Psalm: 136

Meditation

1 Samuel: Israel went out to fight against the Philistines and lost 4,000 men. They had carried the Ark of the Covenant to the front line and lost another 30,000 men. Why? Eli’s (the chief priest’s) sons Hophni and Phinehas were wicked. Samuel’s first encounter with the LORD was in a prophesy about these evil boys of Eli. Eli had not reprimanded them enough for their pernicious deeds, so the LORDdid it for him: both were struck down in one day. When Eli hears of this he too, dies (he was 98 years old) falling off his chair.

Gospel: Luke 21:20-28

New Testament: Acts 4:32 – 5:11

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 4:1-11