| “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” |
| —1 Samuel 4:3 |
You probably know people who keep an object they hope will bring them good luck: a rabbit’s foot, or a four-leaf clover, or lucky horseshoe, or some memento that they expect to have power in their lives. Some people of particular religious faiths will mount the statue of a saint on the dashboard of their car, or place a religious statue in their flower garden. I even know a couple who admitted that they named their baby “Christian” as a special “nod to God.”
We might feel tempted to look down on such practices with a kind of superior glance, feeling quite smug about our own opinions on such matters. But, hold on! Let’s consider one of the stories of the Old Testament Prophet, Priest, and Judge, Samuel.
Samuel had carefully taught the people of Israel God’s written Word. Later, on the occasion when they gathered to fight against the pagan Philistine army, they were soundly defeated.
In their zeal as the Lord’s people, the Israeli army had reasoned that in their second battle against the Philistines, they needed some “magical” help. So, they sent for the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh and had it brought to the battlefield.
Upon the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant, according to 1 Samuel 4, there was such shouting that the ground shook! Giving such a powerful response to the presence of this holy object, the army of Israel felt sure that God would go out with them against the Philistines.
Yet, in the end, not only did the Philistines win the battle, but they also stole the “lucky” Ark from Israel. Following this tragic loss, Israel experienced many days of disaster.
We need to consider the error of the people of Israel. We need to ask ourselves: “Do we put our faith in religious things rather than in the living God?” Consider these behaviors:
- Some people join a church with a magnificent building, so that their babies can be baptized there, their daughters married there, and they can be buried there in great pomp.
- Other individuals, misunderstanding the role of the Sacrament of Baptism, rest in making certain their sons and daughters are baptized as babies as a sort of safe-keeping assurance of their entrance into heaven in the afterlife.
- In the same way they enroll their children in scouting programs, or athletic teams, still others bring their children to church because they want the cultural and moral training that helps fit those children to grow up and become well-prepared, upstanding citizens.
The Bible teaches us about the Living God and His standards of righteousness. Consider these excerpts from Acts 17:24-31:
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else … God did this so that they would seek HIM and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being …
Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine begin is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice.
Yes, Certificates of Baptism and family religious traditions have a definite place in the lives of followers of Jesus. But, we should never confuse such items and traditions with “good luck charms” that keep us “in good” with God. He does not look on the external trinkets as humans do. He looks at our hearts and wants to see the image of His Son engraved there by His Holy Spirit!
