Hannah sang her praises to God for giving her such joy. Then she returned home and Samuel stayed behind and ministered to the Lord before Eli.
Eli's sons were wicked men. They treated the Israelites who brought their offerings unfairly and they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. God was very angry with them and wanted them dead. They wouldn't listen to Eli and change their ways. Meanwhile Samuel was growing in stature and the Lord favored him. A man spoke a prophecy against Eli saying that his family line was chosen by God for the temple work, but they had sinned and dishonored God and God would disdain them. He said Eli's two sons would die on the same day and God would raise up a faithful priest to do His will.
One night the Lord called Samuel three times. Each time the boy thought that the voice he heard was Eli calling him. He went to where Eli was sleeping and answered him only to be told that Eli hadn't called him. Eli finally realized that the Lord was talking to Samuel and he told him what to say. God told Eli His plans. Eli got up the next morning and opened the doors to the temple and was afraid to tell Eli the bad news about what God was going to do. But Eli asked him and he told him everything. Everyone recognized that the Lord had raised up Samuel as his prophet.
The Philistines attacked Israel. The Israelites kept losing battles and men. They decided to take the ark of the covenant before them in battle so they could win. Phinehas and Hophni went with the ark and were killed along with many others and they captured the ark of the covenant. When Eli heard the news he fell backward in his chair and broke his neck and died. The wife of Phinehas heard the terrible news that her husband and his father were dead and she went into labor. As she lay dying she named the boy Ichabod which means, no glory, because the glory had departed out of Israel since the ark of the covenant had been captured.
Tomorrow read 1Samuel 5-9:10
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