The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Samuel 3:1-4:11.
Samuel, still a young boy, hears God calling him in the night. At first, he thinks it’s the voice of the high priest Eli, but it soon becomes evident that YHWH himself is calling. God reveals his judgment against the corrupt priest, Eli, and his sons. This comes to pass in the next chapter as the Israelites fight against the Philistines. The ark is captured and Hophni and Phinehas die on the battlefield.
The Book of Judges tells the story of Israel's descent into chaos and idolatry, and the subsequent rise of a series of judges, or redeemers, who deliver them from their enemies. The judges are flawed heroes, but they are also instruments of God's deliverance. The book ends with the Israelites in a state of moral and spiritual decay, but it also offers hope for a better future.
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