Study Desk

"The glory has departed from Israel," she said, "for the ark of God has been captured."

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon."

So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" "It must be moved to Gath," they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, "They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!"

Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!" For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.

They replied, "If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you."

Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.

But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.

The men of Beth-shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom should the ark go up from here?"

and said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, so that He will deliver us from the hand of the Philistines."

"Look," said the servant, "in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Maybe he will tell us which way to go."

"If we do go," Saul replied, "what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?"

Again the servant answered, "Look, I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way."

(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, "Come, let us go to the seer." For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)

"Good," said Saul to his servant. "Come, let us go." So they set out for the city where the man of God was.

As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I will reveal to you the word of God." So the servant went on.

Then you will go on from there until you come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.

After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.