The Ark of the Covenant is Stolen

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: Samuel Samuel. 00:00:06 Speaker 1: Samuel closed his eyes and drew the frigid air into his lungs. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. 00:00:16 Speaker 2: Behold, I am about to do something in Israel, something extraordinary that will cause all the ears of everyone to stir. On that day, I will perform all I have spoken against Eli concerning his house, everything from beginning to end. For I have told him I will judge his house forever for the iniquity he knew, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. 00:00:49 Speaker 1: God revealed himself through this beacon of hope for his chosen people. In a time of spiritual darkness. God had not forsaken his peace. 00:01:08 Speaker 3: God doesn't bend to human will. Humanity bows to God's holiness. Shelloh, my friends, from here in the holy Land of Israel, I'm l Exstein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. The Philistines were a relentless people. They had iron weapons when Israel had only faith. Their chariots rolled through the valleys while Israel's feet walked in prayer. Their God seemed to give them victory after victory, and now the Israelites stand at the edge of a battlefield trembling. In one Samuel four, the story unfolds not with triumph, but with desperation. A people who once crossed the sea on dry ground now ask where is our God? But this story is about more than armies and defeat. This is a story human pride meeting God's divine sovereignty. A story is old as eden and as fresh as our own hearts. 00:02:08 Speaker 1: Today, tension loomed over the Israelite camp like a dense fog. Iron scraped against iron as soldiers sharpened their swords by the flickering light of camphires. Their hollow eyes stared straight into burning coals. As their hands instinctively worked, The heat warmed their skin, yet their hearts remained cold with fear and desperate for any hope of victory. Torrential shouts rose across the valley. The Israelite soldiers eyes darted across to the opposing hilltop their enemies. Camphires speckled the black horizon like constellations of foreboding omens. Despite the cover of night. The mere sound was a reminder of the Philistine's sprawling CalAmp exuberant with confidence. The Israelites were no strangers to battle, yet the need to make the right next move carried a weight unlike any other. They had been routed in their first conflict, losing four thousand men in their messy escape. The agonizing cries of their fallen brothers rang unsettlingly in their ears. Doubt and fear rippled through the camp in the wake of defeat, and murmurs of discontent echoed in the darkness. The elders of Israel huddled around a fire, robes pulled tightly around their faces. They spoke in hushed yet purposeful whispers. 00:03:40 Speaker 4: We can't just sit here in the wake of defeat. It's madness for us to simply wait for the Philistines to take us out completely. 00:03:49 Speaker 2: And what do you suppose we do? 00:03:51 Speaker 5: We lost an entire city's worth of soldiers today. 00:03:55 Speaker 2: Are you suggesting we risk the same tomorrow? 00:03:57 Speaker 4: Of course not. This is of our strength. It's a matter of the Lord's. Surely, if we call upon his power, you will fight for us and lead us to victory. 00:04:08 Speaker 1: The elder spoke with conviction. The others nodded in agreement. 00:04:13 Speaker 4: I say we bring back the Ark of the Covenant here. If the Lord is with us in battle, the Philistines will undoubtedly fall like grasp before the sight. 00:04:22 Speaker 1: The others refrained from their nods. They shuffled in their seats, a sign of their hesitancy. 00:04:28 Speaker 2: You mean remove the ark from Shiloh? 00:04:32 Speaker 4: Are you sure we need the Lord's power here? And now? What other options do we have? 00:04:39 Speaker 1: The mention of the ark had stirred a mixture of hope and apprehension. None of the elders could disagree with their state of desperation, and the ark, the symbol of God's presence, had delivered their ancestors in battle's past. The elders grunted in agreement with the plan. In their minds, this was the only chance for their deliverance. But in their fervor they had failed to reflect on the true nature of their defeat. God's presence hadn't left Israel. It was their hearts that had drifted far from the Lord as a fleet of ships lost to the raging seas. Would the presence of the ark truly be enough to make up for the chasm that lay between the people and God? Was the ark a weapon of destruction? Could it be used in such a way. Back at Shiloh, the sons of Eli stood proudly by the ark. On the surface, they looked every part the priests of God, but their pride was the only thing upholding them in their positions. See, surely God is pleased with us if we've been tasked with bringing the Ark of the Covenant to bell. 00:05:53 Speaker 4: The ark is sure to silence the Philistines, and with their silence shell come shouts of praise for our head and in the triumph of Israel. 00:06:02 Speaker 1: The brothers beamed with vanity and self indulgent pleasure. Their imaginations played visions of returning from the battlefield hailed as heroes. They gleefully prepared for the journey, blinded to the reality of what lay ahead. Their hearts had become so clouded by their own personal gain they gave no mind to considering the gravity of their actions. They barked orders to their servants to prepare for the journey ahead. At just past midday, the caravan bearing the Ark could be seen on the horizon. The ark's golden facade glittered in the sun's rays. The camp had remained silent with bated breath throughout the morning. But as news spread of the Ark of the Covenant's arrival, men of renewed hope gathered at the edge of camp to herald the priests and the divine gift they brought. Their shouts rivaled that of the Philistines that were heard only nights before. When the Ark finally arrived, the camp erupted with bellowing exaltations that seemed to quake the ground below. In the Philistine camp, spirits were beginning to fall as word of the Ark's arrivals spread through the ranks. Grizzled warriors who had known no fear in the bloodiest of battles, now whispered in fear among themselves. They did not know the God of Israel, but they had heard the stories of his terrifying power against the enemies. 00:07:34 Speaker 2: Of his people. 00:07:36 Speaker 4: Yes, the commander has just sent messengers out with the report. Oh what received the message? 00:07:46 Speaker 2: The history like Christ would have been enough to tell me. Something has brought those dogs rend. 00:07:54 Speaker 4: And the very thing that brings them up can only mean destruction for us. 00:08:00 Speaker 2: The greatest of the burials. 00:08:01 Speaker 1: But the Israelizer brought their gods into the king, the same gods that struck the Egyptians with unspeakable plays. 00:08:10 Speaker 4: Just imagine the US. 00:08:15 Speaker 1: The two soldiers jerked their heads around at the sound of heavy hoofs trampling through the mountainous dirt. The captain of the army and his guard were riding to the center of the soldier's encampment. The captain was brawny, and despite the dismay that had befallen the soldiers, looked rugged and indestructible. His bronze breastplate was marred with the evidence of many wars waged over the years. The man to his right called for attention. The camp went quiet, save for the sound of clinking armor as men shifted their gaze towards their fearless leader. The captain cleared his throat as his horse reared in the sunlight. 00:08:57 Speaker 5: The Israelite dogs did they the hand? They're still nats? 00:09:03 Speaker 2: Are you sure you. 00:09:05 Speaker 5: They shall face the terror of the Philistines once more? 00:09:09 Speaker 1: A half hearted cheer spread through the soldiers, more out of respect than conviction. The captain leered at the troops, giving no effort to hide his disappointment. He pulled his sword from his side and raised it upwards. 00:09:24 Speaker 5: If you will not be men, then you can be slaves to the hebrew just as they have been to us. All you can stand with the boldness of our people and fight. We are the people of the land and the sea. We are the followers of Degon soakh Arath a Maikov sokh Arath el. 00:09:46 Speaker 1: Dagon, Zacharath i Markov Zacharath el Dagon. Victory for the Kingdom's victory for Dagon. The men gave a more hearty Hurrah at their people's back cry. The gargantuan captain stood before them, pounding his chest and beginning the chant of earth and storm. 00:10:08 Speaker 5: Our blade shall taste the blood of the Israelites. Our necks shall be adorned with the severed hands of their leaders. 00:10:18 Speaker 1: Cheers broke through as anxiety gave way to camaraderie. 00:10:23 Speaker 5: The Israelites believe their God can grant them salvation. They believe glory can be delivered in a golden box. But today a mighty philistines the Israelites shall see that glory is not carried into battle. No glory is forged in battle some fire and blood. 00:10:49 Speaker 1: The captain had been successful. His words had steadied the hearts of the Philistine warriors. Though traces of fear still lingered in the unknown God of the Israelite, their worries were being choked out by sprouting determination. A rediscovered sense of hunger for conquest now reigned. The captain smirked, though his boldness aired on a mixture of naivete and arrogance, but it had been enough to light a fire under the feet of his daring soldiers. The camp burst back into life. As the Philistines sharpened their blades. They envisioned the terror they would strike on the Israelites, and howl like wolves before the hunt. The coming battle would not be easily won, but neither would they easily yield. The battlefield stretched wide under a relentless sun, the Israelites marched from their camp, With the Ark of the Covenant mindfully set at the center of their ranks. They looked to it as a beacon of hope for the army. It seemed to radiate power. As the intricate Cherubin protruded boldly from either side of the mercy scene, men raised swords above their heads, not unlike Moses raising his staff in the fight against the Amalekites in the Battle of refordin. Ironically, the mere sight of the ark was more of an encouragement to them than the word of God inscribed on the stone tablets within. Hofni and Finnahas walked beside the Ark with arms crossed. However, the confidence they carried into the camp quickly fled them as the roars of the Philistines echoed in the distance. They clutched their hands tightly around their forearms and murmured empty prayers. The army stopped and assumed positions in neat robes. They watched and waited for the enemy's arrival. The tree lines shuffled. The Israelites lowered their swords at the sound and planted their feet firmly on the ground. Gallant warriors began to break through and marched on to the opposite side of the battlefield, pounding the earth in unison with each step forward. The Israelites fervor began to dwindle. They looked towards the Ark. To them, it had lost its shine, though this was only a projection of their own spirits. The Philistine army stopped. Brittle leaves blew through the sun scorched grass. Under different circumstances, the field would have been a tranquil scene. Across the battlefield, a Philistine commander shouted. In an instant, thousands of arrows whirled through the sky as bows cracked in the release of tension. In an instant, the Philistine army swept forward like a wave. The Israelite leaders bellowed their commands to advance. With one last glance at the ark, the soldiers darted onward, with swords and shields at the ready. The two armies clashed head on. Swords hurled overhead onto wooden shields. Left and right. Men were falling. The Philistines plowed through the Israelites like young ok under the goad. A Philistine growled over the sound of the frenzy cristfall. 00:14:06 Speaker 5: Their God is in our grasp. 00:14:09 Speaker 1: He pointed, menacingly at the ark between Finnahas and Hoffni. 00:14:13 Speaker 5: Fights for your lives, men, fight for your honor. Take down the Israelites and their gods. Sotas have dagon. 00:14:25 Speaker 1: The Philistine's roar hit the Israelites like an avalanche. The enemy pressed through their ranks like a hot iron through ice. The Israelites struggled to defend their ground, having abandoned any attempts at an offensive strike. As the Philistines neared the Ark, panic ripped through the Israelite ranks like wildfire. They stumbled backward over their fallen brethren before chaos completely swept over them. The Philistines now surrounded the Ark completely. Hoffni and Phinnihas turned to flee, but were quickly trampled by the fleeing soldiers. The colossal Philistine commander stood over them. He cackled at the sight of the priests shaking on the ground. He spat at them before swinging his sword above his helmet. Hofni and Finnahas closed their eyes as the blades swung down. Crimson blood soaked the ground at the base of the Ark that stood over them like a judge. Their vision blurred as they watched Philistine's soldiers lift the ark from its place with a final sigh. Hofni and Finnahass joined the ranks of the dead. In the peace of Shiloh, Eli sat in his usual spot by the gait of the tabernacle. Though his eyes had failed him, he often sat and listened to the sound of the city. His frail frame was bent over under the weight of both his years and his sorrows. That morning, he had watched his son's carry off the ark, ignorant to the Covenant that it represented Their failure had brought about impending judgment, and Eli feared this day would be the final strike of the gavel. No word had come from the battle. As the sun now dipped below the horizon, Eli heaved a weary breath and closed his eyes. Death seemed more welcoming than this currant agony. Samuel walked up behind Eli and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. Eli placed his withered fingers on top and patted Samuel's hand lightly. Samuel hesitated to speak, for he knew no words could comfort the old man. Both men raised their heads as cries rang out in the distance. Samuel took a few steps forward down the road. A disheveled soldier ran with a limp. His clothes were torn and spotted with blood from his gaping wounds. He raced towards the tabernacle. 00:17:04 Speaker 2: Samuel, what is it? It's such a terrifying sound. 00:17:09 Speaker 1: Before Samuel could answer, a wounded soldier approached Eli. He panted as he pressed his hand to a cut on his side. 00:17:17 Speaker 2: I've just come from the battle. What happened? My son lost? Everything is lost. 00:17:24 Speaker 4: Israel fled from the Philistines. Their numbers were too many, their strength too great. 00:17:30 Speaker 2: I barely had a chance to escape. 00:17:32 Speaker 5: There are many others, many many others I could not experience. 00:17:37 Speaker 2: The same fate. 00:17:38 Speaker 1: Eli waited. He knew this wasn't the only news the messenger carried with him. 00:17:44 Speaker 2: Tell me, boy, what of the priests who carried the ark? What of my sons? Of the infidels? 00:17:53 Speaker 4: They they've fallen, and with them the arc. 00:18:00 Speaker 5: It's been captured by the Philistines. 00:18:02 Speaker 1: Eli had expected the fate of his sons, but he hadn't prepared himself for the possibility of what might become of the Ark of God. His lip trembled and his body quaked. He heaved out a blood girdling cry. The messenger jumped back, and Samuel darted towards him. Eli's legs jerked and kicked hard against the ground. His seat went toppling backward. Both wood and bones splintered upon impact. Eli lay motionless, his neck bent at an unsightly angle. Samuel dropped to the ground and beat his chest. What little life was left had already left the poor priest he's gone. The mournful news of both Eli and his sons was sent swiftly to the family. Phinnahas's wife, Abigail, was the first to hear. She bore a now fatherless son and was due to deliver soon. But upon hearing of the tragedy that had befallen the Ark and her husband, her body wrenched with agony. She fell to her knees as servants ran to respond to her cries. Before they could assist her to her tent, labor pains set in, her breath quickened and her heart raised. The servant called for help, and several women carried her inside. Within the hour, she had given birth. The baby's wails were drowned out by his mother's. Abigail's attendant stroked her sweat soaked hair. 00:19:36 Speaker 2: It was a son. 00:19:37 Speaker 1: Abigail looked at the babe callously. She pressed her palms against her tired red eyes. She spoke, though no one knew if she was addressing the room or herself a son. 00:19:50 Speaker 3: Such a shame it shall be called Ikabad, for the glory has departed from Israel. 00:19:56 Speaker 1: Everyone in the room simply watched the grieving mother. 00:20:00 Speaker 3: The Ark of God has been captured, and Oh, glory has departed. 00:20:07 Speaker 1: Abigail's head dropped weightily back as she joined in finnahas and Eli's fall. Word of all that had happened that day rolled across Israel. The nation fell into despair. The glory had departed, but even though the battle had been lost, the war was not over. 00:20:33 Speaker 3: How sobering this story is. I found myself holding my breath as Israel march to war. The Ark of the Covenant, our holiest treasure, was carried into battle not with reverence, but with arrogance, and then the silence after the battle. It's haunting. This is a story that doesn't end with the Chosen People singing a song of victory. Instead, it leaves us with questions, with shattered pride, and with a sobering reminder that God is not a talisman to be used as will. The Chosen People had a secret weapon, the Ark of the Covenant, the very presence of the Almighty. It was a treasure that made mountains tremble in rivers part or so they thought, because in this story it failed them, or so it seemed. The Philistines, those ancient enemies, slaughtered thirty thousand foot soldiers. That day they captured the Ark. They carried it into their pagan cities and proclaimed victory over the God of Israel. How is that possible? The God who defeated Pharaoh, who reigned fire on Mount Carmel, is now silent, and we have to ask ourselves why. Well, the answer begins not in the battlefield, but in the hearts of the people. Jewish tradition teaches us that the Ark, while sacred, is not magic. It is not God God himself, but a vessel of his glory. Israelites forgot this. They said, let us bring the Ark, that it may go with us and save us from our enemies. Do you hear the shift? They no longer spoke of God, but of the Ark. This is a crucial distinction. The Bible reminds us over and over, you shall have no other gods before me. Even good things, even godly things, even holy things, can become idols when we misuse them. The Jewish ages note the huge error that the Israelites made. They thought that the Ark was all that was needed in order to reverse their fortunes. Convinced that the holiness of the Ark would save them, Israel failed to realize that the people of Israel had to be worthy if miracles were going to happen. Instead of repenting of their sins or consulting their prophet Samuel about what to do, they just looked to the Ark for all the answers and for their success. And when they looked at the Ark, they failed to realize that God's actions do not depend on an object, not even an object as holy as the Ark. God actions depend on the Chosen people's actions, people who at this time felt no shame for their past behavior and didn't even try to improve. The sagees say, when the sons of Eli sinned against the tabernacle and committed immorality, you were silent, and now you ask why you were defeated. The lesson for Israel, just as it's still the lesson for us today, is that everything depends on our actions before God. Even holy objects will not save us if our hearts and our actions are not in the right place. And this is a lesson that the Chosen People had to learn when the Ark of the Covenant was captured battle with the Philistines. Jewish tradition compares this moment to the Bible story found in numbers twenty one, where the people were healed by looking at the bronze serpent. Centuries later, that same serpent became an idol and had to be destroyed by King Khryzikia in Second Kings eighteen. What was once a sign of God's mercy turned into an object of worship, and the same thing applies in today's Bible story. The Ark was never about the wood and gold. It was about the one who met his people. The Philistines didn't defeat God that day, Israel defeated themselves by forgetting God. And yet this story doesn't end in despair. Even as the ark was carried away, God's hand was already moving. We see this in the chaos that breaks out in the Philistine city. Their gods fell before the ark, their people are struck with plagues. God's presence cannot be mocked, even in the enemy's camp. This story asks us, what if we turned into idols? Do we trust in symbols more than in the God that they represent, and most importantly, will we return to him not out of pride but with humility. We often hear of the transcendence of God, a word that means he is above and beyond all things, and this story is a vivid reminder of that truth. God cannot be controlled. 00:25:29 Speaker 5: He is not a. 00:25:29 Speaker 3: Force to be harnessed, nor a tool for our ambitions. You see, God's presence is both a comfort and a confrontation. When we draw nearer to him, we encounter his mercy but also his holiness. The Israelites wanted the comfort without the confrontation. They wanted God's power without his presence. C. S. Lewis captures this tension beautifully and the Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe. When he describes Asla the great lion who represents God, he says, quote, He's not a tame lion, but he is good end quote. And the same is true of God. God is not tame. God is not safe, but God is good. Sometimes we approach God like Israel approached the Arc, with demands instead of devotion. We say fix this, heal this, give me what I want, And when God doesn't respond in the way that we want, we feel it down. But this story reminds us that God is not at our beck and call. God is not obligated to fulfill our desires. He is far greater than that. Instead of asking how can I use God. Let's ask how can I serve him? Instead of saying why didn't God show up? Let's say how can I return to Him? Let me leave you with words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel, who wrote quote faith is not the clinging to a shrine, but an endless pilgrimage of the heart end The arc of the cabinet may be gone, but God's presence remains for each of us. And when we seek him not with pride, but with reverence, we will find that He is closer than we ever imagined. 00:27:21 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the prey dot Com app today. This prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna pilt and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvado, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review,