1Sa 4:2 | KingComments | STEP | The first part of still belongs to the last verse of 1 Samuel 3 ( ). The LORD reveals Himself to Samuel through His word. This word is passed on by Samuel to Israel. Yet it is called here “the word of Samuel”. The people hear him speak, but he only passes on what the LORD has spoken to him. As Levite he teaches the people the law ( ; ). His service concerns all the people whom as itinerant Levites he teaches from place to place and exhorts to obey God’s law. When Samuel is confirmed in his service, we get the history of breaking down the old situation. This history we see happening in the going ‘into captivity’ of the ark. God in His providence allows the ark to be captured by the enemies of His people, which otherwise would never have happened, but the people are responsible for it. The main enemies in this history are the Philistines. In the book of Judges, they have come forward more and more clearly. In this first book of Samuel, it is the first mention of the Philistines since the capture and death of Samson, about twenty years ago. It is important to remember anew what these enemies present. The most remarkable thing is that they live in the same land as the Israelites, a land that God promised to Israel and now belongs to them. However, there is a big difference between the ways along which both peoples ended up there. There is a short way from Egypt to Canaan and that is “the way of the land of the Philistines” ( ). By this way, the Red Sea and the wilderness can be avoided, as well as the Jordan, while Israel came into the promised land via the Red Sea, the wilderness, and the Jordan. In the spiritual application we can learn a lot from this. The Philistines represent the nominal Christians. These are people who confess to belong to God’s people, but who do not find it necessary to believe that Christ died and rose up for them, and that they died and rose with Him (in picture the Red Sea and the Jordan). Nor did they get to know the experiences of the wilderness. They came into the land without having realized these truths in their hearts and experienced them in practice. According to their confession they no longer belong to the world (Egypt). In name they belong to God’s people, but they are not born again. The Philistines do not belong in the land of God. God’s people, however, have failed to expel the Philistines from the land and precisely they get the ark in their hands, as we will see in the following verses. The ark is in the Old Testament one of the most beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus. The gold of the ark speaks of His being God and the wood of His being Man, who are united in one Person (the ark). In the mercy seat of the ark we see a picture of His work of atonement and in the cherubs of His government. The ark stands in the most holy place in the immediate presence of God. It is also the throne of God. In Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” ( ). It seems that Israel is taking the initiative in the battle because they are first mentioned. They go to battle without a command from God or a threat from the Philistines. There is no priest who comes to encourage them (cf. ). Nor is there any indication that they consulted Samuel for this battle. It seems to be a sudden outbreak of violence, possibly a sudden outburst of violence because of humiliations suffered. They camp beside “Ebenezer”, which means “stone of help”. This name is already mentioned here, although the place will receive this name from Samuel only twenty years later after a victory over the Philistines ( ). It is as if this already indicates that the place where the defeat is suffered will become the place where the LORD gets the honor. The first battle is won by the Philistines, because here God is not with Israel. Just like Samson, they are powerless, because they did not remain separated to God. Nor do we read of any action of Samuel in prayer for their benefit. They rely solely on their own strength, while their heart have departed from God ( ). If the people of God do that, they always fail. God departs from those who depart from Him ( ). The LORD also departed from Samson ( ), because Samson first departed from Him.

‏ 1 Samuel 4:2

The Philistines Defeat Israel

The first part of 1Sam 4:1 still belongs to the last verse of 1 Samuel 3 (1Sam 3:21). The LORD reveals Himself to Samuel through His word. This word is passed on by Samuel to Israel. Yet it is called here “the word of Samuel”. The people hear him speak, but he only passes on what the LORD has spoken to him.

As Levite he teaches the people the law (Deu 33:8-10; 2Chr 17:8-9 ; 2Chr 30:22). His service concerns all the people whom as itinerant Levites he teaches from place to place and exhorts to obey God’s law.

When Samuel is confirmed in his service, we get the history of breaking down the old situation. This history we see happening in the going ‘into captivity’ of the ark. God in His providence allows the ark to be captured by the enemies of His people, which otherwise would never have happened, but the people are responsible for it. The main enemies in this history are the Philistines. In the book of Judges, they have come forward more and more clearly. In this first book of Samuel, it is the first mention of the Philistines since the capture and death of Samson, about twenty years ago.

It is important to remember anew what these enemies present. The most remarkable thing is that they live in the same land as the Israelites, a land that God promised to Israel and now belongs to them. However, there is a big difference between the ways along which both peoples ended up there. There is a short way from Egypt to Canaan and that is “the way of the land of the Philistines” (Exo 13:17). By this way, the Red Sea and the wilderness can be avoided, as well as the Jordan, while Israel came into the promised land via the Red Sea, the wilderness, and the Jordan.

In the spiritual application we can learn a lot from this. The Philistines represent the nominal Christians. These are people who confess to belong to God’s people, but who do not find it necessary to believe that Christ died and rose up for them, and that they died and rose with Him (in picture the Red Sea and the Jordan). Nor did they get to know the experiences of the wilderness. They came into the land without having realized these truths in their hearts and experienced them in practice. According to their confession they no longer belong to the world (Egypt). In name they belong to God’s people, but they are not born again.

The Philistines do not belong in the land of God. God’s people, however, have failed to expel the Philistines from the land and precisely they get the ark in their hands, as we will see in the following verses. The ark is in the Old Testament one of the most beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus. The gold of the ark speaks of His being God and the wood of His being Man, who are united in one Person (the ark). In the mercy seat of the ark we see a picture of His work of atonement and in the cherubs of His government. The ark stands in the most holy place in the immediate presence of God. It is also the throne of God. In Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9).

It seems that Israel is taking the initiative in the battle because they are first mentioned. They go to battle without a command from God or a threat from the Philistines. There is no priest who comes to encourage them (cf. Deu 20:1-4). Nor is there any indication that they consulted Samuel for this battle. It seems to be a sudden outbreak of violence, possibly a sudden outburst of violence because of humiliations suffered.

They camp beside “Ebenezer”, which means “stone of help”. This name is already mentioned here, although the place will receive this name from Samuel only twenty years later after a victory over the Philistines (1Sam 7:12). It is as if this already indicates that the place where the defeat is suffered will become the place where the LORD gets the honor.

The first battle is won by the Philistines, because here God is not with Israel. Just like Samson, they are powerless, because they did not remain separated to God. Nor do we read of any action of Samuel in prayer for their benefit. They rely solely on their own strength, while their heart have departed from God (Jer 17:5). If the people of God do that, they always fail. God departs from those who depart from Him (Hos 9:12). The LORD also departed from Samson (Jdg 16:20), because Samson first departed from Him.