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1 Samuel 4 · Preschool

God's Ark

Name Date

Color the ark of God's covenant! It was a special box that reminded Israel God was with them.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: The people thought the ark was like a lucky charm. But God wanted them to trust Him, not a box. We can trust God Himself.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Kindergarten

Trust God

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace each word with your pencil.

ARK
GOD
CAMP
GLORY
She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”

1 Samuel 4:22 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each word to its picture.

ARK
CAMP
ELI
SON

Mini Maze

Help find the way through the maze.

Draw It

Draw something that reminds you God is with you.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What helps you remember that God is with you?
  • Who do you trust when you are afraid?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Grade 1

The Ark Is Taken

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace the words and the verse.

ARK
GLORY
SAVE
SHOUT
When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

1 Samuel 4:5 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each sentence to its picture.

They brought the ark to the camp.
All Israel shouted.
Each man ran to his tent.
Eli sat by the road.
A baby boy was named Ichabod.

A Sad Day for Israel

Write the number 1 to 4 in each circle to show the right order.

The ark of God is taken

The glory has departed

Israel brings the ark to the camp

Eli hears the news

Draw something that reminds you God is with you.

Memory Verse

“When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.”

1 Samuel 4:5 (WEB)

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why did the people bring the ark?
  • Can a box save us, or does God save us?
  • What would you like to say to God about this chapter?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Grade 2

A Sad Day

Name Date

Read the Story

Israel lost a fight with the Philistines. The leaders thought the ark would save them. They brought it to the camp. The people gave a big shout.

The Philistines heard the shout. They were afraid. But they fought hard. Israel lost again. The ark of God was taken. Eli's two sons died in the battle.

A man ran to tell old Eli. When he heard the ark was taken, Eli died. A baby boy was named Ichabod. It means the glory is gone.

Memory Verse

When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3 (WEB)

Show What You Know

Circle the right answer, or write it on the lines.

  1. Who did Israel fight?

    The PhilistinesThe arkThey gave a big shout

  2. What did the leaders think would save them?

    The ark of GodIchabodThe ark

  3. What did the people do when the ark came?

  4. What was taken in the battle?

    The PhilistinesThe ark of GodThe ark

  5. What was the baby named?

    The ark of GodIchabodThe Philistines

Word Search

Find and circle each word. Words go across and down.

FSYIFGEFDDBUGSHMMLNESKLRSLKECPHEOAOHWGAAOLREJSUHMRUIYLKWFIPTTPYYBARKREEBUMRHYHEDM
  • DEPARTED
  • ISRAEL
  • GLORY
  • SHOUT
  • CAMP
  • NEWS
  • ARK
  • ELI

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why do you think Israel lost even with the ark?
  • How do you think Eli felt when he heard the news?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Grade 3

The Glory Departed

Name Date

Read the Story

Israel fought the Philistines and lost about four thousand men. The elders asked why the Lord had let them be defeated. They decided to bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh, thinking it would save them. Eli's sons came with it.

When the ark came into the camp, Israel shouted so loudly the earth rang. The Philistines were afraid, because they said God had come into the camp. Still, they fought, and Israel was defeated. The ark was taken, and Hophni and Phinehas were killed.

A man from Benjamin ran to Shiloh with torn clothes. Eli, who was ninety-eight and blind, was waiting by the road. When he heard the ark was captured, he fell backward and died. His daughter-in-law named her newborn son Ichabod, because the glory had departed from Israel.

Memory Verse

“She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.”

1 Samuel 4:21 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

  1. Why did the elders bring the ark?

  2. Why were the Philistines afraid?

  3. Who was killed in the battle?

  4. How old was Eli?

  5. Why was the baby named Ichabod?

A Sad Day for Israel

Write what happened in each box.

1
2
3
4

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What did the name Ichabod mean?
  • What should Israel have done after the first battle?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Grade 4

Using God Like a Charm

Name Date

Read and Think

Israel lost a battle at Ebenezer. The elders asked a good question: why had the Lord let them lose? But they did not seek God or turn from sin. They chose to fetch the ark of the covenant. They hoped it would come among them and save them, as if the ark could be used like a lucky charm.

When the ark came, Israel gave a great shout. The Philistines were afraid, because they remembered the God who struck Egypt. Yet they fought harder, and Israel suffered a great defeat. The ark was captured, and Eli's sons died, just as the man of God had warned in chapter 2.

Eli waited by the road, his heart trembling for God's ark. When he heard the ark was taken, he fell, and he died, having judged Israel forty years. His daughter-in-law, dying after giving birth, named her son Ichabod and said, The glory has departed from Israel; for God's ark has been taken.

Show What You Know

  1. What good question did the elders ask?

  2. How did Israel try to use the ark?

  3. Whose warning came true when Eli's sons died?

  4. What was Eli most worried about?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

shoutIsraelgoodarkGod
  1. lost a battle at Ebenezer.
  2. The elders asked a question: why had the Lord let them lose?
  3. But they did not seek or turn from sin.
  4. They chose to fetch the of the covenant.
  5. When the ark came, Israel gave a great .

Think About It

  1. Israel trusted an object instead of God. What things do people today trust instead of God?

  2. Eli cared most about the ark. What does that show about his heart, even with his failures?

Memory Verse

When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why did the elders not wait for God's answer?
  • How can we seek God instead of trying to control Him?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

1 Samuel 4 · Grade 5

Ichabod

Name Date

Read and Think

Defeated by the Philistines near Ebenezer, Israel's elders asked why the Lord had struck them, but they did not wait for an answer. They brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Armies, who sits above the cherubim, into the camp. They treated the symbol of God's presence as a tool to control God and force a victory.

The plan seemed to work at first. Israel's shout made the earth resound, and the Philistines feared the God who had struck the Egyptians. But the Philistines rallied, and Israel was defeated with heavy losses. The ark was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas died on one day, fulfilling the sign given to Eli in 2:34.

News reached Shiloh by a runner with torn clothes and dust on his head. Eli, ninety-eight years old and blind, fell backward from his seat and died when he heard the ark was taken. Phinehas' wife gave birth and, near death, named her son Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel. The loss of the ark felt like the loss of God's presence, and Israel had to learn that God cannot be used or managed.

Show What You Know

  1. How did Israel treat the ark?

  2. Which sign in chapter 2 was fulfilled?

  3. What did Eli do when he heard the ark was taken?

  4. What lesson did Israel have to learn?

Crossword

213

Across

  1. The old priest who sat by the road (4:13)
  2. The Philistines took the ____ of God (4:11).

Down

  1. The ____ has departed from Israel (4:22).

Think About It

  1. Why is it dangerous to treat prayer, church, or the Bible as a lucky charm?

  2. What is the difference between wanting God's help and wanting God Himself?

Memory Verse

“She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.”

1 Samuel 4:21 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being with me always. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How did God's word about Eli's sons come true?
  • When have you trusted a thing more than God?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.