6 calls of the Israelites 1 Samuel 7:1-17

Introduction

In verse 1 and 2 of chapter 7 we find the ark was left in the house of Abinadab in Kiriath-jearim. But notice it was there for 20 years and all of Israel lamented. Having the ark in Jewish territory didn’t automatically solve Israel’s problems.

After 20 years we see Samuel come back to the main story line and we will see him call for a return to God. Israel had strayed long enough.

A call to return vs. 3-4

The Children of Israel find themselves in a tough spot as we move into chapter 7, in the previous chapters Israel lost over 30,000 foot soldiers in a battle with the Philistines in which the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant.

After about 7 months the Philistines returned the ark to Israel due to the judgement they had recieved from God. When the ark was returned another 50,000 men died because they looked inside the ark.

After 3 chapters of no mention of Samuel we see him return calling Israel to return to God

He tells the children of Israel how to return unto the Lord with all their hearts

Notice the phrase in verse 3 “with all your hearts”

God expects full surrender, not partial surrender. We cannot be inconsistent in our commitment to return to Christ, it must be our whole heart surrendered.

Is our heart fully surrendered to God this morning or are we half heartedly serving him?

Remember the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, where Jesus told them they were neither hot nor cold and because of that God would spew them out of his mouth. They lacked whole hearted devotion to God.

Remember the disciples in John 6 Jesus talks about the cost of following him and that toward the end of the chapter many of his disciples end up turning back to the world.

If we aren’t all in, we are susceptible to turning back as well. Our heart must be fully surrendered to God.

Then he tells them how to return unto the Lord with all their hearts

put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you

Idolatry had always been a problem for Israel

In Genesis 35 we find Jacobs family carrying false Gods with them

While the Jews were slaves in Egypt they adopted many of the gods and goddesses of the Egyptians and even when they were wondering in the wilderness they were worshipping idols which Stephen used in his message in Acts 7.

Moses commanded the Israelites to destroy the evidences of the Canaanite religion, but Israel crept back in to idolatry and worshipped the gods of the defeated enemy

Notice in verse 3 Ashtaroth is mentioned but in verse 4 Ashtaroth and Baalim are both mentioned

Baal was the Canaanite storm god to whom the Jews often turned when there was a drought in the land

Ashtaroth was the goddess of fertility whose worship included unspeakable activities.

We might no longer serve gods and goddesses but we still deal with idolatry on a daily basis.

One definition of an idol is a substitute for God, anything we serve in place of God

If we aren’t careful we can turn good things into idols.

Like Samuel told the people if we want to be fully committed to serving God we must first put away strange gods

The second thing he tells them was to prepare their hearts for the Lord

The word prepare here means to make ready.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate the fallow ground of our hearts, so we are prepared to do what God calls us to do

Hosea 10:12 “12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground: For it is time to seek the Lord, Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Is our heart prepared to seek God

Ezra 7:10 “10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

He ends by telling Israel to serve God only

Again idolatry was a big problem with Israel and now Samuel told them if they truly wanted to return to the Lord with their whole heart they could serve only God

Jacob in Genesis 35:2–4 “2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.”

Joshua in Joshua 24:14–15 “14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

William Cowper in his song “O, for a closer walk with God” wrote this lyric “The dearest idol I have known, whate'er that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee.”

If we want to return to Christ we must be fully commited to giving up idols, preparing our heart for the Lord and serving the Lord only.

In verse 4 we find that the Israelites put away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only.

A call to repent vs. 5-6

Samuel called a gathering of the Israelites at Mizpeh where they drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted.

Both of these were a way of worshipping God but the key part of all of this was their confession of sin in verse 6.

They acknowledged that they sinned against the Lord

If you want to get right with the Lord, you must first realize that you have sinned against Him.

Remember God’s covenant with Israel in Lev 26:40-45-turn

David wrote this in Psalm 51:17 “17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Later in Israel’s history this promise was reiterated by Solomon at the dedication of the temple 2 Chronicles 7:14 “14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

A call to pray vs. 7-11

The Philistines hear about the large gathering of the Israelites and get suspicious so the 5 lords of the Philistines send their troops to find out whats going on.

The Israelites hear that the Philistines are on their way so they ask Samuel to cry unto God for them, that he would save them from the hands of the Philistines

Remember the last time they faced the Philistines they lost over 30,000 men, so there was surely some fear there, but they asked Samuel to cry out to the Lord for them.

Samuel offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard him.

The same God who heard Samuels prayer hears ours today

As Samuel was offering the burnt offering the Philistines drew near but look what God did!

He thundered with a great thunder against the Philistines

He discomfited them

The word discomfited means routed; defeated; overthrown

The philistines were smitten before Israel

God heard their prayer and answered it, he hears our prayers today and he will answer them

A call to remember vs. 12

After defeating the Philistines Samuel set up a stone between Mizpeh and Shen and called it Ebenezer, saying Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

Every time the Israelites would pass that stone they would remember that at that very spot God had helped them.

We should set up some stones of remembrance in our life as well where we can look back and see what God has done

Joshua in Joshua 4:9 “9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.” and Joshua 24:26–28 “26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.”

A call to deliverance vs. 13-14

Because of their defeat the Philistines were subdued (Conquered and reduced to subjection)

The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel

The cities that were taken by the Philistines were restored to Israel

There was peace between Israel and the Amorites

A call to worship vs. 15-17

During Samuels ministry he set up a circuit to teach God’s people the law, hear cases, to give counsel and to pass judgment

When he set up his home in Ramah he built an altar unto the Lord

Conclusion

There are times in the Christian life when we stumble and fall and we must get up and rededicate our lives to the Lord so we can follow him with all our hearts. Maybe thats you this morning, why don’t you come and rededicate your life to the Lord this morning.

Maybe you’re hear this morning and you have never trusted Christ as your personal saviour, come this morning and we can show you from God’s word how you can be saved.