Day #99

Sermon - Audio
1 Samuel 4-8 - Audio
1 Sameul 4-8 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Chapter 4

• Some of the sages say that in 4.1 the words Samuel speaks call the people to go into battle against the Philistines i.e. the reason for the battle is because Samuel said to go.
• Aphek is one of the first cities captured by Joshua it has been lost during the period of the judges. The loss of Aphek is another sign of decline.
• The elders wonder why they have been defeated. Another sign of decline. The reasons they were defeated are clear from the book of Judges, they have broken covenant and now they are experiencing covenant curses. But they don’t get it.
• LORD Almighty: the same name used by Hannah is now used by the elders. But they miss what it means, namely, God is in control of all things. Because they miss the meaning they try to manipulate God and disaster strikes.
• The focal point of chapter 4 is the loss of the ark. When Phinehas’ wife dies she names her child ichabod because the ark has been lost. Note that in the Hebrew it says that the ark has gone into exile i.e. God has not abandoned his people, but he is showing that their relationship is broken.
• Not only is the ark taken, but most believe that this is the time when the tabernacle is destroyed at Shiloh.
• The sages say that the rivalry between the Philistines and the Israelites has deep spiritual roots. It began in the days of the patriarchs when the Philistines stopped up the wells of Abraham. These “wells” symbolized spiritual values and teaching that Abraham and his offspring were to unearth and bring to the world. The Philistines battled Israel to keep those holy lessons underground.
• The Philistines are first mentioned in Genesis 10.13-14. They have roots in Egypt. (Note that Hophi and Phinehas’ names have Egyptian roots. When Hophni and Phinehas eat the meat in chapter 2 they are taking God’s share. Given that their names have Egyptian roots, we might say they are acting like Egyptians, people who do not care about God or really believe in him.) Some of the Philistines moved into Canaan during the time of the patriarchs, others first went to Crete and later (about 1200 BC) came back to Palestine.

Chapter 5-6

• The philistines think that God has fallen into their hands, but the reality is that they have fallen into his hands.
• It is a great disgrace to Yahweh to be put on a “shelf” next to a god that is not a god. Yahweh lets this be known by having Dagon bow before him.
• The breaking off of Dagon’s head and hands reflects the practice of armies at the time. Victorious armies would cut off the hands and head of enemy soldiers killed in battle as a symbol of their victory. God shows he is victorious over Dagon.
• God shows mercy to the Philistines by first afflicting their god and so giving them a chance to see who he is and repent. It is only after they don’t get this message that he begins to send his plague (most likely bubonic plague).
• The sages say that some in Philistia were slow to send the Ark back because of the cost of the guilt offering (it was a lot of gold), but their religious leaders made it clear that it was a small price to pay for the end of the plague.
• Using two cows who were still nursing was a test to see if Yahweh was in this plague business or if it was just something that happened. Using two cows meant 1. they did not want to leave their calves 2. They had never drawn a cart before so they would not know how to do it 3. They did not know the way to Israel. Therefore, if the cows went to Israel, Yahweh had been the source of the plagues. If not, they would get their gold back.
• It is interesting to note that the Philistines honor God and do everything that their priests tell them to do—unlike the Israelites, both before they lose the ark and when they get it back.

Chapters 7-8

• Samuel becomes Israel’s greatest judge. He creates a spiritual revolution, a revolution that brings freedom in the land of Israel (from the Philistines), and he travels the land to keep the people faithful to God.
• 7.3 Partial repentance is not enough, all of their gods have to be dumped
• 7.5 Samuel becomes famous for his powerful prayer (see Psalm 99.6, Jer. 15.1)
• 7.7-14 The defeat of the philistines solidifies Samuel’s leadership (cf. the crossing of the Jordan solidified Joshua’s leadership).
• 7.10 “thundered” has close connections with Hannah’s song in 2.9-10 and shows that Hannah is a prophet, she foresees this defeat.
• Chapter 8: The request for a king. The problem is not that the people want a king (see Dt 17.14-20), the problem is they want a king like all the other nations. They should have asked for a king who would lead them by his example in following the ways of the Torah, instead they want a king who would rule over them like the non-Jewish rulers of the other nations. God is rejected not because a human king is put in place, but because the people don’t want a king who follows God’s ways.
• 8.1-4 Beersheba is in the south of Israel, unlike their dad who traveled to the people, Samuel’s sons demanded the people come to them. The sages say that the text needs to be interpreted as his sons accepted payment for their services (not that they took bribes). The problem was that their dad had not done so. So these two don’t live up to their dad’s level of sacrifice and servanthood.