ISRAEL’S DEMAND FOR A KING
1 SAMUEL 8
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.

• The people would probably not have insisted on having a king at this time if Samuel's sons had proved to be as faithful to the Mosaic Covenant as their father had been.
• The text says that they served as judges in Beersheba, but Josephus wrote that they served at Bethel and Beersheba.
• Eli's sons had also proved unworthy.
• Parental influence is important, but personal choices are even more determinative in the outcome of one's life.
• Whereas the writer censured Eli for his poor parenting (3:13), he did not do so with Samuel.
• Evidently he did not consider Samuel responsible for his son's conduct, or perhaps he did not want to sully the reputation of this great judge.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”
6 When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord.

• The request displeased Samuel, probably because he saw this request as a desire to change the form of Israel's government without divine initiative.

7 But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. 8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods.

• The rejection of Samuel was the rejection of godly leadership; the choice of Saul was the choice of ungodly leadership.

9 Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”
10 Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. 12 He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13 He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. 16 He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle, and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17 He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”

•  The people would also regret their request because their king would disappoint them.

19 The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20 Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.”
21 Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. 22 “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”
Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”[1]
 
SAUL ANOINTED KING
1 SAMUEL 9
1 There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. 2 He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

•  Saul himself was physically impressive: unusually tall and handsome.
• His exact age remains a mystery, though the writer called him "young."
• God gave the people just what they wanted: Saul looked like a king.
• Whereas Hannah had asked for a son directly from God (1:28), the Israelites had asked for a king from Samuel (8:5).
• The narrative begins with Saul's father, Kish, losing some donkeys and sending Saul and a servant to find them.
• After an unsuccessful search, they decide to seek the help of the prophet Samuel, who is known for his wisdom and guidance (1 Samuel 9:3-6).

 

• God had already revealed to Samuel that He would send a man from Benjamin to be anointed as the first king of Israel.
• When Saul arrives, God confirms to Samuel that Saul is the chosen one (1 Samuel 9:15-17).
• Samuel invites Saul to a meal and later privately anoints him as king, explaining that God has chosen him to lead and deliver Israel from the Philistines (1 Samuel 9:19-10:1).
• Samuel gives Saul several signs to confirm his anointing, including encounters with prophets and specific events that would occur on his journey home.
• These signs come to pass, and the Spirit of God comes powerfully upon Saul, transforming him and enabling him to prophesy (1 Samuel 10:2-10).

 

• When Saul returns home, he does not immediately reveal his anointing as king to his family, keeping the matter private for the time being (1 Samuel 10:14-16).

 

• Saul's transformation by the Spirit underscores the necessity of God's empowerment for leadership and service (1 Samuel 10:6-7).

 
SAUL RECEIVED AS KING
1 SAMUEL 10

• Samuel anointed Saul with oil.
• Anointing with oil was a symbolic act in Israel, and elsewhere in the ancient Near East, that pictured consecration to service.
• The only things anointed with oil before this anointing were the priests and the tabernacle.
• The oil symbolized God's Spirit, and anointing with oil represented endowment with that Spirit for the purpose of enablement.
• 1 John 2:27 -  As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.[2]

17 Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah

• Mizpah was the scene of Israel's previous spiritual revival and victory over the Philistines (7:5-13).
• Perhaps Samuel chose this site for Saul's public presentation to the nation because of those events.
• The tabernacle may have been there as well.

18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. 22 They again inquired of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”
The Lord replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”
23 They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else., 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people home.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.[3]
 
1 SAMUEL 11
1 Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.”
3 “Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

• Saul was told what the Ammonite men said.

 
6 When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him, and his anger burned furiously. 7 He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.”

• Saul linked himself with Samuel because Samuel was the recognized spiritual leader of the nation.
• By referring to Samuel, Saul was probably hinting that this battle had divine approval.

As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united.
8 Saul counted them at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand, Israelites and thirty thousand men from Judah. 9 He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’ ” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.”
11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
 
SAUL’S CONFIRMATION AS KING
12 Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!”
13 But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.”

• What Samuel called for was a ceremony to renew the Mosaic Covenant.
• It was to be similar to those that had taken place in Joshua's day (Josh. 8 and 24) in which the nation would dedicate itself afresh to Yahweh and His Law as a nation (cf. Deut. 29).

15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord’s presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.[4]
 
SAMUEL’S FINAL PUBLIC SPEECH
1 SAMUEL 12
1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.
 
13 “Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the Lord has placed over you. 14 If you fear the Lord, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 However, if you disobey the Lord and rebel against his command, the Lord’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors.

• The key to Israel's future blessing would be fearing Yahweh, serving Him, listening to His voice through the Mosaic Law and the prophets, and not rebelling against His commands.
• The major message of 1 and 2 Samuel thus comes through again clearly in Samuel's final words to the nation, as we would expect.

 
23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. 24 Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you. 25 However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”[5]
SAUL’S FAILURE
1 SAMUEL 13
1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. 2 He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison in Gibeah, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”, 4 And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6 The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8 He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

• His sin is not that he offers the sacrifice prematurely (because he does wait until the time set by Samuel is up.).
• His sin is that he disrespects Samuel's authority by offering the sacrifice himself."

10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11 and Samuel asked, “What have you done?”
Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

• In explaining his actions to Samuel Saul he gave three reasons:
• 1) He feared that his army was deserting him,
• 2) Samuel had delayed his coming,
• 3) and the Philistines were preparing to attack (v. 11).
• He claimed that in view of these conditions he had worked up his courage and finally offered the burnt offering.

13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, 14 but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.”

• Saul lost his kingdom for want of two or three hours' patience.

 
19 No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” 20 So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod. 22 So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

• This monopoly continued with some success until the time of David when Israel began to produce iron objects rather freely (cf. 1 Chron. 22:3).

23 Now a Philistine garrison took control of the pass at Michmash.[6]

• It always comes down to doing things (including leadership) in your own strength and your own time to doing things in the Lord’s strength and the Lord’s time.

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 8:1–22.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Jn 2:27.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 10:17-27.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 11:1–15.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 12:1–25.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 13:1–23.

1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2 introduce us to the story of Hannah, a woman deeply distressed by her inability to have children.

• In her anguish, she prays fervently to the Lord, promising that if He grants her a son, she will dedicate him to the Lord's service.

1 SAMUEL 1
10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. 11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”[1]

• God hears her prayer, and she gives birth to Samuel, whom she later brings to the temple to fulfill her vow.

20 After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”[2]
 
27 I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.[3]
 
Chapter 2 begins with Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving, a beautiful expression of praise and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and faithfulness (1 Samuel 2:1-10).

• The narrative then shifts to the corruption of Eli's sons, who are priests but act wickedly, contrasting with the growing favor of young Samuel, who serves the Lord faithfully (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 26).

 
1 SAMUEL 2
12 Eli’s sons were wicked men; they did not respect the Lord 13 or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot. The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” 16 If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,” the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!” 17 So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because the men treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.[4]
 
26 By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.[5]
These chapters highlight themes of faith, prayer, and God's faithfulness in answering prayers.

• They also set the stage for the rise of Samuel as a significant prophet and leader in Israel, emphasizing God's ability to work through humble and faithful individuals to accomplish His purposes.

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him…[6]
35 “ ‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him, and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.[7]
 
SAMUEL’S CALL
1 SAMUEL 3
1 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.
2 One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. 3 Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

•  It probably means that the boy had not yet come to know Yahweh as he was about to know Him, having heard His voice speaking directly to him 

8 Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end. 13 I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God, and he has not stopped them. 14 Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.”
15 Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17 “What was the message he gave you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is good.”
19 Samuel grew. The Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied. 20 All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel by his word
 
1 SAMUEL 4
And Samuel’s words came to all Israel.[8]
 
THE ARK CAPTURED BY THE PHILISTINES
Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.
3 When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord defeat us today before the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook.
6 The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp, 7 they panicked. “A god has entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will rescue us from these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe—thirty thousand of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
 
ELI’S DEATH AND ICHABOD’S BIRTH
12 That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road waiting, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out.
14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” The man quickly came and reported to Eli. 15 At that time Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes didn’t move because he couldn’t see.
16 The man said to Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. I fled from there today.”
“What happened, my son?” Eli asked.
17 The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from the Philistines, and also there was a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel forty years.
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her. 20 As she was dying, the women taking care of her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay attention. 21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and to the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 “The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “because the ark of God has been captured.”[9]
 
In 1 Samuel, chapters 5 to 7, we see the journey of the Ark of the Covenant after the Philistines captured it.

• In chapter 5, the Philistines place the Ark in the temple of their god Dagon, but the statue of Dagon falls before the Ark, and the people of Ashdod are afflicted with tumors.
• Realizing the power of the God of Israel, the Philistines move the Ark to different cities, but each city experiences similar plagues (1 Samuel 5:1-12).

 
1 SAMUEL 5
11 The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. Let it return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!” For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.[10]
In chapter 6, the Philistines decide to return the Ark to Israel, sending it back on a cart with offerings of gold as a guilt offering.

• The Ark arrives in Beth-shemesh, where the people rejoice, but some are struck down for looking into the Ark, highlighting the holiness of God and the importance of reverence (1 Samuel 6:13-19).

 
1 SAMUEL 6
13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed to see it. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people of the city chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

• The ark was extremely important in Israel's national life. It was where Yahweh manifested His presence, and it symbolized God's presence.

15 The Levites removed the ark of the Lord, along with the box containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. That day the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 16 When the five Philistine rulers observed this, they returned to Ekron that same day.
17 As a guilt offering to the Lord, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The number of gold mice also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities of the five rulers, the fortified cities and the outlying villages. The large rock, on which the ark of the Lord was placed is still in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh today.
19 God struck down the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord. He struck down seventy persons. The people mourned because the Lord struck them with a great slaughter.[11]
 
Chapter 7 describes the Ark's journey to Kiriath-jearim, where it remains for twenty years.

• During this time, Samuel calls the Israelites to repentance, urging them to turn away from foreign gods and serve the Lord alone.
• The people respond, and Samuel leads them in a time of national repentance and prayer.
• God delivers Israel from the Philistines..

 
1 SAMUEL 7
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”

• Map

13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel’s territory again. The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. 14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. [12]
These chapters emphasize God's holiness, the importance of reverence, and the power of repentance and turning to God for deliverance.

• They also highlight Samuel's role as a spiritual leader who guides Israel back to faithfulness.

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 1:10–11.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 1:20.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 1:27–28.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 2:12–17.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 2:26.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 2:27.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 2:35.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 3:1–4:1.
[9] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 4:1–22.
[10] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 5:11–12.
[11] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 6:13–19.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Sa 7:12–14.