The Story of the Chosen People (Yesterday's Classics) by H. A. Guerber Page A
Authors: H. A. Guerber
Tags: History
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temple, where he once laid himself down to sleep in his chamber. Near him, but in another room, lay Samuel, and there the voice of the Lord suddenly called the child.
With cheerful readiness, Samuel answered, "Here am I." He thought that the aged high priest had called him, so he ran into Eli's room to ask his wishes. "But Eli sent Samuel back to bed, thinking that he had been dreaming. The call was twice repeated, and at last the priest bade Samuel answer, should he hear the voice again, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Once more the voice fell upon Samuel's listening ear, and when he had answered, according to Eli's orders, the Lord said that he would execute judgment upon the sons of Eli, who would die in punishment for their sins.
When morning came, Eli called Samuel to him, and asked what the Lord had said. Samuel now reluctantly repeated the words he had heard, and the old man, whose heart was broken with grief, bowed his head and cried: "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good."
From that day Samuel was a prophet of the Lord, and he silently watched the Israelites, who were gathering their forces together; for they had decided to make a great effort to free themselves from the hated yoke of the Philistines.
In the very first battle, however, the Israelites were defeated, and lost four thousand men. Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, thought that they might be more successful if they only had the Ark in their midst; so they now brought it into camp, although they had no authority for doing so.
The Israelites, who remembered the miracle of the Jordan and the falling of the walls of Jericho, received the Ark with loud shouts of joy. But this gladness was soon turned into mourning; for, in the very next battle, the Philistines, fighting with the energy of despair, killed Hophni and Phinehas, together with thousands of their followers, and gained possession of the precious Ark.
They bore this treasure off in triumph,—for they knew the immense importance it had in the eyes of the Israelites,—and placed it as a trophy in the temple of Dagon, their principal god, who was half man and half fish.
The news of the Israelites' defeat and great loss was quickly carried to Shiloh by a soldier who managed to escape from the general massacre. He presented himself before Eli, with torn garments and with earth on his head, in token of great mourning.
The high priest was silent and apparently unmoved, as he heard of the death of his sons and the destruction of the army; but when the messenger added that the Ark of God had fallen into the enemy's hands, Eli fell back from his seat and died.
That same day, the young wife of Phinehas heard the mournful tidings, and gave birth to a son, whom she called Ichabod ("where is the glory?"), because with the loss of the sacred Ark she said, "The glory is departed from Israel."
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Return of the Ark
T HE Philistines, who had won such a brilliant victory, and had secured such a fine prize, were beside themselves with joy. But when they again entered their temple, this joy was changed into amazement; for they found their god lying in fragments at the foot of the Ark.
Soon after, all the men of the city became ill, and hosts of mice overran the land, causing great damage. They soon blamed the Ark for these misfortunes, and carried it elsewhere; but wherever it went, plagues and calamities went with it. Weary of suffering, the Philistines finally made up their minds to send the Ark back to the Israelites.
Under the direction of their priests, they made golden emblems of their plagues, placed them in a coffer of precious wood, and set it with the Ark upon a new cart, to which they harnessed two young cows that had never yet borne the yoke.
These animals were allowed to go as they pleased, and soon turned into the road leading to Beth-shemesh, slowly followed by five Philistine lords, who wished to see what would happen. The cart passed near some harvest
With cheerful readiness, Samuel answered, "Here am I." He thought that the aged high priest had called him, so he ran into Eli's room to ask his wishes. "But Eli sent Samuel back to bed, thinking that he had been dreaming. The call was twice repeated, and at last the priest bade Samuel answer, should he hear the voice again, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Once more the voice fell upon Samuel's listening ear, and when he had answered, according to Eli's orders, the Lord said that he would execute judgment upon the sons of Eli, who would die in punishment for their sins.
When morning came, Eli called Samuel to him, and asked what the Lord had said. Samuel now reluctantly repeated the words he had heard, and the old man, whose heart was broken with grief, bowed his head and cried: "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good."
From that day Samuel was a prophet of the Lord, and he silently watched the Israelites, who were gathering their forces together; for they had decided to make a great effort to free themselves from the hated yoke of the Philistines.
In the very first battle, however, the Israelites were defeated, and lost four thousand men. Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, thought that they might be more successful if they only had the Ark in their midst; so they now brought it into camp, although they had no authority for doing so.
The Israelites, who remembered the miracle of the Jordan and the falling of the walls of Jericho, received the Ark with loud shouts of joy. But this gladness was soon turned into mourning; for, in the very next battle, the Philistines, fighting with the energy of despair, killed Hophni and Phinehas, together with thousands of their followers, and gained possession of the precious Ark.
They bore this treasure off in triumph,—for they knew the immense importance it had in the eyes of the Israelites,—and placed it as a trophy in the temple of Dagon, their principal god, who was half man and half fish.
The news of the Israelites' defeat and great loss was quickly carried to Shiloh by a soldier who managed to escape from the general massacre. He presented himself before Eli, with torn garments and with earth on his head, in token of great mourning.
The high priest was silent and apparently unmoved, as he heard of the death of his sons and the destruction of the army; but when the messenger added that the Ark of God had fallen into the enemy's hands, Eli fell back from his seat and died.
That same day, the young wife of Phinehas heard the mournful tidings, and gave birth to a son, whom she called Ichabod ("where is the glory?"), because with the loss of the sacred Ark she said, "The glory is departed from Israel."
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Return of the Ark
T HE Philistines, who had won such a brilliant victory, and had secured such a fine prize, were beside themselves with joy. But when they again entered their temple, this joy was changed into amazement; for they found their god lying in fragments at the foot of the Ark.
Soon after, all the men of the city became ill, and hosts of mice overran the land, causing great damage. They soon blamed the Ark for these misfortunes, and carried it elsewhere; but wherever it went, plagues and calamities went with it. Weary of suffering, the Philistines finally made up their minds to send the Ark back to the Israelites.
Under the direction of their priests, they made golden emblems of their plagues, placed them in a coffer of precious wood, and set it with the Ark upon a new cart, to which they harnessed two young cows that had never yet borne the yoke.
These animals were allowed to go as they pleased, and soon turned into the road leading to Beth-shemesh, slowly followed by five Philistine lords, who wished to see what would happen. The cart passed near some harvest
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