Samuel the Judge

Repentance And Renewal (v.3-6)

Interpretation:

CONDENSED: Let’s briefly remember what we studied last week.

As we get into the text of 1 Samuel 7, we need to remember the backdrop. For twenty years, Israel had been in a state of spiritual sorrow—“all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord” (v. 2). They were broken, and out of that brokenness, Samuel calls them to something deeper than emotion: repentance.

His call in verse 3 is crystal clear: “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth… direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you…” This isn't a partial return. It's all or nothing.

When Samuel mentions the Baals and Ashtaroth, he’s using them as representative of all idols. It’s a summary statement — “whatever idol you’ve clung to, let it go.” They had violated the command of Deuteronomy 6:14: “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you.”

This call to return demanded tangible action — not just sorrow or guilt, but real-life changes. There’s a difference between feeling bad and turning back. Remorse is not repentance. God wanted more than sadness — He wanted surrender.

Samuel's challenge leads to a powerful national moment at Mizpah, a significant location for gathering and warfare in Israel’s history. The people fasted, confessed their sins, and poured out water before the Lord — a symbolic act of self-denial and dependence. One commentator says it represented the truth that God’s favor was more important than even life-sustaining water. It showed hearts emptied of idols and thirsting for God.

It’s at this point that Samuel is confirmed as Israel’s judge. But he’s not just a political leader — he stands as a spiritual leader, a foreshadowing of Jesus, our great prophet, priest, and king.

This day at Mizpah becomes the high point of Samuel’s ministry: a nation returning to the Lord, choosing once again to serve Him only. Through repentance, symbolic worship, and godly leadership, Israel took a major step toward restoration.

This version should take just under 5 minutes to deliver, depending on your pace. Let me know if you’d like a more conversational or manuscript-style version.

ACTUAL

As we get into the text, we have to remember the context — for twenty years, “all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord” (7:2). There is finally a spiritual brokenness, leading to Samuel calling for a fast. His call is clear: 1 Samuel 7:3 “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.”” This call is similar to other calls in Israel’s history when the people were urged to abandon false gods and serve YHWH only.

“Foreign gods…Ashtaroth…Baals and…Ashtaroth,” we can understand this as a figure of speech. Samuel isn’t saying, “Hey, only worry these false gods.” It’s a catch-all — if you’re worshiping and idol, put it away. In essence, Israel had abandoned the call of Deut.6:14

Deuteronomy 6:14 ESV

You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—

Such an embrace of false gods called for radical repentance, a wholehearted return to God that involved tangible action — removing idols, rejecting cultural norms, and reordering allegiance. True repentance meant not only emotional remorse but decisive obedience. It’s important to remember that there is a difference between remorse and guilt vs. confession and repentance. Samuel, and by extension, God, is interested in both. There has been lament, a felt and expressed sadness, but it needs to be accompanied by a literal turning, abandoning one way to embrace another way.

This moment should prove pivotal for Samuel and his generation. His call rallies Israel to Mizpah, a central and strategic town about seven miles north of Jerusalem. Historically, Mizpah had been a site of national gatherings and military mobilization (Judg. 20–21; 1 Sam. 10), and its name, meaning “watchtower,” symbolized both vigilance and divine oversight. It’s here that the people engaged in a solemn assembly marked by fasting, prayer, and confession. One of the most striking elements was the pouring out of water before the Lord—an act likely symbolizing self-denial, heartfelt surrender, and the pouring out of one’s soul in repentance. As one commentator notes, it was Israel’s “confession that the Lord’s favor was more important to them than life-sustaining water.” This symbolic act mirrored the posture of their hearts: emptied of idols, thirsting for God.

Samuel is officially named as Israel’s judge and intercessor. Of course, he doesn’t only serve as a political leader. The rest of the passage will show Samuel to be a type of foreshadowing of Jesus as He is our great prophet, priest and king.

The day of confession and fasting at Mizpah thus marked the climax of Samuel’s reforms. It was a moment of deep spiritual renewal, as the people recommitted themselves to exclusive devotion to the Lord. Through heartfelt repentance, symbolic worship, and God-honoring leadership, Israel took steps toward restoration, choosing once again to serve the Lord only.

Illustration:

In 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" during the height of the First Great Awakening to awaken spiritually complacent people to the urgent reality of their sin and need for true repentance and salvation. While it might be his most famous sermon, some historians note it wasn’t a typical sermon for Edwards.

Here's why he preached it:

1. To shake people out of spiritual apathy

Edwards was concerned that many in the colonies claimed to be Christians but lived without a true sense of their sin or need for grace. He wanted to awaken their consciences and stir them from a false sense of security—much like Samuel confronting Israel’s idolatry in 1 Samuel 7.

2. To emphasize God's justice and the danger of judgment

The sermon vividly describes the precarious position of sinners who are under God’s wrath, using imagery like a spider hanging by a thread over a fire. Edwards wasn’t trying to manipulate emotions but to convey the reality of God’s holiness and the terrifying consequence of unrepented sin. The Israelites in Samuel’s day had already faced judgment. Far better to realize the need to repent and the seriousness of God’s holiness before His judgment comes.

3. To call for genuine repentance and saving faith

While the sermon is famous for its severe tone, its ultimate purpose was redemptive: to lead people to turn from sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation. Edwards was urging his hearers to respond not just with fear, but with true, heartfelt repentance—mirroring the kind of transformation Israel experienced at Mizpah.

4. To participate in the broader revival movement

Preached in Enfield, Connecticut, this sermon became one of the most iconic messages of the Great Awakening. It wasn't just a personal message—it was part of a larger call to national spiritual renewal, much like Samuel’s leadership marked a turning point for Israel.

Application:

As long as there is sin in the world, there will be the constant threat of our hearts being owned by something or someone other than God. Search your heart this morning. What drives your thoughts? Desires? Decisions? Actions? If it’s anything other than Christ, then there is a desperate need for renewal and repentance.

Threat And Triumph (v.7-11)

Interpretation:

Israel’s transformation begins to take shape. The plead with Samuel, 1 Samuel 7:8 “…“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”” This request marks a stark departure from their earlier "rabbit-foot theology," when they had treated the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm, assuming God’s favor without true repentance. Now, humbled and repentant, they no longer rely on religious symbols but on genuine dependence upon the Lord. Samuel begins to act not just as a political leader or a proclaimer of God’s word, king and prophet, but now he intercedes and sacrifices for the people, acting as a priest as well.

In verse 9, Samuel offers a whole burnt offering—a sacrifice of total consecration and atonement—and cries out to the Lord on behalf of Israel. In response, the Lord answers. The fact that God answers should remind us all that the Lord hears to cries of His people. If the Lord is slow to answer, keep praying. There is power in prayer offered up in worshipful surrender. And we see, while not always the case, there is a general reality that God honors and blesses those whose lives are absolutely surrendered.

While all of this is taking place, and partly why all of this is taking place — the Philistines have gathered and are starting to advance on Israel, but the Lord intervenes directly. He thunders from heaven and throws the enemy into confusion — a word that echoes Exodus 14, where God caused panic among the Egyptian army. The chaos among the Philistines reveals God's supreme authority, not just over Israel's enemies, but over the false gods they worshipped — Dagon and his son Baal — whom Israel had recently renounced. What could have been a disruption of Samuel’s sacrifice by the enemy is met not with human retaliation but with divine action. Faith held firm, and the Lord delivered His people.

Finally, Israel pursues and utterly defeats the Philistines. Remarkably, this triumph occurred without the ark of the covenant, which had previously been misused as a magical object. This time, the Lord’s presence wasn’t in a box carried into battle, but in the hearts of a repentant people led by a faithful intercessor.

Application:

What threat is knocking at your door today? And, better yet, how will you meet that threat? We can labor and strive in our own strength. We can trust in spiritual trinkets to deliver us. But, ultimately the leave us lacking. True triumph happens when we hold firm in our faith, trusting Christ no matter the outcome.

Memorial And Ministry (v.12-17)

Interpretation:

To commemorate the Lord’s decisive victory over the Philistines, Samuel set up a memorial stone and named it Ebenezer, which in Hebrew means “Stone of Help” (v.12). Such stones were often erected in Israel’s history as physical reminders of God’s faithfulness. By placing this stone between Mizpah and Shen, Samuel intended to keep the memory of this divine intervention alive in the hearts of the people. The Ebenezer served not only as a symbol of remembrance but also as a public confession that the victory belonged solely to the Lord. Without His help, deliverance would have been impossible. This act stood in stark contrast to Israel’s earlier defeat, when they had placed misplaced trust in religious symbols rather than in God Himself. Now, restored in faith, the people were reminded that genuine repentance and wholehearted trust in YHWH were the keys to victory.

Verse 13 continues the narrative by affirming that the Philistines were subdued and no longer threatened Israel during all the days of Samuel. This phrase likely refers to the duration of Samuel’s judgeship. His leadership aligns with the pattern established in Judges 2:18—“The Lord was with the judge, and He saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge.” In Samuel’s case, his faithfulness led to prolonged national peace and divine protection.

Verse 14 emphasizes the tangible results of this peace. Key border towns such as Ekron and Gath, formerly under Philistine control, were restored to Israel. Even the Amorites — longtime Canaanite inhabitants of the land — lived at peace with Israel during Samuel’s tenure. 

Finally, Verses 15–17 summarize Samuel’s ongoing ministry. Although his public role diminished somewhat after the rise of Saul and the establishment of the monarchy, Samuel continued to serve faithfully until the end of his life. This passage closes the chapter by highlighting Samuel’s holistic leadership—spiritual, judicial, and communal…prophet and priest and king…foreshadowing Christ and reminding us of the promise that carries Scripture along every step of the way.

Illustration:

The emphasis on Samuel, don’t get me wrong — he’s massively important — but the emphasis truly is somewhat short. What this passage highlights is his faithfulness. God was faithful to Samuel, not letting a single word of his fall to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19), and Sam faithfully served God, even if it’s simply in the background during the rise of the monarchy.

There is a lesson here to be gleaned from Samuel’s faithfulness to God, even though the spotlight doesn’t fall on him. In a world that seems to highlight the failures of a new pastor every week…in a world that loves the hero until they become the victim and then root for their downfall…in a world that glamorizes the 15 minutes of fame with everyone trying to figure out how they can get a piece of that pie, it’s okay to simply serve God faithfully in the background.

It’s okay to be a VBS worker for years on end simply loving young students and pointing them to Jesus.

Or what about those who make sure the Lord’s Supper is set up? It’s a thankless but necessary job. It’s been the same couple for my entire tenure at LABC, and I’m not sure how long they’d done it before I got here. Many probably have no clue who does that, but they are faithful.

It’s okay to be a nursery worker. I’d heard recently that there was a church who had three nursery workers step down after 35 or 40 years of service each. That was probably the only time their names were in lights for doing their job.

Even unlocking the facilities on a Sunday morning. We just show up and go inside and reap the benefits. But, someone gets here early to make sure that the doors are open. For years and years, from what I understand, that was Cecil Harrison. Many of you don’t know Mr. Cecil, but every Sunday he’d get here early and unlock the doors, and every Sunday he’d actually wait around and lock the doors behind everyone. A thankless job, but necessary, and he did it faithfully. I’d wager a bet that Mr. Cecil was probably more faithful in unlocking the doors than the pastors were to preach every Sunday. I’m just saying, he was here, and he did his job.

Application:

We need to remember God’s faithfulness, and let His faithfulness to us fuel our faithfulness to Him. Too often we get in the habit of asking, “What have You done for me lately?” He’s provided the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King (GOSPEL). He’s secured our eternity, and that’s enough for us to be eternally thankful. Still, He gives us victories, big and small, all along the way. His faithfulness, our Ebenezer stones, provide altars on which we continue to lay down our lives as living sacrifices.

While we might not be in the spotlight, we still build the church. We simply keep loving God and loving others. We read our Bibles in quiet. We whisper prayers that are heard by no one but God. We gather together, not to be seen, but to be reminded of the grand story of redemption. We serve whenever and wherever we can, knowing that there is no job or task too big or too small, remembering that it’s not our efforts and abilities that matter near as much as our faithfulness to Christ and His bride. Then we see our lives, much like Cecil Harrison whom I mentioned earlier, and countless saints from this congregation and other churches just like ours, men and women we’ll never know or see this side of eternity, people who are unknown by the vast majority of the world but who are giants because of their faithfulness, we’ll see our lives like theirs become a sort of Ebenezer stone itself, a testimony to the faithfulness of God every step of the way.