Disobedient Servants

1 Samuel 4:2-4 NASB (2)  The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.  (3)  When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies."  (4)  So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Samuel 4:7-10 NASB (7)  The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.  (8)  "Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.  (9)  "Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight." (10)  So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.

1.     Disobedient servants are over confident.  Israel lost 4000 men in the battle against the Philistines.  They lost because God was not pleased with them.  When things are not going well with us we need to check ourselves with God.  Israel failed to repent and the same thing happens to us.

2.     Disobedient servants trust the wrong things.  The Israelites said let’s send to Shilo and get the Ark.  This was their plan to get God back on their side.  We need to search out and follow God’s plan.  The Ark symbolized the presence of God.  The error in their plan was they thought that symbols of God’s presence were just as good as God’s presence.

3.     Disobedient servants are deceived.  The Israelites were deceived.  God requires obedience not a semblance of obedience.  The Philistines understood more about God then the Israelites.  They were afraid when they realized the Ark of Covenant was in the camp.

4.     Disobedient servants ultimately fail.  God was not with Israel.  In a single day they lost 30,000 men and the Ark of the Covenant.