1 Samuel 4
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 4
MacArthur - In spite of their hopes to manipulate God into giving them the victory, Israel was defeated and the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines. The view of having the ark of God being equivalent to having control of God, possessed both by Israel and then the Philistines, is to be contrasted with the power and providence of God in the remaining narrative. (BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible) Bergen - As staggering as the loss of human life was, it was dwarfed by the losses dealt to Israelite culture. For the first time in history Israel’s most sacred material possession was now in the hands of pagans, and its two most powerful active priests had died at the hands of infidels. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died - Thus God's prophetic Word was fulfilled exactly as it had been predicted (AS IT ALWAYS IS!) - Eli’s sons both died on the same day, which was the sign to Eli (1Sa 2:34+). Judgment would begin in the house of the LORD (cf 1Pe 4:17+), as the priests, who violated God's covenant, would experience God’s wrath first. As staggering as the loss of human life was, it was dwarfed by the losses dealt to Israelite culture. For the first time in history Israel’s most sacred material possession was now in the hands of pagans, and its two most powerful (not spiritually speaking, but only in title) active priests had died at the hands of pagans.
1 Samuel 4
MacArthur - The question of the elders reflected their knowledge that the Lord both fought their battles (2:10; 17:47) and allowed their defeat. To be defeated clearly meant that God was not “with” them (Num. 14:42; Deut. 1:42). Instead of inquiring of the Lord for direction, they proceeded to take the matter into their own hands. (BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible ) The elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated (nagaph - struck, smote) us today before the Philistines? - Notice that their theology is not bad! They recognized that their defeat was from Yahweh, not the Philistines! As Pr 21:31 says "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD." And as their future king David said "the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.” (1Sa 17:47) And see the promises and curses regarding Israel's enemies in the passages from Deuteronomy 28 (see above). And so clearly the elders had some fuzzy memory of the LORD's part in any victory or defeat they would experience. What they failed to see (or remember) was the "pathogenesis" of Israel's defeat. Moses had given Israel clear instructions on how Israel could assure defeat writing... “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, IF you listen (VERB LISTEN IMPLIES HEAR AND OBEY) to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, 14 and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. (THERE IS THE ROOT PROBLEM OF THEIR HEARTS! IDOLATRY AS DESCRIBED IN MORE DETAIL BELOW!) 15 “But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: (Dt 28:13-15+) Wiersbe's answer to why Israel was defeated - If the elders had recalled the terms of God’s covenant, they would have realized that this shameful defeat was caused by Israel’s disobedience to God’s law (Lev. 26:39; Deut. 28:25). The Lord had clearly told them how to fight their wars (Deut. 20), but instead of searching their hearts and confessing their sins, the people decided to imitate Moses and Joshua and take the Ark of the Covenant into the battle with them. (See Num. 10:33–36; Josh. 3–4 and 6.) But this approach was merely “using God” to accomplish their own purposes. Unlike Moses and Joshua, they didn’t seek the will of the Lord, they weren’t walking by faith, and they certainly weren’t seeking to glorify God. Even worse, the two wicked priests Hophni and Phinehas would be carrying the holy Ark of God! How could God bless two sinful men whom He had already consigned to judgment? (1 Sam. 2:29, 34–4:4, 17) But Israel’s hope was that the presence of the Ark would save the Jews from the hand of their enemies. (See Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament) When was another time in Israel's history that she was puzzled as to why the LORD had defeated them? It was after their first great victory of Jericho Joshua 6:27+ describing the fact that the LORD was with Joshua, and then the very next verse beginning with a crucial "hinge word" BUT, which says "the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban (Achan was the chief culprit)" (Joshua 7:1+). The LORD defeated Israel (Joshua 7:4-5), Joshua grieves and asks "Why?" and Yahweh speaks to Joshua and explains "Israel has sinned." (Joshua 7:10-11+). Bergen - Consistent with the biblical perspective presented elsewhere in the Former Prophets, the elders interpreted Israel’s defeat at the hands of the Philistines as a judgment from the Lord (cf. Jdg 2:14; 3:8; 4:2; 1 Sam 12:9). (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) So why did Jehovah allow Israel to be defeated by the Philistines? The answer is that Israel had sinned! Notice carefully that the elders of Israel do not go to the man Samuel that all Israel had come to recognize as a prophet of the LORD (1Sa 3:19-21+), the one who could have easily answered their question! In fact, the tragedy is that Samuel, the prophet of the LORD, falls off the radar (so to speak) for the next 20 years (1Sa 7:2+)! Another observation that supports the premise that Israel's defeat was because there was "sin in the camp" (so to speak) is seen in the first recorded words (in 20 years!) from God's prophet Samuel in 1Sa 7:3+ "THEN (WHEN? CONTEXT = "ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL LAMENTED AFTER THE LORD" - 1Sa 7:2!) Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying (NOTE THESE ARE SAMUEL'S FIRST RECORDED WORDS IN 20 YEARS!), “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So what was the great sin of Israel that brought painful defeat at the hands of the Philistines? One word, SIN. SIN, in the form of IDOLATRY (Ashtaroth and Baals - 1Sa 7:4+). In addition, notice that when Israel repented and removed the idolary, Yahweh again gave them victory! (1Sa 7:10-11+)! Now you know the answer to the question of the elders - "Why has the LORD defeated us today?"! This axiomatic principle was true for the nation of Israel and it is true for each of us in our personal lives! And beloved, sadly, it is true for America, the nation who once held to the motto "In God We Trust!" Revive us again O Lord! Amen THOUGHT - Is there sin in your camp? Is there some secret sin you cling to as your idol in place of Yahweh? Is there some sin you refuse to remove? If there is, why are you surprised that you have been experiencing so many defeats from the "Philistines" in your life, your inveterate, intractable mortal enemies, the the world, the flesh and the devil? Paul gives ALL OF US, three good commands coupled with a sure promise in 2Cor 6:17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you." Three commands, the first two aorist imperative (idea is "JUST DO IT!) and the third present imperative with a negative (idea is STOP TOUCHING OR DON'T START TOUCHING). We can only obey these 3 commands by continually depending on the Holy Spirit! But if we are to experience victory over the "Philistines" in our life, we must obey these commands enabled by the Spirit of the Living God!!! There is simply no shortcut and no alternative path to the so-called "victorious Christian life," the "abundant life" in Christ (Jn 10:10b). Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the Ark (aron) of the covenant (berit/berith/beriyth) of the LORD, that (TERM OF PURPOSE) it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies." Their words reflect "superstitious" belief, focusing on the object (a "box"), not the God Who was symbolized by the Ark! So yes, the ark symbolized the presence and power of the Lord. Yet, as our title "rabbit's foot" indicates, Israel treated the Ark like a good-luck charm, which would ensure them victory over the Philistines. They were correct in one sense. As alluded to earlier, they knew that victory or defeat depended upon the Lord’s presence, but they confused the symbol of His presence with the certainty of His presence. In this way, their understanding of God resembled that of the pagan Philistines (1Sa 4:8). MacArthur - The ark symbolized the presence and power of the Lord. Yet, Israel treated it like a good-luck charm, which would ensure them victory over the Philistines. Knowing that victory or defeat depended upon the Lord’s presence, they confused the symbol of His presence with His actual presence. In this way, their understanding of God resembled that of the Philistines (1Sa 4:8). (BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible ) The Ark is clearly a key word in this section for 36 of 61 uses of Ark in First and Second Samuel occur in these pivotal chapters (1Sa 4:1-7:2). Why might the Israelites be tempted to regard the Ark as a good luck piece or magic charm? Recall that their ancestors likely told them the story of how they had seen the Jordan part with the Ark leading the way. God's presence cannot be separated from His character. The priests, sinful Hophni and Phinehas who did not know God, had continually sinned against God in feeding their gastric appetites with God's sacrificial portions and in their godless sexual appetites by laying with the temple women. The holy Ark led by unholy priests could cause God to violate His character (Isa 59:2).
1 Samuel 4
MacArthur - dwells between the cherubim.- A repeated phrase used to describe the Lord (see 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Kin. 19:15; 1 Chr. 13:6; Ps. 80:1; 99:1; Is. 37:16). It spoke of His sovereign majesty.(BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible ) LORD of hosts (239x in 229v) - Uses in 1-2 Samuel - 1 Sam. 1:3; 1 Sam. 1:11; 1 Sam. 4:4; 1 Sam. 15:2; 1 Sam. 17:45; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Sam. 6:18; 2 Sam. 7:8; 2 Sam. 7:26; 2 Sam. 7:27; Above the cherubim is a picture of Yahweh reigning as Sovereign King on His Throne as described in 2 Samuel 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim. Psalm 80:1 For the choir director; set to El Shoshannim; Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph. Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! Psalm 99:1 The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. (1Sa 2:12) - These were the two wicked sons of Eli (1Sa 2:12-17,27-37), of whom it was said that they “did not know the Lord” (1Sa 2:12) and who soon would die together (1Sa 2:34). As in the case of the sin of Achan (Josh 7:1-27), all Israel would have to suffer because of sin in the camp, specifically sin in the priests!
1 Samuel 4
MacArthur - Israel’s failure to uproot all the inhabitants of Canaan (see Jdg 1:28+) caused them to fall under the judgment of God. As a consequence of this judgment, Israel was enslaved to Philistine oppression (see Jdg 10, Jdg 13–16). The Philistines feared was that they would become servants of the Hebrews..(BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible) The term “Hebrew” in its variant forms occurs 36x in the OT. In the overwhelming majority of occurrences it is employed in a context that includes non-Israelites either as speakers (e.g., Ge39:14; Ex2:11; 1Sa3:19) or auditors (e.g., Ge40:15; Ex10:3; Jon1:9). The term may be derived from the early patriarch Eber (cf. Ge10:21); or it may be a derivative of the noun meaning “the region beyond,” or a pan-Semitic term for a nomadic alien living on the fringes of settled areas. As they have been slaves to you; (Dt 28:47-48, Jdg 10:7, 13:1 cf 2Pe 2:19): MacArthur explains that "Israel’s failure to uproot all the inhabitants of Canaan (see Jdg 1:28+) caused them to fall under the judgment of God. As a consequence of this judgment, Israel was enslaved to Philistine oppression (see Jdg 10, Jdg 13–16). The Philistines feared was that they would become servants of the Hebrews."(BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible ) Therefore, be men and fight - Or was we say today (2022) "MAN UP!" An unnamed Philistine leader motivated the soldiers with the fear of the consequences of enslavement if they lost to the Hebrews and this energized the Philistines to battlefield bravery. 1 Samuel 4:10 So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Israel: 1Sa 4:2 Lev 26:17 De 28:25 Ps 78:9,60-64 every man: 2Sa 20:1 1Ki 12:16 22:36 2Ki 14:12 a very great: 2Sa 18:7 2Ch 13:17 28:5,6 Isa 10:3-6 GREAT DEFEAT FOR ISRAEL So - This term of conclusion is based upon the motivational speech of the persuasive leader to his pagan soldiers to pursue victory at all costs. The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent - Every man fled is clearly describing the fearful retreat of the Israelite forces. Israel's fleeing in retreat was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Moses who warned "The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth." (Dt 28:25+) To flee seven ways before their enemy was the way to describe a complete route by the enemy! ESV Study note on every man fled to his tent - Literally, “every man to his tent.” This is a common cliché for disbanding an army, either by decision (Jdg. 20:8; 1 Sam. 13:2; 2 Sam. 20:1, 22; 1 Kings 12:16) or because of defeat (2 Sam. 18:17; 19:8; 2 Chron. 25:22). (Borrow ESV Study Bible) And the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers - This "body count" was one of the greatest defeats of Israel up to this time. Tragically, in the civil war in Jdg 20:35 25,100 men of Benjamin were killed by the confederacy of the other tribes. Note the bitter irony that they lost more with the Ark than they had lost without the Ark (4000)!
1 Samuel 4
MacArthur - To the Hebrew, “glory” was often used to refer to God’s presence; hence, the text means “Where is God?” The word “departed” carries the idea of having gone into exile. Thus, to the people of Israel, the capturing of the ark was a symbol that God had gone into exile. Although this was the mindset of Israel, the text narrative will reveal that God was present, even when He disciplined His people.(BORROW The MacArthur Study Bible) Young adds a similar note on departed - It is an ominous word, meaning, is gone into exile. The ark had gone into a foreign land. It is probable that this victory of the Philistines was followed by the desolation of Shiloh. Though the historical books are silent about this tragedy, it was still far from forgotten in Jeremiah’s day (Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6). (Borrow Wycliffe Bible Commentary)