Israel Demands a King

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 8:1) And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

In the last chapter we were told that Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, so now that he was old and making his sons judges, they must have been under him, with him still judging as well.  He was used to doing circuits throughout Israel, so perhaps he stayed at his home base and let them do the traveling to other places.

(2) Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah, judges in Beersheba.

Samuel's firstborn son was Joel, and his second son was Abiah.  They were judges in Beersheba in the southern part of the land, whereas Samuel's home was in Ramah more to the north, so that is how they worked things out, with Samuel judging the north and his sons judging the south.

(3) And his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.

Samuel's sons did not walk in his righteous ways but went after monetary gain.  They took bribes and perverted justice.

(4) Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah, (5) And said to him, "Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

The elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel.  Because he was old and his sons did not walk in his ways, they said they wanted to have a king to rule over them like all the other nations had.  It's interesting that it doesn't occur to them that they might as easily have a corrupt king as they had corrupt judges in Joel and Abiah.

(6) But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

The people wanting a king to rule over them greatly displeased Samuel because the people were not content to be governed by God and the order He had set up, but wanted to be governed like the Gentiles were.  That meant they wanted a king to judge them rather than him.  Samuel prayed to the Lord.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote that Josephus the historian noted that "he could neither eat nor sleep, but watched all night, and spent it in prayer."

(7) And the Lord said to Samuel, "Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them."

The Lord told Samuel to listen to the people and do all they wanted him to do.  He acknowledged that the people had rejected Him that He should not reign over them, but they wanted a king instead to be like all the cool kids.  He assured Samuel that it was not about him personally as judge, but God's system of government and God Himself they rejected.

(8) "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day, with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods, so they also do to you."

This was no new thing for the Lord.  Ever since He had brought His people out of Egypt even to that very day, they were constantly forsaking Him and serving other gods.  So they now did to Samuel after he had served them his entire life since childhood.  As Jesus said in Matthew 10:24, the servant was not above his lord, meaning that if such things had been done to the Lord, Samuel could not expect to be treated better than the Lord.

(9) "Now therefore hearken to their voice. However, protest solemnly to them and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."

The Lord told Samuel to go ahead and listen to the people.  However, He wanted him to warn them about what they were asking for, how a king would rule over them.

(10) And Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king. (11) And he said, "This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen, and to run before his chariots."

Samuel told the people who had asked for a king all that the Lord had said.  Then he went on to tell them what to expect from a king.  He would take their sons and appoint them for his own use and service.  He would have them take care of his chariots and his horses and to be his running footmen.  Their sons would be unable to choose their own employment or have estates of their own.

(12) "And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots."

A king would appoint their sons to jobs in military service whether they wanted them or not.  He would make them plow his ground and reap his harvest.  He would make them make his instruments of war and instruments for his chariots, again whether they wanted that type of work or not.

(13) "And he will take your daughters as confectionaries, and cooks, and bakers."

A king would likewise take their daughters and make them serve him as perfumers, which is the meaning of the original word "raqqachah" that was translated as confectionaries, and as cooks and bakers. 

(14) "And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best of them, and give them to his servants. (15) And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants."

A king would take the best of their fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants.  He would impose a tax of one tenth of their seed, grapes, and olives, to give to his officers and servants.  That would be in addition to tithes to the Lord.

(16) "And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. (17) He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you will be his servants."

A king would take their menservants and maidservants, their finest young men, and their donkeys, and put them into his employ.  He would take a tenth of their livestock and make them work for him.  A king could take anyone or anything of the people's and use it for his service.

(18) "And you shall cry out in that day because of your king which you shall have chosen for you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

Samuel warned the people that they would eventually cry out to the Lord because of their king whom they had wanted, because of his power and oppression.  They would cry to the Lord, but He would not listen to them because He had given them what they wanted.

(19) Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, (20) That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

The people didn't care about the warnings Samuel gave them and told him they wanted a king anyway so they could be like all the other nations.  They wanted one king to judge them and to lead them and to fight their battles.  The last thing was one that Samuel could not do; he was not a military leader, but God had never failed to fight their battles for them or raise someone up who could lead them.

(21) And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. (22) And the Lord said to Samuel, "Hearken to their voice and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

Samuel listened to the words of the people and then relayed them to the Lord.  The Lord told Samuel to listen to the people and give them a king.  Let them have what they wanted and let them deal with the consequences.  We serve a most patient God!  Even though He did not approve of the people having a king and knew it was not the best thing for them, He allowed them to make their own choice and would go on to help them find the best possible king.  Then Samuel sent the men back to their homes.

Samuel Judges Israel

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 7:1) And the men of Kirjath Jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

In the last chapter, the Philistines sent back the ark of God because keeping it had caused them much death and destruction.  They sent it to Beth Shemesh, where the people were not careful in handling the ark as it should be handled according to the law, and the Lord struck down over 50,000 men.  The men of Beth Shemesh wanted to send the ark away because of all the destruction, and they sent messengers to Kirjath Jearim to have them come and fetch the ark, which they did.  They brought the ark to the house of a man called Abinadab, the one on a hill in Kirjath Jearim, distinguishing him from some other Abinadab.  This Abinadab appears to have been a man of great esteem for religion and righteousness, and he sanctified his son Eleazar to be in charge of the ark of the Lord, to watch over it and guard it from people touching it or using it irreverently.

(2) And it came to pass while the ark abode in Kirjath Jearim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

The ark of God had remained in Kirjath Jearim for twenty years up to this point.  The people lamented after the Lord, becoming sensible of their evil deeds and repenting of them.  They cried after God who had withdrawn from them.

(3) And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you do return to the Lord with all your hearts, put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts to the Lord, and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

Samuel now judged Israel, and he spoke to the people, telling them that if they truly were returning to the Lord with all their hearts, then they should put away the false gods from among them and also Ashtaroth who represented the female gods, destroying all their images and altars from among them.  They should direct their hearts to the Lord only and serve only Him, and then the Lord would deliver them out of the hand of the Philistines, under whose dominion they still were and had been for many years.

(4) Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only.

The Israelites indeed put away the Baals, the male gods, and Ashtaroth, the female gods, and they served the Lord God only.

(5) And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you to the Lord."

Samuel called for all the people to be gathered to Mizpeh on the borders of Judah and Benjamin, and he would pray to the Lord for them.

(6) And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

Samuel gathered the people to Mizpeh where they drew water and poured it out before the Lord, symbolic of the sincerity of their repentance, as they poured out their hearts in repentance, as water.  They acknowledged that they had sinned against the Lord, and they prayed and fasted.  Samuel judged them there at Mizpeh, listening to them, addressing grievances, and teaching them how to get reconciled with God.

(7) And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard, they were afraid of the Philistines. (8) And the children of Israel said to Samuel. "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines."

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered together at Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines gathered forces and went up against Israel in a surprise attack.  When the Israelites became aware of them, they were afraid and cried out to Samuel to continue praying to the Lord that He might save them from the Philistines.

(9) And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered a burnt offering wholly to the Lord, and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. 

Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered a burnt offering to the Lord, the whole lamb being burnt.  Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard his cries.

(10) And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and confused them, and they were struck down before Israel.

As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to the Israelites, but the Lord thundered with a great thunder upon them that confused them so that they were struck down before Israel.  The Israelites never had to engage in battle; the Lord Himself struck down the Philistines with His thunder and lightning.  This fulfilled a prophecy of Hannah's, Samuel's mother, in her song, "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them." (1 Samuel 2:10)

(11) And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and killed them until below Beth Car.

The Israelites then went out of Mizpeh and chased the remaining confused and terrified Philistines as far as below a place called Beth Car, killing them.

(12) Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, "To this point the Lord has helped us."

Then Samuel set a stone as a monument between Mizpeh and a place called Shen.  He called it Ebenezer, saying the Lord had helped them.  Ebenezer meant literally "stone of the help," and was the same place that the Israelites had pitched in 1 Samuel 4:1; there Samuel wrote that it was called Ebenezer even though it had not yet been named at that point.

(13) So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel, and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

The Philistines were subdued and no longer came inside the borders of Israel.  The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

(14) And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and their territory Israel delivered out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

All the cities from Ekron to Gath, at least all those between those two cities were restored to Israel.  Dr. John Gill wrote in his Exposition of the Bible, that if Israel had indeed taken back Ekron and Gath, "they were not long held by them, for we soon read of them as in the hands of others."  There was peace between Israel, and as "Josephus calls them the remnant of the Canaanites; these, finding the Philistines were subdued, were quiet and peaceable, and gave Israel no more trouble."

(15) And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. (16) And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.  He went in circuit every year to the cities of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel from those places where the people would come from all parts for advice and counsel.

(17) And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

After making his circuit, Samuel would return to Ramah where his house was.  As the last judge of Israel, he judged Israel there, at his home base, so to speak, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Philistines Return the Ark

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

(1 Samuel 5:1) And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

At the end of the last chapter, the Philistines had defeated the Israelites in battle, killing 34,000 men including Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas.  The Israelites had brought the ark of the covenant of God into battle thinking it would save them, but the ark was taken by the Philistines.  Eli died at news of the taking of the ark.  The Philistines took the ark from Ebenezer where the Israelites had camped to Ashdod, a principality of the Philistines.

(2) When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

The Philistines brought the ark of God into the house of Dagon, their god, and they set it beside Dagon, which was probably some carved statue or image.

(3) And when they of Ashdod arose early the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

The next morning when Philistines of Ashdod went into the house of Dagon, they found that he had fallen face down before the ark of the Lord, as if in reverence and adoration.  The people supposed Dagon had just accidentally fallen, and they put him back in his place.

(4) And when they arose early on the next morning, Dagon was fallen on 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 stump of Dagon was left to him.

When the people arose early on the morning after that, they not only found Dagon what would have been face down before the ark of the Lord, but his head and the palms of both his hands were cut off upon the threshold.  Only the stump of Dagon was left.  There was much symbology in this.  Obviously, both days Dagon had lain prostrate before the Lord, in submission to Him.  Additionally, the head is the seat of wisdom, and the hands are the instruments of action.  The false idol Dagon had neither the wisdom nor the strength to defend himself against the Israelite God.  Dagon was the fish god, said to have the head and arms of a human and the body of a fish.  His human parts had been cut off and all that remained was a fish.

(5) Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who came into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

Because Dagon's head and hands had been cut off on the threshold, the Philistine priests nor anyone who came into Dagon's house ever tread on the threshold to the day of Samuel's writing.  However, that didn't mean they never went into Dagon's house, but they would leap over the threshold.

(6) But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed them and struck them with hemorrhoids, Ashdod and the coasts of it.

The hand of the Lord was also heavy against the Philistines themselves.  He struck them with hemorrhoids, which the early Biblical historians said was very painful and bloody.  He destroyed them with either a severe case of hemorrhoids or some other calamity in addition to that.  He struck not only Ashdod, but the area around it.

(7) And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for His hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god."

The men of Ashdod who had not died understood that all that calamity was the doing of the God of Israel.  They said that the ark of God could no longer abide with them because they knew it was God who struck them and their god Dagon.  It's really interesting that they could plainly see that the Israelite God was greater than their god, yet they still clung to their weak fish god.

(8) They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to 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 about to Gath." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.

The people called all the lords of the Philistines to them and asked what they were to do with the ark of God.  The lords said that they should carry it to Gath which was another of their principalities.  They carried the ark about, which doesn't sound like they took it directly to Gath.  Perhaps they thought carrying it about would air out the disease that it seemed to contain.

(9) And it was so, 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 they had hemorrhoids in their secret parts.

The Philistines carried the ark about but presumably finally placed it in Gath where the hand of the Lord was mighty against that city.  He struck all the men of that city, both great and small, with hemorrhoids.

(10) Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, 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 us, to kill us and our people!"

Then the Philistines sent the ark of God to Ekron, another of the principalities of the Philistines.  Those people had heard what had happened before and were wise enough to know that it meant destruction for them, too.  It's interesting that the lords had not yet figured this out and were destroying all their principalities.

(11) 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 its own place, that it not kill us and our people," for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.

The people of Ekron sent for all the lords of the Philistines and asked that they send the ark of God away back to its own place so that it not kill all their people, for there had already been a deadly destruction throughout their city.  The hand of God had already been very heavy against them there.

(12) And the men who did not die were struck with the hemorrhoids, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

The men who did not die were struck with hemorrhoids, so that sounds as if they died from some other calamity God sent.  But the ones who did not die did not escape, as they were struck with hemorrhoids so terrible that the cry of the people went up to heaven.  Not that it would be regarded there, but it was that great and loud.

(1 Samuel 6:1) And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

It seems the Philistines moved the ark of God to the country where they thought He could not afflict so many people.  It stayed there seven months.

(2) And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we shall send it to its place."

The Philistine people called for their priests and diviners, asking what they should do with the ark of the Israelite God.  If they were to send it back to its place, how should they go about it?

(3) And they said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty, but in any way return Him a trespass offering; then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you."

The priests and diviners told the people that if they sent the ark back to Israel, they should not send it back empty but should return a trespass offering to God.  They thought by doing this, they would be healed.  It's interesting that the Philistines seemed to have some knowledge of the kinds of offerings made by the Israelites.  They were obviously after seven months still stricken with hemorrhoids, and once they sent the ark back to Israel, they would know that that was the reason they still had hemorrhoids, because the ark had not been returned.

(4) Then they said, "What trespass offering shall we return to Him?" They answered, "Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all and on your lords."

The people asked what kind of trespass offering they should send.  The priests and diviners told them they should send five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, five, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague afflicted both the people and the lords.  It was a custom in the ancient world that when a plague or some other calamity came upon a country, the magicians would form an image of the destroyer and set it up in some proper place that the evil represented by it might be driven away.  The golden hemorrhoids are understandable because of their affliction, but I do wonder what a golden hemorrhoid looked like.  However, they were a gift of gold.  But why five mice?  We have not been told about mice, but they surely were instrumental in bringing plague and death to the Philistines.

(5) "Therefore you shall make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your mice that mar the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you and from off your gods and from off your land."

The priests and diviners continued with their advice for the offering.  The people were to make images of hemorrhoids and mice that marred their land, giving us a hint that there had been a plague of mice.  They were to give glory to the God of Israel in hopes that He would remove His heavy hand from them, their gods, and their land.

(6) "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?"

The priests and diviners asked why the people would harden their hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh had done and not return the ark.  They reminded them that Pharaoh and the Egyptians finally did let God's people go after the Lord had performed awesome plagues and miracles among the Egyptians.  I believe their point was that eventually the people would be forced to give the ark back, but they could do it now and avoid more terrible plagues.

(7) "Now therefore make a new cart and take two milk cows on which there has come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them. (8) And take the ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold which you return Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side, and send it away that it may go."

They told the people to make a new cart and take two milk cows that had never had a yoke, take their calves from them, and tie them to the cart.  They were to place the ark of the Lord in the cart.  They were to put the jewels of gold that they made in a chest and place it beside the ark.  Then they were to send away the cows with the cart.

(9) "And see if it goes up by the way of its own coast to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."

The priests and diviners told the people that if the cows took the cart back to the Israelite borders to Beth Shemesh which was the nearest city within Israel from where the Philistines were then, then they would know that the Lord of Israel had done that great evil to them.  However, if the cows did not go that way, then they would know it had not been the Lord's doing, but just a coincidence that the calamity had come upon them.

(10) And the men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. (11) And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the chest with the mice of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.

The Philistines did as their priests and diviners had instructed.  They took two milk cows, took their calves away from them, and tied them to a cart.  They laid the ark of God in the cart and put a chest with gold mice and gold hemorrhoids beside it.

(12) And the cows took the straight way to the way of Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

One would think that the cows might go back to their calves, but they went together straight toward Beth Shemesh even though they had not been used to a yoke before, lowing as they went perhaps because of their calves, but still they did not turn aside to the left or the right when other ways presented themselves, but went straight ahead to Beth Shemesh.  The lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

(13) And they of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it.

Inhabitants of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and when they lifted up their eyes, they saw the cows with the ark coming, and they rejoiced to see it.

(14) And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there where there was a great stone, and they split the wood of the cart, and offered the cows a burnt offering to the Lord.

The cows and the cart came into the field of a man named Joshua, a resident of Beth Shemesh, and it came to stand where there was a large stone.  The men who were there split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

(15) And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone, and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the Lord.

Levite priests were evidently called to take the ark of the Lord off the cart before the men began splitting the wood of the cart, as they were the only ones who by law could take the ark down.  They put the ark and the chest with the gold objects on the great stone.  The men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices that same day.  The offering of the two cows that had brought the cart with the ark would be seen as having been offered by the Philistines, but the men of Beth Shemesh also offered their own offerings and sacrifices.

(16) And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

When the five lords of the Philistines who had followed the cows with the ark to the border of Beth Shemesh saw that the ark had been returned to the Israelites, received joyfully, and sacrifices were offered because of its return, they were satisfied that they had accomplished their goal and returned to Ekron that same day.

(17) And these are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the Lord, for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; (18) And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, of fenced cities and of country villages, even to the great stone of Abel on which they set down the ark of the Lord that remains to this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

The five golden hemorrhoids and the five golden mice, representing the Philistines' five principalities, Ashdod, Gaza, Askelon, Gath, and Ekron, were given by the Philistines as a trespass offering to the Lord of Israel.  The gold items not only represented their principal cities, but all the cities and villages within those principalities, that reached to the great stone where the Levites had placed the ark, called the great stone of Abel, that remained in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite, to the writing of this passage.

(19) And He struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; He struck of the people fifty thousand and seventy men, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

The Lord struck 50,070 men of Beth Shemesh because they looked into the ark of the Lord which was forbidden or else they would die (Numbers 4:20).  The people were surely overjoyed to see the return of the ark and may have wanted to look inside to be sure the Philistines had not taken or added anything.  However, the fact that over 50,000 people had looked into it indicates that there had been a more selfish motive in looking inside the ark.  They were probably curious to look inside the ark, and this was an opportunity that would never come again.  The Lord would not tolerate such a trifling of His law.  The historian Josephus wrote that the Lord killed the people with a thunderbolt, according to Dr. John Gill in his Exposition of the Bible.  The people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with so great a slaughter.

(20) And the men of Beth Shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?"

The men of Beth Shemesh questioned who was able to stand before their holy Lord God.  It seemed to be a complaint toward God because of the severity of His punishment.  However, they had known the law but decided to disregard it for their one chance to sneak a peek.  However, God will not be mocked; whatever a man sows, he will reap (Galatians 6:7).  The men wondered aloud to whom they should send the ark.

(21) And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come down and fetch it up to you."

The men of Beth Shemesh sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, telling them that the Philistines had brought the ark back.  They told them to come to Beth Shemesh and take it.  They knew that surely it would be good news to them that the ark had been returned, but they did not tell them why they wanted it moved from Beth Shemesh to Kirjath Jearim.  Shiloh had undoubtedly been destroyed when the Philistines took the ark, so it did need a new home.

As Christians, we must never forget that we serve an awesome and holy God who demands complete and holy reverence, not because He is arrogant, but by His very nature, He cannot be in the presence of sin.  It is only by the most precious and gracious gift of Jesus that we are allowed to come to God with our cries and our petitions without being struck dead as our filthy sin deserves.  Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you, dear God, for providing a way for us to be in Your holy presence.

The Ark of God is Taken by the Philistines

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 4:1) And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and pitched beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

Samuel had grown to manhood, and the Lord had raised him and prepared him to be His prophet.  Now Samuel, as the Lord's prophet, spoke the words of the Lord to all Israel.  At that time Israel went to battle against the Philistines.  The Israelites pitched beside a place later called Ebenezer, which would be so named in 1 Samuel 7:12.  The Philistines pitched in Aphek, a city in the tribe of Judah, bordering on the Philistines.

(2) And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel, and when they joined battle, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.

The Philistines formed their battle line, and when Israel engaged with them, the Philistines defeated the Israelites and killed four thousand men.

(3) And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies."

When the people returned to their camp, the elders rightly perceived that the Lord Himself defeated them before the Philistines, but they failed to understand why or to seek counsel of the Lord.  They were incredulous that the Lord should allow those heathens to defeat them.  They had become complacent.  I can't help but relate that to my country today.  Americans have become so fat and lazy and smug, they take no notice of the dangers on the horizon, thinking those things never happen to us, or if they do, we always bounce back.  People are oblivious of why they were ever blessed in the first place and have turned their backs on God.  Likewise the Israelites did not look inward but foolishly placed their confidence in an external object, the ark, to save them.  They did not look to the Lord.

(4) So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who dwells between the cherubim, 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.

The people sent word to Shiloh to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord who would appear and dwell in the mercy seat between two cherubim that covered the seat.  Eli's sons were there with the ark and presumably brought the ark to the camp themselves.  When the ark came into the camp, the people shouted with great joy and confidence in their coming success.  They shouted with such a great shout, the earth shook.

(6) And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.

When the Philistines heard the shouting, they wondered among themselves what it meant.  Then they perceived that it was the ark of the Hebrews' Lord.

(7) And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before. (8) Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness."

The Philistines were then afraid when they realized the Israelites' God had come into their camp.  They feared for their fate for they had never fought the Israelite God before, at least not so obvious a presence.  They had heard about the ten plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians, and they didn't think they stood a chance against their Gods, as they called Israel's Lord, because they were accustomed to their many gods.

(9) "Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you be not servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men and fight!"

However, the Philistines gave themselves a pep talk.  Since there was no one else to deliver them out of the hands of the Israelites' God, they had to depend on their own strength.  It is interesting that they evidently thought the Hebrew God to be stronger than their gods, yet they presumed to fight against Him anyway.  Of course, that could have been the Spirit of God spurring them on for His purposes.  They did not want to become servants to the Israelites as they had previously been servants to them, so they had to gather their strength and fight.

(10) And the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled every man to his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

The Philistines did fight, and they defeated Israel, killing thirty thousand of their army.  The men who escaped death ran back to their tents.

(11) And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

The Philistines had taken the ark of the Lord and had killed Hophni and Phinehas who had been with the ark.

(12) And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

A Benjamite from the Israelite army ran that same day to Shiloh.  His clothes were torn and there was dirt on his head which were signs of distress and mourning.

(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. 

When the man in mourning came into the city, it seems he bypassed Eli who sitting by the wayside watching for he feared for the fate of the ark of the covenant.  He didn't so much fear for his sons as he expected their death because of the divine prophecy he had received.  He now displayed honor for God and His ark above his sons, whereas God through prophecy had accused Eli of honoring his sons above Him (1 Samuel 2:29).  Once again, I see Eli as a good man, but a weak one.  However, it is true that he sinned when he should have honored God above his sons and dealt with them accordingly but didn't.  The man in mourning came into the city and told what had happened in the battle, and all the people in the city cried out.

(14) And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What does the noise of this tumult mean?" And the man came in hastily and told Eli. (15) Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see. (16) And the man said to Eli, "I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army." And he said, "What is there done, my son?"

When Eli heard the cries of the people, he asked what the commotion meant.  The man came to tell him.  Eli was very old and had become blind, so the man described himself to Eli.  He told him he had come from the army, and Eli asked him for news of the battle.

(17) And the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."

The man told Eli that the Israelites had fled from the Philistines in defeat, and that there had been a great slaughter, including his two sons who were dead.  He told him that the ark of God had been 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 broke, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

It was when the man told Eli that the ark of God had been taken, that he was so struck with grief that he fell backward off his seat and broke his neck.  He was very old, probably with brittle bones, and he was heavy, so that his fall broke his neck and he died.  It's noteworthy that Eli was heavy, meaning fat, and you don't normally think of men in Eli's position as fat men.  That was usually the condition of gluttonous and wicked kings.  But Eli had become fat with the best offerings of the people (1 Samuel 2:29).  Eli had judged Israel for forty years.

(19) And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's wife, was with child due 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 gave birth for her pains came upon her.

Eli's daughter-in-law, Phinehas's pregnant wife, was so distraught when she heard the news that the ark had been taken and that Eli and her husband were dead, that she went into labor.

(20) And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said, "Fear not, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.

After she delivered the baby, she was dying.  The women who stood by her tried to encourage her by telling her she had borne a son which was usually a matter of joy, but she did not answer them, nor did she seem to regard what they said at all.

(21) And 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) And she said, "The glory is departed from Israel for the ark of God is taken."

As she was dying, she named her child Ichabod which literally meant "no glory."  She gave as her reason for naming him Ichabod, that the glory had departed from Israel because the ark of God had been taken and her father-in-law and her husband had died.  That may have been what the women attending her thought was the reason, but Phinehas's wife repeated her reason, specifying it was only because the ark of God had been taken that the glory had departed from Israel, and that is why she named her child Ichabod.  It was not because of the death of her father-in-law and her husband that she said the glory had departed, but only because the ark was taken.

I am struck by the sincere love of God and His ark displayed by Eli and his daughter-in-law.  Although there was much sin and apathy in Israel that caused God to turn away from them and allow His ark to be taken by heathens and "suffered His glory for a time to become eclipsed," as Adam Clarke put it in his Commentary on the Bible, these two were so struck by sorrow and the horror of it, it killed them.  Nothing brings such overpowering grief and feelings of desolation and even hopelessness than the thought that God has left us, that He has turned His back on us.  Although they had become complacent, these two apparently had a deep love for God.  They just needed to be reminded of that fact.  However, it was too late for them as they died, but their lesson for us lives on forever.  God hates a lukewarm Christian (Revelation 3:16).

The Lord Calls Samuel

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 3:1) And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

In the last chapter and post, we learned that the priesthood had become defiled by Eli's sons, the priests.  The word of the Lord was precious and rare in those days, and there were no visions of the Lord to people.  However, Samuel had continued to grow physically and spiritually under the leadership of Eli.

(2) And it came to pass at that time, when Eli lay down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see, (3) And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down, (4) That the Lord called to Samuel, and he answered "Here am I."

One night when Eli had lain down in his place to go to sleep, and his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see, Samuel had also lain down to go to sleep.  This was early in the morning when it was still dark, before the lamps in the candlestick in the tabernacle that were lit in the evening went out in the morning.  The Lord called to Samuel, and he answered he was there.

(5) And he ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down.

Samuel ran to Eli, thinking it was he who called him, needing his assistance in something.  However, Eli told him that he had not called him, and he should go back to sleep.  Samuel went back and lay down.

(6) And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." And he answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

The Lord called to Samuel again, and again Samuel, thinking it was Eli who called him, went to him, telling him he was there for he did call him that time.  However, once again, Eli said he had not called, and he told Samuel to go lie down again.

(7) Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.

Samuel obviously knew of the Lord but did not know Him personally.  Hearing the word of the Lord was very rare at that time, and Samuel had never heard from Him before.

(8) And the Lord called Samuel the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

The Lord called to Samuel a third time, and again he went to Eli, thinking it must be him who called him.  Eli could tell that Samuel was definitely hearing someone call him, and as there was no one else around, he realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel.

(9) Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Realizing it was the Lord who called Samuel, Eli told him to go lie down again, and if the Lord called him again, he should answer, asking the Lord to speak for he, His servant, was listening.  Therefore, Samuel went and lay down again.

(10) And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears."

The Lord came and stood before Samuel this time, or a vision of one whom Samuel would know to be the Lord, as no one could actually see God and live (Exodus 33:20).  He called out to Samuel again, and Samuel answered that he was ready to hear the Lord.

(11) And the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle."

The Lord spoke to Samuel, telling him He was going to do something in Israel so great it would stun everyone.  In the words of Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible, "It shall be a piercing word to all Israel; it shall astound them all; and, after having heard it, it will still continue to resound in their ears."

(12) "In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. (13) For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. (14) And therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."

The Lord told Samuel that He would perform against Eli and his house all the things He had spoken to Eli through the prophet (1 Samuel 2:27).  When He began the execution of His purpose, nothing would deter Him from bringing all His judgments to a conclusion.  He told Samuel what He had told Eli, that He would judge his house forever because his sons had been so vile in the priesthood, and he had done nothing to restrain them.  The iniquity of Eli's house could not be atoned for through sacrifices or offerings forever.

(15) And Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

After the Lord had spoken to him, Samuel lay there until the morning, when he got up and opened the doors of the house of the Lord.  He was afraid to tell Eli about his vision.

(16) Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here I am." (17) And he said, "What is the thing that the Lord has said to you? I pray you do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you."

Eli called to Samuel, and Samuel came to him.  Eli asked him what the Lord had said to him and asked him not to hide it from him.  He went as far to pledge a sort of curse against Samuel if he did not tell him everything the Lord had said.  I don't believe Eli was threatening Samuel.  I believe his intent was to have Samuel tell him everything even if he felt it might hurt Eli.

(18) And Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him."

Samuel told Eli everything the Lord had said to him.  In submission to the will of God, Eli said He was, after all, the sovereign Lord, and He would do what was just and right.  Eli was a good man, but he was a weak man.  As the Apostle Paul would later say in 1 Timothy 3:5, "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"

(19) And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

Samuel grew to manhood, and the Lord was with him, teaching him and prospering him.  He let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground as false or useless, which may refer to the words Samuel spoke about his vision.  It may also refer to Samuel's words in general as the Lord was preparing him to be His prophet.

(20) And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. (21) And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

All of Israel from Dan in the far north to Beersheba in the south knew that Samuel was to be a prophet of God.  The Lord appeared again to Samuel, perhaps often, for the Lord revealed His will to him by His word.

One cannot help but be struck by the beauty of Hannah's testimony.  Once so low, she appealed to the Lord for a son.  In gratitude, she gave her son back to the Lord for His service.  Little did she know just how great a service he would provide.  The Lord blessed her sacrifice beyond her wildest dreams, I'm sure, in raising up Samuel to be His prophet, and He also gave her five more children.

A more unpleasant moral of this story is about raising our children to fear the Lord and putting God first.  Eli was held responsible for not reining in his sons.  Sometimes even the best parents can have rebellious children, and they still love them.  However, the love for their children cannot supersede the love for God.  That was where Eli really failed.  When his sons violated the laws of God and His house, that is when Eli should have stood up for the Lord and ousted his sons, or at the very least sought counsel of the Lord and had his sons repent and seek atonement for their sins if the Lord allowed.  We are to seek the Lord first and foremost, and when man contradicts God, "We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). 

The Wickedness of Eli's Sons

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 2:11) And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

In the last post, Hannah had brought her child to Eli at the tabernacle of the Lord, as she had vowed in her prayer when she asked the Lord for a son.  Hannah had delivered a song of thanksgiving and praise, and now her husband Elkanah, with Hannah, I'm sure, went back to their home in Ramah.  Their son Samuel stayed with Eli and ministered to the Lord in whatever way he could at his young age, surely learning songs of praise and learning to read the book of the law.

(12) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they did not know the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:3 told us that the names of Eli's sons were Hophni and Phinehas, and they were priests of the Lord.  Since Eli was high priest, his sons were priests by birth.  However, we learn here that they really didn't know the Lord but were sons of wickedness.

(13) And the priests' custom with the people was when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand while the flesh was boiling, (14) And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

I believe the sense is that the priests had made their own custom that was not in agreement with the law of the Lord.  According to the law, if this was a burnt offering, it was wholly consumed by fire, so this must have been a peace offering where part belonged to the Lord, the fat which was burnt, the breast and shoulder went to the priest, and the rest went to the owner of the sacrifice, who made a feast of it for his family and friends.  The parts of the flesh that were boiling were probably the parts belonging to the owner and his family, but the priests, Hophni and Phinehas, had made it a custom to send a servant with a three-pronged fork to draw up more portions for themselves.  This they did to all the Israelites with their offerings.

(15) Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have boiled flesh of you, but raw." (16) And if any man said to him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently and then take what your soul desires," then he would answer him, "No, but you shall give it now, and if not, I will take it by force."

Also before they burnt the fat of the offering, the priest's servant came and demanded flesh to roast for the priest, for he wanted raw flesh to roast, not boiled flesh after the owner's portion was boiled.  If a man told the servant that they must burn the fat first in keeping with the law, the priest's servant refused and said he wanted it right then, and if the owner refused, he would take what he wanted by force.  It was obvious in this that the priests had no respect and reverence for the things of the Lord, nor for His laws.

(17) Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

The sin of the priests was very great before the Lord, in that they took what was not their own, sometimes by force, and before the Lord had His part in the offering, and all this was done in the Lord's house, in His presence.  This plainly showed that they had no respect nor fear of God.  Also they caused all men to find offering to the Lord a disagreeable thing when they saw how the law of God was not followed.  It probably made some neglect bringing their sacrifices at all.

(18) But Samuel ministered before the Lord as a child, girded with a linen ephod.

However, Samuel ministered before the Lord, even at his young age.  He wore a linen ephod such as the priests wore, which would appear to be a special privilege to one so young.

(19) Moreover, his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

Hannah, his mother, would make Samuel a coat to wear over his other clothes and bring one to him every year when her family came to offer the yearly sacrifice.

(20) And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The Lord give you descendants of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord." And they went to their own home.

On one such occasion Eli blessed Elkanah and Hannah, telling them they would be blessed with more children because of their gift of Samuel to the Lord.  Then they went to their own home.

(21) And the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Indeed, the Lord gave Hannah more children, three sons and two daughters, while Samuel grew up before the Lord in the tabernacle.

(22) Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Eli became very old, and it seems it was only then that he heard about what his sons had been doing to the Israelites with regard to their offerings, and also how they sexually lay with women who assembled at the door of the congregation.

(23) And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. (24) No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear; you make the Lord's people to transgress."

Eli asked his sons why they did such things.  He heard of all they were doing from the people.  Not only were they doing evil, but they caused the people to sin, as well.  They caused the people to sin in the way they offered their offerings, and they caused the women to sin who came to the tabernacle, whom they took to satisfy their sexual desires.

(25) "If one man sins against another, the judge shall judge him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who shall intreat for him?" However, they did not hearken to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

Eli continued with his somewhat mild rebuke of his sons.  If a man sinned against another man, a judge would determine the outcome, but if one sinned against God, who would dare intercede for him?   I think his point was that even he, their father, would not be able to defend them if they sinned against God.  However, his sons would not listen to their father nor heed his warning, but that was part of the Lord's will, for He would kill them for their wickedness.

(26) And the child Samuel grew on and was in favor, both with the Lord and also with men.

Meanwhile, Samuel grew in the tabernacle, and he was in favor of the Lord, as well as with men.

(27) And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Did I plainly appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? (28) And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? And did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?'"

A messenger from God went to Eli, and speaking the words of the Lord, reminded him that the Lord Himself had appeared to his forefather Aaron when they were in Egypt, and that He had chosen Aaron and his descendants out of all the tribes to be His priests.  They had much honor and privilege, and the Lord provided them with their share of the offerings.

(29) "'Therefore, why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My habitation, and honor your sons above Me to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all offerings of Israel My people?'"

The man of God continued with the words of the Lord, asking why Eli trampled upon and despised His offering that He had commanded in His house.  He accused him of honoring his sons above the Lord because he allowed them to dishonor Him by their actions.  It is likely that Eli would have taken part in feasts their sons made with the choicest pieces of the offerings of the people.  More than likely, it is probably a sure thing that he did, as the message of the Lord was that all of them made themselves fat with the best of the offerings.

(30) "Therefore the Lord God of Israel says, 'I said indeed your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever.' But now the Lord says, 'Be it far from Me, for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.'"

The man of God continued.  The Lord God of Israel had determined that Eli's line through his father, Ithamar, should minister before Him forever.  However, now the Lord said it was far from Him to allow the priesthood to continue in the line of Ithamar and Eli.  He would honor those who honored Him, but those who despised Him, as Eli's sons had shown they did, would be only lightly esteemed.  Actually, the original word "qalal" that was translated as "lightly esteemed" is more often translated as "cursed" in other scriptures.  That is probably a better meaning here.

(31) "'Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.'"

The Lord warned Eli that the days were coming when He would cut off his strength, power, and authority, and that of his father's, and there would be no old man left in his house.

(32) "'And you shall see an enemy in My habitation, in all which God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.'"

Eli would live to see an enemy or affliction in the Lord's tabernacle in all the wealth that the Lord had planned for Israel.  The prophet repeated that there would not be an old man in Eli's house, and this time he added the word "forever." 

(33) "'And the man of yours whom I shall not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart, and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.'"

The state of any man of Eli's posterity whom the Lord did not cut off from His altar would make his eyes cry and his heart full of grief.  All of his posterity would die in the prime of their lives.

(34) "'And this a sign unto you that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die both of them.'"

There would be a sign to Eli that all the man of God had told him would be fulfilled when he saw his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, die on the same day.

(35) "'And I will raise Me up a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.'"

Continuing with the words of the Lord, the man of God told Eli He would raise up a faithful priest who would do according to the will and heart of the Lord.  The Lord would build him a sure house, which probably meant He would give him a numerous posterity to ensure the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.  He and his posterity would walk before the Lord's anointed, the Messiah, forever.  The priests were to represent Christ, act in His name, and point toward the coming Messiah.

(36) "'And it shall come to pass, everyone who is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, "Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

Everyone left alive in Eli's house would be reduced to begging God's priest for a small piece of silver and a morsel of bread and asking to be put into one of the priests' offices in whatever inferior post they might find in order to keep them from starving.

The main subject of this part of the chapter focuses on the wickedness of Hophni and Phinehas, and even Eli, because of his weakness and leniency and failure to stop the wicked behavior in God's house.  The sad state of the priesthood throughout this post is sprinkled with the bright spots of little Samuel growing in the Lord.  It's a perfect picture of our world today, so much wickedness even in high places of government and the church, but throughout the world in different walks of life, God is raising up His people to follow Him, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

It's not that God was raising up Samuel to be His priest, as Samuel was not from the correct line of priests, but He was raising him up for other purposes.  There is only one perfect priest who can do all according to the heart and mind of God, and that is Jesus Christ.  In Him, the Lord will build a sure house, the Christian church upon the rock that is Jesus Christ.  The wickedness of Eli's sons and Eli himself who knew what his sons were doing was evil, but he did nothing about it, illustrates the need for a Savior.  We all sin and come short of the glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23).  "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 2:1) And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation."

In the last chapter and post, Hannah had borne a son, Samuel, who was an answer to prayer.  She brought her son to the Lord's house where she gave him to the Lord for His service for the rest of his life.  She now prayed to the Lord what is called Hannah's song of thanksgiving.  She said her heart rejoiced in the Lord.  Her horn, an allusion to horned creatures, was exalted in the Lord.  A horn often represented strength and glory in the Bible.  Hannah had been low in spirit when she prayed to the Lord for a son, and her spirit had been renewed, and she had recovered strength and glory thanks to the Lord.  She had been sad and quiet with no answer to her tormenters before, but now she could open her mouth wide with joy because she rejoiced in the Lord's salvation.  And that meant, not just her salvation from her barrenness, but her song was a prophetic one about the coming Messiah in whom true salvation would come.

(2) "No one is holy as the Lord, for there is none besides You, neither any rock like our God."

Hannah sang that there was no one who was holy besides the Lord, and there was no rock like the Lord, a sure steady foundation for defense, strength, refuge, and the only true salvation.

(3) "Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let no arrogancy come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed."

Hannah sounds as if she is speaking to Peninnah now, not to speak so proudly and arrogantly.  However, it could be spoken of anyone who was likewise haughty and arrogant, for the Lord is a God of knowledge who sees and knows all, even the hearts of men.  He is the judge of all thoughts and actions, and He alone will weigh them and judge them.

(4) "The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they who stumbled are girded with strength."

The strength of the mighty men of which they boasted is broken by God, and those who are weak are girded with strength from the Lord.  Jesus would later say, "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  That could certainly be spoken of Peninnah and Hannah, Peninnah who bragged about having so many children and tormenting Hannah because she had none, and Hannah who suffered in silence and prayed to God.

(5) "The full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry ceased, so that the barren has born seven, and she who has many children has become feeble."

As another way of describing how the proud and strong are brought down, and the weak and humble are exalted, Hannah said that those who were full and well fed were now having to hire themselves out for bread, and those who were hungry now ceased to hunger.  The barren woman now bore seven children, which Hannah could be prophesying about herself, as she would go on to have more children, and the woman with many children had become feeble and unable to bear any more.

(6) "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up."

The Lord only is the author and arbiter over life and death.  He alone decides who will live and who will die.  However, I think that Hannah's meaning was that the Lord can make one very low and then raise them up again.  Hannah had been almost consumed by her grief, but then was raised by God to joyful life again.

(7) "The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up."

The Lord makes some people poor and some people rich.  All things are in His power and for His purposes.  Being poor is not always a bad thing as often wealth ruins a person.  Being low and then brought up can make a person much more appreciative and thankful, as Hannah was now.

(8) "He raises up the poor out of the dust, lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them."

The Lord was the one who raised the poor out of the dust and the beggar out of the most sordid of places, to raise them up among princes.  Although people may be raised from nothing to equal with princes, I don't think this is necessarily meant to be literal, but spiritual and prophetic.  When the Lord makes them inherit the throne of glory, that is undoubtedly speaking of the heavenly throne.  Through Christ the poor are raised to be princes in that they are children of the King of kings, and they will inherit the throne of glory as Jesus said in Revelation 3:21, "To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, as I also overcame and am set down with My Father on His throne."  The "pillars of the earth," that which supports it in open space, are the Lord's alone; only He set the world as it is.

(9) "He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail."

The Lord will guard the feet and guide the steps of His people.  However, the wicked will be put to silence in their darkness when they are shown the light of truth in the end.  In the end even the most devout atheists will know the Lord and will bow to Him (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11).  However, then will be too late, and they will be cast into the pit of darkness (2 Peter 2:4).  No man will prevail by his own strength but will be only in submission to Christ.

(10) "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength to His king and exalt the horn of His anointed."

The adversaries of the Lord will be broken; from heaven He will thunder upon them.  No man can stand against the power and will of God.  The Lord judges all mankind to the ends of the earth, reaching every person and every place.  He will give strength to His King, undoubtedly Jesus Christ, as He is God's anointed.  He will exalt the horn of His anointed.  Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied about the horn of salvation to be raised up in the house of David (Luke 1:69), and David called the Lord the horn of his salvation (Psalm 18:2).  "His anointed" in the original Hebrew is "Mashiyach," in our present-day English, Messiah.  Hannah, in her prophetic song, makes the first mention in the Bible of Christ as the Messiah.

I will end this post here.  Although it makes for a short post, Hannah's song stands alone in its beauty and prophecy.  Hannah was so thankful and full of joy over what the Lord had done for her that she was able to sing this song rejoicing in the Lord even though she was leaving her child, her only child, at the tabernacle, and she would never have him with her again.  She gave glory to God, who humbled the strong and exalted the weak.  And she looked forward to the future Messiah.

Birth of the Prophet Samuel

Continuing a chronological Bible study: 

(1 Samuel 1:1) Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

This first chapter of 1 Samuel takes us back to the time of the judges of Israel, Samson being the last one (Judges 16).  Judges 17-21 didn't actually follow a chronological order but told how the people had strayed and did what was right in their own eyes, before the time of the judges.  I've been disappointed in this particular chronological pattern of studying the Bible that was presented by Skip Andrews, as it is not always exactly in chronological date order, but I can't change now.  This chapter begins by telling us about a man named Elkanah who lived at a place called Ramathaim Zophim in Mount Ephraim.  He was the son of Jeroham, who was the son of Elihu, who was the son of Tohu, who was the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite from Ephratah which is said to be another name for Bethlehem Judah.

(2) And he had two wives, the name of the one Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah, and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

(3) And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

Elkanah went, as he did yearly, to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord, called the Lord of hosts, which means the Lord of heaven's armies.  Eli was the next judge after Samson and was also the high priest.  He and his sons who were also priests were there in Shiloh.

(4) And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters.

This was probably a peace offering where the bringer of the offering shared in the feast made of his offering.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, explained:  "The sacrifices which were made were probably peace-offerings, of which the blood was poured out at the foot of the altar; the fat was burnt on the fire; the breast and right shoulder were the portion of the priest, and the rest belonged to him who made the offering; on it he and his family feasted, each receiving his portion..."  Elkanah gave portions of his offering to his wife Peninnah and to her children.

(5) But to Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah; but the Lord had shut up her womb.

It appears that Elkanah gave Hannah a more special or choice portion because he loved her.  However, Hannah had no children because the Lord had shut her womb.

(6) And her adversary also provoked her sorely to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

Scripture doesn't tell us who Hannah's adversary was, but it was probably Peninnah, perhaps jealous that Elkanah loved Hannah best, and she taunted Hannah because she had been unable to have children.  It doesn't have to be Peninnah; the adversary could be Satan feeding her with all sorts of negative thoughts because she had not been able to bear children.  Even if it was Peninnah, Satan the adversary had a hand in it, to be sure.

(7) And he did so year by year; when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Elkanah went to the house of the Lord for this feast year after year.  "She" provoked Hannah when she went up to the house of the Lord, so it is Peninnah who was her adversary.  They were going to make an offering to the Lord, and Peninnah was accompanied by all her children, and Hannah was alone, so Peninnah taunted Hannah until she wept and did not eat.

(8) Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

Elkanah asked Hannah why she grieved so and did not eat.  He asked if his love for her was better than if she had had ten sons.  Or perhaps the meaning was that his love was better than the comfort and love she would receive from ten sons.  The point was that his great love for her, obviously greater than the love he had for Peninnah and her children, should demonstrate that it didn't matter to him that she could not bear him any children.

(9) So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

Hannah rose up to leave after they had eaten and drunk.  Eli the priest who was also the judge sat upon probably what was called the seat of judgment by a post of the temple of the Lord.

(10) And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept sorely. (11) And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me and not forget Your handmaid, but will give to Your handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

Hannah wept bitterly and prayed to the Lord.  She vowed that if the Lord looked down on her favorably and gave her a boy child, she would dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life, as a Nazarite, and no razor would ever touch his head.

(12) And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli observed her mouth. (13) Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

Hannah was praying to herself, not aloud, but her lips moved as she prayed in her heart.  Eli saw her and observed her mouth moving and thought she was drunk.

(14) And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you."

Eli spoke to Hannah and asked how long she intended to be drunk and told her to put her wine away.

(15) And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. (16) Do not count your handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken until now."

Hannah told Eli she had not been drinking, but she was just very sorrowful and had poured out her soul to the Lord.  She asked that he not consider her a daughter of wickedness, that it was only because of her overwhelming grief and complaint that her mouth had moved while she prayed.

(17) Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him."

Eli then told Hannah to go in peace, that the God of Israel would grant her request for which she had prayed and asked of God.

(18) And she said, "Let your handmaid find grace in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.

Hannah wished that she may have found favor with Eli and then went her way.  She ate and she was no longer sad because she had assurance in the words of the priest that God would favorably answer her prayer.

(19) And they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the Lord and returned and came to their house to Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

Elkanah and his family rose up early the next morning and went to the tabernacle to worship the Lord, and then they went back to their home in Ramah, or Ramathaim.  There Elkanah knew his wife Hannah in an intimate way, and the Lord remembered her as she had prayed He would.

(20) So it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son and called his name Samuel, "Because I have asked him of the Lord."

It came to pass when the time was come for Hannah to give birth, she had a son and named him Samuel, which meant literally "heard of God," because she had asked the Lord for him, and the Lord had heard her prayers and answered favorably.

(21) And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

Elkanah and his family went to offer a yearly sacrifice to the Lord and for whatever vow he had made since the last offering.  He had possibly made a vow on the occasion of Hannah's prayer and vow, or maybe he vowed an offering of thanksgiving for the child.

(22) But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned, and I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord and abide there forever."

Hannah did not go with her family because she had told Elkanah that she wouldn't go until her baby was weaned, and then she would take him to appear before the Lord where he would abide forever, in keeping with her vow.

(23) And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems to you good; wait until you have weaned him; only the Lord establish His word. So the woman abode and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

Elkanah told Hannah to do what she thought best and wait until she had weaned Samuel.  Then may the Lord establish His word as vowed by Hannah, to accept and preserve Samuel, and have him grow up a Nazarite in service to the Lord.  Hannah stayed and nursed her baby until she had weaned him.

(24) And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young.

When Hannah had weaned her son, she took him with a bull, flour, and a bottle of wine for offerings, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh.  The child was quite young, probably a small toddler.

(25) And they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli.

The bull was slaughtered for sacrifice, and the child was brought to Eli.

(26) And she said, "O my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. (27) For this child I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. (28) Therefore I have also lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah reminded Eli about who she was, the woman who had prayed to the Lord beside him.  She never told him what she had prayed for, only that she had poured her soul out to the Lord (verse 15), but Eli told her that God would grant her petition (verse 17).  She now told Eli that she had prayed for a child, and the Lord had given her her petition.  She went on to tell him that she was giving her son to the Lord for His service for as long as he lived.  "He" worshiped the Lord there, perhaps Eli who gave thanks to the Lord for what he had declared would be having come to fruition.  Some Biblical scholars think Samuel is meant.  Although he was very young, his spirit knew and was capable of worshiping God in some way, just as Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when he heard Mary (Luke 1:41).  Others think "they" was meant, and they all worshiped the Lord for what He had done.