Holy Hardware

The children of Israel had been routed in a battle against the Philistines. 4000 Israelite soldiers fell in the battle.

The army retreated and came to the elders asking, "Why had the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines?" (1 Sam 4:3a)

They asked the right question. They wanted to know the cause of their defeat.

"What have we done that God is fighting against us?"

Perhaps they were remembering the curses from the law of Moses.

But the solution that they devised showed that they didn't really want to make any changes.

"Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies" (v 3b).

The result was devastating. The ark was captured. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the High Priest Eli, were killed. When the obese Eli heard the news, he fell over backwards and died.

Phinehas' wife summed it up perfectly by naming her son born that day, Ichabod, for the glory of the LORD had departed from Israel.

Rather than examining their hearts, confessing sin, turning from sin and calling out to God for help, they wanted the holy hardware. They wanted a good-luck charm.

When God brings difficulties into our lives, we often inquire about God's plans.

But like the soldiers, we want a quick fix. We want something external to do, rather than changing our hearts.

Hang a cross on the wall. Go to church more often. Put more money in the offering. Read the Bible more. Pray more.

Those actions aren't inherently bad. They may help us understand God's plan.

But they aren't the solution. They aren't what God wants.

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Ps 51:16-17).

God wants your broken spirit, not a cross on the wall.

God wants your broken heart, not more money in the offering.

God wants your contrite heart, not your perfect attendance at church.

To what holy hardware are you clinging?

Is it possible to please God?

We are constantly doing things to make people like us.

A high school girl gets secret notes in her locker from that secret admirer.

A football player works hard at practice.

A new employee learns quickly, works late and gets the coffee.

A wife cooks her husband's favorite meal.

These are all good things to do, but so often our motivation is not to please the other person out of thankfulness, but to get something.

Unfortunately, we carry the same habit over into our relationship with God.

We say our prayers.

We confess our sins.

We are in church at least once a week.

We sing in the choir.

We pastor churches.

We drop a check into the offering.

We do good deeds.

Again, these are good things. But if we are doing them to make God like us more, so that He'll do what we want Him to do, we've got it all wrong.

If I do this, He'll answer my prayers.

If I do this, He'll let me into heaven.

All these activities are not what God desires.

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
You will not be pleased with a burnt offering." (Ps 51:16)

That seems like a rip-off, doesn't it? God commanded Israel to bring sacrifices and now we learn that those don't please Him.

What's up with that?

Read the next verse:

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Do you want to know what pleases God?

A broken spirit. Brokenness. Contrition.

The humble recognition of your sinfulness in the presence of a holy God.

The humble recognition of your impotence in the presence of an all-powerful God.

Not just an assent to these truths, but a recognition in every day life.

"Against You, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight," wrote David in verse 4 of this Psalm.

How often do we excuse our sins, rather than admitting our guilt before God?

A broken spirit does not do that. A person with a broken spirit confess his sins, which is an admission of guilt.

How often do we face the challenges of each day on our own and just come to God with the big problems?

A broken spirit does not do that. Instead he is calling out to God all day long for strength and wisdom for each task.

Want to please God?

Let your spirit be broken.