| 1 SAMUEL |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
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| 2:25 Predestination Eli's sons disobeyed, the Bible says, because God wanted to put them to death. Does this mean God took away their free choice? To Old Testament writers this "contradiction" seemed less troubling than to us. To them every event occurred only because, ultimately, God let it. Within his overall control people acted freely. In this case, Eli's sons were free to obey or disobey. The author wants us to know, however, that their disobedience was not beyond God's power: he planned to judge their evil activities. 4:12 The End of Shiloh The Philistine victory may have led to Shiloh's capture, for the next time we encounter Eli's family, they have moved as a group to Nob. Several Bible passages mention Shiloh's destruction as a punishment for sin: Jeremiah 7:12, 14; 26:6, 9; Psalm 78:60. If Shiloh did fall at this time, its capture must have added greatly to Israel's general sense of despair, for the city was an important site for worship. 6:5 Magic The Philistine strategy shows traditional magical thinking, still common in some occult or voodoo rites. By sending golden models of the tumors and rats out of the country, the Philistines hoped to send the originals out of the country too. This is similar to the voodoo practice of sticking pins into wax models of your enemies. The Israelites, instead of looking for a magical technique, appealed to the overwhelming power of a personal God, who could not be manipulated with magic. 9:3 A Donkey Hunt Saul, hunting for donkeys, certainly was not looking for a chance to become king. He was so politically unaware he didn't even know about the great man Samuel. Similarly, Samuel was a small boy when God called him (chapter 3), |