Study Desk

Don't think I am a worthless woman. I have been praying like this because I'm so miserable."

Hannah prayed: "The Lord has filled my heart with joy; how happy I am because of what he has done! I laugh at my enemies; how joyful I am because God has helped me!

This sin of the sons of Eli was extremely serious in the Lord 's sight, because they treated the offerings to the Lord with such disrespect.

The Lord called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the Lord , because the Lord had never spoken to him before. So he got up, went to Eli, and said, "You called me, and here I am." But Eli answered, "My son, I didn't call you; go back to bed."

I have already told him that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they were doing this, but he did not stop them.

"God's glory has left Israel," she said, "because God's Covenant Box has been captured."

So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, "Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families." There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely.

The Lord killed seventy of the men of Beth Shemesh because they looked inside the Covenant Box. And the people mourned because the Lord had caused such a great slaughter among them.

When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the Lord will not listen to your complaints."

The servant answered, "Wait! In this town there is a holy man who is highly respected because everything he says comes true. Let's go to him, and maybe he can tell us where we can find the donkeys."

"Yes, he is," the young women answered. "In fact, he is just ahead of you. If you hurry, you will catch up with him. As soon as you go into town, you will find him. He arrived in town today because the people are going to offer a sacrifice on the altar on the hill. The people who are invited won't start eating until he gets there, because he has to bless the sacrifice first. If you go now, you will find him before he goes up the hill to eat."

Then they cried to the Lord for help and said, ‘We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Lord , and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte. Rescue us from our enemies, and we will worship you!'

But now your rule will not continue. Because you have disobeyed him, the Lord will find the kind of man he wants and make him ruler of his people."

There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears.

But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the Lord has given us victory over them."

The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: "A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies." So nobody had eaten anything all day.

The woods were full of honey, but no one ate any of it because they were all afraid of Saul's curse.

Jonathan answered, "What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey!

He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt.

Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord 's command, he has rejected you as king."