The Monarchy
[1Sam 1-1Kings 11]
Samuel
[1Sam 1-7]
Samuel’s birth, dedication and calling
[1Sam 1-3]
Hannah,
one
of
two
wives
of
Elkanah,
is
loved
by
Elkanah
but
is
barren.
Because
of
this,
she
is
jibed
by
Elkanah’s
other
wife.
During
their
annual
visit
to
worship
and
sacrifice
at
Shiloh,
Hannah
prays
to
God
in
her
distress,
and
vows
that
if
she
has
a
son
he
will
be
given
to
the
Lord
for
service
all
the
days
of
his
life.
Eli,
the
priest,
sees
her
praying
with
her
lips
moving,
but
no
sound
coming
from
them,
and
assumes
she
has
been
drinking.
When
Hannah
tells
him
that
she
is
praying
because
of
her
considerable
grief,
Eli
says
to
her
Go
in
peace,
and
the
God
of
Israel
grant
thee
thy
petition
that
thou
has
asked
of
him.
She
no
longer
feels
sad,
and
soon
after
returning
home
conceives
and
has
a
son
she
names
Samuel.
After
he
is
weaned,
she
takes
him
to
Shiloh
and
presents
him
to
Eli
for
service
to
God.
Each
year,
when
they
go
to
Shiloh
to
offer
their
sacrifice,
Hannah
takes
a
new
coat
she
has
made
for
the
growing
lad.
Eli
blesses
Elkanah
and
Hannah
and
intercedes
for
them,
asking
that
they
should
have
more
children.
Hannah
conceives
and
has
three
more
sons
and two daughters.
During
this
time
Eli’s
two
sons,
Hophni
and
Phinehas,
abuse
their
position
when
taking
the
priests’
share
of
offerings.
Despite
serving
at
the
temple,
they
do
not
know
the
Lord
as
Eli
does
and
their
actions
cause
men
to
resent
making
their
offerings.
They
also
have
sex
with
women
who
come
to
the
tabernacle.
In
his
later
years,
Eli
rebukes
his
sons
for
their
behaviour,
but
they
take
no
notice
of
him,
neither
does
Eli
take
any
action
against
them.
Consequently,
he
is
confronted
by
a
man
of
God
who
gives
him
a
message
from
God,
telling
him
that
his
family’s
duty
as
priests
will
come
to
an
end,
no
offspring
will
survive
beyond
the
age
at
which
they
might
become a priest, and that He would raise a faithful priest. A sign of this coming about will be the death of his two sons in the same day.
Eli
is
now
old
and
his
sight
failing.
One
evening,
when
Samuel
has
finished
his
duties
and
has
laid
down
to
sleep,
God
calls
him.
Thinking
it
was
Eli
calling,
Samuel
went
to
him,
only
for
Eli
to
deny
having
called
and
to
be
sent
back
to
bed.
This
happens
three
times
before
Eli
realises
God
is
calling
Samuel,
and
now
instructs
him
on
how
to
respond
if
he
is
called
again.
God
does
call
Samuel
again
and
tells
him
that
Eli’s
house
will
be
judged.
Next
morning,
Samuel
does
not
want
to
tell
Eli
the
message
given
by
God,
but
does
so
when
pressed.
From
this
time
on,
God
is
with
Samuel,
and
as
Samuel
grows,
all
Israel
comes
to
know
he
is
established
as
a
prophet
to
the
Lord.
The Philistines capture the ark
[1Sam 4]
The
Israelites
go
to
battle
against
the
Philistines
but
are
defeated
with
the
loss
of
about
four
thousand
men.
In
an
effort
to
gain
God’s
support,
they
ask
that
the
ark
be
brought
from
Shiloh.
The
request
is
granted
and
the
ark
arrives
at
camp
with
Hophni
and
Phinehas.
This
strikes
great
fear
into
the
Philistines,
but
they
encourage
one
another
and
go
to
battle.
Victory
is
again
theirs,
but
with
the
loss
of
thirty
thousand
Israelites.
The
ark
is
captured
by
the
Philistines
and
Hophni
and
Phinehas
are
killed
in
the
process.
When
Eli
hears
of
the
death
of
his
sons
and
that
the
ark
is
captured,
he
remembers
the
angel’s
message
and
falls
from
his
seat
breaking
his
neck,
for
he
is now ninety eight years old and a heavy man. When the news reaches his daughter-in-law she goes into labour, but dies giving birth.
The ark is returned to Israel
[1Sam 5-6]
The
Philistines
take
the
ark
to
Ashdod
and
place
it
beside
their
idol
Dagon.
Two
mornings
in
succession
Dagon
is
found
fallen
on
his
face
before
the
ark.
Consequently,
the
priests
and
people
will
no
longer
enter
the
place.
The
people
of
Ashdod
are
then
smitten
with
haemorrhoids and they decide to move the ark to Gath, but the same happens at Gath and at other places the ark is taken.
The
ark
has
now
been
with
the
Philistines
seven
months
and
the
priests
are
summoned
for
advice.
The
decision
is
made
to
return
the
ark
with
a
trespass
offering
of
five
golden
mice
and
five
golden
haemorrhoids,
one
each
for
Ashdod,
Gaza,
Askelon,
Gath
and
Ekron.
All
are
to
be
placed
on
a
new
cart
pulled
by
two
heifers
that
had
not
previously
been
yoked,
and
delivered
to
the
borders
of
Bethshemesh.
At
Bethshemesh,
the
Israelites
celebrate
the
return
of
the
ark
and
make
offerings
and
sacrifices
to
God.
However,
during
the
celebrations
some
of
them
look
into
the
ark
and
many
are
smitten
by
God
because
of
it.
The
ark
is
then
taken
by
men
from
Kirjathjearim to Abinidab’s house where his son Eleazor is sanctified to look after it. The ark remains there for twenty years.
Samuel subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
[1Sam 7]
Samuel
now
exhorts
the
people
of
Israel
to
reform
from
idolatry,
which
they
agree
to
do.
He
gathers
them
at
Mizpeh,
prays
for
them
and
makes
offerings
on
their
behalf.
Meanwhile,
the
Philistines,
having
heard
the
Israelites
are
at
Mizpeh,
set
out
to
do
battle
with
them, but God hampers them with a great storm and the Israelites are able to defeat them.
Now
subdued,
the
Philistines
do
not
move
against
Israel
during
the
rest
of
Samuel’s
life,
and
the
cities
taken
by
the
Philistines
are
restored to them.
There is now also peace between Israel and the Amorites, the Amorites having seen the Philistines have been dealt with.
Each year, Samuel judges Israel whilst doing a circuit of Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeth, returning to his home at Ramah.
Hierarchical Précis