Samuel Rescues Israel
The return of the ark brought to Israel a disaster not unlike that which the Philistines had suffered. The over-curious people handled the ark with little reverence, and because of this profanation a great plague smote Israel. After that the people submitted themselves wholly to the commands of Samuel. The prophet was raised to Eli’s double position acting as both priest and judge, the “last of the judges.” As Shiloh, the ancient seat of the tabernacle, had been utterly destroyed by the Philistines, Samuel erected a shelter for the ark at Kirjath-jearim, a town near to where the ark had been brought by the cows. Here for twenty years the prophet preached and taught, until he had brought Israel back to a knowledge of the true God. He reformed and changed the people as no man had done since Joshua’s day.
When at length Samuel thought his followers were ready, he marshaled them once more against the Philistines; but instead of trusting to Israel’s military prowess, he offered a sacrifice to God. In the midst of the ceremony, the Philistines attacked. “But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines.” So completely were they defeated that the Israelites were again independent, and there was peace thereafter “all the days of Samuel.”
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