No Power in Symbols

In the first book of Samuel Chapter 4, we see the Israelites being defeated by the philistine army, there were four thousand men killed. They were used to The Lord fighting their battles for them and when they lost, usually God was angry with them because one or more of them had done something wrong. On this occasion, instead of asking God what was wrong and looking for him, they got what symbolised his presence among them and NOT his actual presence, which was the Ark of the Covenant. They sent and bought into the camp.

They started singing and shouting so loud that the earth shook. The end result was the enemy was afraid of them but went out to fight against them. The Israelites came back licking their wounds. There was thirty thousand men killed and the ark was captured.

The trap the Israelites fell into is still the same one people all around the world today fall into. Instead of Looking for the one true God who richly provides everything we need both physically and spiritually, they go after worthless idols such as Mary, Buddha, ganesha and Zeus and a host of others. See below what the scriptures say about them:

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them. – Psalm 135:15 – 18

And again:

“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The moulded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mould should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all. – Habakkuk 2:18 – 19

So don’t settle for something anything less than the one true God who lives in unapproachable light. He is the maker, sustainer, redeemer and will be the judge who will either pass sentence or pardon, depending on what you do about the precious gift he offers through Christ Jesus.