So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
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5 Days
Eli was a judge and a high priest, yet because he "failed to plug the leak" in his home, he faced the judgment of God. In this 5-day devotional, learn lessons from Eli’s life that will convict you to plug the leaks in your life.
The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to grow believers in their faith and increase their passion for Jesus. Break down the book of 1 Samuel into the “Big Picture” of the passage, then “Digging Deeper” into that section, and then move into “Living Out” the lessons that are taught in the passage in this 5-day reading plan.
6 Days
Failure is part of life, but it has stopped too many from pursuing their unique purpose and destiny. Your past choices don’t have to end the dream God has placed on your heart. In this six-day devotional, Tyler Feller integrates biblical wisdom with practical steps to help you turn even the greatest failure into an opportunity to move forward with God. Don’t give up on God’s dream for you.
7 Days
This week, we will explore the book of 1 Samuel, engaging the transition of Israel from the age of judges to the age of kings. We will spend two days with each of the main characters—Samuel, Saul, and David—seeing both things to emulate and things to avoid as men of God.
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