Failure to Manipulate God

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Study Group meeting June 6 to study 1 Samuel 4.  Fascinating chapter, not only for what does happen, for what is not recorded.  Consider the timing of the previous chapter, and this one.

Read through the chapter several times.  It's a sad story, but full of interesting detail.  Try to imagine the setting as best you can.  Jot down observations and questions.

After reading through a few times, go through using these questions:

• What is strange about the first two sentences?
• Where does Israel camp before the battle?
• How does the battle go for Israel?
• How do they arrive at a solution for the defeat?
• Consider the various names for the Ark.  At first it's inconsistent, then finally a name is used consistently.  What significance might there be that the final name matches the term used by the Philistines?  What difference is there in meaning from the same word used?
• What is the Philistine reaction when the Ark arrives in the Israelite camp?
• What is different about this battle from the previous one?
• What happens to the Ark and the sons of Eli?
• What does the messenger from Benjamin look like?
•  Where was Eli?
• What does the city of Shiloh do at the news?
• Eli asks for news, and what does he do when he hears it?
• What is the final comment about Eli?
• What does Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas do when she hears the news?
• What does she do in response to her son's birth?
• What does she name him, and why?
• With all the people dying, what is the issue that has killed the last two?

That should work for now.  Please think of and bring questions I didn't ask.  This turned out to be a shorter chapter than I thought.  Read through it, and possibly ahead, ask questions, and make comments and observations.