From The Classroom: What Were They Thinking?

Church School Saturday | November 7, 2026

Lesson: The Glory Departs
Adult Topic: Leadership Run Amok!
Scripture Focus: 1 Samuel 4:12–22
Reflection Theme: The Danger of Assumptions Without Discernment.

From The Classroom…

What happens when what we believe to be true becomes more influential than what God has actually revealed?

We make decisions every day based on what we know, what we expect, and what we assume. Sometimes those assumptions are grounded in experience and wisdom. Other times, they are shaped by fear, misplaced confidence, personal desires, or incomplete understanding.

In 1 Samuel 4, Israel experienced a devastating defeat at the hands of the Philistines. The Ark of the Covenant was captured, thousands of soldiers lost their lives, and the priestly household of Eli suffered tragic consequences.

But what makes this account particularly revealing is the difference between what the people involved may have believed was happening and what was actually taking place.

During our Church School Saturday discussion, we explored that distinction through an activity titled “Contemplating…”

Rather than examining the events exclusively from the narrator’s perspective, participants were challenged to consider what three groups of people may have been thinking immediately before and during the battle.

First, Hophni and Phinehas.

As priests accompanying the Ark of the Covenant, what might they have believed about their role in the approaching battle?

Did they assume that their priestly positions provided spiritual authority regardless of their personal conduct?

Did they believe that bringing the Ark into the camp would guarantee Israel’s victory?

Were they confident that their association with sacred responsibilities would protect them from the consequences of their earlier disobedience?

Scripture does not reveal their private thoughts. Yet their documented conduct and the circumstances surrounding the battle invite us to examine the danger of confusing religious position with spiritual integrity.

A person may hold a sacred responsibility without faithfully honoring the God who entrusted it to them.

Next, the Philistines.

When the Ark arrived in Israel’s camp, the Philistines heard the celebration and became afraid.

According to the earlier verses of 1 Samuel 4, they recognized the Ark’s association with Israel’s God and remembered the extraordinary acts associated with Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

What might they have been thinking as they prepared for battle?

Did they believe they were confronting a divine power they could not overcome?

Did fear strengthen their determination to fight?

How did their understanding of Israel’s religious history influence their response?

Interestingly, the Philistines’ fear did not prevent them from engaging in battle.

Their reaction reminds us that people often make decisions based on their perceptions of a situation, even when those perceptions are incomplete.

Finally, Eli.

While the battle unfolded, Eli remained in Shiloh, anxiously awaiting news.

Scripture tells us that his heart trembled for the Ark of God.

What might have been going through his mind?

Did he remember the judgment previously pronounced against his household?

Was he concerned about his sons, the soldiers, and the future of Israel?

Did he recognize that the events unfolding might be connected to the warning he had already received?

We cannot know everything Eli was thinking.

But we do know that he was deeply concerned about the Ark, and that the news of its capture brought a devastating conclusion to his life.

Three perspectives.

Three different positions in the same unfolding crisis.

And three opportunities to consider how knowledge, fear, responsibility, and assumptions influence human decisions.

The exercise challenged us to look beyond the visible actions and consider the thinking that may have shaped them.

It also raised an important question about our own lives.

How often do we make decisions based on what we assume, rather than taking time to seek understanding and God’s direction?

At home, we may assume we understand another person’s intentions without asking questions or listening carefully.

At church, we may assume that a familiar practice, established position, or longstanding tradition automatically reflects God’s approval.

Within our communities, we may form conclusions about people and circumstances without examining the information available to us.

And in leadership, we may become so confident in our experience or authority that we overlook the need for prayerful discernment and accountability.

Contemplating another person’s perspective does not require us to excuse wrongdoing or abandon biblical truth.

It challenges us to distinguish between what Scripture tells us, what we reasonably understand, and what we merely assume.

That distinction matters.

Because confidence without discernment can lead us to act decisively while moving in the wrong direction.

Something To Think About…

When I face an important decision, how much of my confidence comes from God’s Word and prayerful discernment, and how much comes from my own assumptions?

And perhaps the more personal question:

Have I ever been so certain that I was right that I failed to recognize the possibility that I needed correction?

The Classroom Takeaway

God calls us to exercise discernment, humility, and integrity in our decisions. We must recognize the difference between what we know and what we assume, seek His guidance before acting, and remember that religious position or personal confidence cannot replace faithful obedience.

Beyond The Classroom…

This week, identify one situation in which you have formed a strong opinion or made an assumption about another person, a responsibility, or an important decision.

Before responding, take time to examine your thinking.

What do you actually know?

What have you assumed?

Is there another perspective you have not considered?

Have you sought God’s guidance, or have you simply expected Him to affirm the conclusion you have already reached?

Where appropriate, ask a question. Listen more carefully. Seek additional understanding. Be willing to reconsider your position.

And if you discover that your assumptions were mistaken, demonstrate the humility to acknowledge them and make the necessary correction.

Remember: Being confident in a decision does not automatically mean we have exercised discernment in making it.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our understanding is limited, but Your wisdom is perfect. Forgive us when assumptions, fear, pride, or misplaced confidence influence our decisions more than Your Word. Teach us to seek Your guidance, consider others with humility, and exercise discernment in every responsibility entrusted to us. Give us the courage to recognize our mistakes, the integrity to make corrections, and the faithfulness to follow Your direction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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From The Classroom is a Church School Central reflection series presented by Lady AJP Ministries, extending biblical learning beyond the virtual classroom and into everyday living.

Seeing, Hearing, and Doing the Word!

Lady Angelia