Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year

Day 185: The Philistines Capture the Ark - A Defeat for Israel

Welcome to Immerse: the daily bible reading experience. Today is Day 185, and we are diving into the story of Israel's defeat by the Philistines. The Israelite army, camped near Ebenezer, was attacked and suffered heavy losses with 4,000 men killed. The elders decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh, hoping it would save them. Despite the Israelites' initial joy upon the Ark's arrival, the Philistines mustered their courage and defeated Israel again, killing 30,000 soldiers and capturing the Ark. The deaths of Eli's sons, Hofnai and Phineas, and the sorrowful reaction of Eli leading to his death are chronicled. Following the defeat, the Ark's journey brought calamity to the Philistine cities of Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron, as God struck the people with plagues. The Philistines ultimately decided to send the Ark back to Israel due to the devastation it caused. This reading concludes with the significant impact of the Ark's capture on Israel and the Philistines. Join us again for more daily bible readings.

00:00 Introduction and Context
00:04 The Battle and Defeat of Israel
00:29 The Ark of the Covenant is Brought to Battle
01:04 Philistines' Reaction and Second Battle
02:02 The Aftermath and Eli's Death
04:06 The Ark in Philistine Territory
04:58 Plagues and Panic in Philistine Cities
06:18 Conclusion and Reflection

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Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

Day 100 and 85

at that time, Israel was at
war with the Philistines.

The Israelite army was camped near
Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at aec.

The Philistines attacked and defeated
the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men.

After the battle was over, the troops
retreated to their camp, and the elders

of Israel asked, why did the Lord allow
us to be defeated by the Philistines?

Then they said, let's bring the ark of
the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh.

If we carry it into battle with us,
it will save us from our enemies.

So they sent men to Shiloh to
bring the Ark of the Covenant of

the Lord of Heaven's armies, who
is enthroned between the Cherubim,

HNA, and Phineas, the sons of Eli.

Were also there with the
arc of the covenant of God.

When all the Israelites saw the Ark of
the Covenant of the Lord coming into the

camp, their shout of joy was so loud.

It made the ground shake what's going on.

The Philistines asked, what's all the
shouting about in the Hebrew camp?

When they were told it was because
the ark of the Lord had arrived.

They panicked.

The gods have come into their camp.

They cried.

This is a disaster.

We have never had to face
anything like this before.

Help who can save us from
these mighty gods of Israel?

They are the same Gods who destroyed
the Egyptians with plagues when

Israel was in the wilderness.

Fight as never before.

Philistines.

If you don't, we will become the Hebrews
slaves, just as they have been ours.

Stand up like men and fight.

So the Philistines fought desperately
and Israel was defeated again.

The slaughter was great.

30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day.

The survivors turned
and fled to their tents.

The arc of God was captured, and Hna and
Phineas, the two sons of Eli were killed.

A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from
the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh.

Later that same day, he had
torn his clothes and put dust

on his head to show his grief.

Eli was waiting beside the road to hear
the news of the battle for his heart

trembled for the safety of the Ark of God.

When the messenger arrived and
told what had happened, an outcry

resounded throughout the town.

What is all the noise about?

Eli asked.

The messenger rushed over to Eli,
who was 98 years old and blind.

He said to Eli, I have just
come from the battlefield.

I was there this very day.

What happened?

My son, Eli demanded Israel has
been defeated by the Philistines.

The messenger replied, the people have
been slaughtered, and your two sons,

Hof, NAI, and Phineas were also killed,
and the Ark of God has been captured.

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
40 years, Eli's daughter-in-law.

The wife of Phineas was pregnant and
near her time of delivery, when she heard

that the arc of God had been captured and
that her father-in-law and husband were

dead, she went into labor and gave birth.

She died in childbirth, but
before she passed away, the

midwives tried to encourage her.

Don't be afraid.

They said, you have a baby boy.

I.

She did not answer or
pay attention to them.

She named the child iBod, which
means where is the glory for?

She said, Israel's glory is gone.

She named him this because the arc of
God had been captured and because her

father-in-law and husband were dead.

Then she said, the glory has
departed from Israel for the

arc of God has been captured.

After the Philistines captured the Ark of
God, they took it from the battleground

at Ebenezer to the town of Ash Dot.

They carried the Ark of God into
the temple of Dagan and placed

it beside an idol of dagan.

But when the citizens of Ash Dot went
to see it the next morning, Dagan had

fallen with his face to the ground
in front of the Ark of the Lord.

So they took Dagan and put
him in his place again.

The next morning, the same thing happened.

Dagan had fallen face down
before the Ark of the Lord again.

This time his head and hands had broken
off and were lying in the doorway.

Only the trunk of his
body was left intact.

That is why to this day, neither
the priests of Dagan nor anyone who

enters the Temple of Dagan in Ash,
Dudd will step on its threshold.

Then the Lord's heavy hand struck
the people of Ashdod and the nearby

villages with a plague of tumors.

When the people realized what
was happening, they cried out,

we can't keep the ark of the
God of Israel here any longer.

He is against us.

We will all be destroyed
along with Dagan, our God.

So they called together the rulers of the
Philistine towns and asked, what should

we do with the arc of the God of Israel?

The rulers discussed it and replied,
move it to the town of Gath.

So they moved the Ark of
the God of Israel to Gath.

But when the Ark arrived at
Gath, the Lord's heavy hand

fell on its men, young and old.

He struck them with a plague of
tumors and there was a great panic.

So they sent the arc of
God to the town of Akron.

But when the people of Akron
saw it coming, they cried out.

They are bringing the ark of the
God of Israel here to kill us too.

The people summoned the Philistine rulers
again and begged them, please send the

Ark of the God of Israel back to its
own country, or it will kill us all.

For the deadly plague from God
had already begun and great fear

was sweeping across the town.

Those who didn't die were
afflicted with tumors.

The cry from the town rose to heaven.

This concludes today's
immerse reading experience.

Thank you for joining us.