In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into 1 Samuel Chapter 4, exploring the dramatic events as Israel faces the Philistines. We dissect the spiritual implications of the Ark of the Covenant entering the battlefield and the subsequent disastrous consequences for Eli and his family. Through this narrative, we gain insight into the importance of aligning our lives with God’s intent, not just in times of crisis but every day.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Alan J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 07 :
Today brings us to 1 Samuel chapter 4, and we’ll listen in to the recording from Faith Comes by Hearing of 1 Samuel chapter 4. 1 Samuel 4
SPEAKER 04 :
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel. And when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.
SPEAKER 03 :
And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? 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.
SPEAKER 04 :
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean? And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, A God has come into the camp!
SPEAKER 05 :
And they said, Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before! Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you. Be men and fight.
SPEAKER 04 :
So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, What is this uproar? Then the man hurried and came and told Eli, Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, I am he who has come from the battle. I fled from the battle today. And he said, How did it go, my son?
SPEAKER 06 :
He who brought the news answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also. Hophni and Phinehas are dead. And the ark of God has been captured.
SPEAKER 04 :
As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death, the woman attending her said to her, Do not be afraid, for you have born a son. But she did not answer or pay attention, and she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel. because the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
SPEAKER 02 :
And she said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, in 1983, I wrote a simple statement once again. Eli’s sons killed by Philistines. The ark of the covenant is taken from them by Philistines. Eli falls over dead after news. I guess my journal entries as a 28-year-old were pretty straightforward and simple, weren’t they? But in 2007, after reading 1 Samuel chapter 4, I wrote, “…crying out to God in crisis. We stray from God. Then when a crisis comes, we want His help. He doesn’t show up and things get worse. So now we blame Him. God does not play on our terms. He plays on His.” We need to get on his page and stay there, not live the way we want, and then in crisis expect him to bail us out. And as we turn to the journal in 2002, I wrote that day, God is right all the time. Eli’s sons defaced God, his temple, and his laws. They would be punished as well as their father who permitted these things. Samuel’s prophecy comes true as Hophni and Phinehas die in battle and Eli, hearing the news, falls over dead as well. God does not need to tolerate sinful behavior. Is that part of the personality of God that you know? Most of us are New Testament Christians. We love the love of God, the forgiveness of God, the mercy of God. But my Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And this is part of his personality as well. Let’s go back to chapter 3, when the Lord wakes Samuel up that night, that young boy, and he spoke to him, and he said, And I declare to him, that I’m about to punish his house forever for the iniquity that he knew because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. I think as we spend more time in the scriptures, we will see that God is not a God of surprises. He tells us what he’s going to do, and he does it. He is a God who keeps his prophecies and his promises. To get a bit of a sense of the Ark of the Covenant, I’m going to read again from a footnote in my English Standard Version Study Bible. The Ark of the Covenant had been in the Temple of the Lord in Shiloh. Way back when, Moses was commanded by the Lord to put the tablets of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments, into the Ark. The Ark was the visible sign of the holy presence of the Lord. But it was more than just a sign, for the Ark was also the focal point of God’s actual presence among his people. So you can see why in the losing battle they wanted to have the presence of the Lord with them. And when they brought the ark into the camp, they shouted and they got all excited because the presence of the Lord was now with them. And yet the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. And in verse 18, we’re reminded as soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backwards. And the daughter-in-law screamed, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured. Well, we’re going to pick up the story of the Ark of the Covenant in the hands of the Philistines in the next couple of chapters. But let’s get back to the story of mom. On the day that I read chapter 4, I wrote in my journal, Shannon and Terry left a few minutes ago for North Carolina. I am broken hearted. I cry over Shannon, my little girl, leaving, moving away. I don’t want her to go. I gave her a blessing. She can leave me, but she cannot leave your presence. Even against her will, she will serve you, oh God. And then my wife Terry is now gone because she was going with Shannon. My wife, my support, my comfort, my love. At such a time with my mom teetering between life and death, and my daughter moving away, my wife is also gone. I only have three women in my life, and I have great pain over all of them right now. In my journal, I also write my prayers, and I wrote that day, Help my mom. I don’t know whether she should live or die, but you do. Just please don’t leave her lying in that bed in between. And bless Shannon. Keep her in the palm of your mighty hand. all the days of her life. Bless Terry as she helps Shannon’s transition. Sometimes life deals us a painful hand, doesn’t it? This chapter is pretty painful, and so were the circumstances of my life when I read it a few years ago. So if you’re in pain over some circumstance in your life right now, may I lift you up in prayer. Father, we pray. We pray for the painful circumstances that come in our lives, And we ask you to get us out of it. Help us, Lord. Israel is losing at the battlefield. Eli and his sons are now dead. My mom was teetering between life and death. My daughter and my wife were on the road to North Carolina. Life is painful, but you are a God of promises. So keep your promise to us. Keep us in the palm of your hand. Comfort us in our pain. In Jesus’ name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. I love passages like this because they impact my life. I don’t read for information. I read the Bible for transformation. In other words, I can read or listen to a scripture passage, like it, set it aside, and move on with my day. I got information. The Bible offers so much more. After I read the passage for information, I read it again for transformation. I want to personalize what I read, so I get out my daily Bible reading journal and record my thoughts from the passage. What did I read? What does it mean to me in my life right now? What do I need to do to apply it to my day, my week, my life? After I read the passage a second time and journal, then I pray. What I read ignites my prayer as I pray through the concepts of the passage. After that, I pray for other matters on my daily prayer list. If you want to watch me demonstrate my personal quiet time, visit EzraProject.net and watch the Quiet Time How-To Video. I know you will enjoy it.
