Trying to Force God's Hand: The Birth of Ichabod

In 1 Samuel 4, we have a scripture that I have never heard a sermon on. I don't intend to write one here, but will offer a few points after I post the text.

1 Samuel 4:1-22 (KJV)
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. [2] And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
[3] 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. [4] So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. [5] And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. [6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, 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. [7] And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. [8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. [9] 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.
[10] And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. [11] And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
[12] And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. [13] And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. [14] And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. [15] Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. [16] And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? [17] And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. [18] And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
[19] And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. [20] And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. [21] And she named the child I-chabod (lit. "the glory is gone"), saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. [22] And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.


Notice there are four elements to this text:

1. The Israelites assumed that God will help them to victory because of the presence of the ark, for it was God's means of leading the Israelites to victory and fruitfulness in earlier times (Numbers 10:34-36).

2. The Israelites ignored that state of the priesthood and their nation's relationship to the holy God in making this assumption. Their priests were Eli and his sons, and these priests were despising God's offerings and His holiness at the tabernacle (1 Sam. 2:12-17).

3. The Israelites were soundly defeated because they did not examine their relationship with God before they used the ark.

4. Eli's daughter-in-law described the state of the defeated and now ark-less Israel--God's glory was gone from them and their land.

There is a lesson for the Church in this:

1. We must not assume that God will help us win our various spiritual battles because we apply those things he commanded us to use in living a sanctified life: prayer, Bible study, corporate worship, evangelism, giving, and other spiritual disciplines in our Christian lives. These can be tools to help win the victory, but only if we regard God's holiness with faith and repentance when using them.

2. When we ignore God's holiness, we vainly apply His appointed means of fruitfulness in the Christian life ignorantly assuming sanctification and spiritual victory will be forthcoming.

3. The result of such action is a defeated life. Like the Israelites, we are often cast down because of our assumption that God must help us through His appointed means of sanctification.

4. A defeated life is one from which God's glory has departed. A believer without victory in the Christian life does not show forth God's glory. Constant defeat in a believer's attitude and actions does not show Christ overcoming the world in that person's life.

In the end, no victory in the Christian life is possible without proper regard for God's personal holiness. God is no light switch we turn on through our use of His appointed means of sanctification.

Along these same lines, Francis Schaeffer said in his "True Spirituality":

"...it is obvious that there is no mechanical solution to true spirituality or the true Christian life. Anything that has the mark of the mechanical upon it is a mistake. It is not possible to say, "Read so many of the chapters of the Bible every day, and you will have this much sanctification." It is not possible to say, "Pray so long every day, and you will have a certain amount of sanctification." It is not possible to add the two together and to say, "You will have this big piece of sanctification." This is purely mechanical solution, and it denies the whole Christian position. For the fact is that the Christian life, true spirituality, can never have a mechanical solution. The real solution is being cast up into the moment-by-moment communion, personal communion, with God himself, and letting Christ's truth flow through me through the agency of the Holy Spirit." (pp. 78).

It is impossible to force God's hand to bring spiritual victory to us by simply using the means of sanctification He has provided. We must regard His holiness in the use of the means of sanctification.