Ritual and No Faith

      Through out the era of the judges, Israel sank into sin.  Even the priest in the tabernacle had turned their backs on God.  They were a nation of self gratification.  In I Samuel 4, Israel goes to battle against the Philistines, and they carry the Ark of the Covenant with them.  They did not seek God's will.  They did not go to God in prayer.  The evil sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, 'were there with the ark of the covenant of God.' (4)  When God spoke to young Samuel, God revealed that Eli's sons will die young due to the sins they committed in the tabernacle.  So, here they are taking the ark of the covenant of God into the camp where all Israel was preparing to go to battle against the Philistines.  When they entered the camp, the shouting was great.  The Philistines heard the shouting and were afraid.  The ark of the covenant of God was a symbol of God being present among his people.  Here they were going through the motions of the ritual of bringing the ark of the covenant of God before the people, but they did not remember the covenant they made with God.  They were a people with the object but they did not follow after God.  Yet, they were using the object like a good luck charm.  Their ritual failed because they had no faith.

     "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain."  I Samuel 4: 10,11 KJV

     "The messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy.  And he had judged Israel for forty years." I Samuel 4:17,18 KJV

     Hophni and Phinehas were priest who served self and not God.  They used their positions to accumulate riches and to take advantage of the people.  When Israel needed God to lead them into battle, they went into battle with the ark of God, but they went without God.  The young priest died and Israel was defeated as they followed after the ritual and the object of God, not God.  This is not the last time people who called themselves God's people were defeated.  It may not be a battle between nations.  It may be battles within a nation, a church, or a family.  It may be a personal battle.  Lives are lived for self without serving God.  Churches let doctrine and culture direct them instead of the gospel of God.  Today, many live without God until something happens.  Believe me, God will not answer their call unless it is a plea of forgiveness.  If you are living without God, do you expect God to help you?

     Over the last few months before our national elections, there have been many calls to prayer.  As I watched on live stream the many gathering across the nation to pray, I wondered how many in the thousands truly believed and received God.  As I watched the leaders singing praises, I wondered if the leader was doing this for self gratification.  I wondered when I read a tweet from one of the leaders that his "Praise Album" is number one in nation.  I wonder.  As I listened, I looked at myself.  Me, a sinner saved by grace.  Am I living through a ritual of reading the Bible and praying?  Where is my faith?  What am I doing to make a difference to those around me?  Yes, I wonder, but I don't judge.  I pray for the leaders.  I pray for the thousands packed together without masks during a global pandemic.  Mostly, I pray for our hearts to be full of faith in God our creator.  Faith does not need a ritual.  Faith is following what God places in our hearts and acting on it.  Faith is giving to help those in poverty.  Faith is reaching out to our neighbors and showing God's love through our actions.  Faith is opening our hearts to God to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  With faith, we never fail, because we are not acting on a ritual, but we are acting on our faith.