As Samuel grew older, God spoke to him again and again. And Samuel was always faithful to speak God’s word to the people. By and by the Israelites from every part of the land began to say to each other, “Surely Samuel is a prophet of God!”
But in many parts of Israel at this time the people were worshiping idols. While some, like Samson’s father and mother, and like Samuel’s parents, still feared God and worshiped him at Shiloh, many others had turned completely to serve the idols made of wood or silver or gold. And God’s displeasure rested upon them. Like Eli’s wicked sons, they were soon to he punished by their enemies because of this great sin.
The Philistines, their old-time enemies, planned to fight against the Israelites again. So they went out to battle and killed many of the Israelites. After the battle the chief men of Israel met together and talked things over. They saw God had not helped them at all. And finally they decided to send for the ark of God at Shiloh, and bring it into their camp. They knew God had blessed their fathers long ago when the ark was in the camp, and they believed by bringing it into the camp again they would surely cause God to look kindly upon them once more.
Instead of praying earnestly and asking God to help them, the Israelites hurried to Shiloh and told Eli’s wicked sons about their plan. And these priests replied at once, “We will take the ark and go with you to the battle.” They, too, believed that God would surely take care of his ark. And they supposed that God would protect the people where the ark of God was taken.
When the priests came back with the Israelites to their camp, all the soldiers gave a glad cry. They shouted so loudly that the sound of their rejoicing was heard in the camp of the Philistines. And their enemies wondered, “What has happened in the camp of Israel to cause such rejoicing after we have defeated them in battle!” Presently some one told them that the ark of God had come into their camp.
The Philistines were idol-worshipers. They believed the ark was like an idol, or god, and that its presence in the camp of Israel would add greatly to the strength of the Israelites. They remembered the things they had heard long ago about how the God of the Israelites had brought great troubles upon Egypt. They were afraid of such a wonderful God. They trembled, because they thought the Israelites would surely gain the victory over them and rule over them cruelly afterwards.
Before the next battle began the captains of the Philistine army told their men to fight bravely to the very end. They said, “We must Israelites in this battle and save our country/’ And the soldiers did their very best.
The Israelites had started out bravely enough, with Eli’s sons carrying the ark of God into their battle-line. But soon they saw that their enemies were stronger than before. And soon Israelite men began to fall on every side. Even the priests were killed, and the ark of God was taken away from the Israelites.
This was the greatest sorrow that had ever come upon the people of Israel To have the ark of God taken away from them—what could seem worse! Every soldier left alive fled from the battle-field in great fear. He knew now that God surely had forsaken his people because of their sins. One of those who ran away came to Shiloh with his clothes torn as a sign of sorrow, and told the sad news to the people of the city.
Eli sat near the tabernacle, by the roadside, waiting to hear news from the ark. He felt troubled because his sons had taken it away from the tabernacle. But he was now very old and blind, and his sons did much as they pleased. And so they had taken the ark away with them; to the battle.
When the messenger came into the city and told how the Philistines had defeated the Israelites again, and had even killed Eli’s sons and stolen the ark of God, the people of Shiloh cried aloud for sorrow. And Eli heard their sad cry. He asked, “What has happened!” And the messenger came to him and repeated all his words. Eli listened sorrowfully to the account of the defeat. He even heard about the death of his sons without uttering a cry. But when the messenger told him that the ark of God had been stolen by the Philistines, he fell backward from his seat and died. For forty years he had judged Israel, as well as being; the high priest. And he died at the age of ninety-eight years.