There’s a saying that I hear often when I am reading through advice about preaching or pastoring: A mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew. If the pastor is a little off-base theologically, then the congregants will certainly struggle to find solid ground. If the preacher is not thorough in his preparation, then the people will be lost. Whatever the pastor’s condition is will most likely handicap the people.

In 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Israel is facing a battle. It may be a battle that they have started because they have set up camp at Ebenezer while it appears that the Philistines are fortified in a fortress which is the meaning of the word Aphek. The Israelites were told by Moses to not be afraid if it looks like the enemy has an advantage. God will fight for you. 

Deuteronomy 11:25
There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

However, they must have forgotten the rest of the words of Moses where he insisted that they love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and mind. They must have overlooked the fact that the demonstration of their love was to faithfully obey his word. 

Deuteronomy 11:8–9
Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

With Eli filling his belly and Hophni and Phinehas despising the Lord, there was no effective instruction of the word of God. The people were lacking instruction. They were lacking vision which is the revealed will of God communicated to them faithfully. Therefore, they were unhinged or as the verse in Proverbs says, perishing. If they ever needed faithful guidance, it was now, but Eli had discredited his position as the teacher of Israel. Hophni and Phinehas are as blind as the rest of the nation.

In the midst of their crisis, they do not consult the Lord. They do not research his word. They do what they think makes sense. Four thousand Israelites died in the last battle. The next course of action is to bring the ark of the covenant, representing the presence of God, into the camp. This will certainly be a morale booster for the army!

It did boost the morale so much so that the Philistines were intimidated for a moment by this new development. They at least could respect the stories of what the Lord had done to Egypt. The children of Israel sadly have reduced God to a token, a talisman that brings them fortunate results. Irrespective of his word, Israel believes they should have the victory. More Israelites die in the next battle than in the first and the ark of the covenant is taken by the Philistines as a trophy of war. 

How does this happen? This story hopes to point to the fact that the people need the word of the Lord to guide them.

Our nation is full of failed preaching. I have heard of pastors coming onto the platform on a motorcycle or zipline in order to create a cinematic moment. There have been other egregious patterns in the ministry of the word over the past decades. Our nation is facing a terrifying foe and the best resource they have is “I think” instead of “thus saith the Lord.”

The mist in the pulpit has led to fog in the pew. Our advanced society is arguably as superstitious as the Israelites in 1 Samuel 4. We may enjoy more enlightenment in the areas of science and advancements in technology, but without the truths of God’s Word to guide us, we place our hope in a good luck charm.

Our passion must be to hear the truth of the Word taught even when it convicts. Our passion must be to allow the Word of God to help us see current events from heavenly places, God’s vantage point. Only then will the fog clear and we will recognize the will of God in our lives. Samuel is growing in the knowledge of the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:19–20
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

Soon, Israel will have a faithful preacher of the truth. Samuel will not struggle with dimness or darkness. The truth of the scriptures will shine in his life and the nation will benefit from what the Lord directs Samuel to do.