1 Samuel 4:1-22

The next mini-series in our study of 1 Samuel. So far, we have focused on Samuel as our main character, but in the next four sermons, we will move our attention to the Ark of the Covenant as our main character. The “ark narrative,” as these chapters are often called, gives us a stunning picture of how dangerous religion is without God as the center of it. It is possible to put our trust in our religious practices and yet completely separate them from an authentic relationship with God. In this week’s sermon, we will see how that worked out for the nation of Israel.

The overall series through 1 Samuel is called Choose Your King. The book of 1 Samuel contains the record of the calling of the nation of Israel's first kings. These earthly kings had significant victories in their lives but also some devastating failures. We will see our own victories and failures as we look at their lives. But above all, we will see that God, embodied in HIs son Jesus, is the only perfect king and the one we need to follow.

Because of the length of the overall book, we will break the series up into several smaller mini-series organized around the central characters in the book. Our opening series will focus on the life of Samuel himself. The series will be called Samuel: Dedicated to the Lord and will cover the first three chapters of 1 Samuel.

This week, the ark remains in the spotlight of the “ark narrative” from 1 Samuel. After seven months of the Lord’s hand being “heavy" against the Philistines in plagues, they finally decide that they have had enough and that it is time to send the ark back to Isreal. But how does one send God on his way, and how does one receive God when he comes home? Sunday, we will see how both Philistia and Israel answer poorly. We will also discover the most unlikely role model in the entire Bible.