In chapter 4 of 1 Samuel, Israel is battling the Phillistines, an enemy nation. After suffering defeat, they retrieve the ark from it’s resting place. Bringing it into camp and among the battle, they expect that it will guarantee their victory. However, they have not consulted with God for His direction, nor have Hophni and Phineas repented of their sins. Despite this, there seems to be the expectation that God will ensure their victory. Ironically, it is the Phillistines that remember the God of Israel, and all that He has done. Israel is defeated in battle once again, this time resulting in the capture of the ark, and the prophesied death of Eli’s sons. Using the ark as a good luck charm, and treating God as an object results in His glory leaving Israel. However, it is still part of God’s all-knowing plan which sets up the ancestral line from which Jesus will come.

It is a desperate place to be when God departs from us. There are no shortcuts to how we approach Him. God is not an object to be used, but is a divine person to be loved.