Chapter 7:3-17: Turning Back to God
We had taken a short recess and have not heard of God’s Prophet Samuel for a few chapters. God was cleaning house and ridding Israel of its evil leadership…Eli and his lost sons are gone. Many in Israel who did not revere God are gone. The Philistines have been judged for their worship of false gods and their evil portrayal against the Israelites. The Ark is back home. Now is the time for God to begin showing His people grace through His prophet, Samuel.
1. Through Samuel’s Words, the People Begin to Repent (7:3-6)
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah
Last week we read verse 2.
1 Samuel 7:2 (ESV)
2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
The word lamented here is a deep and sad longing for God with wailing and crying.
All this time, Samuel was preaching. During this time his message was the same as the other prophets; the same as John the Baptist; the same as Jesus…Repent!!!!
It looked like the Israelites were repenting at least on the surface they were broken, lamenting and showing deep remorse. However, Samuel was not yet fully convinced their repentance was genuine.
Tears and distress are not a guarantee of repentance.
I have counselled many people who were on the surface repentant. They weep and morn over their sin. I’ve also come to realize that once the trial is over, they very quickly go right back to the same sin again. Beloved, that is not repentance.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
There is a worldly grief that is sorry for the consequences a certain sin has brought. It is often very sorry for getting caught. Once the consequences are removed or lessened the same sin goes on.
Godly grief is being broken over how sin misrepresents God and His glory. It realizes that sin is not only against others but also against God. It is a God fueled grief that breaks the sinner’s will to commit a certain sin so completely that it is not something easily returned to.
Samuel’s preaching was calling for repentance but he was not being taken in by their emotional outpouring which could be fueled by their trial.
True repentance takes concrete steps.
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only,
Notice what they do…
4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.
Do you have a sin you need to repent of? Ask God to show you what true repentance would look like for you and ask Him to grant godly grief and repentance and lead you to specific steps.
Let’s say you watch too much TV and that is taking your time away from other more important things. What would be a concrete step you could take?
The Israelites were worshipping other gods and it was costing them greatly.
True repentance goes beyond weeping and morning to casting down idols and clinging to God alone.
2. God Fights for Those Who Worship Him (7:7-11)
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
It’s so important that we remember the last time Israel went up against the Philistines…
The last time was Chapter 4 when Israel tried the tactic of manipulation. Let’s get the Ark of God and He will be forced to fight for us. God will not want His name profaned or His Ark captured. They found out quickly you cannot manipulate God.
They wanted God to be on their side without being on His side. They wanted God to bless them without their worshipping Him.
Now, their hearts are turned toward God in repentance. They are worshipping Him and have cast down their idols.
Israel left their false gods and began to follow the true God. That day they discovered their only true weapon…prayer. They were praying and they had Samuel praying fervently for them. This was the prayer of desperation.
Have you ever prayed a desperate prayer? Israel was helpless and desperate when the Philistines began their attack.
Does God have you in the place where you’re ready to finally repent of your sin? Has He stripped you of all your power, ideas and idols? Has He brought you to the place where your only rational recourse is to pray? That’s when God hears and moves.
The Israelites were not praying alone. They had another intercessor…Samuel. Beloved, Samuel is a type of Christ here. We to are not praying alone. Stand firm under trials beloved, pray without ceasing because we have Jesus also praying on our behalf.
Luke 22:31–32 (ESV)
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Romans 8:34 (ESV)
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Israel could fight their enemies and remain steadfast because their weapons were their own prayers and the prayers of another…Church Jesus is praying for you.
3. We Must Remember (7:12-14)
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
Samuel places a large rock in place. This stone is to be a stone of remembrance for the people. He calls the stone Ebenezer (the stone of help).
Samuel makes a statement that sounds strange at first…“Till now the Lord has helped us.”
What does he mean here? He means that throughout Israel’s history God has helped them. Even in their trials as a people God was helping them. Even in their struggles God was helping them. He was helping them repent and follow Him. God had helped them know their sins and turn from the bitter fruit sin produces. These too are mercies of God because these are long run mercies.
It is a good idea to rehearse God’s mercies. Some of the Lord’s providence is sweet and some of His works in our lives are very painful…all are mercies if they draw us closer to Him.
Could you set up an Ebenezer at your home? Every time you see it, you praise God for His wonderful mercies. You can say with Samuel, Till now the Lord has helped us.
4. God in Our Everyday Affairs (7:15-17)
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.
God had used Samuel to bring about great revivals of the people. Samuel preached repentance and God blessed and showed mercy to His people and granted them repentance. God moved in very powerful ways. He set up an Ebenezer to commemorate great events.
Then this section teaches us that most of the time God doesn’t part the sea or grant great military victories but is just as powerful in the quiet everyday events.
That’s what this final section teaches us.
Samuel was a circuit riding preacher who had a regular systematic schedule to visit the same places and the same people time and again.
16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places.
He opened God’s Word with them. He counseled them. He preached to them. All this was done on a regular basis. This is simply a steady and consistent teaching ministry no frills just a steady faithfulness to what God had called him to.
Isn’t that where we live? Whether its parents teaching children or being in God’s Word on a regular basis yourself. No frills just consistency.
As one commentator tells us, God has His Ebenezers there too.
Resources Used:
1 Samuel by Dale Ralph Davis
1 Samuel by Tsumura
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