I suspect most of you have seen one or more of the Indiana Jones films starring Harrison Ford. In the films, Ford plays Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, a professor of archaeology who has numerous adventures wearing his famous fedora and wielding a whip. In the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, “Indy” tries to stop the Nazis, circa 1936, from digging up the Ark of the Covenant and potentially using its power against the Allies.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is an extremely fun movie, but is it based in any truth? We know the Nazis were desperate to gain power and advantage. We also know they had an interest in archaeology. But what about the Ark itself? Assuming it could be recovered, did the small chest have power? In the movie it sure does, but does the Bible say anything about the Ark of the Covenant emanating power?
As we continue our series through 1st and 2nd Samuel, next week we’re studying 1st Samuel 4:1b through 7:17. It’s a fascinating passage about the Ark of Covenant, when it was captured and what happened. This wild episode definitely includes a display of supernatural power. Just like the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, things don’t go well for people who try to harness the Ark for their own purposes. I encourage you to check it out ahead of time.
What we’ll talk about on the blog next week is how this dramatic passage might relate to us disciples of Jesus living in 2024. We’ll find it teaches an important lesson for all of us, a lesson about the power of God and being the people of God, that we can apply to our lives today.
Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 