The Error of Religious Performance

There is a challenging moment in 1 Samuel 4 that could cause alarm if we are not already aware of what God is doing beneath the surface of Israel's history. The nation goes out to war against the Philistines. They take to battle and suffer defeat rather quickly. As they assess what's wrong they realize they did not bring that ancient Ark into battle as their forefathers did before them. So they get the ark, march back into battle whooping and cheering as they go.

1 Samuel 4:5–9 (ESV) As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

It looks like things will be different for Israel. They have all the visible manifestations of a commitment to the Lord in place. 

First, they remember the words of Moses who taught them how to view the Ark in the book of Numbers:

Numbers 10:35 (ESV) And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.”

Second, they are singing and shouting so loud their enemies hear it. 
1 Samuel 4:6 (ESV) And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp,


Third, they have their "spiritual" leaders among them entering into battle.
1 Samuel 4:4 (ESV) So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

The fruit of Israel's visibly perfect religious performance manifests in the results of the battle:
1 Samuel 4:10–11 (ESV) So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Total defeat. Leaders dead (Eli dies later). Herein lies one of the greatest proofs that the Bible is not written by the will of man (1 Peter 1:21). If this text was the work of Israel's scribes, they could have withheld this bit of history. No. They hold it out for us to read so that we might learn from them. And what are we to learn?

Israel had the appearance of Godliness and lacked its power. They are rejoicing and shouting expecting their performance to beholden God to their desires for victory. But in doing so they show the error of human works and manipulative religion. We do not come to God for what we can get out of Him. We come to God broken before Him knowing how much glory we have robbed Him by our own selfish desires. Israel is blind to their spiritual condition. They are like the church of Laodicea which boasted, "I am rich, and I have become wealthy and do not need anything.’ But Christ's appraisal was far removed from their perception. He said of the Laodiceans, "you do not know that you are really miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked." Revelation 3:17 (NCV).

I think about how hard it is for us to see that we cannot strong-arm God into our desires and dreams through our good works. Being a good person is far more blinding to our souls than being bad. So for many people, God has to allow a total defeat in our lives so that we will see the true enemy of our souls is the sin within us. That God in His compassion will forgive us when we repent and seek His mercy. Ironically, it was on top of the Ark was where the blood was spilled annually by the High Priest on the day of Atonement. This was called "the mercy seat." The Ark also contained the Ten Commandments which caused it to be called, the "Ark of Testimony." That is, the Ark was the visible representation of God's law and man's sinful brokenness before Him.

What could be failing in your life that you are trying to fix with religious performance? You could be pointing at all the ways in which others are harming you but God is asking you to look within, to seek Him humbly and submissively, to find His mercy, to receive His grace. When this happens, you find the truest victory you will ever need, victory over your own sin through the blood of Christ.




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