1 Samuel 7

The Lord could have withdrawn Himself from His people, but instead, He graciously allowed the ark to be taken about ten miles to Kiriath Jearim where it remained in the home of Abinadab. The men of the city consecrated Abinadab’s son Eleazar to guard the ark. This was undoubtedly a Levitical family, for after what had happened to the men of Beth-Shemesh, the men weren’t likely to take any more chances by breaking the law! The ark remained in Kiriath Jearim for perhaps a century, for the battle of Aphek was fought about 1104 BC, and David brought the ark to Jerusalem in about 1003 BC (2 Sam. 6). The ark had been in the home of Abinadab twenty years when Samuel called an assembly of the people to turn from their sins and seek the Lord (1 Sam. 7:3).

The ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord with His people and the rule of the Lord over His people. The Lord had every right to abandon His sinful people, but He graciously remained with them, though not in the special tabernacle He had commanded them to build. It was a difficult time for the Jews, for they were not a united people, nor were they a godly people. Israel thought that their problems would be solved if they had a king like the other nations, but they would discover that having their own way would lead them into greater problems. God still gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

What the ark was to Israel, Jesus Christ is to God’s people today; and when He is given His rightful place of preeminence in our lives, He will bless us and work on our behalf. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord,” is the way Peter explained it (1 Peter 3: niv). When Jesus Christ is Lord, the future is your friend, and you can walk through each day confident of His presence and His help.

The ark of the covenant was now out of enemy hands and resting in the house of Abinadab in

Kiriath Jearim in the territory of Benjamin (1 Sam. 1—2; Josh. 18:28). Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines and was no longer the location of the sanctuary of the Lord, and many years would pass before the ark would be moved to Jerusalem by King David (1 Chron. 15). But having the ark in Jewish territory didn’t automatically solve Israel’s problems, for during those twenty years when the ark was in Abinidab’s house, a new generation had arisen and was crying out for radical changes in Israel’s government. For centuries, the people of Israel had looked to Jehovah as their King, but now they asked the Lord to give them a king just like the other nations. It was a critical time in the history of Israel, and it took the prayers and guidance of Samuel to bring them safely through this dangerous time of transition.

Samuel discerned that the people were restless and wanting change, and he knew that times of transition bring out either the best or the worst in people. God called Samuel to build a bridge between the turbulent age of the judges and the new era of the monarchy, and it wasn’t an easy task. There was one thing Samuel knew for certain: king or no king, the nation could never succeed if the people didn’t put the Lord first and trust only in Him. That’s why he called for a meeting at Mizpah, a city in Benjamin (Josh. 18:26), where he challenged God’s covenant people to return to the Lord.

They put away their false gods (vv. 3–4). Idolatry had been Israel’s besetting sin. Jacob’s family carried false gods with them (Gen. 35:2), and when the Jews were slaves in Egypt, they adopted the gods and goddesses of the Egyptians, and after the exodus, worshipped some of these idols during the wilderness journeys (Acts 7:42–43). Moses commanded Israel to destroy every evidence of Canaanite religion, but the people eventually lapsed back into idolatry and worshipped the gods of the defeated enemy. Samuel specifically mentioned the Baals and Ashtoreths (1 Sam. 7:3–4). Baal was the Canaanite storm god to whom the Jews often turned when the land was suffering drought, and Ashtoreth was the goddess of fertility whose worship included unspeakably sensual activities. At Mount Sinai, the Jews didn’t see a representation of God, but they heard His voice, and they knew that worshipping any image of their God was to practice false worship.

Putting away their false gods was only the beginning of their return to the Lord; the Jews also had to prepare their hearts for the Lord and devote themselves to the Lord alone (v. 3). This was in keeping with the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20: niv). An idol is a substitute for God—anything that we trust and serve in place of the Lord. The Jews gave themselves to idols of wood, stone, and metal, but believers today have more subtle and attractive gods: houses and lands, wealth, automobiles, boats, position and recognition, ambition, and even other people. Anything in our lives that takes the place of God and commands the sacrifice and devotion that belong only to Him, is an idol and must be cast out. Idols in the heart are far more dangerous than idols in the temple.

They confessed their sins (vv. 5–6). Samuel planned to lead the people in a time of worship and intercession for deliverance from their enemies, but if they had iniquity in their hearts, the Lord would not hear them (Ps. 66:18). It wasn’t enough just to destroy their idols; the people also had to confess their sins and surrender themselves to the Lord. Two considerations suggest that this meeting occurred during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. First, the people poured out water before the Lord, which became a practice at the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the times the Lord provided water in the wilderness (John 7:37–39). Second, the people fasted, and this was required only on the annual day of Atonement, which preceded the Feast of Tabernacles.

The key activity that day was their confession, “We have sinned against the Lord.” God’s covenant promise to Israel was that He would forgive their sins if they sincerely confessed them to Him (Lev. 26:40–45), for no amount of sacrifices or rituals could wash away their sins. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51: nkjv). Later in Israel’s history, this promise of forgiveness and blessing was reiterated by Solomon at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron. 7:14).

They prayed for God’s help (vv. 7–11, 13–14). When the Philistines learned about this large gathering of Jews, they became suspicious that Israel was planning to attack, so the five Philistine lords summoned their troops and prepared to invade. Israel had no standing army and no one ruler to organize one, so they felt helpless. But their greatest weapon was their faith in Jehovah God, a faith that was expressed in prayer. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7). As we have seen, Samuel was a man of prayer (99:6), and God answered him that day. As he sacrificed the evening burnt offering, the Lord thundered against the Philistine soldiers and so confused them that it was easy for Israel to attack and defeat them. When we remember that Baal was the Canaanite storm god, it makes the power of God’s thunder even more significant.

All the days of Samuel, the Lord kept the Philistines at a distance from Israel. Because of this victory, the Jews recovered cities they had lost in battle and even gained the Amorites as allies. Whenever God’s people depend on their own plans and resources, their efforts fail and bring disgrace to God’s name, but when God’s people trust the Lord and pray, He meets the need and receives the glory. A man or woman of prayer is more powerful than a whole army! No wonder King Jehoash called the prophet Elisha “the chariots and horsemen of Israel” (2 Kings 13:14), a title Elisha had used for his mentor Elijah (2 Kings 2: and see 6:17). Do we have such men and women of prayer today?

They commemorated the victory (v. 12). The setting up of stones to commemorate significant events has been a part of the Hebrew culture since Jacob set up a memorial at Bethel (Gen. 28:20–22; 35:14). Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan (Josh. 4:9) and twelve more on the western bank at Gilgal to mark the place where the waters opened and Israel crossed into the Promised Land (vv. 4:1–8, 19–21). A great heap of stones in the Achor Valley reminded the Jews of Achan’s disobedience (vv. 7:24–26), and another heap marked the burial place of the king of Ai (8:29). Another heap stood at a cave at Makkedah to mark where five kings had been defeated and slain (10:25–27). Before his death, Joshua set up a “witness stone” to remind the Israelites of their vow to serve the Lord alone and obey Him (24:26–28).

“Ebenezer” means “stone of help” because the monument was a reminder to the Jews that God had helped them that far and would continue to help them if they would trust Him and keep His covenant. The founder of the China Inland Mission, J. Hudson Taylor, had a plaque displayed in each of his residences that read “Ebenezer—Jehovah Jireh,” Together, these Hebrew words say, “The Lord has helped us to this point, and He will see to it from now on.” What an encouragement to our faith!

They respected Samuel (vv. 15–17). It’s likely that this meeting at Mizpah marked the beginning of Samuel’s public ministry to the whole nation of Israel, so that from that time on he was a focal point for political unity and spiritual authority. The nation knew that Samuel was God’s appointed leader (3:20–4:1), and when he died, the entire nation mourned him (28:3). He made his home in Ramah and established a circuit of ministry to teach the people the law, to hear cases, to give counsel, and to pass judgment. His two sons assisted him by serving at Beersheba (8:1–2). Israel was blessed to have a man like Samuel to guide them, but the times were changing and Israel’s elders wanted the nation to change as well.