Bad News For Eli

Bad News for Eli

Q: What happened when Eli received the news that his two sons had died in battle and the Ark of the Covenant had been captured?

• a. He fell over and died.
• b. He sent a rescue party for the Ark.
• c. He offered a sacrifice to God.

The Israelites and the Philistines were at war. The Philistines attacked Israel and killed four thousand men. The Israelite army retreated and wondered what had gone wrong. They decided to take the Ark of the Covenant into the next battle, so they had it brought from Shiloh for that purpose.

The Ark of the Covenant had always been a sign that God was with his people, but it wasn’t a good luck charm. The Ark was kept in the holiest place of the Tabernacle—the Holy of Holies. Only the high priest could enter that room one time each year, but Eli’s sons entered the room and took the Ark. The Ark didn’t give them the protection they wanted in battle. Instead, the Israelites were defeated, and more than thirty thousand men were killed. Among them were Eli’s two sons. Besides that, the Ark was captured. A messenger ran to Shiloh with the news.

Eli, elderly and overweight, fell backward off his chair upon hearing the news. He broke his neck and died. That was tragic enough, but Eli’s daughter-in-law was near the time her baby would be born. When she heard the news of her husband’s death, she went into labor and delivered a son, but she died in the process.

Several tragic events happened because of wrong choices. It was a sad day for Israel, but it wasn’t the end of the story. God raised up Samuel as a judge and spiritual leader to get the people back on track.

For You

Bad choices and sin have consequences. Ask God to show you any sin in your life that needs to be dealt with. Things go better for everyone when you’re living God’s way.

Answer: a

When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.   1 Samuel 4:18

(The Whole Story: 1 Samuel 4)