Everyone Else is Doing It

At the conclusion of chapter 6 the ark was returned to Israel and the town of Kiriath-jearim.

The people set Abinadab’s son, Eleazar, apart to care for the ark.

Samuel is the Lord’s prophet in Israel …

1 Samuel 7:2–17 (CSB)

2 Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord. 3 Samuel told them, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and only worshiped the Lord. 5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 6 When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence. They fasted that day, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

The first thing to note is that 20 years have passed since the ark returned to Israel.

Isreal has undergone a change of heart… previously they mourned “because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them” but now they mourn and seek the LORD.

Samuel saw the people’s brokenness and used their desire to have the Lord with them again to lead the nation in a spiritual renewal.

Samuel calls them to do two thing… the same that we must do - put away the false gods and deities they were worshipping and then commit to God - for us it is put away the things of the world and commit to God.

The people did as they were told and removed the pagan gods from their presence.

Samuel called the people at Mizpah - the passage says all the people but the reality of every Israelite being there is slim, most likely the people were represented by clan leaders…

Mizpah is about 5 miles north of Jerusalem.

The people gathered to fast and seek the Lord - the pouring out of the water is part of their fasting - they denied themselves liquids, which most people still take while fasting, as a symbolic confession that the Lord’s favor was more important to them than life-sustaining water.

Israel finally has someone who is acting as a leader, Samuel. He is the most venerable (respected) judge/prophet since Moses.

In his role as judge, Samuel’s task was to bring Isreal into conformity with the LORD’s judgements and to mobilize the covenant people in the task of bringing God’s judgements to bear on His enemies.

7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a young lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. 11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

Israel has gathered to recommit to God and the Philistines heard about it.

It is possible that the Philistines had forbidden the Israelites from holding public assemblies for fear of the mobilizing for war so the sent their army to check it out.

Israel feared the coming army and pleaded with Samuel to keep crying out to the Lord in hopes that God would save them (this is another link to Moses as Moses was the only previous prophet/judge asked to seek God during a time of national emergency [the snakes in the wilderness]).

Samuel offered a blood sacrifice as a whole burnt offering.

As Samuel was making the sacrifice the Philistines were getting closer but then God answered…

God answered verbally which is described as “thundered” - He spoke directly at the Philistines. This connects Samuel with Hannah’s prophetic prayer in chapter 2 verse 10

1 Samuel 2:10 CSB

10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered; he will thunder in the heavens against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give power to his king; he will lift up the horn of his anointed.

They may not have heard it as anything but thunder, they may not have understood the language but I think the sound made was more than just an unusual meteorological phenomenon but that God directly spoke a word of confusion in to the enemy.

This divinely caused confusion led to fear and caused the Philistines to flee and fall at the hands of the rededicated soldiers of Israel.

12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel’s territory again. The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. 14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life. 16 Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations. 17 Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The victory was significant so Samuel helped to memorialize the event by building a stone monument.

He named it Ebenezer - stone of help - now you know where that line comes from in the hymn “Come Thou Fount”

“To this point” or “Thus far” describing the Lords help can be viewed either as far as this spot where the stones were set or more likely - “the Lord has helped us all along”.

We see that God defeated the Philistines and they never invaded Israel again plus land that had been taken were restored to Israel .

This defeat also provided the motive for the other peoples to live in peace with Israel.

Samuel was faithful in his duties and every year he would travel and hold court in 4 cities around the nation and judge the people’s issues and dispensing justice.

For a time Samuel set up Ramah as the place of worship for the Lord - mainly because it was his home…eventually David will establish the permanent home of the ark in Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 8:1–22 (CSB)

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.

Samuel was the third Levitical judge mentioned in the Bible - the first was Moses, second was Eli and now Samuel.

When he got old, Samuel did what the Torah tells us and appointed judges - in this case it was his sons Joel and Abijah.

By appointing his son/others as fellow judges it appears Samuel was attempting to bring Israel back to the original Torah pattern of hierocracy (ruled by priests or at least by Levites). This is important to keep in mind - Israel was/is a theocracy by way of hierocracy but this is not what the people want…

Well it seems the priest of Israel has a bad track record with their children… Samuel’s sons apparently did not follow their father’s example and they sure did not follow the Lord.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” 6 When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord.

Concerned with the future because of Samuel’s age and the corruptness of his sons, some leaders came to Samuel and demanded a change.

The elders demanded a king like everyone else around them… the issue is that their request violated at least 1 fundamental tenet of the Torah - Israel was to be distinct from the nations and moves motivated by a desire to conform to pagan ways were bound to create problems.

Their desire to have a king was an attempt to accomplish through a political act that which could only be achieved through ongoing spiritual responsibility.

Before formulating a response to the elders the prophet wisely took the issue before the Lord in prayer.

7 But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. 8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. 9 Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

God told Samuel He would give the people what they wanted.

He also told him to not take it personally because it is not Samuel they are rejecting but God and Israel has been doing this since bringing them out of Egypt.

Make sure they know what they are getting into and if they agree then they will have their king.

10 Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. 12 He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13 He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. 16 He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle, and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17 He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”

Samuel warns the people that human kingship would not result in deliverance but rather oppression similar to what they experienced in Egypt.

The king has the right to force their children into military service - he can make them be farmer or blacksmiths - he can take their daughters and make them work too. - the king can take your possessions and so on…

Samuel tells them that eventually the people will get tired of being oppressed by their king and will cry out to God but God is warning you now… if you chose the king over God then God will not deliver you from the king.

19 The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20 Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” 21 Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. 22 “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”

The people would not listen to Samuel and demanded a king.

Their reason - so they could be like other nations - if you look they want the king to judge them, go before them and fight for them… God had been doing this since Egypt.

Samuel repeated the demand of the people to the Lord - God said, “Ok they asked for it, appoint a king for them.”

Samuel sent the people home… the search for a king was on.