1 Samuel 4:1-181And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. 3And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5And 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. 6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. 7And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. 10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. 12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13And 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. 14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. 15Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. 16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? 17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. 18And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. (1 Samuel 4:1‑18)
I SHALL tell you to-day how God punished Eli's sons: but first I must speak to you about some people who lived in the land of Canaan, called the Philistines.
The Philistines lived in some of the towns of Canaan: they were wicked people, who worshipped idols, and they hated the Israelites, they often fought against the Israelites, and took away their things. When God was pleased with the Israelites, he did not let the Philistines hurt them, but now he was angry with the Israelites.
One day many Philistines came out of their towns to fight against the Israelites. They brought some tents with them, and slept in them at night. The Israelites heard that the Philistines were coming to fight against them; so many Israelites took their swords, and spears, and placed their tents near the tents of the Philistines. In the morning the Philistines and the Israelites fought with each other. Who do you think conquered? The Philistines. Yes: God did not help the Israelites as he used to do, so the Israelites were frightened, and ran back into their tents.
Now the Israelites ought to have prayed to God to forgive their sins; but instead of praying, they said, 'Let us send for the ark of God. If the ark were here, we should be able to conquer the Philistines.'
You remember that the ark was a golden box over which God dwelt in a cloud. But would the ark save them? No: only God can save people.
The Israelites sent a person to Shiloh to tell the priests to bring the ark to the tents. The sons of Eli, you know, were priests. They brought the ark to the tents of the Israelites. When the Israelites saw the ark they were very glad, and they gave a very loud shout to show their joy. The shout could be heard a long way off. The Philistines heard the shout: and they asked why the Israelites shouted. Soon they heard that the ark of the God of Israel was come to the tents of the Israelites. Then the Philistines were afraid, and they said, 'If the God of the Israelites should help them what should we do? For their God once killed Pharaoh and all his men, and He could kill us too. O let us be very brave, and let us fight with all our strength.'
So the Philistines and the Israelites came out of their tents to fight, and the priests brought the ark on their shoulders.
But God did not help the Israelites. They were soon afraid, and ran back to their tents, and a great many of them were killed; and the two sons of Eli were killed, as God had said. What became of the ark of God?
The Philistines took it. How pleased they were to get the ark! They carried it back to the towns where they lived.
Eli had not come to the battle. He had stayed in Shiloh: he was very unhappy about the ark. He wanted to know what had become of it: so he sat upon a high seat just at the gate of Shiloh.
At last a man came running along the road: he had been fighting in the battle, and he came to tell the people in Shiloh all that had happened. He had put dust upon his head, and he had torn his clothes, to show that he had sad news to tell: for people used to put dust on their heads, and to tear their clothes, when they were unhappy. But Eli was very old, and he was blind; and did not see the man; and did not know that the man had sad news to tell. When the man told the people in Shiloh what had happened, the people cried out very loud with grief: and Eli heard them crying, and asked why they cried; and the man answered, 'I am just come from the place where the Israelites were fighting.' Then Eli said, 'What has happened there?' Then the man said, 'The Israelites have run away from the Philistines, and a great many Israelites have been killed, and your two sons are dead, and the ark of God is taken.'
When Eli heard that the ark was taken, he was very unhappy indeed: he was sitting on a high seat that had no back, and he fell backwards in his grief, and he broke his neck; for he was a very old man, and very heavy. He was almost a hundred years old.
What a very sad way of dying this was, instead of dying in his bed.
How grieved Samuel must have been, when he heard how Eli had died! Where did Eli's soul go? To heaven. Eli loved God very much.
Why was Eli so sorry that the ark was taken? Because the ark was the throne where God used to dwell, and he did not like wicked people to have it; so you see that Eli loved God very much.
Where were the souls of Eli's sons gone? I know they were gone into darkness; for God had said that He would not forgive them. l
But God forgave Eli all his sins, though He punished him before he died.
You will like to hear what the Philistines did with the ark of God. I will tell you about it next time.
Was it because his sons had perish'd,
That Eli's heart with grief was torn?
Rather because the ark so cherish'd
By heathen hands away was borne;
That holy ark, where once the Lord
Had dwelt, according to His Word.
And had the Lord at length departed
From Israel, whom He loved so well?
Alas! old Eli, broken-hearted,
From his high seat astonish'd fell.
O who can doubt he loved the Lord,
And that to heaven his spirit soar'd!
But though his sins were all forgiven,
And wash'd away in Jesus' blood,
His way had been less rough to heaven,
Had Eli honor'd more his God.
But sinners, where shall they appear?
If righteous men are punish'd here.
Questions on Lesson 3
Where did the Philistines live?
Why did God let the Philistines hurt the Israelites?
Why did the Israelites send for the ark? Who brought the ark?
What became of the ark?
What happened to Eli's sons?
What news grieved Eli so much that he fell backwards?
Why was Eli so much grieved at hearing the ark was taken?
Did God love Eli?
Why did God punish him?
Did God forgive him?