Lesson 85

1 Samuel 4–8

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. By actively participating in seminary, you show your willingness to be taught by the Holy Ghost.

Begin your study with prayer.

You will make many important choices in your life. What should be at the center of your life to help you with your decisions?

Consider the preceding question as you listen to Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy relate an experience about making pottery. How can the experience he shares help you as you prioritize your choices in life?

You can read the text for this video here: “The Joy of Living a Christ-Centered Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 27–28.

The Lord’s Help

When will you need the Lord’s help today?

As you study 1 Samuel 4, look for what it teaches about what you can do to receive the Lord’s help.

The Ark of the Covenant

We read in 1 Samuel 4:1–2 that the Israelites lost a battle against the Philistines in which 4,000 men were slain.

Read 1 Samuel 4:3, looking for the plan proposed to the army by the elders of Israel. The term elders refers here to the leaders of the people, not necessarily the priesthood office.

According to verse 3, what did the elders of Israel believe could save them?

“It May Save Us”

The phrase “it may save us” in 1 Samuel 4:3 might indicate that the elders were placing their faith in the ark rather than in the Lord or perhaps that they didn’t connect salvation with the righteousness of the people. From 1 Samuel 4:4–9 we learn that the Israelites requested that Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, bring the ark from Shiloh to the battle.

Read 1 Samuel 4:10–11, looking for what happened when the Israelites brought the ark to the battle.

Quiz 1

1. What happened to the Israelites in battle?

   1. They received great strength and overcame the Philistines.

   2. Many Israelites were slain and the ark was taken.

   3. They were protected because lightning came out of the ark and destroyed the Philistines.

2. The Israelites should have:

   1. trusted in their own abilities.

   2. given their gold and silver to the Philistines.

   3. placed their faith in the Lord and obeyed His commandments.

Faith in the Lord

One principle we can identify from 1 Samuel 4:3–11 is that in order to receive the Lord’s help, we must place our faith in Him and obey His commandments.

1. Answer the following questions:

• What are some things we can do to show the Lord that our faith is placed in Him?

• When has the Lord helped you as you put your faith in Him and kept His commandments? (If you have not had a personal experience, consider asking a leader or family member to share an experience you can record here.)

Dagon and the Philistines

As recorded in 1 Samuel 4:12–22, when Eli learned that his two sons had been killed and the ark had been captured, he fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died. These events fulfilled the words of the Lord concerning the house of Eli (see 1 Samuel 2:34; 3:12–14).

In 1 Samuel 5:1–2 we learn that after capturing the ark, the Philistines brought it to the temple of Dagon, a Philistine god, as a war trophy and set it before a statue of Dagon.

Read 1 Samuel 5:3–6, looking for what happened to the image of Dagon when the ark of the Lord was set by it.

Quiz 2

1. What happened to the image of Dagon? (See 1 Samuel 5:3–5.)

   1. Nothing.

   2. It disappeared.

   3. It fell and broke into pieces.

2. According to 1 Samuel 5:6, what happened to the Philistines while the ark was with them?

   1. They were blessed.

   2. They all died.

   3. They were smitten with emerods.

Plagues among the Philistines

We do not know exactly what emerods were, but we do know they were a very destructive disease like tumors or boils (see 1 Samuel 5:6, footnote a).

According to 1 Samuel 5:7–12 and 1 Samuel 6, the plagues spread among other Philistine cities and some Philistines died. As the plagues worsened, the Philistines returned the ark to the Israelites in an attempt to pacify the Lord’s wrath. Although the Philistines returned the ark, they continued to be a threat to the Israelites.

Read 1 Samuel 7:3, looking for what Samuel said the Israelites needed to do to be delivered from the Philistines. Consider marking what you find.

How the Israelites Repented

The phrase “return unto the Lord with all your hearts” in 1 Samuel 7:3 means to sincerely repent. Samuel taught the Israelites that to sincerely repent, they should forsake their sins by putting away their false gods.

Read 1 Samuel 7:4–6, looking for what the Israelites did to repent.

Quiz 3

1. What false gods did the Israelites put away? (See 1 Samuel 7:4.)

   1. Baalim and Ashtaroth.

   2. Dagon.

   3. Rameses.

2. What did the Israelites say that showed they sincerely wanted to repent? (See 1 Samuel 7:6.)

   1. “We have sinned against the Lord.”

   2. “We did not know we had sinned.”

   3. “We blame our sins on the Philistines.”

Forsaking and Confessing

A principle we can identify from 1 Samuel 7:3–7 is that to sincerely repent, we must forsake our sins and confess them to the Lord.

As you read the following statement by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, look for the feelings that usually accompany sincere repentance.

“Confessing and forsaking are powerful concepts. They are much more than a casual ‘I admit it; I’m sorry.’ Confession is a deep, sometimes agonizing acknowledgment of error and offense to God and man” (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 40).

Serious sins should also be confessed to a bishop or branch president. If you ever have questions about what constitutes a serious sin, talk with your parents or with your bishop or branch president.

How might confessing our sins help us turn away from sin and turn to God for forgiveness?

Another Battle with the Philistines

As recorded in 1 Samuel 7:7–8, the Philistines came again to battle against the Israelites.

Read 1 Samuel 7:9–13, looking for the outcome of this battle against the Philistines.

How was this battle different from the previous battles the Israelites fought against the Philistines?

“Like All the Nations”

As recorded in 1 Samuel 8:1–5, Samuel made his sons judges over Israel, but they were not righteous. As Samuel neared the end of his life, the elders of Israel came to him with the request to have a king “like all the nations” (verse 5).

Read 1 Samuel 8:6–8, looking for how Samuel felt and what the Lord said about this request.

The Israelites’ Choice

From 1 Samuel 8:9–18 we learn that through Samuel, the Lord warned the Israelites of all the negative consequences they would experience if they appointed a king to rule over them. Samuel warned that they would “cry out … and the Lord [would] not hear” (verse 18) if they followed through with their choice.

Read 1 Samuel 8:19–20, looking for the people’s response and the reason for their choice.

What principle can we identify from this exchange between the Israelites and the Lord’s prophet Samuel?

Consequences of Following the World

The following principle can be identified from Samuel’s warnings to the Israelites about having a king: If we choose to follow the world instead of the Lord, then we will experience sorrow and regret as a result.

2. Answer the following question:

• When have you seen someone choose to follow the world instead of the Lord and experience sorrow and regret as a result?

What Have You Learned?

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• In order to receive the Lord’s help, we must place our faith in Him and obey His commandments.

• To sincerely repent, we must forsake our sins and confess them to the Lord.

• If we choose to follow the world instead of the Lord, then we will experience sorrow and regret as a result.

Remember this question from the beginning of the lesson: What should be at the center of your life to help you with your decisions?

Take a moment to think about what you have learned today and then write an answer to the question in your Notes on LDS.org or in a study journal.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) c

Quiz 2: (1) c; (2) c

Quiz 3: (1) a; (2) a