Story 75: Disasters Caused By The Abuse Of The Ark Of GOD lll

   The twenty years which followed these events are passed over in silence. It appears that the Phi-lis'tines continued to dominate Is'ra-el, and that the sanctuary at Shi'loh fell into ruins. Never again, however, do we hear of any attempts among the heathen nations to unite the He'brew religion with idolatry.
   Sam'u-el vanished from sight during this period of twenty years, but we may be sure that the following statement concerning his life was true: "And the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground; and he was established among the people from Dan to Be'er-she'ba to be the prophet of the LORD." He no doubt spent these years in causing a great spiritual revival throughout the land, for we read toward the close of the period, "And all the house of Is'ra-el lamented toward the LORD."
   It was the holy influence of Sam'u-el's character and the unassuming services rendered during that twenty years that led to permanent reforms in Is'ra-el, and finally broke the Phi-lis'tine oppression. Occupying a position of preeminence in the history of the He'brews for purity of life and for devotion to the welfare of his people, and standing above all others as an intercessor before God, he was a perpetual power for good.

Story 75: Disasters Caused By The Abuse Of The Ark Of GOD ll

   Just as the abuse of the Ark had proven a curse to the Is'ra-el-ites, so its presence among the Phi-lis'tines became the source of terrible calamities. When the people came into the temple to worship on the next morning they found the image of Da'gon lying on its face before the Ark. On the next morning a still worse thing happened, for they found that not only had Da'gon fallen again, but his head and hands, the emblems of his strength, were cut off. Neither priests nor people dared to cross the threshold of the temple. In addition to the mysterious disasters which befell their fish-god, the people of the city and surrounding coast-lands were afflicted with a plague of boils, which caused great suffering and death.
   Overwhelmed by their sufferings and by the clear supremacy of the God of Is'ra-el over their chief god, the people of Ash'dod hastily sent the Ark off to Gath, another chief city of the nation ten miles to the east. When the same affliction came upon the people of that city, they rushed the Ark off to Ek'ron, where the same punishments were repeated.
   The cry of the people against these disasters was so intense that the lords of the Phi-lis'tines gathered in council. It was then decided to send the Ark back to Is'ra-el with an offering of golden jewels; this was done in the hope of appeasing the anger of God against them. Under the instructions of the magicians of the land they prepared five golden emerods to represent the plague of boils, and five golden mice in token of the hordes of these pests which had infested the land. This was in keeping with the heathen custom of presenting to their gods offerings which expressed the mercy desired.
   A new cart drawn by two milch kine was used for the removal of the Ark. It was carried to Beth-she'mesh within the borders of Ben'ja-min, placed on a large stone in the field of a man named Josh'u-a, and there the cows were offered as a burnt sacrifice to the LORD.
   The people of Beth-she'mesh did not treat the Ark with proper reverence,-some of them even looking into it-so the LORD punished thousands of them with death. The Ark was then removed to Kir-jath-Je'a-rim, a much larger town in the territory of the tribe of Ju'dah on the road to Shi'loh. Here it was placed in the home of A-bin'a-dab, and his son E-le-a'zar was appointed to protect it from all irreverence. The Ark remained in the house of A-bin'a-dab for seventy years or more, and was later restored to the Tabernacle by David.

Story 75: Disasters Caused By The Abuse Of The Ark Of GOD l

   As noted in previous chapters, the Is'ra-el-ites at this time were under the dominion of the Phi-lis'tines who held the rich plains of the Med'i-ter-ra'ne-an in the south and southwest, and who made frequent raids upon the tribes which lived near them. It appears that Sam'u-el directed the people of Is'ra-el to make war upon these Phi-lis'tines in the latter days of E'li, and that the Is'ra-el-ites were badly defeated in a battle fought near A'phek, which was not far from Miz'pah in the territory of Ben'ja-min.
   The moral and spiritual state of Is'ra-el at the time was at a very low ebb. E'li's sons had neither confessed their guilt nor amended their ways, and the people had not turnt to God in penitence for idolatry or in prayer for help against their enemies. There was, however, a superstitious and idolatrous regard for the Ark at Shi'loh, and the Is'ra-el-ites were influenced by the customs of their heathen neighbors, who carried images of their gods into battle in the hope of victory, to have their elders bring the Ark of the Cov'e-nant to the battle-field.
   A great uproar and clamor was raised by the Is'ra-el-ites whenever the Ark was brought up to the line of battle, and the Phi-lis'tines were filled with terror when they learnt the reason for such rejoicing by their enemies. The Phi-lis'tines, however, determined to fight on with greater force and courage than they had shown at any time before.
   On the next day the Is'ra-el-ites resumed the battle in a rather lighthearted manner, and with superstitious reliance upon the presence of the Ark to bring them victory. They tried to throw off the yoke of the Phi-lis'tines without submitting to the yoke of God. They failed to offer repentance and obedience to the LORD whose presence among them was falsely represented by the misuse of the Ark, and therefore the LORD'S hand was against them. The defeat of the previous day was turnt into a rout, with the loss of thirty thousand soldiers. Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has, the two wicked sons of E'li, were slain, and the Ark of the Cov'e-nant was taken by the Phi-lis'tines.
   Is'ra-el had relied upon the presence of a symbol, while ignoring that God was represented by that symbol. They had trusted in the power of magic while the emblem of Divine power was abused in profane hands; they had pretended to be loyal to the Laws of God while their hearts were separated from Him by great sins.
   The aged High Priest E'li waited at the gates of Shi'loh for news of the result of the battle. His heart sank in despair when a Ben'ja-mite messenger told him of the shameful defeat of his people, and of the death of his two sons and of thirty thousand footmen. When he learnt that the Ark of God had been captured by the Phi-lis'tines, he suddenly fell over backwards, and his neck was broken by the fall. When the wife of Phin'e-has was told that her husband was dead, and that the Ark had been taken by Is'ra-el's enemies, she gave her new-born child the name of Ich'a-bod, which means, "the glory of the LORD has departed." Thus, according to the word of the LORD, the doom pronounced upon the house of E'li was carried out.
   The Phi-lis'tines carried the Ark to Ash'dod, which was one of the five noted cities of their nation, located about thirty-two miles north of Ga'za and one mile from the sea. It was placed in the temple of Da'gon, the fish-god of this heathen nation. Da'gon was represented by an image with a human body and a fish's tail.
  

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el lV

   When Sam'u-el was about twelve years old he was sleeping in a room which adjoined that of the High Priest. Suddenly he heard a voice calling, "Sam'u-el, Sam'u-el." Thinking that E'li needed him for some service, he rushed into the next room and said, "Here I am, did you not call me?" E'li told Sam'u-el that he had not called him, and directed him to return to his own room. The same experience was repeated, and then took place for the third time. E'li then told Sam'u-el that the voice which had come to him must be that of the LORD, and that if he heard it again, he should say, "Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth." Once more Sam'u-el heard the voice calling him by name, and this time he did as E'li had directed. The LORD then revealed to his young servant a message of doom which must be delivered at once to E'li.
   When Sam'u-el awoke from the dream he hesitated to bring E'li the message from God. But when E'li urged him to relate what the LORD had said, and solemnly charged him to keep back nothing, he told the aged priest of God's judgments against his house because of the wickedness of his sons.
   Even the confirmation of the doom previously announced to him by the unnamed messenger of God failed to stir E'li to any serious effort to prevent his sons from going on in their evil ways. Giving up all priestly and parental authority, he said, "It is the LORD, let him do what seemeth him good."
   As proved by future events, this incident was more significant in the life of Sam'u-el than in that of E'li. For the first time the LORD had revealed Himself to the lad who was afterwards to be known as "the prophet of the LORD." God opened the spiritual hearing to Sam'u-el, and whispered to him the secret of His own will and purposes. From that very moment the reality and personal contact of God with him became a constant experience; he kept his ears open for every utterance of the Divine voice, and was recognized by the people as a prophet of the LORD. He grew in favor with God and with man, and "the LORD was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground."
  

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el lll

   In the birth of this son Han'nah gave to the world one of the greatest characters of Biblical history. Sam'u-el was destined to become the chief interest of God in leading Is'ra-el from a disordered group of twelve rival tribes into a strongly united nation. While silently pleading with the LORD, Han'nah had said in her heart, "If thou wilt give thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life." In her deep consecration she had promised that the most cherished gift of her heart would be returnt to the Divine; that God's gift to her would be her consecrated gift to God.
   For the first three years of Sam'u-el's life Han'nah watched over him tenderly, not even going up to Shi'loh for the annual feast days and sacrifices unto God.
   When Sam'u-el was about three years old, his father and mother prepared special offerings to be made unto the LORD, and carried the young child to the Tabernacle at Shi'loh. Han'nah told E'li that she was the woman who had come to the Temple years before to pray for a son, and acknowledged God's favor in giving her the child. Sam'u-el was then dedicated to the service of the LORD, and was left in the Tabernacle to be trained for his mission by ministering unto the LORD before E'li. Han'nah and her husband returnt to their home in Ra'mah, where unceasing prayer was made for their young son. Once a year, when Han'nah went up to Shi'loh for the sacrifices, she brought a little robe for her son.
   Through the days of his childhood and youth Sam'u-el was constantly engaged in the services of the LORD'S house. In E'li's declining years he became the personal assistant and companion of the aged priest. There grew between them a deep and abiding affection, and E'li looked upon the boy as if he were a beloved son, for his own sons had long since disgraced themselves by evil deeds.

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el ll

   An unnamed messenger of the LORD was sent to E'li with a solemn warning that the wickedness of his sons would end in their death on the same day. But even this stern warning fell upon deaf ears, so weak was E'li in the discipline of his wicked sons.
   There was living in the days of E'li, at the little town of Ra'mah in the mountains of E' phra-im, a devout man by the name of El'ka-nah. He was a direct descendant of Ko'hath of the tribe of Le'vi, but for some unknown reason did not serve as a Le'vite. He was fairly prosperous, was faithful in his religious duties, and took his family up to Shi'loh for regular worship and sacrifice unto the LORD. In spite of the notorious unworthiness of those who acted as priests he did not neglect the duty of worship.
   El'ka-nah was the husband of two wives, Han'nah and Pe-nin'nah. He had probably married Pe-nin'nah because of Han'nah's childlessness, as this was common practice in those days. From the time of Creation it has always been wrong for any man to have more than one wife; even though El'ka-nah was justified by the customs of his times, he could not escape the sure punishment which follows the violation of God's law. So the little home in Ra'mah, though prosperous and devout, was not happy.
   The plural marriage of El'ka-nah embittered the life of the home, bringing unhappiness to every member of the family. Han'nah was the lawful and favorite wife, so Pe-nin'nah was jealous of her; Han'nah, moreover, was jealous because Pe-nin'nah had children, while she had none. As we have already learnt, children were regarded by the He'brews as a sign of His favor, while to have no children was a reproach and a disgrace. Han'nah was continually taunted by Pe-nin'nah, and in her distress of spirit sought help from the LORD in prayer.
   One year when El'ka-nah's family had gone up to Shi'loh for worship and sacrifice, Han'nah lingered in the tabernacle in great bitterness of soul, earnestly pleading with God to take away her reproach. So deep was her anguish, and so intense her prayer, that she uttered no sound with her lips, but spake in her heart to the LORD.
   When the aged priest E'li saw Han'nah lying prostrate in the tabernacle, her lips silently moving, and tears streaming down her face, he thought that she was the victim of strong drink, and spoke harshly to her. Although she must have been deeply wounded by the false accusation of the one person in the world from whom she might have expected sympathy and understanding, her reply was calm and respectful.
   In the deep sorrow of her heart she did not tell the High Priest the reason for her anguish and fervent prayers, but asked only that she be recognized as a "handmaiden of the LORD," and that He pronounce a blessing upon her. E'li's attitude was completely changed, and the stern rebuke spoken in ignorance was turnt into a Heavenly Benediction as he said to her, "Go in peace, and the God of Is'ra-el grant thee the petition that thou hast asked of Him." God answered Han'nah's prayer, and in the course of time she became the mother of a son whom she gave the name Sam'u-el, which means "asked of the LORD."

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el l

   About thirty years before Sam'son began to rule in the west and southwestern parts of Is'ra-el, there was raised to the office of High Priest in Shi'loh a man named E'li. He held this position for forty years, the last ten of which coincided with the first ten years of Sam'son's twenty year reign. During his tenure of office as High Priest in the tabernacle he also held a place of much influence in the nation as a magistrate. Strictly speaking, he was not a "Judge," although it is said that he "judged Is'ra-el for forty years." This statement is due to the fact that during his priesthood there was no Judge whose reign extended over the entire land. In his priestly office, therefore, E'li advised the people in respect to civil matters, and decided over legal problems.
   The time had now come for great changes in the national life of Is'ra-el. For nearly three hundred years there had been no centralized national authority, and the tribes had been very loosely related to one another and to the nation. What is known as the "Period of Judges" had witnessed many disgraceful sins, frequent lapses into idolatry, constant failures to uphold True Religion; and the country had suffered periodic invasions and oppressions from the heathen nations adjoining their land.
   But in spite of the bloodshed, lawlessness, and superstition of that troubled period, it is easy to trace the progress of God's plan for uniting the widely separated and disordered tribes of Is'ra-el. Running through the entire story is the thread of God's purpose to purify the nation which was to become the great religious teacher of the world, and in whose land the Sav'ior was to be born. Chief among the factors which had brought the tribes into greater unity were their common faith in the religion of Je-ho'vah, their sense of racial unity, the pressure of common danger from foreign oppressors, and the brave leadership of great heroes raised up by God.
   The tribes of the west and southwest were oppressed by occasional raids from the Phi-lis'tines, but there was no general war nor invasions of the land by foreign nations. A general state of irreverence and religious decline prevailed throughout the land, but notable exceptions to this rule are seen in the stories of Na-o'mi, Bo'az and Ruth. The LORD was preparing Is'ra-el for a great religious awakening, and for a closer union of worship and nationality.
   The stories drawn from the books of Sam'u-el cover important events in the period which led to the formation of the great Is'ra-el-it-ish monarchy under Saul as the first king.
   As we learnt in previous chapters, the office of High Priest of Is'ra-el was held exclusively by descendants of Aa'ron, and that this honor was given to the eldest son of each generation, unless there were good reasons why he could not serve. In the case of E'li, he was a descendant of Ith'a-mar, the youngest son of Aa'ron. The rank was probably given to him because at the death of the last High Priest of the family of E-le-a'zer, the eldest son of Aa'ron, his son was too young or inexperienced to assume the office.
   E'li was a devout and pious man of God, and served the people with honor for a long period of time. He was lacking, however, in one very important respect: he was careless in the religious training of his sons, failing to restrain them from ways of immorality and blasphemy. For these failures he was severely punished, and his family doomed to lose their priestly heritage.
   In his declining years E'li turnt over many duties of the priesthood to his two sons, Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has. Even while performing these sacred duties, they acted very wickedly. They were greedy, selfish, and depraved in conduct. They brought religion into disrepute and contempt, and caused the people to "abhor the offering of the LORD." Reports of their doings were brought to E'li, but he merely remonstrated with them in a feeble manner, letting them go on in their evil ways. He was not only High Priest, but a magistrate in Is'ra-el, and should have sternly punished his sons, who were so wicked that the Bible record speaks of them as "sons of Be'li-al who knew not the LORD."