Defeated

“Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines?”  1 Samuel 4:3

Defeated – We are in dire need of a change of perspective.  In fact, without a new worldview, we are undoubtedly headed for defeat and disaster.  All history shows this to be true.  God pronounces it to be true.  But we are a world of myopic futurism.  We consistently fail to look in the right direction.  Backwards!

Do you notice something very strange about this question?  The army of Israel takes to the battlefield only to be soundly defeated.  But their perspective is not “Why did the Philistines defeat us today?”  They have a completely different view of the circumstances.  They know only one explanation.  And it isn’t about military strength, strategy or logistics.  God defeated them.  The only explanation for this disaster is spiritual and moral.  It has nothing to do with power and might.  From Israel’s perspective, defeat revealed moral disobedience and required immediate, corporate repentance.

The Hebrew word is even more revealing.  It is from the verb naga.  It means, “to be struck or marked” and is used many times to describe leprosy and plagues.  The question is much more emotional.  “Why has the LORD struck us and marked us as with a plague?”  This context makes it very clear.  The issue is personal and spiritual.

This question challenges all our assumptions about protection and power.  We spend time, effort and money in huge amounts to insure our safety from enemies.  But such a worldview is utterly foolish.  Our safety is never measured in terms of power and defenses.  It is measured in terms of moral obedience.  We will not be defeated by the modern equivalent of the Philistines.  God Almighty will defeat us because we have become blemished before Him.

Notice that this question also implies its opposite.  Our victories are not wrestled from the grip of the world by our own strength, cunning or expertise.  They are God’s gift.  God brings down and God lifts up.  The Philistines have nothing to do with it.

Are you living in a world that is entirely under God’s authority or have you decided to fight with your own efforts?  Do you understand the moral and spiritual context of your life is more important than any other activity?  Is your life irrelevant to everything else?

Get the right perspective.