1 Samuel 4
A Defeat in Israel and The Death of Eli
In this section (4-7), the author records the initial fulfillment of God’s promise to remove Eli and his descendants from leadership in Israel and the faithfulness of God to honor His own name even when His people do not.
Israel And The Philistines in Battle
Growing Threat
Vs. 1 - Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle
The Philistines migrated to the Judean coastline during the twelfth century BC and began threatening Israel during the days of the judges. - Bryan E. Beyer
The Philistines were an immigrant people from the military aristocracy of the island of Crete (Amos 9:7). Small numbers of Philistines were in the land at the time of Abraham, but they came in larger numbers soon after Israel came to Canaan from Egypt. - David Guzik
Never did time seem more hopeless than when Samuel arose. The Philistines, strengthened not merely by a constant influx of immigrants, but by the importation of arms from Greece, were fast reducing Israel to the condition of a subject race. - Smith
Devastating Defeat
Vs. 3 - Why did the Lord defeat us today?
Israel was as surprised as their enemy at this great loss, and their response was revelatory. If they experienced defeat, they stepped back to question whether or not God was fighting for them or against them. It was a good question with a poor response.
Desperate Attempt
Vs. 3 - Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us.
The Israelites should have realized that their defeats were God’s punishments upon them because of their sin, and turned to him in repentance. Instead they thought that they would guarantee his help by carrying the symbol of his presence (the ark of the covenant) on to the battlefield, after the manner of their heathen neighbors (4:1-4; cf. 2 Samuel 5:21). God showed clearly that he had withdrawn his help from Israel by allowing the ark to be captured. - Don Fleming
The ark of the covenant was the representation of the throne of God in Israel. Kept in the most holy place of the tabernacle, the people never saw it. Only the high priest entered and saw the ark, and only once a year. The elders wanted to take this representation of the throne of God out of the Holy of Holies (it could be moved when the tabernacle was to be moved), cover it, and bring it into battle with them. They hoped it would give confidence that God was really with them.
The ark went into battle before. The ark went in front of the marchers around the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-8). Moses told the priests to lead the ark into battle against the Midianites (Numbers 31:6). Later, Saul brought the ark into battle (1 Samuel 14:18), as did David (2 Samuel 11:11).
The elders rightly sensed they needed God’s help to win the battle. But they were wrong in the way they sought help. Instead of humbly repenting and seeking God, they turned to methods that God never approved.
They regarded the ark as the ultimate “good luck charm” and believed they could not lose with it there. They looked to the ark to save them, not to the LORD. - David Guzik
Instead of attempting to get right with God, these Israelites set about devising superstitious means of securing the victory over their foes. In this respect, most of us have imitated them. We think of a thousand inventions; but we neglect the one thing needful…. They forget the main matter, which is to enthrone God in life, and to seek to do His will by faith in Christ Jesus. - Charles Spurgeon
The Ark of God Captured
Vs. 11 - The ark of God was captured
Commentators note that the ark of God is mentioned in this section of Samuel more than any other in scripture. God had given Moses the specific instructions (Exodus 25) for its construction, its contents, and its purpose to represent the footstool of God in the most holy chamber of the tabernacle.
Exodus 25:10 - “They are to make an ark of acacia wood…”
Hebrews 9:4-5 - the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat.
Vs. 22 - “The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “because the ark of God has been captured.”
Perhaps, this dying exclamation from Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, reveals that many in Israel had come to associate a representation of God’s presence with God Himself.
The glory of God had indeed departed, but not because the ark of God had been captured; the ark had been captured because the glory had already departed. - Ellison
Thus as God was no loser by this event, so the Philistines were no gainers by it; and Israel, all things considered, received more good than hurt by it, as we shall see. - Poole
The Death of Eli
Vs. 11 - Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Vs. 18 - When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel forty years.
As Eli’s influence declined, Samuel grew in favor with God and with all of Israel. With the death of Eli and both of his sons, the author revealed that God kept His promise to punish sin and to provide for His people.
