When God Was Captured

WHEN GOD WAS CAPTURED

1 Sam. 4:1-11; 5:1-11

INTRODUCTION

A. THE SICK GOD

1. In SW Asia in the early 1800’s there was a country where once a year, the priests took their idol out of their temple – which they considered a god – and paraded the deity around the city and then took it back to its pedestal in the temple.

2. One year, it had been cold, and then a moist warm front came through. The priests hoisted their deity and started parading it through the city. It was a hot, humid day. Water condensed on the golden idol and it began to look like it was sweating. The king was told of it.

3. He asked the court physician to look at the god and make sure it was okay. He said he thought it was fine. But the worried king asked for a 2nd opinion – a second doctor.

4. This second doctor cleverly said that the deity was very sick and if something wasn’t done it would die. The king was horrified; “Do whatever you think necessary!”

5. So the second doctor sent 10 runners up a nearby mountain, which, near its peak, still had snow. They packed snow in boxes and ran back down to the temple. The doctor packed the god in snow and watched over it for a full week, while the whole city waited in terrified suspense.

6. At last he came out and said that the deity was cured and would be fine. The king lavished the doctor with gifts and all the population expressed their eternal gratitude for him saving their god from death!

7. God mocks idols in Isa. 45:20, “Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.”

8. POINT: If we don’t study the Bible, we will begin thinking that God is like us! That’s what the Israelites did. Read with me...

B. TEXT

4:1 Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines...2 Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about 4,000 of them. 3...The elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the Ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the Ark...came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6 Hearing the uproar, the Philistines... learned that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said....8 “Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods...who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues. 9 Be men and fight!” 10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated...Israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers. 11 The Ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 5:1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they...2 carried the Ark into Dagon’s temple 3...The next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! They...put [Dagon] back in his place. 4 But the following morning...there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold... 6 The Lord’s hand...brought devastation on [the people of Ashdod] and afflicted them with tumors. 7 They said, “The Ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 “Have the Ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.”...9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic...10 So they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. As the Ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the Ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 “Send the Ark of the god of Israel...to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.”

C. THESIS

1. THE ARK was a wooden box overlaid with gold which had two golden angels on its lid. It was between these two cherubim that God’s presence would appear as a light or cloud. The Ark was the only place on Earth where God normally manifested His presence.