1 Samuel 5: Holy is the Lord

1 Samuel 5: Holy is the Lord


Imagine inviting Lance Armstrong to a dinner with you at McDonald’s. Imagine asking a Supreme Court justice to help you mediate the fight you had with your spouse on the way to church. Imagine inviting an Africa who lives on $350/year to your 401k pity party. Imagine asking Nelson Mandela to sit on a panel with your high school buddies discussing the topic of leadership. Imagine taking the very throne seat of God into the temple of an idol.

That is just what happened here. The ark of the covenant was the throne seat of the presence of God. The ark was the real presence of God among them. It is good for us to recognize the supremacy of God over other false gods.

When we invite God into all areas of our life allowing him access into all of the chambers and aspects of our ambitions, longings, etc., we will find that the gods, idols and the things that most charm us must submit themselves before the presence of God.

The Philistines sure hoped that bringing Yahweh’s seat into their land and temple would bring them blessing. They were not a part of God's covenant people and by bringing God into their lives, they wanted God to serve them. That is not the way it is supposed to work.