The Parting of The Ark and The Tabernacle

"The children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there"

Shiloh was a city located about 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) north of Jerusalem. After the Israelites crossed the Jordan in the time of Joshua (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Joshua), the Tabernacle (see Israel In History and Prophecy: The Tabernacle) and the Ark of the Covenant (see also Turning The Tables) were established at Shiloh.

"^18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them." (Joshua 18:1 KJV)

The Tabernacle and the Ark remained there for the entire era of the Judges (see Israel In History and Prophecy: The Judges), approximately three centuries.

"^21:19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD [i.e. Jesus Christ; see The Kingdom Of The LORD God and Leviticus: The Prophecies Of Christianity] in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah." (Judges 21:19 KJV)

Eli served as both high priest and judge of Israel at the end of a chapter of Bible History. There would be only one more judge of Israel, Samuel, before Israel's human monarchy began with Saul and David (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Saul and David). Samuel came to serve the LORD by means of the dedication of his mother Hannah (although the parting of Hannah and Samuel would not be permanent; see the Fact Finder question below).

"^1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. ^1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. ^1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. ^1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD." (1 Samuel 1:17-20 KJV)

"^1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. ^1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. ^1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. ^1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: ^1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD [see Hannah's Dedication]; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there." (1 Samuel 1:24-28 KJV)

"The men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the Ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of the LORD"

Samuel's calling was for a purpose. Samuel would eventually continue the service of the LORD that Eli's sons would have maintained, if not for their corruption - that Eli's weakness in correcting, or removing them, produced. God's servants must not only be righteous; they must be strong, whatever the cost (see Do You Want A Servant Or A Serpent?). Eli merely asked (pleaded, actually) his sons to stop doing evil, then permitted them to continue when they ignored him. Samuel grew up watching the pathetic spectacle of a high priest who had become weak, and the liberal behavior of his wicked sons, one of whom would have assumed the position of high priest, if the LORD had permitted it.

"^2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD." (1 Samuel 2:12 KJV)

"^2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation [see The Moral Law]. ^2:23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. ^2:24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. ^2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them." (1 Samuel 2:22-25 KJV)

The judgment from the LORD was delivered to Eli by "a man of God" who was strong (keeping in mind that Eli was still both the high priest and judge of Israel - but not for much longer).

"^2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? [see 1 Corinthians 10:1-9 to understand that it was Jesus Christ talking to Eli] ^2:28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? ^2:29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

^2:30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. ^2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house [see The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar], that there shall not be an old man in thine house. ^2:32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. ^2:33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

^2:34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. ^2:35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. ^2:36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread." (2 Samuel 2:27 KJV)

The death of Eli and his sons came after a battle against the Philistines in which the Ark was unlawfully removed from the Tabernacle (again, Eli's weakness permitted his wicked sons to take the Ark).

"^4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God." (1 Samuel 4:4 KJV)

"^4:10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. ^4:11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain." (1 Samuel 4:10-11 KJV)

"^4:17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ^4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years." (1 Samuel 4:17-18 KJV)

The Ark was eagerly returned by the Philistines after the wrath of the LORD came upon them (and upon the Israelites who mishandled it when it was returned; see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark) but it never returned to Shiloh. The city of Shiloh itself became a ruin and was never rebuilt. It is today a barren hill, its rubble long buried and overgrown.

"^6:19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. ^6:20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? ^6:21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." (1 Samuel 6:19-21 KJV)

"^7:1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. ^7:2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD." (1 Samuel 7:1-2 KJV)

Fact Finder: How and when did The Ark arrive in Jerusalem?
See Israel In History and Prophecy: The Temple

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This Day In History, May 9

1092: England's Lincoln Cathedral was consecrated.

1386: England and Portugal signed the Treaty of Windsor, pledging "permanent alliance and friendship."

1450: Timurid ruler 'Abd al-Latif was assassinated. He was succeeded by his cousin Abdallah Mirza.

1502: Christopher Columbus left Cadiz, Spain, on his fourth and last voyage to "the new world" (i.e. the islands of the Caribbean; see the map at Thanksgiving In History and Prophecy). While Columbus was away, his employer, King Ferdinand of Spain, was beginning the murderous Spanish Inquisition against non-Catholics all across Europe.

1657: William Bradford, English pilgrim governor of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts for 30 years, died.

1671: Thomas Blood, the Irish adventurer popularly known as Captain Blood, stole the crown jewels from the Tower of London.

1793: Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie began his famous journey from Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca in Canada. He eventually reached the Pacific Ocean by way of the Bella Coola River, becoming the first European to cross North America using a route north of Mexico.

1864: During the Second War of Schleswig, the Danish navy defeated the Austrian and Prussian fleets in the Battle of Heligoland.

1901: Australia opened its first Parliament in Melbourne.

1915: The Battle of Artois during the First World War began (listen to our Sermon The European World Wars). When it ended 18 days later, 216,000 men had been killed or wounded.

1927: The new city of Canberra replaced Melbourne as the capital of Australia.

1936: Italy formally annexed Ethiopia; King Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.

1945: The Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia was liberated by the allies; to it had been sent the so-called "privileged Jews", holders of the Iron Cross first class or better and 50 percent disabled war veterans. Of the 141,184 people sent there, more than 88,000 were gassed, including 81 year old Adolfine, sister of Sigmund Freud (Freud, old and dying of cancer, had been ransomed from the Nazis and brought to England). 3 other of Freud's sisters were murdered: Pauline, 80, and Marie, 82, in Treblinka, and Rose, 84, in Auschwitz.

1946: King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicated. The monarchy was replaced by a republic.

1962: A laser beam is successfully bounced off Moon for the first time.

1965: Lunar 5, an unmanned Soviet spacecraft, was launched toward the moon from a rocket already in Earth's orbit. It later crashed on the moon rather than making the projected soft landing.

1970: During the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam civil war, 100,000 war protesters demonstrated in front of the White House.

1974: During the Watergate criminal investigations, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opened impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon.

1978: The body of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro was found in the trunk of a car; he had been kidnapped and murdered by the Red Brigades.

1979: Iranian-Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian was executed by firing squad in Tehran, resulting the mass exodus of the once 100,000 member strong Jewish community of Iran.

1983: Pope John Paul II announced the reversal of the Catholic Church's 1633 condemnation of Galileo Galilei, the scientist who correctly taught that planets go around the sun - the "infallible" papacy said that Galileo was wrong (listen also to our Sermon Constantine's Papacy).

2002: The 38-day stand-off in the "Church of the Nativity" in Bethlehem ended when the Palestinians inside agreed to have 13 terrorists among them deported to several different countries.