1 Samuel 7: They Did What??

In verse 2, we are told that the “whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord.” Aside from the fact that they should have already been doing that, it is a great thing to know—to think about the whole nation doing this. The Lord delivered them at this time, leading to the use of a great word in memory of the occasion: Ebenezer (Stone of Help). Is He your “Ebenezer” today?

1 Samuel 6: Mice, Tumors, and a Cart

In order to end the trouble that God had sent among the Philistines, they decided to send the ark back with tokens of their guild—gold mice, gold tumors, and a cart. Quite a strange way to admit guilt, isn’t it?* Today, God will not be appeased regarding our sin apart from our own personal godly sorrow, repentance, and obedience, including offering ourselves as living sacrifices (2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Acts 17:30-31; 22:16; Romans 12:1-2).

*The cart was then chopped up and burned, while the cattle pulling it were offered as sacrifices.

1 Samuel 5: Let's Make This Quick

God (not the ark) afflicted the Philistines—they found out fast that they needed to get the ark out of their land. This short reading makes it clear that God does not tolerate idolatry or idolaters of any kind—and He never will (Colossians 3:5).

1 Samuel 4: Let's Trust in the Ark

The ark that saved Noah and his family, the ark that saved Moses’ life, and the ark of the covenant that was part of the tabernacle all had their proper uses. The ark of the covenant is still thought of as some magical thing that needs to be found (some people in Africa claim to have it). It never was a magical, miraculous protection for people. This chapter ought to make that clear. Trust should be placed in God and proved by obedience, not in artifacts that are made by people.

1 Samuel 3: Samuel!

The boy Samuel was called at least 6 times in this reading, 5 by Jehovah (verses 4,6,7, and twice in verse 10) and once by Eli (verse 15). Samuel was listening every time, even when he did not know who was calling. That is a good way to find out who is calling—be a good listener! He responded well to God and to Eli—all young boys and girls should be taught to be good listeners.

1 Samuel 2: A Model for Prayer

Jesus gave a model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Many people in the Bible can serve as models for prayer. Hannah is one of them. The Holy Spirit caused it to be recorded in verses 1-10. Many of the things she said in her prayer can be found in other places in the Bible—and could well be used in our own prayers, too.

1 Samuel 1: Anyway You Read Her: Hannah

Hannah is one of those names that reads the same way backwards. People who read accurately can see that. But we do not always read one another’s actions accurately. God and Hannah knew what she was doing, but the priest of God missed it—by a lot. Let’s be careful about reading one another’s actions, voices, and hearts!