I Samuel 3-6

“And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant” (4:4).  These wicked priests “did not know the Lord and …despised the offering of the Lord” (v17).  They were thieves and adulterers, yet they went confidently out to battle, using God’s ark as magic protection.  They trusted in their identity as Israelite priests, not believing that the Creator was living, watching, and deeply concerned with their sin.  The Israelites lost, and the ark was captured.

Religious identity can’t save us.  God is a Person, and He calls us to know and follow Him with all our hearts.