Wouldn’t it be great if there were a secret weapon you could find that would guarantee victory over your enemies? This sort of talisman is often found in fiction – an ancient and powerful item that can bring its owner whatever he wants. These items even have the power of God Himself. This leads to a great irony, as when the Nazis in The Raiders of the Lost Ark believed that simply having the ark of the Lord God would require God to fight on their behalf against those who believed in God and followed Him. Sadly, this kind of thinking is not limited to films and books. Too often our view of God is that He is a tool to be called to our side to fulfill our will, not His. The Israelites in Samuel’s day had fallen for that lie; they believed that they could bring God out to fight their battles whenever they wanted. God was more like a lucky charm to them that the sovereign king of the universe. They learned that God would rather see His people defeated than to be reduced to good luck charm. Israel would learn this lesson when “The Ark is Lost” (1 Samuel 4:2-22).

I. Man Proposes
A. The Right Question
B. The Wrong Answer

II. God Disposes
A. Unexpected Result 
B. God-Honoring Result

III. God’s Judgment and Grace
A. God’s Judgment
B. God’s Grace

Questions for consideration: (1) In what ways have you (perhaps without sufficient thought) tried to put pressure on God to “come through” for you? (2) How do you react when events do not turn out as you had hoped? How does your view of the Lord affect your reaction? (3) Why do you think it could be the best thing for you to see the judgment of God? How is His judgment related to grace?