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From Eternity Past
fore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines?” They did
not see that their own sins had been the cause of this terrible disaster.
And they said, “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.” The Lord had given no command or
permission that the ark should come into the army; yet the Israelites
felt confident that victory would be theirs, and uttered a great shout
when it was borne into the camp by the sons of Eli.
The Philistines looked upon the ark as the god of Israel. They
said, “What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the
Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into
the camp. And the Philistines were afraid; for they said, God has come
into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! ... These are the gods that
smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong,
and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants
unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men,
and fight.”
The Philistines made a fierce assault, which resulted in great
slaughter. Thirty thousand men lay dead upon the field, and the ark
of God was taken, the two sons of Eli having fallen while fighting to
defend it.
[424]
The most terrifying calamity that could occur had befallen Israel.
The ark of God was in the possession of the enemy. The symbol of
the abiding presence and power of Jehovah was removed from the
midst of them. In former days, miraculous victories had been achieved
whenever it appeared. The visible symbol of the most high God had
rested over it in the holy of holies. But now it had brought no victory,
and there was mourning throughout Israel.
The law of God, contained in the ark, was a symbol of His presence,
but they had cast contempt upon the commandments and had grieved
the Spirit of the Lord from among them. When the people did not
honor His revealed will by obedience to His law, the ark could avail
them little more than a common box. They looked to it as the idolatrous
nations looked to their gods. They transgressed the law it contained,
for their worship of the ark led to hypocrisy and idolatry.