Sermon Tone Analysis

*‘Rabbit-foot Theology’ (1 Sam -4:1b-22)*

 

 

/the power of charms/

The equivalent of rabbit foots are well known in the world of sport.

In most sports, touching lines prior to a match will bring bad luck in the contest.

When changing ends in a tennis match, its said that players who walk around court will find good luck and success in the second half of the match.

But players holding more than two balls at a time will bring bad luck in the set.

Fishermen are said to reel in much larger fish and have good luck if they throw back their first catch.

At the same time, an angler must never discuss the number of fish he has caught until he is ready to head home for the day.

If he does the fish will not bite for the rest of his time in the water.

It is said to be bad luck if a barefoot woman passes a fisher on the way to the dock, and he will not catch anything.

Often sportsmen will carry crosses around their neck, or have some other jewelry that gives them the edge.

Shoes must be done up the right way – things done in the right order – all these superstitious rituals might be enough to get you over the line.

You never know, the ritual you choose might be the one which gives you the victory.

/when things go from bad to worse/

And Israel needed the victory but instead things were moving from bad to worse.

Any hope for the future seems overwhelmed by the tragedy of the main storyline.

In chapter 1, Hannah’s unfruitfulness echoes the failure of a nation.

Israel is a state of anarchy as everyone is doing as they see fit.

In chapter 2, Eli’s failure to restrain the horrendous sins of his sons draws and immediate and decisive response from God. Eli’s priestly line will be wiped out and God will raise up for himself a faithful priest who will honour his name.

Eli’s descendants will die in the prime of their life.

It seems like it can’t get much worse.

Dispersed throughout this tragic tale is the rise of young Samuel.

Hannah dedicates him to the service of God, he grows in stature and in favour with the Lord and with men.

Unlike Hophni and Phinehas, Samuel is faithful in the tabernacle.

Then in chapter 3 the Lord calls Samuel into his service as a prophet.

God is gracious to his rebellious people.

The word of God was rare, but by the end of chapter 3, ‘Samuel’s word came to all of Israel’.

Now the word of God freely available and perhaps Eli and his sons have learnt their lesson and the people will repent and love the Lord their God.

Maybe.

The narrative moves into chapters 4-7 and takes a change of direction.

No longer is Samuel the centre of attention.

We go into war mode.

Israel’s battles against the Philistines are brutal and many men are slaughtered.

The ark of the covenant moves onto centre stage and yet things still get worse for Israel.

In the Ark Narratives things go from worse to ‘worser’ (if there’s such a word).

The words against Eli and his family are fulfilled.

Thousands of Israelites are killed in action – in one battle thirty thousand foot soldiers alone perish in action.

The Ark is stolen by the Philistines and is held captive for twenty years.

But after seven months the ark is returned to the Israelites not because they deserve it, but because it causes havoc throughout the Philistine territory.

The Israelites do eventually come to their senses.

In the pattern of the Book of Judges, the people mourn and cry out for God – and God raises up a judge – and Samuel is waiting to bring the people back into relationship with God.

Samuel subdues the Philistines at Mizpah and proves himself to be a faithful leader.

He continues as judge over Israel for the rest of his life.

/the ark is captured (4:1b-10)/

/            failed leadership/

Let’s go back to chapter 4:1.

The Israelites go out to fight the Philistines.

They’re defeated and about four thousand are killed.

No small number of men.

At the debriefing, the elders of Israel rightly ask in verse 4, ‘Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?’

A new military strategy is required because things have gone horribly sour.

The answer’s quick in coming.

‘Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies’.

Perhaps the elders should have taken a deep breathe and considered more options!

Maybe they should have gone back to Deut 28 which says, ‘if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees, all these curses will come upon you’.

Then come the curses are listed – one by one.

‘The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies’ (verse 25).

Alarm bells should be ringing.

The lessons from the Book of Judges are ignored.

The answer to Israel’s military defeats is repentance, confession, a recommitment to the promises of God.

Do the elders of Israel say this?

No.

They are not the leaders that Israel need.

Failed leadership.

Instead the elders get the ark and the failed Hophni and Phinehas front-and-centre.

Now that’s trouble with a capital ‘T’.

These priests should be on the dole queue and now they’re beside the ark and leading Israel into war.

Israel’s leadership is incompetent – they ignore the word of God and they lead the people in the wrong direction.

It’s easy for us to make dumb choices.

Like a man who walked into a shop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer.

Apparently the take was too small so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours.

Police eventually showed up and arrested him.

Sticking around was a dumb choice.

We know what God wants but we take another course of action because its easier and more convenient.

Not the right choice.

We feel defeated in our Christian lives and instead of returning the word of God we devise our own solution and put our God on the backburner.

It’s instinctively an easy thing to do.

It’s easier to try and solve the problem myself rather than taking it to him in prayer.

It’s easier to suddenly misplace my Bible rather than measure myself against the truth of God’s word.

It’s easier to persist in sin rather than repent and confess my sin.

Let me speak to you who are feeling a little defeated in your Christian life.

Your life may be tough and I don’t pretend to know your pain and all the details.

And like Israel you may cry out, ‘why did the Lord bring defeat upon me today’?

Maybe your problems are the result of your own sinfulness.

Maybe you haven’t sinned and like Job you say, ‘What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me’.

Here is a moment of decision.

Like Israel go your own way and pretend its God’s way – or like Job cry out and say, ‘I know my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on earth’ (Job 19:25).

Look to the Lord Jesus – his world was collapsing around him.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus looked nothing like a victorious warrior.

And the lamb of God said,  ‘Take this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will’ (Mk 14:36).

And he went to the cross and he rose and death was defeated and now he is our risen King and Saviour.

Jesus never abandoned his Father’s words.

He considered that his present suffering was not worth comparing with his future glory beyond the grave.

At that moment in 1 Sam 4, Israel show us what not to do in times of defeat.

Israel show us what not to do after we’ve sinned – take the easy way out – keep on sinning – make things worse by allowing superstition to replace faith.

We ignore the Scriptures to our peril.

/            putting God in a corner/

The Israelites thought the ark of the covenant was the answer to their problems.

The ark was that sacred, gold-covered, portable box, 3 ¾ feet long by 2 ¼  feet wide and high which usually sat in the tabernacle and behind the thick veil leading into the Most Holy Place.