Tishrei 29 – Why has the LORD Defeated us Today Before the Philistines?

Tishrei 29, 5786; from sunset October 20, 2025, to sunset October 21, 2025

(The twenty-ninth day of the seventh month)

This is the name “Shemu’el” (שְׁמוּאֵל – Samuel) as seen in the Aleppo Codex, written over one thousand years ago.

The Bible tells us that the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant to Israel during the wheat harvest. They confiscated the Ark during a battle with Israel and had possesion of it for seven months. In Israel, wheat is harvested during the months of May and June. Today was chosen at random, roughly seven months before the wheat harvest, in order to commemorate the event. Let’s set the stage leading up to the Ark’s capture.

Today’s story is found in the book of 1 Samuel. During the days of the judges, the Ark of the Covenant resided in the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Eli was priest at the time and he had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Eli’s sons ministered to the LORD in Shiloh with their father. They did evil in the sight of the LORD. The LORD gave Eli a warning — curtail the evil committed by your sons or there will be consequences. Eli failed to get them under control and now the LORD has decided to make good on His word. The following events were the catalyst that put God’s plan into motion.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. – 1 Samuel 4:1-4 (NKJ)

We’ll give the Israelites a week to go up to Shiloh and bring the Ark back with them to the battle site. Join us then as we study on with the story of the Israelites, the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant.

To read all of our posts on Samuel, the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant, click on the name Shemu’el above.