Week 280 · Old Testament · about 2 minutes · 305 words
🪨 1 Samuel 4
1 Samuel 4 opens with these words: “The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the…” The line to keep is 1 Samuel 4:8: “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.” Carry the word “deliver” from that verse into the rest of the day.
1 Samuel 4 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.” That is not a motto invented for a poster. It is the first sentence a family hears when this page is opened at night.
Keep going a little further. The chapter also says, “A man of Benjamin ran out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with dirt on his head.” 1 Samuel 4 opens with these words: “The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the…” The line to keep is 1 Samuel 4:8: “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.” Carry the word “deliver” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is 1 Samuel 4:8: “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in 1 Samuel 4? Then try this: Read “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the…” once more. What does it show you about God? You do not have to finish every verse. You can close the book after the memory verse and still have read the Bible together.
“Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.”
1 Samuel 4:8 · 1 Samuel 4
Say it
Practice 1 Samuel 4:8
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Woetous!Whoshallusoutofthehandofthesemightygods?Thesearethegodsthatstrucktheallkindsofplaguesinthewilderness.
Talk about it
- What happens first in 1 Samuel 4?
- Read “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the…” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from 1 Samuel 4 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for 1 Samuel 4. Help us remember 1 Samuel 4:8 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If 1 Samuel 4 is long, read 1 Samuel 4:8 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 280 · the whole night
🪨 1 Samuel 4
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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