Repentance & Revival - 1 Samuel 7

The Ark returned to Israel - Introduction

In chapter 4, a serious and devastating blow had been dealt to Israel. The Philistines had badly beaten the Israelites in open battle, during which they captured the Ark of the Covenant and killed the sons of Eli the priest. When a messenger ran to Shiloh to tell the news, Eli was so grieved and surprised that he fell backwards off his chair and broke his neck. When the wife of Phinehas heard the news of all that had happened, she went into labor and delivered a son. Before she died from the childbirth, she named the son, Ichabod, saying “the glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken.”

After this, a series of unfortunate events begins to take place for the Philistines: they place the ark of God in the temple of their god, Dagon. Over the course of a few days, the presence of Yahweh in the ark cause the idol of Dagon to fall over and break apart. Then God smites the people of Ashdod with painful boils or tumors. So they, being good neighbors, send the ark to Gath, where they are smitten with the same affliction, except this time the Scripture said it was in “their secret parts.” So they sent the ark on to Ekron, where many men died mysteriously, and those who did not die were smitten with the same painful disease.

This went on for 7 months before they had finally had enough and decided to return the ark to Israel. Chapter 6 details how that played out, and we won’t go into all that today. However, there is one that happened towards the end of the chapter that begins to set the tone for our text today. When the ark arrived to the Israelite village of Bethshemeth, the men of the village pried the lid off the ark and allowed everyone to come by and look inside. The Lord was angered by this irreverence and caused 70 of them to die. Bethshemesh was a village of priests, and they should have known better, but as the old adage goes, curiosity killed the cat. They had begun to not take seriously the commands of God.

So, like the Philistines had done, they sent the ark on to Kirjath-jearim, where the ark was placed in the house of Abinadab, and his son, Eleazar, was ordained to protect and care for the ark.

Revival in Mizpeh vv. 3-6

20 years has passed, and Samuel has seen the people’s hearts begin to yearn for the Lord again. For 2 decades and more they disregarded the power and presence of God and chased after the gods of the Canaanites. But they are still oppressed by the Philistines, and they begin to see there is no reprieve as long as they follow after the gods of the world, so Samuel gives the people a word. In verse 3, he tells them what to do: 1 Samuel 7:3

1 Samuel 7:3 KJV 1900

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

After Israel put away their strange gods, Samuel calls a gathering of all of Israel to Mizpeh. Here, the prophet prays for the people. Under his leadership and from their repentant hearts, they undergo some symbolic actions to signify what is in their hearts.

They draw water and pour it out on the ground

water was a precious commodity in those days, and it was not flippantly wasted

we are reminded of the actions of David, who greatly desired water from the well of his hometown, Bethlehem. The town was occupied by the enemy, but his loyal and bravest men loved their leader so much they embarked on daring and dangerous mission to draw water from the well behind enemy lines. When they returned the water to David, he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord. He considered it to be blood, because his men risked their own blood to procure it.

the water was poured out to the Lord to signify the people’s sacrifice to the Lord

It was also an act meant to signify purification, for the water poured out on the ground would purify the ground that had often been used to disrespect and dishonor the Lord

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 7

The drawing water, and pouring it out before the Lord, seems to have been a symbolical act by which, in the people’s name, Samuel testified their sense of national corruption, their need of that moral purification of which water is the emblem, and their sincere desire to pour out their hearts in repentance before God

They fasted for a day

abstaining from food (or other bodily desires) is another act of sacrifice to the Lord

this is a regular pattern seen throughout Scripture, from Moses to the Apostles, fasting is practiced as an act of humility before the Lord, sometimes in order to draw closer to the Lord through denial of self (such as in the case of Moses and Jesus), but often it is done in conjunction with repentance and sorrow

this example is a combination of both types of fasting: it is not prolonged (only a day), but it is sufficient to demonstrate the people’s changed hearts before the Lord as they repent from their sin and turn to the Lord

What is Repentance?

Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind…. Repentance is the tear in the eye of faith.

Dwight Lyman Moody (Evangelist)

All men are called to repent; that is, to turn from their wickedness and turn towards God in humility.

Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,”

The Bible is rife with commands to believe on Jesus. We talk about this often. But be warned, because James tells us that even the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God. This is evident when Jesus approaches the demoniac who, under the influence of demons, cries out, “Leave us alone, Jesus, the son of God!”

You may believe in Jesus, but not be saved, because this believe is not in faith, and it is without repentance. This is why Jesus said, “Repent and believe the Gospel,” and “except ye repent, ye will all likewise perish.”

Sinner, how do you think you can stand before the Living Judge at the end of time and use as your defense the mere words of, “I did my best,” or “I went to church,” or “I believed in Jesus,” but have a complete lack of faith and repentance? If you have never heard these words before, remember the words of Jesus that I just told you, “except you repent, you will perish.”

But God’s people - those who are securely His sheep and redeemed by the Son of the Living God - must also live a life of daily repentance. We cannot repent and believe, then return to the old ways and expect God to bless our lives, our church, our families, or our nation. Before we have revival, we must have repentance.

A well-known example of the command to repent is given to God’s people.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

What is Revival?

Without… decision and… commitment, you can pray on for revival to your dying day. You can join groups and stay up and pray for revival all night, but exercise is all you will gain and sleep will probably be all you will lose!2

A. W. Tozer

Revival is the supernatural, and natural, result of the change that happens within our hearts when we repent. When we turn from our wicked ways and turn back to face God, as Moody put it, then we see the revealed glory of His face and we are truly changed!

Oh, that we would see the glory of God! Moses, after spending 40 days alone with God in fasting and prayer, descended from the mountain clothed in the glory of Yahweh. Jesus, after spending time in the presence of the Father on the Mount of Transfiguration, descended clothed in the glory that He had put off when He humbled Himself to become man. Paul, when he went into the presence of God saw things that he was not permitted to repeat to mortal man. John, and Isaiah, and Daniel, and many others received visions from God that changed them forever because they were dwelling with the Lord in a daily revival!

Revival cannot be manufactured, but it must be prepared for. We can do nothing to manipulate the Holy Spirit to come upon us, but we must remove all of the sins and weights that so easily beset us. We must turn to face the Lord so we can see Him instead of the things that seduce, frighten, or distract us.

As the old hymn says so well, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus/Look full in His wonderful face/And the things of earth will grow strangely dim/In the light of His glory and grace”

If you desire revival, look not to men, wait not for big meetings, and hope not in miracles or outward things, but take the example that we’ve seen today and repent!

Repent! That is, do an about-face and be sorry for your sins and turn from them. The gods that you serve, the sin that you harbor, the rebellion in your heart have all done nothing to save you. In fact, they are dragging you to hell with them. You may say, “but I am a Christian!” That may be so, dearly beloved, but if you have turned towards the gods of this world or are suffering under the oppression of your own demons, you need REVIVAL and renewing of your spirit! I urge you to seek that today.