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INTRODUCTION. As Samuel grew, the Lord was with him, and all Israel knew he
was established to be a prophet of God. The Lord appeared again in Shiloh and revealed
his word to Samuel (I Sam. 3:19-21).
At that time the Israelites' enemies were the Philistines, a warlike people who settled
along the Mediterranean coast in southern Canaan about 1200 B. C. during the time
of the judges. The Philistines defeated the Israelites in one of their conflicts and
captured the ark of the covenant. Eli's two sons were killed in the battle, and when
Eli heard the news, he fell off his seat backward, broke his neck and died. When the
Lord sent a plague upon the Philistines, they returned the ark of the covenant to Israel.
The ark was eventually taken to Kirjath Jearim where it remained for twenty
years until David removed it to Jerusalem (I Sam. 4-7:2).
When Samuel was old, the people of Israel asked for a king. Although Samuel
warned the people of the evils and responsibilities of a monarchy, they refused to
listen. God assured Samuel that the people had not rejected Samuel as their leader,
but they were rejecting him (the Lord) as their king.
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