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.
Take notice of the not-so-subtle idolatry in the text. Israel wasn’t trusting the Lord to save them. Instead, they hoped that the ark of the covenant, the thing, would save them.
Let’s be very clear. The ark of the covenant was a critical piece of their worship.
- The ark contained several items that testified of God’s work among them
- The ark held the mercy seat where they knew the Shekinah glory of the Lord rested
- The ark had gone before Israel, leading their path during the wilderness years
- The ark had stood amid the Jordan on the shoulders of the priests when they entered the Promised Land
We will discover
- The ark was a curse to the Philistines
- The ark was a blessing to the family that kept it
- The ark was not to be tampered with
But the ark of the covenant was a thing. It was not the Lord. Israel trusted the thing, not God.
And so many do the same today. They trusted something God had given for good purposes instead of trusting the God who gave them.
Government has a place in the Lord’s design
But it was never God’s intention for government to feed the poor, house the elderly, and care for the sick.
Doctors and medicine have a place in the Lord’s design
I thank God for those who are gifted, mentally, emotionally, and physically toward caring for the infirmed and wounded. I would never deny the advantages we have because of the advancements in medical science. But it was never God’s intention that men trust in medicine above the Lord.[1]
We know that the church has a place in the Lord’s design
Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. I believe in the sufficiency of the local church as a place of worship, to answer prayer, to instruct and equip the ministry, and to accomplish evangelism. But it was never God’s intention for the local church to replace God.
To put any of these, or anything else, before the Lord is to make it an idol.
[1] 2 Chronicles 16:12 (KJV)
And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
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