The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 57: The Ark Taken by the Philistines
Another warning was to be given to Eli's house. God
could not communicate with the high priest and his sons;
their sins, like a thick cloud, had shut out the presence of His
Holy Spirit. But in the midst of evil the child Samuel remained
true to Heaven, and the message of condemnation to the house
of Eli was Samuel's commission as a prophet of the Most High.
"The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was
no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was
laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he
could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of
the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down
to sleep; that the Lord called Samuel." Supposing the voice to
be that of Eli, the child hastened to the bedside of the priest,
saying, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." The answer was, "I
called not, my son; lie down again." Three times Samuel was
called, and thrice he responded in like manner. And then Eli was
convinced that the mysterious call was the voice of God. The
Lord had passed by His chosen servant, the man of hoary hairs,
to commune with a child. This in itself was a bitter yet
deserved rebuke to Eli and his house.
No feeling of envy or jealousy was awakened in Eli's heart.
He directed Samuel to answer, if again called, "Speak, Lord; for
Thy servant heareth." Once more the voice was heard, and the
child answered, "Speak; for Thy servant heareth." So awed was
he at the thought that the great God should speak to him that
he could not remember the exact words which Eli bade him say.
"And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in
Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall
tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I
have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also [p. 582] make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house
forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made
themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I
have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."
Before receiving this message from God, "Samuel did not yet
know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed
unto him;" that is, he was not acquainted with such direct
manifestations of God's presence as were granted to the prophets. It
was the Lord's purpose to reveal Himself in an unexpected manner,
that Eli might hear of it through the surprise and inquiry
of the youth.
Samuel was filled with fear and amazement at the thought
of having so terrible a message committed to him. In the morning
he went about his duties as usual, but with a heavy burden
upon his young heart. The Lord had not commanded him to
reveal the fearful denunciation, hence he remained silent,
avoiding, as far as possible, the presence of Eli. He trembled,
lest some question should compel him to declare the divine judgments
against one whom he loved and reverenced. Eli was confident
that the message foretold some great calamity to him and his
house. He called Samuel, and charged him to relate faithfully
what the Lord had revealed. The youth obeyed, and the aged
man bowed in humble submission to the appalling sentence. "It
is the Lord," he said: "let Him do what seemeth Him good."
Yet Eli did not manifest the fruits of true repentance. He
confessed his guilt, but failed to renounce the sin. Year after
year the Lord delayed His threatened judgments. Much might
have been done in those years to redeem the failures of the past,
but the aged priest took no effective measures to correct the evils
that were polluting the sanctuary of the Lord and leading thousands
in Israel to ruin. The forbearance of God caused Hophni
and Phinehas to harden their hearts and to become still bolder
in transgression. The messages of warning and reproof to his
house were made known by Eli to the whole nation. By this
means he hoped to counteract, in some measure, the evil influence
of his past neglect. But the warnings were disregarded
by the people, as they had been by the priests. The people of
surrounding nations also, who were not ignorant of the iniquities
openly practiced in Israel, became still bolder in their idolatry
and crime. They felt no sense of guilt for their sins, as they [p. 583] would have felt had the Israelites preserved their integrity. But
a day of retribution was approaching. God's authority had been
set aside, and His worship neglected and despised, and it became
necessary for Him to interpose, that the honor of His name
might be maintained.
"Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and
pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek."
This expedition was undertaken by the Israelites without counsel
from God, without the concurrence of high priest or prophet.
"And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and
when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines:
and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men."
As the shattered and disheartened force returned to their
encampment, "the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord
smitten us today before the Philistines?" The nation was ripe
for the judgments of God, yet they did not see that their own
sins had been the cause of this terrible disaster. And they said,
"Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh
unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the
hand of our enemies." The Lord had given no command or permission
that the ark should come into the army; yet the Israelites
felt confident that victory would be theirs, and uttered a great
shout when it was borne into the camp by the sons of Eli.
The Philistines looked upon the ark as the god of Israel. All
the mighty works that Jehovah had wrought for His people
were attributed to its power. As they heard the shouts of joy at
its approach, they said, "What meaneth the noise of this great
shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the
ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines
were afraid; for they said, God has come into the camp. And
they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing
heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of
these mighty Gods? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians
with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves
like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the
Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and
fight."
The Philistines made a fierce assault, which resulted in the
defeat of Israel, with great slaughter. Thirty thousand men lay
dead upon the field, and the ark of God was taken, the two sons
of Eli having fallen while fighting to defend it. Thus again was [p. 584] left upon the page of history a testimony for all future ages—
that the iniquity of God's professed people will not go unpunished.
The greater the knowledge of God's will, the greater the
sin of those who disregard it.
The most terrifying calamity that could occur had befallen
Israel. The ark of God had been captured, and was in the possession
of the enemy. The glory had indeed departed from Israel
when the symbol of the abiding presence and power of Jehovah
was removed from the midst of them. With this sacred chest were
associated the most wonderful revelations of God's truth and
power. In former days miraculous victories had been achieved
whenever it appeared. It was shadowed by the wings of the
golden cherubim, and the unspeakable glory of the Shekinah, the
visible symbol of the most high God, had rested over it in the
holy of holies. But now it had brought no victory. It had not
proved a defense on this occasion, and there was mourning
throughout Israel.
They had not realized that their faith was only a nominal
faith, and had lost its power to prevail with God. The law of God,
contained in the ark, was also a symbol of His presence; but they
had cast contempt upon the commandments, had despised their
requirements, and had grieved the Spirit of the Lord from among
them. When the people obeyed the holy precepts, the Lord was
with them to work for them by His infinite power; but when
they looked upon the ark, and did not associate it with God, nor
honor His revealed will by obedience to His law, it could avail
them little more than a common box. They looked to the ark
as the idolatrous nations looked to their gods, as if it possessed
in itself the elements of power and salvation. They transgressed
the law it contained; for their very worship of the ark led to
formalism, hypocrisy, and idolatry. Their sin had separated them
from God, and He could not give them the victory until they
had repented of and forsaken their iniquity.
It was not enough that the ark and the sanctuary were in the
midst of Israel. It was not enough that the priests offered sacrifices,
and that the people were called the children of God. The
Lord does not regard the request of those who cherish iniquity
in the heart; it is written that "he that turneth away his ear
from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
Proverbs 28:9. [p. 585]
When the army went out to battle, Eli, blind and old, had
tarried at Shiloh. It was with troubled forebodings that he
awaited the result of the conflict; "for his heart trembled for the
ark of God." Taking his position outside the gate of the tabernacle,
he sat by the highway side day after day, anxiously expecting
the arrival of a messenger from the battlefield.
At length a Benjamite from the army, "with his clothes rent,
and with earth upon his head," came hurrying up the ascent
leading to the city. Passing heedlessly the aged man beside the
way, he rushed on to the town, and repeated to eager throngs
the tidings of defeat and loss.
The sound of wailing and lamentation reached the watcher
beside the tabernacle. The messenger was brought to him. And
the man said unto Eli, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and
there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy
two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead." Eli could
endure all this, terrible as it was, for he had expected it. But when
the messenger added, "And the ark of God is taken," a look of
unutterable anguish passed over his countenance. The thought
that his sin had thus dishonored God and caused Him to withdraw
His presence from Israel was more than he could bear; his
strength was gone, he fell, "and his neck brake, and he died."
The wife of Phinehas, notwithstanding the impiety of her
husband, was a woman who feared the Lord. The death of her
father-in-law and her husband, and above all, the terrible tidings
that the ark of God was taken, caused her death. She felt that
the last hope of Israel was gone; and she named the child born
in this hour of adversity, Ichabod, or "inglorious;" with her
dying breath mournfully repeating the words, "The glory is departed
from Israel: for the ark of God is taken."
But the Lord had not wholly cast aside His people, nor would
He long suffer the exultation of the heathen. He had used the
Philistines as the instrument to punish Israel, and He employed
the ark to punish the Philistines. In time past the divine Presence
had attended it, to be the strength and glory of His obedient
people. That invisible Presence would still attend it, to bring
terror and destruction to the transgressors of His holy law. The
Lord often employs His bitterest enemies to punish the
unfaithfulness of His professed people. The wicked may triumph for
a time as they see Israel suffering chastisement, but the time will [p. 586] come when they, too, must meet the sentence of a holy, sin-hating
God. Whenever iniquity is cherished, there, swift and unerring,
the divine judgments will follow.
The Philistines removed the ark in triumph to Ashdod, one
of their five principal cities, and placed it in the house of their
god Dagon. They imagined that the power which had hitherto
attended the ark would be theirs, and that this, united with the
power of Dagon, would render them invincible. But upon entering
the temple on the following day, they beheld a sight which
filled them with consternation. Dagon had fallen upon his face
to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. The priests reverently
lifted the idol and restored it to its place. But the next morning
they found it, strangely mutilated, again lying upon the
earth before the ark. The upper part of this idol was like that of
a man, and the lower part was in the likeness of a fish. Now every
part that resembled the human form had been cut off, and only
the body of the fish remained. Priests and people were horror-struck;
they looked upon this mysterious event as an evil omen,
foreboding destruction to themselves and their idols before the
God of the Hebrews. They now removed the ark from their
temple and placed it in a building by itself.
The inhabitants of Ashdod were smitten with a distressing
and fatal disease. Remembering the plagues that were inflicted
upon Egypt by the God of Israel, the people attributed their
afflictions to the presence of the ark among them. It was decided
to convey it to Gath. But the plague followed close upon its
removal, and the men of that city sent it to Ekron. Here the people
received it with terror, crying, "They have brought about the ark
of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people." They
turned to their gods for protection, as the people of Gath and
Ashdod had done; but the work of the destroyer went on, until,
in their distress, "the cry of the city went up to heaven." Fearing
longer to retain the ark among the homes of men, the people
next placed it in the open field. There followed a plague of
mice, which infested the land, destroying the products of the
soil, both in the storehouse and in the field. Utter destruction, by
disease or famine, now threatened the nation.
For seven months the ark remained in Philistia, and during
all this time the Israelites made no effort for its recovery. But the
Philistines were now as anxious to free themselves from its presence [p. 587] as they had been to obtain it. Instead of being a source of
strength to them, it was a great burden and a heavy curse. Yet
they knew not what course to pursue; for wherever it went the
judgments of God followed. The people called for the princes of
the nation, with the priests and diviners, and eagerly inquired,
"What shall we do to the ark of Jehovah? tell us wherewith we
shall send it to his place?" They were advised to return it with
a costly trespass offering. "Then," said the priests, "ye shall be
healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed
from you."
To ward off or to remove a plague, it was anciently the
custom among the heathen to make an image in gold, silver, or
other material, of that which caused the destruction, or of the
object or part of the body specially affected. This was set up on a
pillar or in some conspicuous place, and was supposed to be an
effectual protection against the evils thus represented. A similar
practice still exists among some heathen peoples. When a person
suffering from disease goes for cure to the temple of his idol, he
carries with him a figure of the part affected, which he presents
as an offering to his god.
It was in accordance with the prevailing superstition that the
Philistine lords directed the people to make representations of
the plagues by which they had been afflicted—"five golden
emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the
lords of the Philistines: for," said they, "one plague was on you
all, and on your lords."
These wise men acknowledged a mysterious power accompanying
the ark—a power which they had no wisdom to meet. Yet
they did not counsel the people to turn from their idolatry to
serve the Lord. They still hated the God of Israel, though
compelled by overwhelming judgments to submit to His authority.
Thus sinners may be convinced by the judgments of God that
it is in vain to contend against Him. They may be compelled
to submit to His power, while at heart they rebel against His
control. Such submission cannot save the sinner. The heart must
be yielded to God—must be subdued by divine grace—before
man's repentance can be accepted.
How great is the long-suffering of God toward the wicked!
The idolatrous Philistines and backsliding Israel had alike
enjoyed the gifts of His providence. Ten thousand unnoticed mercies [p. 588] were silently falling in the pathway of ungrateful, rebellious men.
Every blessing spoke to them of the Giver, but they were
indifferent to His love. The forbearance of God was very great
toward the children of men; but when they stubbornly persisted
in their impenitence, He removed from them His protecting
hand. They refused to listen to the voice of God in His created
works, and in the warnings, counsels, and reproofs of His word,
and thus He was forced to speak to them through judgments.
There were some among the Philistines who stood ready to
oppose the return of the ark to its own land. Such an acknowledgment
of the power of Israel's God would be humiliating to the
pride of Philistia. But "the priests and the diviners" admonished
the people not to imitate the stubbornness of Pharaoh and the
Egyptians, and thus bring upon themselves still greater afflictions.
A plan which won the consent of all was now proposed, and
immediately put in execution. The ark, with the golden trespass
offering, was placed upon a new cart, thus precluding all danger
of defilement; to this cart, or car, were attached two kine upon
whose necks a yoke had never been placed. Their calves were
shut up at home, and the cows were left free to go where they
pleased. If the ark should thus be returned to the Israelites by
the way of Beth-shemesh, the nearest city of the Levites, the
Philistines would accept this as evidence that the God of Israel
had done unto them this great evil; "but if not," they said, "then
we shall know that it is not His hand that smote us; it was a
chance that happened to us."
On being set free, the kine turned from their young and,
lowing as they went, took the direct road to Beth-shemesh.
Guided by no human hand, the patient animals kept on their
way. The divine Presence accompanied the ark, and it passed on
safely to the very place designated.
It was now the time of wheat harvest, and the men of
Beth-shemesh were reaping in the valley. "And they lifted up their
eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came
into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where
there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and
offered the kine of burnt-offering unto the Lord." The lords of
the Philistines, who had followed the ark "unto the border of
Beth-shemesh," and had witnessed its reception, now returned to [p. 589] Ekron. The plague had ceased, and they were convinced that
their calamities had been a judgment from the God of Israel.
The men of Beth-shemesh quickly spread the tidings that the
ark was in their possession, and the people from the surrounding
country flocked to welcome its return. The ark had been placed
upon the stone that first served for an altar, and before it
additional sacrifices were offered unto the Lord. Had the worshipers
repented of their sins, God's blessing would have attended them.
But they were not faithfully obeying His law; and while they
rejoiced at the return of the ark as a harbinger of good, they had
no true sense of its sacredness. Instead of preparing a suitable
place for its reception, they permitted it to remain in the harvest
field. As they continued to gaze upon the sacred chest and to
talk of the wonderful manner in which it had been restored, they
began to conjecture wherein lay its peculiar power. At last,
overcome by curiosity, they removed the coverings and ventured to
open it.
All Israel had been taught to regard the ark with awe and
reverence. When required to remove it from place to place the
Levites were not so much as to look upon it. Only once a year
was the high priest permitted to behold the ark of God. Even
the heathen Philistines had not dared to remove its coverings.
Angels of heaven, unseen, ever attended it in all its journeyings.
The irreverent daring of the people at Beth-shemesh was speedily
punished. Many were smitten with sudden death.
The survivors were not led by this judgment to repent of
their sin, but only to regard the ark with superstitious fear.
Eager to be free from its presence, yet not daring to remove it,
the Beth-shemites sent a message to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim,
inviting them to take it away.. With great joy the men of
this place welcomed the sacred chest. They knew that it was the
pledge of divine favor to the obedient and faithful. With solemn
gladness they brought it to their city and placed it in the house
of Abinadab, a Levite. This man appointed his son Eleazar to
take charge of it, and it remained there for many years.
During the years since the Lord first manifested Himself to
the son of Hannah, Samuel's call to the prophetic office had
come to be acknowledged by the whole nation. By faithfully
delivering the divine warning to the house of Eli, painful and [p. 590] trying as the duty had been, Samuel had given proof of his fidelity
as Jehovah's messenger; "and the Lord was with him, and did
let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from
Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be
a prophet of the Lord."
The Israelites as a nation still continued in a state of irreligion
and idolatry, and as a punishment they remained in subjection
to the Philistines. During this time Samuel visited the cities and
villages throughout the land, seeking to turn the hearts of the
people to the God of their fathers; and his efforts were not
without good results. After suffering the oppression of their
enemies for twenty years, the Israelites "mourned after the Lord."
Samuel counseled them, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all
your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from
among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve
Him only." Here we see that practical piety, heart religion, was
taught in the days of Samuel as taught by Christ when He was
upon the earth. Without the grace of Christ the outward forms
of religion were valueless to ancient Israel. They are the same
to modern Israel.
There is need today of such a revival of true heart religion
as was experienced by ancient Israel. Repentance is the first step
that must be taken by all who would return to God. No one
can do this work for another. We must individually humble our
souls before God and put away our idols. When we have done
all that we can do, the Lord will manifest to us His salvation.
With the co-operation of the heads of the tribes, a large
assembly was gathered at Mizpeh. Here a solemn fast was held. With
deep humiliation the people confessed their sins; and as an
evidence of their determination to obey the instructions they had
heard, they invested Samuel with the authority of judge.
The Philistines interpreted this gathering to be a council of
war, and with a strong force set out to disperse the Israelites
before their plans could be matured. The tidings of their approach
caused great terror in Israel. The people entreated Samuel,
"Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that He will
save us out of the hand of the Philistines."
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While Samuel was in the act of presenting a lamb as a
burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for battle. Then the [p. 591] Mighty One who had descended upon Sinai amid fire and smoke
and thunder, who had parted the Red Sea and made a way
through Jordan for the children of Israel, again manifested His
power. A terrible storm burst upon the advancing host, and the
earth was strewn with the dead bodies of mighty warriors.
The Israelites had stood in silent awe, trembling with hope
and fear. When they beheld the slaughter of their enemies, they
knew that God had accepted their repentance. Through unprepared
for battle, they seized the weapons of the slaughtered
Philistines and pursued the fleeing host to Beth-car. This signal
victory was gained upon the very field where, twenty years before,
Israel had been smitten before the Philistines, the priests
slain, and the ark of God taken. For nations as well as for
individuals, the path of obedience to God is the path of safety and
happiness, while that of transgression leads only to disaster and
defeat. The Philistines were now so completely subdued that they
surrendered the strongholds which had been taken from Israel
and refrained from acts of hostility for many years. Other nations
followed this example, and the Israelites enjoyed peace until the
close of Samuel's sole administration.
That the occasion might never be forgotten, Samuel set up,
between Mizpeh and Shen, a great stone as a memorial. He
called the name of it Ebenezer, "the stone of help," saying to
the people, "hitherto hath Jehovah helped us."
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"The Schools of the Prophets"
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