1 Samuel 4 - The Ark is captured

The Philistines came to fight against Israel and the Philistines won.

The Israelites wondered why the Lord had not given them victory. They decided the ark of the covenant was the answer. So they brought the ark from Shiloh, and Eli's two sons were with the ark.

All the people raised a mighty shout. The Philistines heard this and were filled with terror. They thought a god had come into the Israelite camp, and they expected to be defeated. They also remembered all that they had heard had happened in Egypt.

Now at this stage one might expect that an Israelite victory was about to occur, but instead they got defeated and the ark was captured. Eli's two sons were among the dead. 

This is a warning against pseudo-faith, or putting trust in religious rituals (ranging from high church to low charismatic). There was disobedience in the nation of Israel, and when sin is alive religious rituals are of no value whatsoever. 

A messenger ran back to Shiloh and Eli asked him what had happened. When he heard what had happened, Eli fell over and died. It seemed to be the loss of the ark that troubled him most. He knew his sons were going to die, but he did not expect the ark to be lost. 

The wife of Phinehas gave birth to a son and named him Ichabod, meaning the glory has departed.