1 Samuel, 4
15. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
15. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
Chapter 4 of 1 Samuel reports the battle between the children of Israel and the Philistines, where the Philistines defeated the Israelites and captured the ark of the covenant. The Israelites had the mistaken belief that the ark would give them an advantage in battle, but did not take into account the need to obey God's commandments and repent of their sins. The ark, which should be a symbol of God's presence, was eventually captured by the enemies of Israel, who were punished for acting recklessly.
Psalm 44:9-10: "But now you have rejected us and confused us; I no longer come out with our armies. You make us back off before the enemy, and those who hate us to plunder us to will." The psalmist expresses the anguish and feeling of abandonment that the Israelites must have felt during the battle against the Philistines, since they believed that God was by his side but were defeated.
Proverbs 16:18: "Superb precedes ruin, and the haughtiness of the Spirit precedes the fall." The Israelites acted recklessly, believing that the ark of the covenant would give them an advantage in battle. This demonstrates a proud and proud attitude, which eventually led to his defeat and the capture of the ark through the Philistines.
Isaiah 1:16-17: "Wash and purify you; take away the wickedness of your acts from before my eyes; cease to do evil. You have learned to do good; seek what is just; help the oppressed; justice to the orphan; deal with the cause of the widows. " The Israelites did not take into account the need to repent of their sins and obey God's commandments. Isaiah reinforces the importance of repenting and seeking justice and goodness.
Jeremiah 3:3: "That's why the rains were retained, and there was no served rain; however, you have a prostitute's forehead, you don't want to be ashamed." The capture of the ark of the covenant by the Philistines was a sign of God's punishment for the disobedience and sin of the Israelites. Jeremiah uses the metaphor of prostitution to describe Israel's infidelity in relation to God.
Hosea 6:6: "For I want loyal love and not the sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than the burnt offering." The Israelites believed that the possession of the Ark of the Covenant would give them an advantage in battle, but forgot the importance of obeying God's commandments and repenting their sins. Hosea emphasizes that God values loyal love more and his knowledge than simply rituals and sacrifices.
“Não se desencoraje, pois, se na alma existe o contínuo esforço de melhorar, no final o Senhor a premia fazendo nela florir, de repente, todas as virtudes como num jardim florido.” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
