1 Samuel 3-4

 Scripture – 1 Samuel 3-4

Observation – 

• 1 Samuel 3:1-9 - God speaks to Samuel
• 1 Samuel 3:1 - The word of the Lord was rare
• 1 Samuel 3:2-4 - God's first words to Samuel
• 1 Samuel 3:5-9 - Samuel doesn't recognize God's voice
• 1 Samuel 3:10-18 - God's message
• 1 Samuel 3:10 - Samuel responds as Eli told him
• 1 Samuel 3:11-14 - The coming judgement of Eli and his house
• 1 Samuel 3:15-18 - Samuel tells Eli the message
• 1 Samuel 3:19-20 - Samuel grows physically and spiritually
• 1 Samuel 3:21 - The word of the Lord comes to Samuel
• 1 Samuel 4:1-11 - The Ark is captured
• 1 Samuel 4:1-2 - Israel is defeated by the Philistines.
• 1 Samuel 4:3-4 - The Elders respond with superstitious trust in the Ark.
• 1 Samuel 4:5 - Israels sincere but wrong confidence in the Ark
• 1 Samuel 4:6-9 - The Philistines fear of the Ark
• 1 Samuel 4:10-11 - The Ark is captured and Israel is defeated.
• 1 Samuel 4:12-22 - Israel's and Eli's Anguish
• 1 Samuel 4:12-18 - Eli hears what happened to his sons and the Ark and dies
• 1 Samuel 4:19-22 - More tragedy among Eli's family.

Application – Don't turn God into a good luck charm. God is slow to judge.

Prayer – Dear God. You have been merciful to me. You are slow to judge when I am unrepentant. Help me to repent quickly. Amen.

Sins to avoid – Forgetting to repent. Taking advantage of God's mercy.

Promises to claim – 

Examples to follow – Don't be slow to repent like Eli

Commands to obey – 

Summarize and apply – Israel loses the Ark because of false trust in superstitious ideas.