Hannah's little boy Samuel grew up under the watchful eye of the priest Eli.

In those days the word of the Lord was rare. Was that because the people were so evil?

One night Samuel was lying down in the temple when the Lord spoke to him.

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”
God was speaking. Samuel was listening. Samuel was more than willing to respond to Eli’s voice, and just as willing to respond to the voice of God.

“The Lord came and stood there…”
The word of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Son of God) had just been revealed to Samuel.

“The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”
Israel's age-old enemy the Philistines appear once more on the scene and soundly defeat the Israelites in battle. Then the elders of Israel make a very bad judgment call! They take the Ark of the Covenant out of the Holy Place and into battle with the Philistines. They put their trust in the ark of the Lord, instead of the Lord of the Ark. The result? The Israelite army was defeated and the ark was captured. But read 1 Samuel 5 and see what happened to the Philistines. The ark brought nothing but trouble with a capital T.

After crying out to the Lord, Israel then defeats the Philistines, but not in their own power, only through the power of God. Good reminder for us Believers today.
Phil 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.