Week 282 · Old Testament · about 2 minutes · 264 words
🌙 1 Samuel 6
1 Samuel 6 opens with these words: “Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.” The line to keep is 1 Samuel 6:6: “Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people…” Carry the word “harden” from that verse into the rest of the day.
1 Samuel 6 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.” 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, “They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the coffer with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.” 1 Samuel 6 opens with these words: “Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.” The line to keep is 1 Samuel 6:6: “Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people…” Carry the word “harden” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is 1 Samuel 6:6: “Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in 1 Samuel 6? Then try this: Read “Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked…” 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.
“Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?”
1 Samuel 6:6 · 1 Samuel 6
Say it
Practice 1 Samuel 6:6
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Whythendoyouhardenyourhearts,astheEgyptiansandhardenedWhenhehadworkedwonderfullyamongthem,didn’ttheyletthepeoplego,andtheydeparted?
Talk about it
- What happens first in 1 Samuel 6?
- Read “Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked…” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from 1 Samuel 6 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for 1 Samuel 6. Help us remember 1 Samuel 6:6 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If 1 Samuel 6 is long, read 1 Samuel 6:6 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 282 · the whole night
🌙 1 Samuel 6
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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