1Samuel 4:8 - Prayer Tents



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1Samuel 4
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The Chest of God Is Taken

4Whatever Samuel said was broadcast all through Israel. Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek.H1697H8050H3478H3478H3318H7125H6430H4421H2583H72H6430H2583H663 2The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten—about 4,000 soldiers left dead on the field.H6430H6186H7125H3478H5203H4421H3478H5062H6440H6430H5221H4634H7704H702H505H376 3When the troops returned to camp, Israel's elders said, "Why has GOD given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let's go to Shiloh and get the Chest of GOD's Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies."H5971H935H4264H2205H3478H559H3068H5062H3117H6440H6430H3947H727H1285H3068H7887H935H7130H3467H3709H341 4So the army sent orders to Shiloh. They brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned-GOD. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God.H5971H7971H7887H5375H727H1285H3068H6635H3427H3742H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H727H1285H430 5When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground.H727H1285H3068H935H4264H3478H7321H1419H8643H776H1949 6The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: "What's all this shouting among the Hebrews?" Then they learned that the Chest of GOD had entered the Hebrew camp.H6430H8085H6963H8643H559H6963H1419H8643H4264H5680H3045H727H3068H935H4264 7The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before.H6430H3372H559H430H935H4264H559H188H865H8032 8We're done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness.H188H5337H3027H117H430H430H5221H4714H4347H4057 9On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We're about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you're made of! Fight for your lives!"H2388H1961H582H6430H5647H5680H5647H1961H582H3898 10And did they ever fight! It turned into a rout. They thrashed Israel so mercilessly that the Israelite soldiers ran for their lives, leaving behind an incredible 30,000 dead.H6430H3898H3478H5062H5127H376H168H3966H1419H4347H5307H3478H7970H505H7273 11As if that wasn't bad enough, the Chest of God was taken and the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas—were killed.H727H430H3947H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H4191

Glory Is Exiled from Israel

12Immediately, a Benjaminite raced from the front lines back to Shiloh. Shirt torn and face smeared with dirt,H7323H376H1144H4634H935H7887H3117H4055H7167H127H7218 13he entered the town. Eli was sitting on his stool beside the road keeping vigil, for he was extremely worried about the Chest of God. When the man ran straight into town to tell the bad news, everyone wept.H935H5941H3427H3678H1870H3027H3197H6822H3820H2730H727H430H376H935H5892H5046H5892H2199 14They were appalled. Eli heard the loud wailing and asked, "Why this uproar?" The messenger hurried over and reported.H5941H8085H6963H6818H559H6963H1995H376H935H4116H5046H5941 15Eli was ninety-eight years old then, and blind.H5941H8673H8083H8141H1121H5869H6965H3201H7200 16The man said to Eli, "I've just come from the front, barely escaping with my life." "And so, my son," said Eli, "what happened?"H376H559H5941H935H4634H5127H3117H4634H559H1697H1121 17The messenger answered, "Israel scattered before the Philistines. The defeat was catastrophic, with enormous losses. Your sons Hophni and Phinehas died, and the Chest of God was taken."H1319H6030H559H3478H5127H6440H6430H1419H4046H5971H8147H1121H2652H6372H4191H727H430H3947 18At the words, "Chest of God," Eli fell backwards off his stool where he sat next to the gate. Eli was an old man, and very fat. When he fell, he broke his neck and died. He had led Israel forty years.H2142H727H430H5307H3678H322H1157H3027H8179H4665H7665H4191H2204H376H3513H8199H3478H705H8141 19His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and ready to deliver. When she heard that the Chest of God had been taken and that both her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went to her knees to give birth, going into hard labor.H3618H6372H802H2030H3205H8085H8052H413H727H430H3947H2524H376H4191H3766H3205H6735H2015 20As she was about to die, her midwife said, "Don't be afraid. You've given birth to a son!" But she gave no sign that she had heard.H6256H4191H5324H1696H3372H3205H1121H6030H7896H3820 21The Chest of God gone, father-in-law dead, husband dead, she named the boy Ichabod (Glory's-Gone),H7121H5288H350H559H3519H1540H3478H413H727H430H3947H2524H376 22saying, "Glory is exiled from Israel since the Chest of God was taken."H559H3519H1540H3478H727H430H3947


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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