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Opening Prayer
Eternal God, may I experience Your Word as a true lamp to my feet and light to my path (Psa. 119:105).
Read 1 SAMUEL 7:2–17
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.
Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Reflect on God’s power. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters” (Psa. 29:3).
On the surface this passage is the account of Israel’s victory at Mizpah over their perennial nemesis, the Philistines. When the fog of war had lifted, Samuel erected a monument so that the people would never forget who deserved the credit for their success (12). This is the monument referred to in: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home” (Robert Robinson, 1735–1790, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”). Amen!
The real story in this passage, however, occurs under the surface: “all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord” (2b). What accounts for this dramatic change of heart? Part of the answer has unfolded off-stage. The Ark has returned to Israel (1 Sam. 5,6) and the people have learned an important lesson: God is holy and must be obeyed (1 Sam. 6:20). That made them ready to respond to Samuel’s two-fold challenge. His first challenge was “rid yourselves…” (3). Apparently, while the Ark was gone the Israelites replaced it with idols (3), a mistake they would repeat until the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Are there sin patterns in your life that you need to get rid of now? Samuel’s second challenge was “commit yourselves…” (3). This expressed itself in fasting and confession (6). What steps of commitment could you be taking now?
Ultimately, victory came not because Israel had more soldiers or weapons. In fact, their battle plan was unconventional, worshiping as the enemy approached (10a). It worked not because of a good luck or some foreign god. Instead, God dramatically intervened (10b) because they had learned what King David discovered years later, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:2). That’s our source of power too.
Apply
How has God intervened in your life in the past year? Find something that will symbolize this for you and keep it near your quiet-time spot this week.
Closing prayer
Mighty God, You have all authority in heaven and on earth. You are Sovereign Lord and a ready help in times of trouble. Release Your power into my life and strengthen me in my weakness.
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