1 Samuel 4:2-3 (2)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. (3)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.”(ESV)
The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred vessel that held the ten commandments as a reminder to the people of Israel that God was among them. The name literally means vessel of the promise. It was a physical token as proof of the promise given by God.
Fast forward to the time of Samuel. Under Eli, the army of Israel attacked the Philistines. The Philistines won the battle. The elders of Israel, in verse three, showed where the heart of Israel was at this time. Instead of asking what they had done wrong or if they had not listened to the will of God, they tried to use the Ark of the Covenant as a magic shield. They said, “God failed us. Grab the ark. It will protect us where God did not.” They turned the ark into an idol because they forgot what the ark really was and where it came from. Israel lost four thousand in the first battle. They lost thirty thousand men in the second battle. They turned a painful warning into an epic tragedy.
Thankfully, this lead to one of the funniest chapters in the whole bible. Read 1 Samuel 5 for yourselves and watch the stolen ark become a hot potato in the Philistine cities. Each city the ark travels to is hit by epic levels of chaos. Panic and pandemonium prevail in each of the five cities the ark is sent to. Terribly timely tumors terrified the people of Gath. The panic and chaos only grew with each new city until they all decided to just send the ark back to where it came from in a “Ransom of Red Chief” moment from history. There was even a “sorry, we didn’t know” note attached to the cart in the form of golden tumors and golden mice to represent the plagues each city went through while they had the ark.
Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
Hello,
Who am I?
I’ve walked a path I didn’t ask for, guided by a God I can’t ignore. I don’t wear titles well—writer, teacher, leader—they fit like borrowed armor. But I know this: I’ve bled truth onto a page, challenged what I was told to swallow, and led only because I refused to follow where I couldn’t see Christ.
I don’t see greatness in the mirror. I see someone ordinary, shaped by pain and made resilient through it. I’m not above anyone. I’m not below anyone. I’m just trying to live what I believe and document the war inside so others know they aren’t alone.
If you’re looking for polished answers, you won’t find them here.
But if you’re looking for honesty, tension, paradox, and a relentless pursuit of truth,
you’re in the right place.
If you’re unsure of what path to follow or disillusioned with the world today and are willing to walk with me along this path I follow, you’ll never be alone. Everyone is welcome and invited to participate as much as they feel comfortable with.
Now, welcome home. I’m Don.
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