DBG - March 30 - I Samuel 4-7

In this chapter Israel is defeated in battle and loses the Ark of the Covenant.

vs. 1-11 – All of Israel know about the prophecy concerning Eli’s downfall from chapter 3 and this chapter covers it.  The Philistines invade and Israel is defeated at Aphek (“strength”), losing 4,000 men.  In desperation, the army calls for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought from Shiloh to carry it into battle.  This is not without precedent, as in Numbers 31:6, but here it is completely out of self-will and not from God’s command.  They are attempting to use the Ark like a talisman or lucky rabbits’ foot to get an edge over their enemies.  The Philistines attack as the people cheer the arrival of the Ark and 30,000 men die.  Both of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, fall in battle.  The Ark is captured by the Philistines.

vs. 12-18 – Eli is now 98 years old and in failing health.  He does not care for the loss of his sons, but hearing the Ark is lost causes him to fall from his chair and die. 

vs. 19-22 – These verses are an epilogue to the story to show how widespread the panic was in the land.  Phinehas’s wife goes into premature labor when she hears about the results of the battle.  She dies in childbirth, but the child is named Ichabod (“no glory”).  I need to add two points to this story.  First, it very much appears that the Tabernacle itself was attacked at Shiloh with this Philistine advance, though it is not recorded in Scripture.  Second, that Psalm 78:56-64 sheds light on why God allowed this to happen.

In this chapter the Ark is in Philistines hands and they face God’s judgment. 

vs. 1-5 – The Ark remains as a trophy of war among the Philistines for seven months (see 6:1).  At first, it was placed in the temple of Dagon, who in pagan mythology was the father of Baal and is often depicted as half-man half-fish.  The next morning the statue of Dagon was found fallen on its face before the Ark.  The second morning it was found broken in such a way that left no question that God was greater than their idol.

vs. 6-12 – Wherever the Ark was placed, that Philistine city saw God’s judgment.  People developed tumors, which a very possibly hemorrhoids.  No one wanted to the Ark and the Philistines cried out for relief.    

In this chapter the Philistines return the Ark to Israel.

vs. 1-9 – The remedy the Philistines propose here is not something ordained by God.  It is a heathen way to deal with the problem.  They are careful to make offerings to appease the angry God.  Five golden images are made of tumors/hemorrhoids and mice (hitherto unmentioned, but their inclusion makes some think they were facing the bubonic plague).  The Ark is to be placed on a new cart pulled by two milk cows.  It is unnatural for milk cows to readily leave their calves. 

vs. 10-21 – The cows pull the cart to the nearest city of Levites at Bethshemesh (“house of the sun”).  It is early summer during the wheat harvest when they see the cart approaching.  They use the cart for wood and offer the cows as a sacrifice to God. The Levites sin against God in opening the Ark, and God judges their town.  There is some debate on how to read vs. 19 because it would be highly unlikely for there to be 50,070 people at Bethshemesh.  The Hebrew text actually separates this into two numbers, 50,000 and 70.  The 50,000 is certainly the total killed in Philistia in the plague and the 70 the total killed at Bethshemesh.  The people of Bethshemesh call to the people of Kirjathjearim (“city of woods”) to take the Ark from them. 

In this chapter Samuel leads in a great revival and God brings victory against the Philistines. 

vs. 1-2 – The Ark remains at Kirjathjearim for about 75 years under the care of Eleazar and his family.  The “twenty years” of vs. 2 is the space of time between vs. 2 and 3. 

vs. 3-4 – TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF WHAT FOLLOWS IN THIS CHAPTER.  Samuel leads the people in a great revival.  Israel forsakes the idols of Baal and Ashtaroth for the True God. 

vs. 5-6 – The people gather at Mizpeh (“watchtower”), a place a few miles south of Bethel and north of Jerusalem.  There the people perform a ceremony of pouring out water, which symbolized their humiliation before the Lord (see II Samuel 14:14). 

vs. 7-14 – The Philistines hear that Israel has gathered and assume it is for an attack.  They gather their army and advance to Mizpeh.  Samuel offers sacrifice and prayers.  God frightens  the Philistines with thunder (remember that Baal was supposedly the god of the storm).  Israel routs the Philistines.  Samuel erects a monument stone named Ebenezer (“stone of help”) to be a reminder of God’s aid that day.

vs. 15-17 – A description of Samuel’s judgeship.  He traveled a circuit in central Canaan for easy access for all the tribes. 

The events at Mizpeh are the turning point that brings Israel out of the era of the Judges.  Tomorrow we will see the request for a king, but for now we see the nation united in worship and warfare.  It all begins with a revival.  So is the great need of our day in our nation, but sadly we want the results without the actual cost of revival.

Our hymn today is “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing”, written by Robert Robinson in 1758.  This class hymn famously refers to the stone monument erected by Samuel in Chapter 7.  Sadly, this reference is sometimes removed because some fear the meaning is lost on those who do not understand the reference, robbing Christianity of a powerful metaphor.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I’ll raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my feeble heart to Thee.
“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,”
Long I cried to be made pure;
“Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Work in me Thy double cure.”

Hallelujah! I have found it,
The full cleansing I had craved,
And to all the world I’ll sound it:
They too may be wholly saved.
I am sealed by Thy sweet Spirit,
Prone no longer now to roam;
And Thy voice, I’ll humbly hear it,
For Thy presence is my home.