Saul Anointed

The battle starts again. This time, Israel falls even harder. Thirty thousand soldiers drop dead. Hophni and Phinehas lie among them, their bodies still. And the ark? The Philistines grab it and carry it off like a prize. Everything Israel trusted in is gone. Everything.

Philistine soldiers hold the ark high above the blood-soaked field. They carry it away while Israel watches. The battle is lost. The ark is lost. Fathers bury sons. Wives wait for men who will never come home. It is the worst day anyone can remember.

A man runs all the way to Shiloh. His clothes are torn. Dirt covers his head. When the town hears the news, they cry out so loud the sound fills the streets. Old Eli sits by the gate, his blind eyes staring ahead, his whole body shaking. What happened? Tell me what happened!

1 Sam 4:10