JUNE 4 – When God Speaks
3-Year-Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:6–7; Psalm 64; 1 Samuel 3–4//
3-Year Bible Devotional Book (Year Two) Available on Amazon
//
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“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.” — Proverbs 17:6–7 (ESV)
“But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly. They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them.” — Psalm 64:7–8 (ESV)
“And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’” — 1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV)
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Have you ever been in a noisy room where it was hard to hear someone calling your name? Life can feel like that sometimes—full of noise, distractions, and voices competing for our attention. In 1 Samuel 3, young Samuel heard God calling him in the middle of the night. At first, he didn’t even realize it was God! Meanwhile, Proverbs 17 reminds us that wise and truthful words are precious, while foolish or deceitful speech brings trouble. Psalm 64 shows us how God responds to those who use their words for harm—He sees and He acts.
Sometimes we want God to speak, but our lives are so loud we can’t hear Him. Other times, we hear Him clearly but hesitate to respond. Samuel shows us the right attitude: “Speak, for your servant hears.” When God speaks—through His Word, in prayer, or through people He places in our lives—He wants us to listen and obey.
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THINK ABOUT IT
1. God Is Speaking: How can you make space in your life to hear God’s voice, like Samuel did in 1 Samuel 3:10?
2. Words Matter: Proverbs 17:7 warns against false or foolish speech. How can your words today reflect wisdom and truth instead of gossip or negativity?
3. God Sees Injustice: Psalm 64 shows God’s response to harmful words and actions. How does knowing this help you trust Him when people speak against you or others unfairly?
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BOTTOM LINE
God is always speaking—make space to hear Him, respond with obedience, and let your words honor Him.
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PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking through Your Word and guiding my life. Help me to be still and listen when You call, to use my words wisely, and to trust You in every situation. Teach me to respond like Samuel, ready to obey Your voice. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we
have devotional conversations
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rooted in Scripture and relevant
for today, June 4th, when God
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speaks.
Imagine being in the middle of
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the night, deep in sleep, and
you hear your name called
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clearly, unmistakably.
What would you do?
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That’s exactly what happened to
a young boy named Samuel in
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First Samuel chapter 3.
He heard his name called 3
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times.
Three times he ran to the priest
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Eli thinking it was him, and
three times Eli told him he
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hadn’t called.
Finally Eli realized what was
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happening and gave Samuel the
most important instruction of
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his young life.
If you hear it again, say speak
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Lord, for your servant hears.
And that’s exactly what
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happened.
First Samuel chapter 3 verse 10
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says.
And the Lord came and stood
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calling as at other times,
Samuel.
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Samuel and Samuel said, Speak
for your servant hears 4 words
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that changed everything your
servant hears.
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Not leave me alone, not let me
think about it, not I’m busy,
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just a heart open, ready,
available, ready to receive
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whatever God had to say.
Now here’s the thing, one of the
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reasons Samuel almost missed the
voice of God was because it was
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unfamiliar to him.
The Bible says Samuel didn’t yet
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know the Lord.
He hadn’t developed that
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intimacy yet.
And honestly, that’s a lot of
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us.
We want to hear from God, but we
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haven’t spent enough time with
him to recognize his voice when
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he speaks.
God speaks through his word.
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He speaks through prayer.
He speaks through wise people he
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places in our lives.
He speaks in the quiet moments
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when we’re not distracted by the
noise.
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But if our lives are constantly
full of screen time, drama,
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music blaring, and notifications
pinging, we’re going to miss it.
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Samuel had to be in a quiet
place for God to reach him.
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Proverbs chapter 17 verses 6:00
and 7:00 remind us that words
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matter.
Deeply true and wise speech is
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precious, while foolish or
deceitful words bring trouble.
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This connects to Samuel’s story.
When God finally spoke, it was
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truth.
It was real, and that truth
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required someone willing to
listen, not just talk.
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And Psalm 64 verses 7:00 and
8:00 remind us that God is not
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passive when injustice happens.
He sees when words are used to
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harm, when lies are spread, when
people are hurt by what others
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say, He responds.
That should bring us comfort
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when people speak against us and
conviction when we consider the
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impact of our own words.
Here’s the take away.
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Are you making space for God to
speak into your life, or is the
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noise winning?
God is always speaking through
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Scripture, through prayer,
through the Holy Spirit.
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The question isn’t whether he’s
saying something.
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The question is whether we’re
positioned to hear it.
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Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for
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speaking to us through your Word
and through your Spirit.
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Like Samuel, help us to quiet
the noise around us and say
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speak.
Lord, your servant hears.
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Give us a heart that listens
before it speaks and ears that
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recognize your voice above
everything else, competing for
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our attention in Jesus name,
Amen.
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When the battle feels personal,
relentless, and too heavy to
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name, your prayers do not have
to fall silent.
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Under Siege is a prayer script
series for believers walking
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through fear, betrayal,
spiritual pressure and unseen
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conflict.
With a warm, faith centered
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focus.
These books give voice to the
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cry for help, the fight for a
steady mind, the weariness that
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longs to run, the chaos of
hostile environments, the pain
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of broken trust, and the
confidence to leave judgement in
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God’s hands.
This series helps you pray with
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discernment, endurance, and
covenant trust.
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When the pressure is real and
the path feels narrow, stand
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firm.
Pray clearly.
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Remember that God hears his
people in the middle of the
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battle.
Order now on Amazon or visit
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prayerscripts.org.
Now I invite you to spend time
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with God in today’s three-year
Bible reading plan.
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Proverbs chapter 17 verses six
to seven World English Bible
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Children’s children are the
crown of old men.
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The glory of children are their
parents.
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Arrogant speech isn’t fitting
for a fool, much less do lying
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lips fit a Prince.
Psalm Chapter 64 World English
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Bible Hear my voice God in my
complaint preserve my life from
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fear of the enemy, hide me from
the conspiracy of the wicked,
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from the noisy crowd of the ones
doing evil, who sharpen their
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tongue like a sword and aim
their arrows.
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Deadly words to shoot innocent
men from ambushes.
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They shoot at him suddenly and
fearlessly.
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They encourage themselves in
evil plans.
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They talk about laying snares
secretly.
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They say who will see them?
They plot injustice, saying We
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have made a perfect plan.
Surely man’s mind and heart are
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cunning, but God will shoot at
them.
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They will be suddenly struck
down with an arrow.
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Their own tongues shall ruin
them.
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All who see them will shake
their heads.
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All mankind shall be afraid.
They shall declare the work of
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God, and shall wisely ponder
what He has done.
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The righteous shall be glad in
Yahweh, and shall take refuge in
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Him.
All the upright and heart shall
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praise Him.
First Samuel, chapters 3 to 4.
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World English Bible.
The child Samuel ministered to
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Yahweh before Eli.
Yahweh’s word was rare in those
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days.
There were not many visions then
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at that time when Eli was laid
down in his place now, his eyes
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had begun to grow dim so that he
could not see, and God’s lamp
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hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel
had laid down in Yahweh’s temple
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where God’s ark was.
Yahweh called Samuel.
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He said Here I am.
He ran to Eli and said here I am
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for you called me.
He said I didn’t call, lie down
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again.
He went and lay down.
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Yahweh called yet again Samuel.
Samuel arose and went to Eli and
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said, here I am, for you called
me.
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He answered I didn’t call my
son, lie down again.
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Now Samuel didn’t yet know
Yahweh, neither was Yahweh’s
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word yet revealed to him.
Yahweh called Samuel again.
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The third time he arose and went
to Eli, and said, Here I am, for
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you called me.
Eli perceived that Yahweh had
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called the child.
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go
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lie down.
It shall be if he calls you that
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you shall say, speak Yahweh, for
your servant hears.
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So Samuel went and lay down in
his place.
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Yahweh came and stood and called
as at other times, Samuel,
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Samuel.
Then Samuel said, Speak, for
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your servant hears.
Yahweh said to Samuel, Behold, I
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will do a thing in Israel at
which both the ears of everyone
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who hears it will tingle.
In that day I will perform
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against Eli all that I have
spoken concerning his house from
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the beginning even to the end.
For I have told him that I will
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judge his house forever for the
iniquity which he knew, because
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his sons brought a curse on
themselves, and he didn’t
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restrain them.
Therefore I have sworn to the
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House of Eli that the iniquity
of Eli’s house shall not be
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removed with sacrifice or
offering forever.
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Samuel lay until the morning and
open the doors of Yahweh’s
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house.
Samuel was afraid to show Eli
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the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel and said,
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Samuel, my son, he said, Here I
am.
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He said, What is the thing that
he has spoken to you?
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Please don’t hide it from me,
God do so to you and more also
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if you hide anything from me.
Of all the things that he spoke
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to you, Samuel told him every
bit and hid nothing from him.
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He said it is Yahweh, let him do
what seems good to him.
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Samuel grew and Yahweh was with
him and let none of his words
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fall to the ground.
All Israel from Dan even to
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Beersheba knew that Samuel was
established to be a prophet of
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Yahweh.
Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh,
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for Yahweh revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh.
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By Yahweh’s word, the word of
Samuel came to all Israel.
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Now Israel went out against the
Philistines to battle and
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encamped beside Ebenezer, and
the Philistines encamped.
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In effect, the Philistines put
themselves in array against
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Israel when they joined battle.
Israel was defeated by the
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Philistines who killed about
4000 men of the army in the
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field when the people had come
into the camp.
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The elders of Israel said, why
has Yahweh defeated us today
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before the Philistines?
Let’s get the Ark of Yahweh’s
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covenant out of Shiloh and bring
it to us, that it may come among
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us and save us out of the hand
of our enemies.
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So the people sent to Shiloh and
they brought from there the Ark
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of the Covenant of Yahweh of
armies, who sits above the
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Cherubim.
And the two sons of Eli, Hofni
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and Feynhus were there with the
Ark of the Covenant of God.
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When the ark of Yahweh’s
covenant came into the camp, all
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Israel shouted with a great
shout, so that the earth
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resounded.
When the Philistines heard the
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noise of the shout, they said,
What does the noise of this
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great shout in the camp of the
Hebrews mean?
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They understood that Yahweh’s
ark had come into the camp.
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The Philistines were afraid, for
they said, God has come into the
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camp.
They said, woe to us, for there
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has not been such a thing
before.
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Woe to us who shall deliver us
out of the hand of these mighty
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gods.
These are the gods that struck
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the Egyptians with all kinds of
plagues in the wilderness.
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Be strong and behave like men, O
you Philistines, that you not be
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servants to the Hebrews as they
have been to you.
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Strengthen yourselves like men
and fight.
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The Philistines fought and
Israel was defeated, and each
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man fled to his tent.
There was a very great
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slaughter, for 30,000 footmen of
Israel fell.
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God’s ark was taken, and the two
sons of Eli, Hofni and Feinhaus
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were slain.
A man of Benjamin ran out of the
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army and came to Shiloh the same
day with his clothes torn and
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with dirt on his head.
When he came, behold, Eli was
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sitting on his seat by the road
watching, for his heart trembled
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for God’s ark.
When the man came into the city
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and told about it all the city
cried out.
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When Eli heard the noise of the
crying, he said, What does the
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noise of this tumult mean?
The man hurried and came and
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told Eli.
Now Eli was 98 years old.
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His eyes were set so that he
could not see.
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The man said to Eli, I am he who
came out of the army, and I fled
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today out of the army.
He said, How did the matter go,
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My son?
He who brought the news
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answered, Israel has fled before
the Philistines, and there has
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been also a great slaughter
among the people.
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Your two sons also Hofni and
Finehus are dead, and God’s ark
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has been captured.
When he made mention of God’s
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ark, Eli fell from off his seat
backward by the side of the
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gate, and his neck broke and he
died, for he was an old man and
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heavy.
He had judged Israel 40 years.
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His daughter-in-law fine.
His wife was with child near to
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giving birth when she heard the
news that God’s ark was taken
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and that her father-in-law and
her husband were dead.
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She bowed herself and gave birth
for her.
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Pains came on her about the time
of her death.
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The women who stood by her said
to her, Don’t be afraid, for you
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have given birth to a son.
But she didn’t answer, neither
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did she regard it.
She named the child Ichabod,
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saying the glory has departed
from Israel because God’s ark
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was taken.
And because of her father-in-law
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and her husband, she said, the
glory has departed from Israel,
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for God’s ark has been taken.
Thanks for joining us on Bible
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Chat, where Scripture meets
everyday life.
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00:12:26,760 –> 00:12:30,360
If today’s devotional encouraged
you, share it with a friend and
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be sure to follow the podcast so
you won’t miss the next
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00:12:33,120 –> 00:12:36,040
conversation.
Until next time, stay rooted in
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00:12:36,040 –> 00:12:39,280
truth, anchored in hope, and
walking daily with Jesus.

