In the summer of 1981, a Hollywood film was released that originally was not expected to be a “blockbuster” but turned out to be the biggest money-maker for that year. It was so successful that it has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. as an official classic film worthy of special preservation for future generations! It spawned a series of sequels, and I understand that a further installment of that series is due to be released next year.
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” surely drew some of its thematic material from the biblical text that forms the basis for this Sunday’s sermon: 1 Samuel 4:1-22. The idea that the Ark of God represented the awesome power and holiness of God, and the reality that whatever happened to the Ark is a real historical mystery lent appeal to the film. The biblical story is much better than the film!
A “classic film” from a generation ago might be a summer evening’s escapist entertainment, but the Word of God is living and alive today and ready to change lives for all eternity. The imagination of a film script writer is no comparison to the inspiration of God’s Word.
The author of Samuel wrote the original “blockbuster” story thousands of years ago, and it is still read, cherished, and changing lives. Together let’s dig into the text this Sunday.