The Philistines Capture the Ark
4:1 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. 2 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. 3 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.” 4 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.
5 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. 6 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, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
10 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. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
The Death of Eli
12 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. 13 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. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 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?” 17 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.” 18 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.
19 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. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 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. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” (ESV)
Well Im probably gonna post a blog today…stay tuned!
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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
It’s nice to see the Philistines fear the Lord! The Philistines were actually scared because they knew when the Lord was with the Israelites that they defeated the Egyptians which had a superior army. It’s sad to see the Israelites lose the ark of the covenant! It was a symbol that God was with them and inside the ark of the covenant was the Ten Commandments and other stuff that was sacred.
18 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.
well this definitley is an interesting way to die. Eli falls over from hearing bad news and breaks his neck and dies. it just makes it interesting. I remember listening to the radio like that 107.9 station and they were talking about like Matthew 4. I’m not sure but they were talking about how God chooses wheather you live or die. Jesus hadn’t eat for 40 days I think and when he is being tempted by Satan, Jesus said something about how the father can give life to him or something it was interesting.
This chapter paints the beautiful picture I so often am quick to ignore: everything happens for a reason. GOD’S reason, that is. God is in total control, and He has purpose in all that He allows to go down. No matter how crazy it seems to be…30,000 of His people die at battle? He’s GOT this. Disaster in Haiti strikes? He’s GOT this. Oh, there will be suffering along the way. But our suffering of and through trials proves our faith to be saving or junk. No matter how gruesome it gets, we already know HE WINS. So we mustn’t waiver in our faith. We must remain steadfast and faithful.
AMEN!
Notice how both the Philistines AND the Israelites treated the ark as a god. The Israelites thought that the man made box had power to conquer their enemies but God showed them, in a brutal and costly way, that He is God and expects us to do what He commands. Eli’s daughter-in-law saw the truth in her dying breath and called it out. God’s discipline was harsh and just. And just as John 20:31 says: these are written so that we will believe in the true God, have reconcilliation through Jesus and do what He says, we should too. If you’re trying to use God for your purposes, like the Israelites, get ready for righteous discipline, repent and trust in God! And do what He says! Lord, please come soon and find us ready when you come!
mmmm amen to that Mr. Hosford! God showed his glory by the death of Eli, his daughter-in-law, and his two sons.
3 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.”
At first glance it might not seem like a bad thing that the Israelites wanted to bring the ark of the covenant into battle with them to help them defeat the Philistines. But, the truth is that the elders were treating the ark, which was the focal point of God’s actual presence among His people, as a thing. They were treating this sacred object disrespectfully, using it to attain victory in battle. The Israelites had lost their sense of awe toward the ark, which was God’s holy presence among them. And look how God responded…the Israelites were defeated, 30,000 men died, including Hophni and Phineas, Eli’s sons. Then, Eli died upon hearing the news the ark had been captured, as well as Phineas’ wife. This passage shows that God is not pleased when we seek to use Him to get what we want. He is not some object we have that brings us good luck and works out all our problems the way we want them to work out. God is holy, He is mighty and He demands that we worship Him as such! 1 Sam. 4 is a powerful reminder that I must have a high view of God and treat Him with the honor, worship, and respect He demands.
Good morning!!!!
Verse 8 ” 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.”
Even these Philistines know that they cannot conquer the power of the GOD of Israel. They knew that nothing was more powerful than GOD and they were scared.
Our fear of GOD shouldn’t fear of death as the Philistines were but we should fear HIS power and fear that we are not with HIM. This fear (and love) is what keeps us close to GOD.
11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died
Thus the prophecy of the man of God in 1 Sam 2:34 was fulfilled.
” And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.”
The Bible is full of prophecy most of which is fulfilled in the life times of those that heard it. Thus it would be easy to see whether someone really was or was not a prophet. Real prophets of the LORD can predict the future. False prophets will inevitably say things that are wrong and that is how we know they are not speaking from God (Deuteronomy 18:22). This gives me tremendous confidence that the Bible is truly the word of God. Last night we were talking to some Mormon high schoolers who really knew the book of Mormon. They feel the book of Mormon has equal authority as the Bible. I asked them whether they considered the evidence behind the Bible, from history (manuscripts and archeological) and fulfilled prophecy compared to the book of Mormon. The Bible has a ton, the book of Mormon has little to none. They said that they don’t need evidence because they have faith. I tried to explain that God has not called us to have blind faith. He has given us the Bible complete with fulfilled prophecy to give us confidence in what we believe. God is totally in favor of us using our minds and weighing the evidence. Why should we believe Jesus was who he said he was and that death has been conqured for us? Because Jesus rose from the dead. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” I am so thankful that there is so much evidence for the Bible and that to be a Christian I don’t have to check my mind out at the door.
You told them the truth Dan Lauder, let’s see if God changes their hearts around! :)
I really like what Stacy wrote on her comment. God does have a plan for everything that happens! Even though this chapter seemed like so many things went wrong or wonder how the Lord could have let so many men die in the battle it is clearly because He had a plan and He needed to use what happened to punished Eli’s sons and Eli himself. God is always in control. When things are hard or temptation is before me I need to remember that everything that happens is Gods plan. Even when times are tough I need to remember that the Lord is molding and shaping who I am, and while He is doing that I need to stay away from sin and temptation.
I thought this passage was so cool because again they are talking about how powerful and mighty god is. Even just hearing his name is soo powerful in these versus! amazing.
3 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.”
Beth I really loved what you were saying! The Israelites were treating the valued ark of the covenant with such irreverence. Israel was at war against the Philistines, at at the start of the war, they started losing. Scared of losing the whole war, they decided to bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh to the area of their battle camp. In a way, they treated the ark of the covenant as merely a good luck charm! They had lost all care and reverence for it. In the times of Moses, the ark of the covenant was placed inside of the Tabernacle, a large tent. There was the main room, but then there was the special room inside of the other where the priest would go once a year to confess the sins of the people to God. And in the special place was the ark of the covenant, a dwelling place for God on earth. When the ark of the covenant was carried, poles were put underneath it and it was carried by all sides so that they wouldn’t directly touch the ark. They recognized that God came down to the ark as his dwelling place on earth, and so they revered it and treated it with the utmost care.
And as we find in the story in this chapter, the Israelites had lost their fear of the tabernacle, and lost their fear of God in totality. And this brought serious consequences. The army of Israel was slaughtered, losing 30,000 men, including the two sons of Eli, and were forced to retreat and flee. The consequences continued to the death of Phinehas’s wife and the death of Eli. And when we look at our world today, it is scary as we find that we have lost the fear of God in totality! People take the name of God and use it in vain, doing so flippantly without thinking much about it or caring in the slightest. People think that with God, they can just ask for whatever they want, and that is the furthest extent of the “relationship”. And even more sadly, is that many of these people call themselves Christians. Many who profess faith in Christ are talking just like the world, singing songs at church but curse words flowing out their mouth at school. And so many treat their “relationship” with God so casually.
God is Creator, for he has made all that is creation. God is holy, 100% perfect. God is omnipotent, all-powerful. God is sovereign, ruling over the world. God is omniscient, all-knowing. God is eternal, having no limits of time, and he is immutable, never changing in his divine character. And this is nowhere near enough to describe how truly awesome God is! Just this list alone of some of his characteristics should make everyone fall facedown in worship! And with the act of falling to our knees, we fear God! And this fear of God is so vital for our life. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Fearing God is one of the main bases in living a life with devotion to God. And while Christians don’t have to fear the judgment of God sending sinners to hell, having been saved through Jesus Christ, it is no excuse for the attitude our generation has. I need to fall facedown in awe and reverence of my King! I want to live my life so that it can be said of me, “he was a God-fearing man”, not that I may be glorified, but that I am recognized by my fear of God, which drives me to live a life of devotion for him!
Good to be back doing SOTD it’s been way too long. When the Ark was brought into camp it gave the Israelites such hope and confidence and it made their enemies tremble with fear. It was such a
hope to the Israelites in a time of despair. This really goes with my favorite verse Psalm 23:4 which talks about how we should not fear for God is with us and this is a perfect example where the Israelites showed courage when the Ark was with them.
God bless, Matt Rex
3 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.”
The Israelites really lost their trust in the Lord in this chapter. After a defeat, they decided to, as Beth and Steffen said, take the sacred Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, hoping that it would some how “save” them. First of all, they questioned God’s reasoning, not trusting that his plan is perfect. Secondly, instead of praying for God to help them in the next war, and that HIS will be done, they took things into their own hands and just decided that a thing, the Ark of the Covenant could save them. As a result, God allowed them to lose the battle, or rather, be crushed in battle, and lose the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelites really didn’t have a fear of the Lord at this time. I need to make sure I keep my trust in God that he knows what is right for my life, not trying to forcefully get my way in things, straying away from his path for me. I also need to make sure that I really have fear in the Lord, because it is so important, and is a crucial part of the foundation of being fully devoted to him.
MARANATHA!!!!
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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.
The Philistines were afraid of the ark of he covenant because they knew about the Israelite’s “god” and His power. I think that modern day Christians have something to learn from the Philistines. We Have lost what it truley means to FEAR God…I think that I need to start thinking about many of God’s terriying atributes so that I will remember the God I’m serving.
tsktsktsk, pooooor Israelites. Their sin brought them down to shame, killing 30,000 men…30,000!!! That is A LOT! That’s more than the War in Iraq and Afghan put together! ANd America complains about that…think of how awful all the people felt in Shiloh!!! There was a lot of mourning I’m sure!…It made me think of how I should mourn over my sin. My sin is hated completely by God, COMPLETELY and I know sometimes I don’t think it’s a big deal. In the long run, it’s a HUGE deal. It makes God angry and sad and I need to think about that the next time I have that choice of sinning or not sinning. Like Bobby said in his message, I can’t just let sin “take over me”, that’s retarded. I have the power of God on my side!! God is in control and He will live with His children and never forsake them. :) MARANATHA!!!!
3 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.”
The Israelites were very mistaken in this passage. They all thought that the ark of the covenant would save them when really the only one that could save them was and is God. They decided that they would handle it even though they should have prayed and let God handle it. Sometimes i get caught up in things and think i can handle them myself. When really im completely wrong. And God will usually do something to remind me that i can not do anything alone. God should be the only one controlling your life. We need to lean on him when trials come and pray that he will help give us a way out. And since were Gods children we will always be taken care of. :)
Well, this was a big surprise…
The Israelites were defeated, and not only that, the ark of the covenant was taken.
Now, hypothetically I can imagine in my life something bad happening (maybe someone stole my wallet or my future nice car which I don’t have yet). In order to be in the shoes of the Israelites, I might question God in that situation. “Why did you let that person steal your car, God? Everything is yours, I thought your favor was upon me your son?” Now obviously, at this time, according to God’s will, the favor was not on the Israelites (I would presume). I am not completely sure on the reason for this, but I am always up for a comment explaining the reason. And if there is no obvious reason then I leave it to be a part of God’s perfect plan, which I have no place at all in questioning.
Just for the sake of noticing (doesn’t have anything to do with application or practical use) I realized that the initial defeat of the Israelites makes this for a very exciting novel. I haven’t ever read 1 Samuel, but I’m thinking this dramatic defeat is going to turn into a come-from-behind victory. I’ll find out tomorrow :)
I am praying for Street Cred—I don’t want to be a hypocrite ever! Great sermon by the way Pastor Bobby!
Spencer, if you remember the previous chapters, we find that God was not pleased with the sin of ELi’s sons. And, judging by the pattern of sin that Israel always fell into, this was not just an issue with them, but with all of Israel. So God was willing to let the symbol of His presence fall into the hands of those who hated Him rather than allow the Israelites to think that He was okay with their way of life.
Good point! Thanks Mike!
11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
God was willing to let His ark fall into the hands of the enemy rather than let Israel continue on in sin thinking it was okay. They did not take their sin seriously, but He did, and so He ensured that all Israel would know that He was not with them. God is willing to do whatever it takes to make His people stop sinning. Sometimes that means letting them continue on in their sin and feel the consequences, and sometimes that means bringing swift punishment. Even today, he works in much the same way. God will not let sin go unpunished, so I need to be resolved to stay far away from it, instead living in obedience and fear of Judgement that leads me to stand all the more strongly against sin.
I wrote and posted this on the DBR a day or so ago and was asked to post it on the SOTD as well. Hope that you enjoy it.
Saving Grace
01-20-10
I was a creature of darkness, sightless by sin.
Blind to the wrath my death would begin,
But from my night came a promise of light.
A dawning of grace at the far edge of sight.
A rising of hope in the light of His Holy way,
A sharing of Joy in the truth of His Holy Day.
nice
3 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.”
It’s sad how the Israelites treat the ark of the covenant like a good luck charm and because of that, they end up losing even more men and the ark itself to the Philistines. They felt that God’s presence was not among them, but instead of calling out to God they tried to do things their own way without consulting Him. This just reminds me that we can’t be successful in anything without God. If we are trying to do ministry but are not depending on His power it will fail. The Israelites’ example help me remember that I can’t try to live a Christian life if I am not calling out to God in prayer daily and depending on Him to guide me. If I don’t I will just be living for myself and hypocritically calling myself a Christian. Instead, I need to be praying to Him everyday and asking Him to lead me where He wants me to go instead of just going my own way and still saying that I am following God.
11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died
Another one of God’s prophecies come true. Both of the brothers dies on the same day. God is faithful to whatever promise He makes true for both good and bad. This should give us joy that God has promised to return and none has His promises have not happened so far. We should have joy in the Lord and His promises.
11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died
I agree with Chelsea!!!! Great post!!!! It is so cool to see that God is faithful!!! We can see from this Chapter that God is perfect and trustworthy!! If he says something is going to happen it will happen. I am so glad to serve a God who is trustworthy!!!!
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
Even the Philistines were afraid of God. They know that He had so much power and they could sense His presence that He came into the camp. They were unbelievers but they were still afraid of the Lord. The last part really struck me. when they said “woe us nothing like this has happened before” Even though they didn’t believe in Him, they knew that they were going to be doomed. As a believer I have to have theophobia! I read this great quote from The Practice of Godliness- “It is impossible to be devoted to God if one’s heart is not filled with the far of God. It is this profound sense of veneration adn honor, reverence, and awe,that draws forth from our hearts the worship and adoration that characterizes true devotion to God.” I never want to forget to not only love God but fear Him.
And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.”
It is important for us Christians to fear God so that others may fear him too. The Philistines were not followers of God but they still trembled knowing that his presence was in the camp. This reminds me of Revelation when it talks about every knee bowing and every tongue proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, and that everyone on earth will have learned how to fear God. God is so holy and always in control, therefore I will make sure to always fear him, not just out of respect, but because (especially after having read the chapter of Revelation) I fear what he can do.
We can never fight a battle without God that is why they when to go get the ark because God was allways with the ark.
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
Fear of the Lord is so important, and its good that the Philistines had that fear! God is so powerful and perfect, and his wrath is huge! Since they are non-Christians, its definitely motivating that unbelievers fear God! As a Christian, I need to evaluate my life and make sure that I fear God and not men! Because its more important to fear the one who determines where you go for eternity than to fear those who cannot destroy body or soul in hell!
God is always in control of my life and always there for me
when i need him.
amen!
3 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.”
10 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.
The Israelites wanted to use the ark as a good luck charm, but God showed in this passage that he is in control! Despite the human efforts to bring the victory to the Israelites, God had ordained the Philistines to win and capture the ark. I’m reminded of Job 42:2, ” “I know that you [God] can do all things. and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” He is in control! Despite man’s foolish attempt to manipulate, no plan of the Lord can be thwarted. Rather than being the foolish man who tries to manipulate, I need to always remember that God is in control and is perfectly trustworthy.
3 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.”
here the israelites were trusting not in God, but in an ark. now the ark isnt a bad thing, but the israelites should have known to trust in God, not the ark. they didnt trust in God to deliver them, but thought that it was the ark that could help them. but the Bible teaches us that God is the One who helps us, delivers us, and saves us. in my life, i need to not rely on anything but God. i am tempted to rely on my own understanding or knowledge, or on something like money, but really it is God who will provide. please Lord help me learn from this verse and trust in You! i know that it is by Your grace that i am able to live, so please help me to trust in You!
21 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. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
This is a great reaction. This woman was so distraught over the ark of the covenant being captured that she did not even notice that she had a son. She truly cared about the LORD. I need to have this kind of devotion to GOD.
ELLO…
I am not quite sure which verse I liked best. All I can tell is that GOD was true to what HE said HE would do as HE always is. The LORD said HE would punish Eli and his sons. The LORD will always do what HE says either good or bad for us HE will do it. GOD will come and HE will do everything HE said HE would do including judgment rapture and everything HE said. GOD is always true to what HE says HE will never lie.
CYA
1 Samuel 4:10 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. 1 Samuel 4:11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Epic sadness! Israel was defeated and the ark of God captured! What a bad day the Israelites were having, but it is all in God’s master plan for the benefit of His glory. This was a severe tragedy for Israel yet it would eventually be used to bring glory to God.
How many “awful” things do we experience in life? Most of them aren’t a 30,000 people mass slaughter by the big bad enemy. Yet we get flustered over the little things in life. God uses the good and bad things in our life’s to bring Him glory, and thats how it should be. He is our creator and sustainer, the maker of the universe who is in control of all things.
If I trust God in the little things in my life, like waking up every morning, deciding on a college, then I will have a willing heart to be used in anything to bring God glory. This is the only thing important on this world, to spread God’s word, and to bring Him glory.
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
I think its great that the Philistines had fear of God and they weren’t even christians. It reminds me that i need to fear God and not men beause God is the one determining my future whether it be in Heaven or hell. He is the one who has complete control of my body and soul. I think its also great that the Philistines are pondering on the power of God and everything he has done, praises and punishments, and wondering how they could fulfill Gods wonders.
MARANATHA!!!
5 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.
Wow! This really stood out… it makes me think of the song “Praise to Jesus Christ” when we all sing “Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King” and everyone SHOUTS– can we make the earth resound? God deserves ALL the glory, people shouldn’t be able to ignore how loudly we shout! This is motivating me to have “street cred!!” Can’t waittt for the rest of this series!
8 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.
This is a magnificent demonstration of God’s mighty power!! The ark of God being taken killed him; not even the message of the loss of his two sons!! It’s amazing seeing how God’s plan unfolds in our lives, I was thinking about it the yesterday when trying to remember how I met Jasmine Wonton!! If I had not met a certain someone in my math class, I would not have had anything in common with Jasmine that day I spoke to her when evangelizing. If I had not met Jasmine, I probably would not have been friends with her now, therefore meaning that I would not have had prayer time with her yesterday!! God is so amazing!! :D
Every thing that happens happens for a reason. Here, the capture of the ark of God seemed devastating, but what they don’t know. is that God has a plan. So many times in my life and in the bible God uses what we see as bad for good. Whether it is a trial or anything, God uses it for good. I pray that we all would realize that God has a plan for us all and that we would trust in his sovereign plan with all of our hearts.
I saw this movie today called To Save A Life (which by the way…everyone should see. Best movie ever and it has the gospel in it) and it was talking about this new Christian guy who had everything in his life going wrong. HIs pastor told him that the Christian walk is not going to be easy, but God does things for a special reason. We may not know that reason, but he does. I need to work on trusting God more and not worrying about things. What can I do by worrying? God holds the master plan in his hand, and I need to realize that. It is especially hard when God takes things away, but I need to sit back and trust him fully with everything, knowing he knows the master plan.
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
So the Philistines know that there is a God(well they say gods, but they get that theres a god :/) And He is the all powerful and the ONE and ONLY God! God is mighty and is great! He has all things in His command and can do what ever He wants wheneve He wants! What a grat God we serve! Praise the LORD!!!
Today in really cold Nebraska it snowed(like actually snow coming from the sky, there was already snow on the ground when I came but today I actually got to see the snow fall down!) It was sooo beautiful and delicate and peaceful! God is such an artist! What a mighty and great God we serve! May all those here(in NE) and there(CA) and everywhere, see what God has made and know that God is God! Praise the LORD!!! :]
***OUR GOD IS ALL WE NEED! SO LET US PRAISE THE KING!!!***
11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Like many others have commented, this verse stood out because it confirmed (no surprise) what God had already said would happen, which is more great encouragement that the word of the Lord is truth. But this verse is also an example of how the effects of sin usually aren’t isolated to the sinner; often our sin has consequences for others around us. I want to to always keep that in mind. My sin isn’t in some kind of vacuum; it ripples out, affecting people and areas of my life I might not even anticipate. What I can anticipate is that sin always has a consequence. Always. And even though I’m extremely thankful for Jesus paying the price for my sins, I still need to remember that my sins will have consequences. Even more reason to fight hard against sin.
18 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.
This is how we should respond when we hear God’s Word being trashed! Not really, that would be terrible but we still should feel as bad as Eli did!! We shouldn’t ignore or thinks it’s okay to hear people talk about God’s Word falsely. I know i need to take a stand and say something back to the person that hurt God!
3 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.”
We can’t question God on why he allows certain things to happen. The Israelites were not pleased with the way things turned out and so they tried taking control of things their own way. This reminds me that I need to always trust God and remember his sovereignty. It’s so easy to think that we know better but how foolish is that! If God wants something to happen, it will happen whether we want it to or not. I would rather have the kind of attitude that sides with Christ at all times, remembering he loves me and has a perfect plan.
in this chapter, eli and his sons all die on the same day, this is no coincedence, God planned this to happen
c u all later
5 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. 6 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, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
Now this is the kind of street cred we should have as Christians. Leeeegitt
18 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.
Wow that is intense. Eli’s neck broke just because he was told that the Ark was stolen by the enemy! That just goes to show that the Ark was that important to him, and God was mad that he lost it. God’s power is shown here, and it’s very scary. Just at the mention of this, he instantly died. That is intense! I do not want to be on the bad side of God’s power!
I read…
In this chapter, we see that God does not mess around. When He makes a prophecy, it happens. Hophni and Phineas we Eli’s two sons. When the Lord saw their wickedness, He said He would strike them down and it happened.
This chapter also tied into this weekend’s message because God let the Ark be taken because He would rather live with sinful people than those who profess to be saved, but are hypocrites. This makes me even strive more not to be a hypocrite so that God will not depart from me.
Have a GREAT week everyone :)
16 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?”
:) this passage really reminds me of pastor bobby’s message today but its kindaa stretching it so BEAR WITH ME! :)
As Christians we are called to be in constant battle fighting the good fight. imagine what cowards we would be standing before God when He asks “How did it go my son?” and we reply “I fled from the battle…”
thats all i have to say just think about it… :) God Bless!<333
God is soo gratefully and powerful that when people hear that the ark of god as been captured tget dropped down a dyed cause the word of god us so powerful that we need to be afraid of him cause he can do whatever he wants.
So THIS is where God’s promise came to be fulfilled.
Hophni, Phinehas, and Eli all died and Israel is now in great peril.
God is punishing Israel for their sins, and He isn’t holding back.
30,000 men! Oh my goodness!
Israel can’t continue living their sinful lives.
God has His reasoning for everything He does.
So, like everything else, He has a purpose for this.
It’s all part of His ultimate plan.
No matter how bad things seem, you always have to be sure, it’s for a better, higher purpose.
Ah I love 1 Samuel!!
Verse 8 points out of how the Philistines were shivering in fear because they knew that the Israelites had the LORD God on their side!!! They knew what God had done to the Egyptians!!! It goes to show how much God’s power can affect someone’s thoughts!!! God’s power is mindboggling and uncomprehendable to the greatest degree!! No one can even come close to describe the power of the Almighty God!!!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
8 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.
Our God is so powerful! Even these men knew the things He could do and had done before. They were fearful of what may happen to them because of the Israelite’s ‘god’s’ power . Too many people get too comfortable at the thought of God and treat him as their friend and ‘homie.’ We must not forget that above all, God has to power to do anything! He is so mighty and to him, we are nothing in comparison. This should develop a fear in us and I’m praying that I would always look to my God as the omnipotent and unlimited ruler of all.
3 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.”
Isreal was trusting in the ark and not God. We must trust solely on God to be victorious over sin and victorious in evangelism. We must trust in God to do anything. Sometimes I fail to remember that God holds us together, literally. Laminins- http://csa19th.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/lammmm11.jpg -hold our cells together. Take a look of the picture; its a cross! Was this by accident or design? I surely think God made it this way to show us that without the cross of Jesus we would be dead in our sin.
What a sad chapter. I agree with Beth’s point about not treating God or His power as a “good luck charm.” Just as the Israelites should not have brought the ark into battle for “luck,” we shouldn’t repeat “lucky” or rote prayers, or lose our fear of the Lord. We should be afraid and treat God with awe…after all, He is our maker, our judge, and our savior. He is all powerful and all knowing…amazing.
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
We can see that even non-Christians have fear of our LORD. The Philistines knew that our God was the one that plauged the Egyptians and they feared Him. If people who are not followers of God fear Him, then we should fear Him more then any for we truely know of His power. We need to make God the one we focus on most and they one we show the most devotion to. We need to surround ourselves with Him and make sure He is the center of our lives.
3 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.”
This verse showed that the Israelites treated the ark of the covenant poorly and treat it like a God and a charm. They were shocked about the Lord’s reaction and they ended up loosing men and eventually the ark of the covenant to the Philistines. They felt that God’s presence was not with them. We can only be successful with God no matter what.
These verses are retty shocking and super intense how everyone basically is dying because they messed with the covanent and were greedy and wanted God to help them and them thinking that by stealing the covanent wud make it better was just really really dum on their part. But it teaches lessons for people in the future so everything that happens does have a purpose in some way:)
10 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.
33,000 dead. Israel, while they were God’s chosen people, met defeat as they battled the Philistines. Bringing the Ark as a “good luck charm” could not help either. God showed His sovereignty in the battle this day. Allowing death to happen is always such a clear reminder of who is truly in control of life. Sometimes the objective truth of God’s sovereignty becomes something abstract until I personalize it and realize He is fully in control of my life. While God’s sovereignty is a theological concept, it should cause us to see our dependence on Him and our lives should be changed.
This is such an amazing chapter! I really like the whole book itself. Everything in this chapter left me with my mouth agape (idk if thats how you spell it…?). But ya… awesome chapter, awesome book, awesome God :)
10 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. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
In the culture back then, if one nation beat another nation they thought it meant that their gods were better than the gods of the nation they conquered. In this story, the Philistines would have thought they had not only defeated the Israelites but they had also defeated the Israelites God. I mean, the ark of the covenant was even there and the Philistines still won. In the coming chapters the Philistines realize how wrong they are. In the OT God often used other nations to punish Israel when they were not following his commands. Like Beth said, just brining the ark of the covenant in was not just a good luck charm. God doesn’t work that way. He demands obedience. Hophni and Phinehas were very disobedient and Eli knew they were disobedient but did nothing to stop them. So they died. I want to make sure that I am not like Hophni and Phinehas. I want to obey God in all that he says.
These verses show how even the Philistines felt the power and presence of the LORD around them. Their fear when the ark was broight there was so great. The ark meant so much to the Hebrews and the Philistines knew it kept them connected with God. The Hebrews fought so hard for the ark to keep their connection with God. Thats how we should feel. Fighting through all the temptations and spiritual battles to keep our relationship with God.
8 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.
God has got Street Cred!
I find it extremely interesting how the Phillistines heard about what God did to the Egyptians with the plagues. They know of God’s power. This verse shows how even the pagan Phillistines feared God and what His power can do. I cant wait to read the rest of this story!
TRUE THAT!
“The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
This quote for me was a little sad because it was as if christianity had been crushed because the entire ark of God was still crushed. Like Bobby was saying that each of us are here to represent God and even if some are proven hypocrites we will always have God to prove them wrong. Now because all those believers and followers were defeated its only losing a battle out of the war because God still exists. At this point Israel is at a low point and think that our God is not as good as the Philistines’ but in reality he is still there waiting for his followers to once again rejoice.
I did enjoy however how all the Israelites were willing to put their lives on the line especially Hophni and Phinehas
I just want to first of all praise God!!!! We are such wretched human beings, yet He showers us with grace and mercy. Prasie be to the Lord.
I also want to prasie God for putting prophecies into the Bible and not only just prophecies, ones that actually came true!!!! This is such an awsome thing to see that the Bible is 100% true and reliable!!!
Lord live in me and may i grow closer to you in devotion daily,while killing the sinful desires of my flesh!!!
This chapter speaks to me about the hardships the Israelites have endured yet they have survived all these years of many people hating them and warring against them constantly. After the thousands of years the Israelites have survived because they have trusted in God. God is on the Israelites side so who can be against them.
I liked that when the Israelites came into the philistine camp they could feel the presence of God so strongly, that it caused them to tremble with fear. Our God is so powerful!!!
5 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.
The Israelites got pumped up when the ark arrived. They were putting all of their hope in an object. And then they failed epically in battle. We as Christians need to be getting pumped about JESUS!!! If we put our faith in him he will never fail us. So lets get pumped about sharing the gospel and for Revival WE so that we can boost our street cred!
Oh and props to Luke for his spreading street cred at Mission!!!!
8 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. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
The Philistines dont even realize who they are talking about!!! This is the Creator of the Universe, the Most High, who has entered their camp! They think it just some other gods, but this is THE God! the ONLY GOD! Like the Philistines are afraid, those who dont have Jesus Christ as their Savior, should be afraid of the wrath of God! Lord I pray that you would save people, and use me to help bring people into your kingdom, so that they dont have to fear your wrath!
8 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.
Great verse! The Philistines werent even christians and they feared the Lord. This shows me that i must remember to always fear the Lord and not men. I used to fear people and what they thought of me but i realized i focus on living for God and living out my faith. Now i pray that i will get persecuted because that makes me stronger as a Christian. GOd is so powerful and mighty (Romans 11:33) He has my life under control and there is no reason to fear man because i am in Gods hands! This verse also gets me excited about the Day when Jesus returns, all the Christians and non-christians (like the philistines) will fear the Lord and fear his power might! What a great day that will be (:
AMEN!!! way to reference Romans (: Reading that daily is making such an impact in my life! (:
I am so encouraged by you and having you in my life!
I like this because it shows us that when God says he is going to do something he’s gonna do it, and that no matter what we need to keep our faith and believe
Hey Josh! Great to see you commenting on here! Hope to see you at small groups this Wednesday! We are back!
8 ” 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.”
so…the Philistines see the ark and are afraid of God and his power…I wonder, do we even have the same fear of God as the Philistines. Do we even comprehend God’s power…I know that we are saved, but God’s power is an awesome thing…and I don’t mean something just cool…I mean something that makes you go AWWWWW or AHHHHHHH…..There are two sides of our view on God’s power…the first is the “I don’t want to go against Him, cause He has the power to crush me” view….and the other is the “I am confident in God and His power, for He is with me” view…we need to hold both of these views…let’s remember our God is an All Consuming Fire!
It is encouraging and scary to know that the Lord carries out his plans, and fulfills EVERYTHING he has set out to do. This shows me that can trust in Him, for he is faithful to keep his promises wether good or bad. i have been reminded lately that it is very important to fear the Lord. He is all powerful and mighty. This is so encouraging to me because i am a daughter of this mighty king, and i rest in the palm of his hands, i am his. There is nothing that will take me away from him, and i want to glorify him with everything that i do.
Lord forgive me for i am the worst of sinners. I love you Lord and am so excited to be in your presence one day!
(:
The fear of God is SO important! If you read the second chapter of “The Practice of Godliness” i’m sure you remember that fear of God is the same as having awe and reverence for Him! Awesome comment!
10 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.
I really like what Joy said about this verse. God caused death to the Israelites first because of him saying he would to Eli previously, but also becuase they treated the ark of the covenant, which was supposed to be holy and God’s presence among the Israelites, like a thing and without respect and fear. They didn’t fear God and he punished them. God is in complete control of my life and I want to live and please him with my life and not forget who he is and how powerful and holy and awesome God is!
I really love how in this whole chapter we see how in control God really is, that He has His plans set out and He know’s what is going to happen next and what will happen in the end result with this battle! God works out everything and He has this whole thing in His hands! It’s must of been such an encouragement to know this! I know this is such an encouragement for me, to know that I can fully trust and rely on God in all the battles in my life and just in the basic “future”! We have such an awesome God!
10 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. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
And people say the Bible is boring! this single passage itself was full of suspense, violence, and war. It is amazing to think that all these occurences which happened thousands of years ago were recorded and now we can read them today and see the big picture, what God had meant by each thing and we can better understand His ways.
3 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.”
10 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.
Katie, I loved your comment, that same Job verse came to my mind too! God is sovereign, reigning over mans efforts to cause his will to happen. I need to remember this and never place too much weight in my own plans, not working to manipulate or force things to work out to my ends, but giving all my plans to God asking that his will be done.
7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 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.
I would like to imagine myself standing outside when all of a sudden my Lord Jesus Christ appears right in front of me. I am pretty sure I would go blind and probably fall into a coma. Christ is so powerful!!!! Like Allen said even the non Christians are still afraid of God. If there is anyone that is afraid of God it should really be the Christians!!! We should be theophobes!!!! The fear of the Lord is judgment!!!!
I agree with many of you that this chapter is a great example of the fact that what God says will happen. He is sovereign and in control and when he says that Eli and his sons will die that is what happens.
But I also notice the Philistines being ready to fight like men. Even though these are pagan men who don’t worship God they understand stepping up like men and fighting. Tonight I am praying for the young men in our youth group…that they will step up and be men. And after our sermon this weekend I am praying that all of us will strike back against sin!
6 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, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
Even the Godless Philistines fear God. God’s might isn’t something to be taken lightly, God is the Creator of the Universe and we should FEAR Him. Not just have a reverence, but FEAR. If the Philistines who did not know God had it, how much more should we?
Sorry this is so short. Internet is down at my house and we have no wireless. I’m with Shane on this one. To fear god is a big key to being a christian. It interprets how high your view of god is. We need tokeep the highest view of god possible because god is flawless! He is omnipotent and we couldn’t come even close to knowing him without Jesus death. I’m thankful that jesus paid it all and I can’t wait to be with god in heaven!!! Maranatha!!!!!!!!
1 Samuel 4
3 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.”
How sad to see that the Israel people had put their hope and faith in a symbol. God cannot be contained in a box and used as a lucky charm. Their faith was in the Ark of the Covenant and its power to bring them victory and not in God who is uncontainable. God knew the hearts of the people in Israel and gave them up to the philistines. Let this be a lesson to us that we do not place our faith in symbols or idols but in the infinite power of God. What arrogance we see from the people of Israel who did not petition God’s will but only assumed victory thru His presence. Israel did not seek the wisdom of God and His will rather they relied on their own wisdom. So often we forget to seek the Lord’s will in our life and we think that we should follow our own understanding.
Psalm 78:58-62 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. 59 When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. 60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, 61 and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe. 62 He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.
Again, this whole chapter is showing God fulfilling His promises. Eli: dead. His sons: dead. I am again encouraged to really be praying about *everything* that God has promised us that has yet to happen.
It is amazing the see the fear of God these people had. They trembled at the thought of the ark. We need to have a high view of God also, so that we do not sin and we are guilted by it if we do.