enemies. YHWH wasn’t constrained to the whims of his people nor was he subject to fight the enemies on their terms. He needs no person to prop him up or fight his battles. He is YHWH and he has no rival. Through these events he definitively proved his inherent worthiness and sovereignty in the world. And the same is true today. YHWH is subject to no power – in heaven or on earth—nor is he limited by the plans or abilities of his people.
From time to time, we need to be reminded that God is not subject to our directives. In fact, he will not join in our efforts if they bring him no honor. He is not a power to be accessed only when it is convenient. He is not a trophy to parade in front of our pursuits. We are not the leader in this kingdom but are his subjects who serve his purposes. And when it comes down to it, God does not need us at all to accomplish his purposes. Make no mistake, he wants and expects us to be involved—we are his workmanship created for good works! (Ephesians 2.10)—but we should never allow ourselves to think we are indispensable or even necessary. God’s people are the vessels for his glory, and even when we’re broken—especially when we’re broken! —his glory is manifest in our weakness (2 Corinthians 4.7-16; 12.7-10).
Stories like this are a reset. God deserves our respect as the Supreme leader in our lives, families and church. By his grace we have been called to be a people for his own possession that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2.9). We need to ensure we give him the honor he deserves by seeking his glory and not the glory of our pursuits, power or prerogative.
