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In the wake of the leadership crisis in ancient Israel, the Lord used the godly, courageous, faithful Samuel to call the nation to repentance and rededication, to lead them to victory, restoration and peace and to eventually anoint two kings. One of them, David, would be the ancestor of the leader/king par excellence, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1 Samuel 5 the supremacy of God was demonstrated in the humiliation of Dagon, the god of the Philistines, in his own temple and the affliction of the Philistine people in their own land. Here we see clearly that the weakness and failure of God's people are not to be equated with the impotence of God. This ancient scene also foreshadows the victory of Jesus over the unseen powers of darkness through His death and resurrection.

The spiritual and moral failure of Eli and his sons led to their dismissal from the priesthood by the Lord and to the appointment of a faithful priest who would share God's heart and do God's will. Ultimately it was the Lord Jesus Christ who would fit this description perfectly.

Those who have been entrusted with spiritual leadership (church, home, etc.) should reverence the Lord and respect people. When those things were not happening in Shiloh of old, the Lord raised up a leader from a godly home who would do his will and anoint his leaders.