1 Samuel 4:1-11
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN CAMP... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN CAMP... [ Continue Reading ]
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel, it was heard throughout the nation and served for the guidance of Israel, the people accepted it without question as the Word of Jehovah. NOW, ISRAEL WENT OUT AGAINST THE PHILISTINES, who at that time were their oppressors, TO BATTLE, AND PITCHED BESIDE EBE... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, the charge being made from both sides at the same time, ISRAEL WAS SMITTEN BEFORE THE PHILISTINES, they were worsted in the encounter; AND THEY SLEW OF THE ARMY, while the Israelites were trying to hold their li... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the people were come into the camp, in an orderly retreat, withdrawing their forces before the superior strength of the enemy, THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL SAID, WHEREFORE HATH THE LORD SMITTEN US TODAY BEFORE THE PHILISTINES? They felt that this was the only explanation of. their failure, for they... [ Continue Reading ]
So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from thence the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims, the very name intimating their hope that God would join their forces by this mere outward act on their part; for God had revealed Himself to Moses from t... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp, borne an the shoulders of the reprobate priests, ALL ISRAEL SHOUTED WITH A GREAT SHOUT, SO THAT THE EARTH RANG AGAIN, resounding and reverberating from the shouting of the army.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, the confident cry of victory, THEY SAID, WHAT MEANETH THE NOISE OF THIS GREAT SHOUT IN THE CAMP OF THE HEBREWS? AND THEY UNDERSTOOD, found out, THAT THE ARK OF THE LORD WAS COME INTO THE CAMP.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. Like all heathen, they had a superstitious fear of the supernatural, also of the deities of their enemies. Moreover, the Philistines feared the power of the God of the Israelites all the more, since the fame of His powerful d... [ Continue Reading ]
Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. As heathen they speak of the true God in the plural, and in their excitement they express a confused view. by combining the recollection of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you; quit yourselves like men and fight! A decisive victory on the part of Israel would have turned the tables and made the Philistines tributary, and the fear of such a continge... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Philistines fought, in a bitter attack; AND ISRAEL WAS SMITTEN, AND THEY FLED EVERY MAN INTO HIS TENT, back to his home. AND THERE WAS A VERY GREAT SLAUGHTER; FOR THERE FELL OF ISRAEL THIRTY THOUSAND FOOTMEN, a total of thirty thousand (for Israel had no cavalry).... [ Continue Reading ]
And the ark of God was taken, as a welcome prize; AND THE TWO SONS OF ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS, the guardians of the ark, WERE SLAIN. Thus the Lord gave His people evidence that He had indeed withdrawn His merciful presence from them, in spite of the fact that they had the ark in their camp. This is... [ Continue Reading ]
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, which was now in utter rout, AND CAME TO SHILOH THE SAME DAY WITH HIS CLOTHES RENT AND WITH EARTH UPON HIS HEAD, as signs of a sudden deep grief, in which the heart is rent with sorrow.... [ Continue Reading ]
Death of Eli and of his Daughter-In-Law... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching, straining his feeble eyes as much as their remaining strength permitted; FOR HIS HEART TREMBLED FOR THE ARK OF GOD, especially since it had been taken without divine permission, and he was its real guardian, responsible for it. AND W... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? The very sound of the cries filled him with grave forebodings. AND THE MAN CAME IN HASTILY AND TOLD ELI.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim that he could not see; they were set in the lifeless, motionless appearance found in the extremely old, just before total blindness ensues.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. He was in a position to give authentic news. AND HE SAID, WHAT IS THERE DONE, MY SON? What news is there? What happened?... [ Continue Reading ]
And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. The fugitive poured forth his news in four sharp sentences, every succeeding blo... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, all the other blows having been expected by Eli, THAT HE FELL FROM OFF THE SEAT BACKWARD BY THE SIDE OF THE GATE, evidently at the entrance to the court of the Tabernacle, AND HIS NECK BRAKE, AND HE DIED; FOR HE WAS AN OLD MAN AND HEAVY. I... [ Continue Reading ]
And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered; and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her, literally, "turned upon her in a sudden atta... [ Continue Reading ]
And about the time of her death, for her strength was not able to bear the blow, THE WOMEN THAT STOOD BY HER SAID UNTO HER, FEAR NOT; FOR THOU HAST BORN A SON, the message being intended to comfort and strengthen her. BUT SHE ANSWERED NOT, NEITHER DID SHE REGARD IT; she entirely ignored this informa... [ Continue Reading ]
And she named the child Ichabod (not-glory), SAYING, THE GLORY IS DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL, is carried into captivity, BECAUSE THE ARK OF GOD WAS TAKEN, AND BECAUSE OF HER FATHER-IN-LAW AND HER HUSBAND.... [ Continue Reading ]
And she said, repeating her complaint in a dull repetition, as though unable to grasp the magnitude of the horror which had come upon Israel, THE GLORY IS DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL; FOR THE ARK OF GOD IS TAKEN. "With the abandonment of the earthly throne of His glory the Lord seemed to have annulled His... [ Continue Reading ]