God THE Redeemer
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Transcript
A. Rapport for the time
Deflection—and desire to see ourselves as the hero of our own story...
This means that Israel’s problem was not fundamentally their corrupt and inept leaders (God dealt with them decisively), nor was it the Philistine threat (they could not prevail against God’s heavy hand). If Israel had a problem (and they certainly did), it was with God himself! Woodhouse—bible commentary
B. Reading of the text
C. Review of the text
Chapter 7 is an end of a section of 1 Samuel. Samuel, Israel's relationship with God—lack of, Philistines—
Israel—4,000 men defeated in battle..Israel asked why?
3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”
7 Months later..
19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow.
20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?”
D. Relevance of the text
What will it take in our lives to come to an understanding that HE alone has the ability to redeem a people for his own namesake?
I. A God that Restores
I. A God that Restores
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.
vs. 2 After chapter 4-6 being some 7 months or so we now hit the fast forward button some 20 years. 20 years the ark is amongst them the very presence of God and they have done nothing to pursue that God that loves them. The time has brought them to a place of “lamenting”
Lament—passionate expression of Grief—this is not repentance but it does indicate they don’t want what they have been pursuing. They desire more in their relationship with God and we will see how they go about pursuing that .
19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow.
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.
vs. 3
Samuel returns after being gone from scripture since 1 Samuel 4:1.
The people of Israel had been serving false gods for a long time.
13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.
3-4 are the Gospel in the OT. 3 imperative commands he gives the people of Israel if they not only want to lament their sin but come to a place of repentance.
Put away—
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
Direct your heart—.Stand firm
18 O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him.
Serve him only—not such thing as a divided heart that serves self and the Lord.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
—Shared worship is compromised worship—and is really no worship at all---because it fails to recognize that the Lord is unique. —Expository commentary..
This is what repentance is for our hearts..
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.
Samuel—Priest, Judge, Prophet—will not war for the people of Israel but will intercede for them before the God of all Creation..”Their relationship with the Lord had been broken because they had departed from him and gone after other gods. Israel needed an intercessor—and God provided just that in Samuel.
They people come to worship at Mizpah in vs. 6
drew water and poured it out before the Lord
happens only again in...
16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord
pouring out of the water is a sing of repentance before him. The idea is:
19 “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.”
Fasted on that day
Expository commentary--
Not simply abstinence from food and drink that is commendable; true fasting must be an outward expression of a correct inner attitude of contrition before the Lord. The Israelites demonstrate in their fasting that they are giving higher priority to spiritual, not material, concerns in their lives.
Focus on God and nothing else:
1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Sinned against the Lord—the acknowledge their heart condition before the Lord. All other acts come from this alone and are just acts. God cares about the heart.
22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
How is your heart this morning. What is your faith placed in?
T.S.
II. A God that Defends
II. A God that Defends
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.”
vs. 8
The people need Samuel to intercede on their behalf but I want you to notice the humility of this event vs. when they marched the Ark out before and thought he would save because they were Israelites..God could not be defeated.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
1 Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
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.
Samuel did what God had commanded
30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
27 “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord.
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.
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.”
vs. 10
Psalm 18, 29, 68, 77, 97, 144
God’s intervention in natural phenomena to demonstrate His sovereignty and deliverance for His Faithful servants.
As book ends…Hannah’s prayer
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
God takes care of the battle for the people of God they must be humble and have faith.
T.S.
III. A God that is Worthy
III. A God that is Worthy
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.
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.
Peace and Worship in Ramah—In all his activities Samuel did not neglect to function as a priest, maintaining the worship of the Lord-
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