Untitled Sermon (4)

1 Samuel 7 CRI

PLACES

Kiriath- Jearim: Village on the road from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem

In the time of the judges this village was one of the four cities of the Gibeonites who, under false pretenses, made a mutual defense pact with Joshua and the elders of Israel (Jos 9:3–27). Because it was on the border between Judah and Benjamin, it was integrated into the tribe of Judah (Jos 15:9; 18:14).1

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Kiriath-Jearim,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1288.

Has multiple names in the bible.

Mizpah: Name meaning “watch tower” in Hebrew (spelled alternately Mizpeh) used to designate a number of different locations mentioned in the OT and Apocrypha.1

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Mizpah,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1476.

A city in the tribal territory of Benjamin (Josh. 18:26). It was at this Mizpah that the Benjaminites raped and murdered the Levite’s concubine, and here the forces of Israel assembled to retaliate (Judg. 20:1, 3; 21:1, 5, 8). Later Mizpah was one of the three centers from which Samuel “judged” Israel (1 Sam. 7:16). It was here that he assembled Israel’s forces to prepare for battle against the Philistines (vv. 5–12).1

1 Allen C. Myers, “MIZPAH,” in The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 725.

Beth-Car: Unknown location

Shen: kjv form of Jeshanah, a town near which the prophet Samuel set up the Ebenezer stone, in 1 Samuel 7:12.1

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Shen,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1948.

Ekron: One of the capital cities of the Philistine Pentapolis, and is first mentioned in the Bible as part of “the land that yet remains” to be captured by the Israelites (Josh 13:2–3). Subsequently, Ekron is cited as defining the N border of the territory of Judah (Josh 15:11) and as one of its cities (15:45–46). In Judges (1:18), Judah is accredited with taking the areas awarded it in Joshua, including Ekron and its territory. However, it is also stated in Judges (1:19) that “Judah took possession of the hill country, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron.”1

1 Trude Dothan and Seymour Gitin, “Ekron (Place),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 415.

Gath. Walled city (2 Chr 26:6) and one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, which also included Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron (Jos 13:3; 1 Sm 6:17), all situated on or near the southern coast of Palestine.

Gath Page 8391

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Gath,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 839.

PEOPLE

Abinadab: The father of Eleazar, Uzzah, and possibly Ahio, if the latter is a proper name and not a reference to Eleazar “his brother” (1 Sam 7:1; 2 Sam 6:3, 4; 1 Chr 13:7). The men of the Gibeonite enclave town of Kiriath-jearim are reported to have moved the ark from Beth-Shemesh to “the palace/temple of Abinadab on the hill” (1 Sam 6:19–7:1) at the request of the latter group. Abinadab’s son Eleazar is said to have been consecrated as priest to have charge of the ark (1 Sam 7:1). The context suggests that the ambiguous Hebrew term bêt, which can mean simply “house,” but also “palace” or “temple,” here refers to a temple or place complex containing a temple. Since it is unlikely that the townspeople would have moved the ark to the home of a common citizen for safekeeping, and in light of the purported need to seek out someone who could minister to Yahweh appropriately (cf. Klein 1 Samuel WBC, 60), without invoking divine wrath (1 Sam 6:19–20), it is likely that Abinadab was himself a well-known priest.1

1 Diana V. Edelman, “Abinadab (Person),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 22.

Eleazar: Son of Abinadab.

Samuel:

THINGS

Ark:

Ashtoreth: Ashtoreth, also known as Astarte, was a prominent Canaanite goddess, often depicted as the consort of Baal, the storm and fertility god. Her name appears in the Old Testament, though the vocalization “Ashtoreth” is believed to be a deliberate scribal distortion of the original “Ashtart,” likely to associate her with the Hebrew word for “shame.” While the singular form “Ashtoreth” is mentioned in relation to Solomon’s idolatrous practices and Josiah’s defilement of a high place, the plural “Ashtaroth” is more frequently referenced, often alongside “Baals,” to denote Canaanite deities generally. Extrabiblical texts from Ugarit, Mesopotamia, and Egypt provide extensive evidence of Astarte’s worship. She was associated with war, fertility, and was sometimes identified with the “queen of heaven.” Her cult was widespread in the Phoenician world and even reached Egypt during the New Kingdom. In classical times, she was identified with Aphrodite, and her name may be linked to the morning or evening star.

The identity of Astarte with Ishtar as well as later with Aphrodite in classical times makes it virtually certain that she was equated with Venus1

1 John Day, “Ashtoreth (Deity),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 493.

In Philo of Byblos’ account of Phoenician mythology (ca. 100 c.e.), Astarte, along with Rhea and Dione, is taken by Kronos-El as wife. By Astarte, Kronos had 7 daughters, Titanids or Artemids, and 2 sons, called Desire (Pothos) and Love (Eros).1

1 John Day, “Ashtoreth (Deity),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 493.

Finally, he reveals that the Phoenicians identified Astarte with Aphrodite, a fact which is well-attested elsewhere.1

1 John Day, “Ashtoreth (Deity),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 493.

Esther was named after this Goddess.

Throughout history the Jews were constantly tempted to worship this pagan goddess and attend her rituals, and it was this forbidden practice which finally led to Israel’s captivity and the seventy years in Babylon. There is no doubt, from the nude statuettes with exaggerated breasts and pudenda and the frequent association of sexual license mentioned by both Biblical and classical authors in connection with Ashtoreth, that her rituals were offensive to the Jews at many points. Her cult was kept alive well into the Christian era and was prob. finally eliminated by the spread of Islam throughout the Near E in the early Middle Ages.

1Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Ashtoreth Accessed 2/5/2026.

Baal- The Ug texts depict him primarily as the great storm god:the fertility of the land depends on the rain this god supplies1

1 John Day, “Baal (Deity),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 545.

Reading the OT, it becomes clear that it was the Baal cult that provided the greatest and most enduring threat to the development of exclusive Yahweh worship within ancient Israel. The fact that the Israelites were settled among the Canaanites, for whom the worship of Baal was so important, and that Palestine is a land utterly dependent for its fertility upon the rain, which was held to be Baal’s special realm of influence, accounts for the tempting nature of this cult as well as the strength of the OT polemic against it.1

1 John Day, “Baal (Deity),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 547.

Burnt offering: Wholly consumed offering and to rise in smoke toward heaven. It symbolized the the entire surrender to GOD of the individual or of the congregation. Regular, special, and freewill offerings

The law of sacrifice does not teach that that the burn offering had any reference to atonement or forgiveness of sins, provision being made for that by the atoning sacrifices.

Typology: Christ offering himself without spot to GOD in performing the divine will with joy to the point of death.

ox: patient and enduring. Sheep or ram: Christ in unresisting abandonment to death. Goat: Sinners, numbered with with transgressors. Turtledove or pigeon: innoocence. Poverty. Becoming poor so that we could be made rich.

1Ungers Bible dictionary pg 1104

Burnt offerings are Consecration Offerings: They represent acts of personal commitment that must accompany the repentance expressed in the sin and guilt offerings. They were also a prerequisite for the fellowship or communal sacrifices that might follow.1

1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Offerings and Sacrifices,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1581.

water poured:

Thundered: Baal was the storm god portrayed. God Thundering at them triumphed over them.

Ebenezer

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