THE CALL TO RETURN (II): RETURN OF THE LOST ARK

BY PR DR JEREMY CHEW

“IF YOU RETURN TO THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART…

HE WILL DELIVER YOU…”

1 SAMUEL 7:3

The mobile app is not an invention of this century. The year was approximately 1104 B.C. Israel was constantly attacked by the Philistines. “Bring the ark of the covenant,” the Israelites said, thinking that if they brought the ark with them to the battle, it would save them from their enemies (1 Sam 4:3). To their shock and grief, not only did Israel lose the battle – they also lost the ark to the Philistines.

The Philistines were happy to add the ark to their pantheon of gods. “No harm having one more god at our disposal,” they probably thought to themselves. But the ark has a mind of its own and brought chaos to the Philistine cities (1 Sam 5). In the end the Philistines were more than eager to get rid of it and send the ark back to Israel.

The ark was returned to Israel, but they stored it away in Kiriath-jearim for 20 years. Although the lost ark had been returned, nothing had changed. The Philistines continued their attacks on Israel as before. Nothing was resolved. “Your problem is not the lost ark,” Samuel told the Israelites. “Your problem is the lost heart.”

“If you return to the LORD with all your heart,” Samuel said, “He will deliver you from the hands of the Philistines” (1 Sam 7:3). To “return” is to “repent,” to turn away from sin and turn towards God. To return “with all your heart” means it is an act of the will. In the Old Testament, the “heart” is the place where one’s decision is made.

1 Samuel 7:3 tells us that to return to the LORD decisively involves three things. First, we must remove the foreign gods - to put aside the things that are keeping us away from God. Second, we must direct our hearts to God. Finally, we must serve God only.

The mobile app is not an invention of this century. The people in the Old Testament were treating the ark like a mobile app - something at their fingertips when they need it. They thought that if they had access to the ark - where they wanted it, when they wanted it - they will be fine. They were wrong. God wanted their hearts. God wants our hearts today too. The pandemic has plagued us for two years and we are still not completely delivered. Perhaps this is a wakeup call for us to return to the LORD with all our heart.