Day 99, 8 April 2024

1) 1 Samuel 4 - 8

1 SAMUEL 4

1 (1Sa 7:12; 29:1) And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

The Ark of God Captured

And Israel went out to battle against the Philistines
and they made camp beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 The Philistines arrayed themselves in a battle line against Israel, and when
the battle was over, Israel was beaten before the Philistines, who struck
down on the field of battle about four thousand men.
3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said,
"Why has the Lord struck us today before the Philistines?
Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh to us,
that it might come among us and rescue us out of the hand of our enemies."
4 (2Sa 6:2; Ps 80:1) So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from
there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts, who dwells above the
cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there
with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 (Jos 6:5) When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp,
all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the ground was in an uproar.
6 When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said,
"What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?"
Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7 The Philistines were afraid, when they said, "God is come into the camp."
And they said, "Woe to us! For this has never happened to us before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods?
These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with every plague
in the wilderness.
9 (Jdg 13:1; 1Co 16:13) Be strong and be men, O Philistines, lest you be
servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Now be men and fight."
10 (Dt 28:25; 1Sa 4:2) So the Philistines fought and Israel was beaten.
And they fled every man into his tent. It was a very great defeat,
for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11 (1Sa 2:34; Ps 78:64) Now the ark of God was taken, and the two sons
of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

[1] And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against
the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines
pitched in Aphek.
[2] And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when
they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew
of the army in the field about four thousand men.
[3] And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said,
Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us
fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when
it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
[4] 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:
and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the
covenant of God.
[5] And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all
Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
[6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What
meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they
understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
[7] And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the
camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing
heretofore.
[8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods?
these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the
wilderness.
[9] 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.
[10] And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every
man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of
Israel thirty thousand footmen.
[11] And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, were slain.

12 (Jos 7:6; 2Sa 1:2) There ran a man of Benjamin from the battle line,
and he came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn
and with dust upon his head.
13 (1Sa 1:9; 4:18) When he came, Eli was sitting on a seat by the wayside
watching. For his heart feared for the ark of God. Now the man came
to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.
14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said,
"What does the noise of this tumult mean?"
And the man hurriedly came and told Eli.
15 (1Sa 3:2) Now Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes were dim,
so that he could not see.
16 (2Sa 1:4) The man said to Eli, "I am he that came out of the army,
and I fled today out of the battle line."
And he said, "What is the word, my son?"
17 The messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines,
and there also has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons
also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead. And the ark of God is taken."
18 (1Sa 4:13) When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell from off the seat
backward by the side of the gate. And his neck broke and he died,
for he was an old and heavy man. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant, about to give birth.
And when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken,
and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead,
she kneeled down and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.
20 (Ge 35:17-18) About the time of her death the women that stood
by her said to her, "Do not fear, for you have borne a son."
But she did not answer or regard it.
21 (Ps 26:8; Jer 2:11) She named the child Ichabod, saying,
"The glory is departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken,
and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 She said, "The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken."

[12] And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the
same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
[13] And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for
his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city,
and told it, all the city cried out.
[14] And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the
noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
[15] Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he
could not see.
[16] And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I
fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
[17] 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.
[18] And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he
fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake,
and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel
forty years.
[19] 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.
[20] And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto
her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did
she regard it.
[21] And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from
Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law
and her husband.
[22] And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is
taken.

[Remember not to leave an evil legacy]

1 SAMUEL 5

The Philistines and the Ark

1 (1Sa 4:1; 7:12) Now the Philistines took the ark of God,
and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 (Jdg 16:23; 1Ch 10:10) When the Philistines took the ark of God,
they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.
3 (Isa 19:1; 46:1-2; 46:7) When the Ashdodites arose early in the morning,
Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord.
And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.
4 (Mic 1:7; Jer 50:2) When they arose early on the next morning, again
Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord,
and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off
upon the threshold. Only the torso of Dagon was left to him.
5 (Zep 1:9) Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any coming
into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 (1Sa 5:11; Ex 9:3; Ps 32:4) But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon
the Ashdodites. He desolated them and struck them with tumors,
even Ashdod and its territories.
7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God
of Israel cannot remain with us. For His hand is heavy upon us and upon
Dagon our god."
8 So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them,
and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?"
And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried around
to Gath." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
9 (1Sa 5:6; Dt 2:15; 1Sa 7:13) It happened that after they had carried it
about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great
destruction. And He struck the men of the city, both small and great.
And tumors broke out on them.
10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
And it came about that as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites
cried out, saying, "They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel
to slay us and our people."
11 (1Sa 5:6; 5:8-9) So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the
Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go
again to His own place that He might not kill me and my people,"
for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city.
The hand of God was very heavy there.
12 (Ex 12:30) The men that did not die were plagued with the tumors.
And the cry of the city went up to heaven.