Topical Bible: Israel: Under the Judges: Led by Eli for Forty Years

◄ Israel: Under the Judges: Led by Eli for Forty Years ►

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During the period of the Judges, Israel experienced a cyclical pattern of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. This era, marked by decentralized leadership, saw various judges rise to deliver Israel from its oppressors. Among these leaders was Eli, who served as both a judge and high priest for forty years.

Eli's Role and Leadership

Eli's tenure as a judge is recorded in the early chapters of 1 Samuel. He was a descendant of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, and served at the tabernacle in Shiloh, which was the religious center of Israel at the time. Eli's dual role as judge and high priest was significant, as he was responsible for both the spiritual and judicial leadership of the nation.

Spiritual Climate and Challenges

The period of Eli's judgeship was marked by spiritual decline and moral corruption. The Israelites frequently turned away from Yahweh, adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations. This apostasy often led to divine judgment in the form of oppression by foreign powers. Eli's own household was not immune to this spiritual decay. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who served as priests, were notorious for their wickedness. They "treated the LORD’s offering with contempt" (1 Samuel 2:17) and engaged in immoral acts, leading to widespread corruption in the priesthood.

Divine Warning and Prophecy

God, displeased with the state of the priesthood and Eli's failure to restrain his sons, sent a prophetic warning through a man of God. The prophecy declared that Eli's house would face judgment, and a faithful priest would be raised up to serve the Lord (1 Samuel 2:27-36). This prophecy foreshadowed the eventual rise of Samuel, who would become a pivotal figure in Israel's history.

The Call of Samuel

During Eli's judgeship, God called Samuel, a young boy serving in the tabernacle, to be His prophet. The call of Samuel is a significant event, as it marked the transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy. Samuel's prophetic ministry began with a message of judgment against Eli's house, confirming the earlier prophecy (1 Samuel 3:11-14).

The Ark of the Covenant and Eli's Death

The culmination of Eli's judgeship was marked by a disastrous conflict with the Philistines. In a desperate attempt to secure victory, the Israelites brought the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, hoping it would ensure divine favor. However, the Philistines defeated Israel, captured the Ark, and killed Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Upon hearing the news of the Ark's capture and the death of his sons, Eli fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died at the age of ninety-eight (1 Samuel 4:18).

Legacy and Transition

Eli's leadership, though fraught with challenges, set the stage for significant changes in Israel's history. His death marked the end of an era and the beginning of Samuel's influence as both a prophet and judge. Samuel's leadership would eventually lead to the anointing of Israel's first king, Saul, thus transitioning the nation from the period of the judges to the monarchy.

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1 Samuel 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 broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
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1 Samuel 1:1
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
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1 Samuel 2:1
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in your salvation.
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1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
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1 Samuel 4:1
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
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Library

The Historical Books.
... This period properly belongs to that of the judges, but its ... and the deliverance of
the people under him from ... and inauguration of Saul as king of Israel, with a ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

The First Kings.
... of the ten tribes, who were called Israel. ... family government, and the prophet-judges,
and desired to ... Under their second monarch they quarrelled among themselves ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... CHAPTER 5. How David Brought Under The Philistines, And ... Jehoshaphat Again; How He
Constituted Judges And,. ... 2. Concerning Ahaziah; The King Of Israel; And Again ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... And after him, the people having again transgressed, came under the power ... who was
the first that bore regal sway over Israel after the judges; the whole ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius C??sar and under the Pontificate ...
... [1288] Under his reign the ... like vipers - which seems to refer [1300] to private
influence on the judges in their ... [1343] To give other instances: Israel is said ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi in the fifteenth.htm

Obadiah; Or, Early Piety Eminent Piety
... servants of God may be doing their best under great disadvantages ... to Ahab, and he
does so; but he judges it better ... about him and tell of the Lord God of Israel. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 30 1884/obadiah or early piety eminent.htm

Faustus Denies that the Prophets Predicted Christ. Augustin Proves ...
... He will see Jesus leading the people into the land of promise; for this name was
given to the leader of Israel, not at ... And under both the judges and the ...
/.../faustus denies that the prophets.htm

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
... appears even from the injunction that the Judges were to ... As they stood under the
Cross, He committed His ... as being the most significant token to Israel, it may ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv crucified dead and.htm

Letter Liii. To Paulinus.
... [1461] In the book of Judges every one ... to the mount of the daughter of Zion." [1462]
Under the figures ... to Jeconiah, [1463] and of that of Israel from Jeroboam ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter liii to paulinus.htm

City of God
... Chapter 25.--That All the Saints, Both Under the Law ... Joshua the Son of Nun, of the
Judges, and Thereafter ... the Land of Canaan, Which Even Carnal Israel Got in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/