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Point of Grace International
PGI - January 29, 2022 Sunday Service
In our church we aim to make it feel like a home, where strangers feel they are part of the family, where smiles are overflowing and hugs are natural, because we believe that life is a journey, and that we are simply channel of blessings. In our church we value three things, gratitude because it's the proper response to God, excellence because God expects nothing less, and grace because we all need it.
Locations & Times
Point of Grace Church
15601 Sheridan St, Davie, FL 33331, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
https://www.facebook.com/PGIFortLauderdale
LYRICS FOR TODAY'S SONGS
CCLI License # 1613304
CCLI License # 1613304
Sermon Notes
1 Samuel 4:1-22 | ISG
Storyline
1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines...Israel was defeated before the Philistines.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
…And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh… and told Eli…, “Israel has fled.. 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.” 18 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.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured.
The Text in Context
This chapter records the initial fulfillment of the Lord’s decree of judgment prophesied by the man of God (2:27–36). The Lord has warned that Eli’s sons would “both die on the same day” (2:33–34). This would be the “sign,” or guarantee, that the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled in its entirety (2:34). The ark of the covenant, mentioned just once in the book to this point (3:3), becomes a focal point in chapter 4 and continues to occupy the narrator’s interest in chapters 5 and 6. The Israelites take the ark into battle, thinking it will assure them of victory. Yet they experience a humiliating defeat, and the ark is captured. But this is not what it may appear to be, as the Philistines later discover (see chap. 5).
The news of the ark’s capture so shocks aging Eli that he falls over dead. One tragedy leads to another. When his pregnant daughter-in-law hears that the ark is captured and that her father-in-law and husband are dead, she goes into labor and dies in childbirth. It is no surprise to see an Israelite woman suffering death as a result of the foolish actions of Israelite men: this same pattern is apparent in the book of Judges.
The description of her death contributes to the ongoing contrast between Samuel and Eli. When Hannah gave birth to Samuel, it was a jubilant event that prompted Hannah to praise the Lord as her Savior and to anticipate future Israelite victories through a king (2:1–10). But for Eli’s daughter-in-law, the birth of a son brings death and transforms one of life’s greatest joys into mourning: she dies while lamenting the disappearance of God’s “Glory . . . from Israel” (4:22). Once more we see that Samuel represents the Israel of the future, whom he will lead to victory (chap. 7), while Eli and his sons represent the corrupt Israel of the judges’ period, which is passing away.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
Historical and Cultural Background
The ark of the covenant serves as the visible earthly symbol of the Lord’s heavenly throne and as a tangible reminder of the Lord’s presence as King among his people. But Israel is not to view it as an image of God in the way the Philistines view the image of Dagon in the Ashdod temple (cf. chap. 5). The Lord promises to meet his people at the ark (Exod. 25:22; Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; 2 Sam. 6:2), but he does not reside in the ark. Walton explains: “The ark mediated the presence of Deity in a limited fashion, but not in the same way that an image did. It did not contain the divine essence. Furthermore, it did not mediate revelation or worship.”
In this chapter the Philistines are mentioned for the first time in 1 Samuel. Genesis indicates that Philistines were already present in Canaan in the time of the patriarchs, but the majority of the biblical references to them occur in Judges and 1–2 Samuel.[27] This reflects the fact that more Philistines arrived in Canaan after the patriarchal period. In about 1200 BC a coalition of the Sea Peoples invaded Canaan. Ramesses III, who was able to prevent them from conquering Egypt, mentions several groups by name, including the Peleset, or Philistines. They settled along the Mediterranean coast, occupying three coastal towns (Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gaza) and two towns further inland (Ekron and Gath). They ruled over Israel prior to and during the time of Samson (Judg. 13:1), roughly 1190–1130 BC. Major conflicts between the Philistines and Israel continued during the days of Samuel, Saul, and David, covering roughly 1130–970 BC.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
Theological Insights
God’s decree of judgment begins to fall upon Eli’s house, just as God has announced (cf. 1 Sam. 2:34 with 4:11). This “sign” is a guarantee that the decreed judgment will be realized in its entirety and a vivid reminder that God’s decree is reliable. God’s conditional promise of blessing to Eli was revoked because of disobedience (2:30), but his decree of judgment, sealed by divine oath (3:14), is certain of fulfillment. This story resonates with the exiles, for they too have experienced the consequences of sin and the outworking of God’s decree of judgment. As Firth points out, “The authenticity of the prophetic word” also “demonstrates the authority of YHWH over the people of Israel.
This story also illustrates the folly of the pagan notion that God can be manipulated into granting success. When the ark enters the Israelite camp, the Philistines declare, “A god has come into the camp” (4:7). Apparently the Israelites view the ark in a similar manner. By associating the Lord too closely with the ark, Israel reduces the Lord to the level of the pagan gods, who can be represented by idols. This faulty thinking explains in part why Eli and his daughter-in-law are so horrified at the news of the ark’s capture. When the Lord gave Israel the ark, he was contextualizing his self-revelation to Israel’s cultural expectations. The nations worshiped images of their gods. The Lord prohibited idolatry in Israel, but he did give Israel a tangible reminder of his royal presence. Unfortunately, Israel, perhaps due to the religious environment of its world, had a propensity toward idolatry (cf. Exod. 32:2–6; 1 Kings 12:28–33) and a tendency to treat symbols as objects of worship (cf. Judg. 8:27; 2 Kings 18:4).
This story is instructive for the exiles. Before the exile, Israel takes God’s presence for granted, thinking that Jerusalem will never be destroyed because God lives in the city (Jer. 6:13–14; 8:11; 14:13; 23:17). This so-called Zion theology is rooted in the faulty notion that God’s protective presence can be guaranteed by proper cultic ritual apart from obedience (Isa. 1:11–20). As the exiles look to the future and wonder how to be reconciled to God, they need to remember that loyalty and obedience are the only guarantees of divine favor and that God cannot be manipulated into bestowing favor upon those who disrespect him.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
1 Samuel 4:1-22 | ISG
Storyline
1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines...Israel was defeated before the Philistines.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
…And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh… and told Eli…, “Israel has fled.. 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.” 18 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.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured.
The Text in Context
This chapter records the initial fulfillment of the Lord’s decree of judgment prophesied by the man of God (2:27–36). The Lord has warned that Eli’s sons would “both die on the same day” (2:33–34). This would be the “sign,” or guarantee, that the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled in its entirety (2:34). The ark of the covenant, mentioned just once in the book to this point (3:3), becomes a focal point in chapter 4 and continues to occupy the narrator’s interest in chapters 5 and 6. The Israelites take the ark into battle, thinking it will assure them of victory. Yet they experience a humiliating defeat, and the ark is captured. But this is not what it may appear to be, as the Philistines later discover (see chap. 5).
The news of the ark’s capture so shocks aging Eli that he falls over dead. One tragedy leads to another. When his pregnant daughter-in-law hears that the ark is captured and that her father-in-law and husband are dead, she goes into labor and dies in childbirth. It is no surprise to see an Israelite woman suffering death as a result of the foolish actions of Israelite men: this same pattern is apparent in the book of Judges.
The description of her death contributes to the ongoing contrast between Samuel and Eli. When Hannah gave birth to Samuel, it was a jubilant event that prompted Hannah to praise the Lord as her Savior and to anticipate future Israelite victories through a king (2:1–10). But for Eli’s daughter-in-law, the birth of a son brings death and transforms one of life’s greatest joys into mourning: she dies while lamenting the disappearance of God’s “Glory . . . from Israel” (4:22). Once more we see that Samuel represents the Israel of the future, whom he will lead to victory (chap. 7), while Eli and his sons represent the corrupt Israel of the judges’ period, which is passing away.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
Historical and Cultural Background
The ark of the covenant serves as the visible earthly symbol of the Lord’s heavenly throne and as a tangible reminder of the Lord’s presence as King among his people. But Israel is not to view it as an image of God in the way the Philistines view the image of Dagon in the Ashdod temple (cf. chap. 5). The Lord promises to meet his people at the ark (Exod. 25:22; Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; 2 Sam. 6:2), but he does not reside in the ark. Walton explains: “The ark mediated the presence of Deity in a limited fashion, but not in the same way that an image did. It did not contain the divine essence. Furthermore, it did not mediate revelation or worship.”
In this chapter the Philistines are mentioned for the first time in 1 Samuel. Genesis indicates that Philistines were already present in Canaan in the time of the patriarchs, but the majority of the biblical references to them occur in Judges and 1–2 Samuel.[27] This reflects the fact that more Philistines arrived in Canaan after the patriarchal period. In about 1200 BC a coalition of the Sea Peoples invaded Canaan. Ramesses III, who was able to prevent them from conquering Egypt, mentions several groups by name, including the Peleset, or Philistines. They settled along the Mediterranean coast, occupying three coastal towns (Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gaza) and two towns further inland (Ekron and Gath). They ruled over Israel prior to and during the time of Samson (Judg. 13:1), roughly 1190–1130 BC. Major conflicts between the Philistines and Israel continued during the days of Samuel, Saul, and David, covering roughly 1130–970 BC.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
Theological Insights
God’s decree of judgment begins to fall upon Eli’s house, just as God has announced (cf. 1 Sam. 2:34 with 4:11). This “sign” is a guarantee that the decreed judgment will be realized in its entirety and a vivid reminder that God’s decree is reliable. God’s conditional promise of blessing to Eli was revoked because of disobedience (2:30), but his decree of judgment, sealed by divine oath (3:14), is certain of fulfillment. This story resonates with the exiles, for they too have experienced the consequences of sin and the outworking of God’s decree of judgment. As Firth points out, “The authenticity of the prophetic word” also “demonstrates the authority of YHWH over the people of Israel.
This story also illustrates the folly of the pagan notion that God can be manipulated into granting success. When the ark enters the Israelite camp, the Philistines declare, “A god has come into the camp” (4:7). Apparently the Israelites view the ark in a similar manner. By associating the Lord too closely with the ark, Israel reduces the Lord to the level of the pagan gods, who can be represented by idols. This faulty thinking explains in part why Eli and his daughter-in-law are so horrified at the news of the ark’s capture. When the Lord gave Israel the ark, he was contextualizing his self-revelation to Israel’s cultural expectations. The nations worshiped images of their gods. The Lord prohibited idolatry in Israel, but he did give Israel a tangible reminder of his royal presence. Unfortunately, Israel, perhaps due to the religious environment of its world, had a propensity toward idolatry (cf. Exod. 32:2–6; 1 Kings 12:28–33) and a tendency to treat symbols as objects of worship (cf. Judg. 8:27; 2 Kings 18:4).
This story is instructive for the exiles. Before the exile, Israel takes God’s presence for granted, thinking that Jerusalem will never be destroyed because God lives in the city (Jer. 6:13–14; 8:11; 14:13; 23:17). This so-called Zion theology is rooted in the faulty notion that God’s protective presence can be guaranteed by proper cultic ritual apart from obedience (Isa. 1:11–20). As the exiles look to the future and wonder how to be reconciled to God, they need to remember that loyalty and obedience are the only guarantees of divine favor and that God cannot be manipulated into bestowing favor upon those who disrespect him.
Excerpt From: Robert B. Chisholm. “1 & 2 Samuel.” Apple Books.
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https://open.spotify.com/show/1PtjmWN3kTOagTfG1QPnbT?si=f76ab3059e7049beStudy & Reflection Guide
1. In 1 Samuel 4:1-4, identify Israel's problem and the proposed solution. Based on Exodus 25:21-22 and Leviticus 16:1-5, what is the protocol on approaching the ark of the covenant? Based on Exodus 40:34-38, what is the protocol on moving the ark from the tabernacle and what are the implications of breaking the protocol?
2. What exactly is the ark of the covenant? (See Exodus 25:10-22) What is its function according to 1 Samuel 4:4? Is God and the ark inseparable? Can it be considered an idol? How is worshiping YHWH through the ark different from worshiping idols?
3. In 1 Samuel 4:5-11, how do you think the Philistines understood the coming of the ark in the camp? What was the reputation of Israel’s God according to verse 8? If God was so powerful he defeated the Egyptians, what are the implications of the capture of the ark? If God promised to protect Israel, what are the implications of their defeat? In the same way, what is the meaning and the implications of unanswered prayers, violent death of a Christian, death from cancer, inability to bear children, etc.?
4. In Samuel 4:12-18, how did the city people take the news of defeat? Why did the narrator give us an impression that the capture of the ark is more devastating to Eli than the death of his sons? Was the death of Eli’s sons accidental? (See 1 Samuel 2:27-36) What does it mean for the High Priest to die in the context of worship, sacrifice and mediation? (See Hebrews 5:1-4) and what are the implications of the death of Eli’s sons?
5. If we think about the physical condition of Eli and its implications to his spiritual state: blind (v.15), overweight (v.18), how are these conditions also applicable to us today? What can make us spiritually blind and out of shape?
6. In 1 Samuel 4:19-22, the narrator fully encapsulates the meaning of the tragedy in the name of Eli’s grandson. What is it and what does it mean? Using your STEP Bible, press on the word “departed” (21-22) and identify the Hebrew word used. What is the image/picture that closely identifies the word departed? Quickly refer to Psalm 51:11, what does it tell you about how David understood the concept of departure (galah)?
7. Based on Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, John 14:16, Romans 8:9, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Is this a permanent thing regardless of a believer's spiritual condition? How is the Holy Spirit affected by sin in a believer? (See Ephesians 4:25-32) What happens to the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in the case of church discipline (Matthew 18:15-20 or 1 Timothy 4:18-20)? What is the likely scenario if the church continues to depart from their faith in God based on Revelation 2:4-5, 2:15-16, 2:19-23, 3:3, 3:15-16?
1. In 1 Samuel 4:1-4, identify Israel's problem and the proposed solution. Based on Exodus 25:21-22 and Leviticus 16:1-5, what is the protocol on approaching the ark of the covenant? Based on Exodus 40:34-38, what is the protocol on moving the ark from the tabernacle and what are the implications of breaking the protocol?
2. What exactly is the ark of the covenant? (See Exodus 25:10-22) What is its function according to 1 Samuel 4:4? Is God and the ark inseparable? Can it be considered an idol? How is worshiping YHWH through the ark different from worshiping idols?
3. In 1 Samuel 4:5-11, how do you think the Philistines understood the coming of the ark in the camp? What was the reputation of Israel’s God according to verse 8? If God was so powerful he defeated the Egyptians, what are the implications of the capture of the ark? If God promised to protect Israel, what are the implications of their defeat? In the same way, what is the meaning and the implications of unanswered prayers, violent death of a Christian, death from cancer, inability to bear children, etc.?
4. In Samuel 4:12-18, how did the city people take the news of defeat? Why did the narrator give us an impression that the capture of the ark is more devastating to Eli than the death of his sons? Was the death of Eli’s sons accidental? (See 1 Samuel 2:27-36) What does it mean for the High Priest to die in the context of worship, sacrifice and mediation? (See Hebrews 5:1-4) and what are the implications of the death of Eli’s sons?
5. If we think about the physical condition of Eli and its implications to his spiritual state: blind (v.15), overweight (v.18), how are these conditions also applicable to us today? What can make us spiritually blind and out of shape?
6. In 1 Samuel 4:19-22, the narrator fully encapsulates the meaning of the tragedy in the name of Eli’s grandson. What is it and what does it mean? Using your STEP Bible, press on the word “departed” (21-22) and identify the Hebrew word used. What is the image/picture that closely identifies the word departed? Quickly refer to Psalm 51:11, what does it tell you about how David understood the concept of departure (galah)?
7. Based on Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, John 14:16, Romans 8:9, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Is this a permanent thing regardless of a believer's spiritual condition? How is the Holy Spirit affected by sin in a believer? (See Ephesians 4:25-32) What happens to the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in the case of church discipline (Matthew 18:15-20 or 1 Timothy 4:18-20)? What is the likely scenario if the church continues to depart from their faith in God based on Revelation 2:4-5, 2:15-16, 2:19-23, 3:3, 3:15-16?