1 Samuel 4-5

WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE TRY TO ‘USE’ GOD INSTEAD OF BEING ‘USED’ BY HIM, IT’S A BAD SITUATION FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED

Chapter 4

Pre-Context (vs. 1-2)
The Philistines defeat Israel (vs. 1)

1. About 4,000 killed, Israel defeated (vs. 2)

Israel’s perspective (vs. 3-5)
Why did the Lord bring defeat? (vs. 3a)

1. We didn’t have our good luck charm (vs. 3b)
2. They kept their wicked leaders (vs. 4)
3. They made a lot of noise (vs. 5)

Philistia’s perspective (vs. 6-9)
What’s all this shouting? (vs. 6)

1. They were afraid (vs. 7)
2. They remembered God’s past actions (vs. 8)
3. They fought (vs. 9)

Post-Context (vs. 10-11)
The Philistines defeat Israel again (vs. 10)

1. Israel lost 30,000 foot soldiers (vs. 10)
2. The ark was captured (vs. 11)
3. Eli’s sons were killed (vs. 11)

Aftershocks (vs. 12-22)
Israel mourns (vs. 12-13)

1. Eli learns of Israel’s demise (vs. 14-17)
2. Eli dies (vs. 18)
3. Eli’s daughter-in-law dies during pregnancy (vs. 19-22)

Chapter 5

Pre-Context (vs. 1-2)
The Philistines return home victorious (vs. 1)

1. They put the ark with their favorite God (vs. 2)

Things don’t go well for the Philistines (vs. 3-12)
The ark is ‘bad luck’ for them

1. Dagon couldn’t stand beside the ark (vs. 3-5)
2. The people of Ashdod want to get rid of the ark (vs. 6-8)
3. The people of Gath want to get rid of the ark (vs. 9)
4. The people of Ekron want to get rid of the ark (vs. 10-12)