4:1The Philistines, descendants of Noah’s son Ham, settled along the southeastern Mediterranean coast between Egypt and But Israel had turned away from God and was clinging to only a form of godliness, a symbol of former victories. People (and churches) often try to live on the memories of God's blessings. The israelites wrongly assumed that because God had given them victory in the past, he would do it again, even though they had strayed far from him. Today, as in Bible times, spiritual victories come through a continually renewed relationship with God. Don't live off the past. Keep your relationship with God new and fresh.
Life Application Study Bible1 SamuelChapter 4
1 Samuel 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original page: 414
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
41 Samuel 4
2. War with the Philistines
The Philistines Capture the Ark
14 At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. 2The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. 3After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, 6Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines? 9Then they said, 11Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it* will save us from our enemies.”
Textual footnotes
- contemptible.
- 4:3 Or he.
- 4:7 Or A god has.
Life Application Notes 5 notes
4:11This event fulfills the prophecy in 2:34 stating that Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, would die “on the same day.”
4:12At this time, the city of Shiloh was Israel's religious center (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 4:3). The Tabernacle was permanently set up there. Because Israel did not have a civil capital—a seat THE ARK’S TRAVELS _ Eli’s sons took the Ark from Shiloh to the battlefield on the lower plains at Ebenezer and Aphek. The Philistines captured the Ark and took it to Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron. Plagues forced the people to send the Ark back to Israel, where it finally was taken by cattle-drawn carts to Beth-shemesh and on to the home of Eleazar in Kiriath-jearim. of national government—Shiloh was the natural place for a messenger to deliver the sad news from the battle. Many scholars believe that it was during this battle that Shiloh was destroyed (Jeremiah 7:12; 26:2-6; also see the note on 7:1).
4:18Eli was Israel’s judge and high priest. His death marked the end of the dark period of the judges when most of the nation ignored God. Although Samuel was also a judge, his career saw the transition from Israel’s rule by judges to the nation’s monarchy. He began the great revival that Israel would experience for the next century. The Bible does not say who became the next high priest (Samuel was not eligible because he was not a direct descendant of Aaron), but Samuel acted as high priest at this time by offering the important sacrifices throughout Israel.
4:19-22This incident illustrates the spiritual darkness and decline of Israel. This young boy, Ichabod, was supposed to succeed his father, Phinehas, in the priesthood, but his father had been killed because he was an evil man who desecrated the Tabernacle. The terror of God’s leaving his people overshadowed the joy of childbirth. When sin dominates our lives, even God-given joys and pleasures seem empty.