The Ark Rested With Abinadab

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The men of Ramah came and took the Ark to the home of a man by the name of Abin-a-dab and the Lord prospered Abin-a-dab. Why? What was different here than at Beth-she-mesh?

A proper place was provided for it. This home was located on high ground. It was probably the best home in the city. It was owned by the priestliest man of the city.
A proper person was provided to attend it. Abin-a-dab anointed his son Eleazar to attend it and he had no other duties other than this and the assisting of those who came to pray and worship. This was unusual as this man was not a Levite. God allowed this because of the evil that had come into the linage of Aaron (the Levites).

How long did it stay at the home of Abin-a-dab? Verse 2 (RSV) says 20 years. It appears to have been more like 40 years. I Chron. 13:6 records David going to Abin-a-dab's house and getting the Ark. Chronologically, that would have been about 40 years. Tradition says that it was there 20 years before anybody remembered where it was. It took another 20 years before God allowed it to be moved by David
When the people returned to the Lord, Samuel ordered them to assemble at Mizpah, a city believed to have been located some 8 miles north of Jerusalem on the road to Samaria and Galilee. There Samuel prayed to God for deliverance from the Philistines. The Lord complied with a mighty voice and the Philistines fled in confusion. Israel pursued them and defeated them. The cities that the Philistines had taken were restored to Israel and Samuel became their Judge.
Now it says that during the time that the Ark was at the home of Abin-a-dab, "it appeared that the Lord had abandoned them". In reality, the people had abandoned the Lord. The Apostle Paul described it as "having a form of religion but denying the power of it." They had altars but no Ark. They had feasts, but no festival. They worshipped God but He wasn't there.
Finally under the preaching of Samuel the people began to realize that they had separated themselves from God. Then Samuel challenged them to put away their pagan gods and return to Jehovah and perhaps He would rid them of the Philistines.
Samuel assembled the leaders of Israel at Mizpah. They poured out water unto the Lord and fasted all day as a sign of their sorrow for their sins and then Samuel was declared Israel's 14th. and last Judge. When the Philistines heard that all the leaders of Israel was at Mizpah, they decided to attack. The people begged Samuel to ask God to save them from the approaching Philistines. Samuel prepared a burnt offering and pleaded with God to help Israel. Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived and God spoke with a mighty voice like thunder and the Philistines became totally confused. The Israelis routed them and chased them from Mizpah to Beth-car, killing them all along the way.
Then Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Jeshanah and called it "Eben-e-zer" meaning, "the stone of help" for the Lord had certainly helped them that day. The Philistines never bothered Israel again as long as Samuel lived. The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned. Even the Amorites made peace with Israel.
After this Samuel set up a circuit of cities where he would hold an annual court. The cities were Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah and Ramah, his hometown, all of which were in the inheritance of Benjamin.

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