Daily Devotional • June 14
A Reading from 1 Samuel 4:1b-11
1b In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid; for they said, “Gods have come into the camp.” They also said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
10 So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot-soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Meditation
It is a most dramatic scene. The ancient and continual enemy of the Hebrews, the Philistines, sets out to fight Israel, and achieves a minor victory. Israel decides to bring the ark of the covenant into the camp and is charged up by its presence. Hearing this, the Philistines wobble in the knees but determine to go into desperate battle, fully expecting to be overcome by the God of the Israelites. To the utter surprise of both Israelites and Philistines, the Philistines thoroughly rout the Israelites, and even capture the ark.
To Israel, the disaster is horrifyingly indescribable; to the Philistines, the triumph is euphoric. But there are deeper lessons: the Israelites, in full partnership with Hophni and Phinehas, whom everyone knows are utterly faithless, belly-driven hypocrites, try to manipulate God by bringing the ark into camp as if it were a magic talisman whose presence would ensure them victory. Did Hophni and Phinehas even know of the prophecy pronounced against them and their family, including the one that they would both die on the same day? Perhaps their absolute rejection of God made them sneer at the prophecy as mumbo-jumbo. Nevertheless, they are part of the delegation that brings the ark into battle — perhaps for them it is mere political, self-serving cant. The long-promised judgment falls on them and on all who had tolerated their leadership for whatever reason.
Today’s reading begins with the second half of the first verse of chapter 4. The first half of the verse is left out: “The word of Samuel came to all Israel.” Leaving it out is an unfortunate decision, for it sets the tone for the rest of the passage. The disaster falls under the growing influence of one man who speaks truth long neglected.
David Baumann is a published writer of nonfiction, science fiction, and short stories. In his ministry as an Episcopal priest, he served congregations in Illinois and California.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Nashville, Tennessee
The Diocese of Mundu – Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
