Repentance & Rescue

Introduction

Have you ever noticed that fear and anxiety reveal what we trust?

A few years ago we were having a great day and out of no where we hear a crash and notice our oldest kid had been pushing around her high chair and tripped and fell. At first it didn’t seem that bad. But once we walked over to pick her up she began to scream in pain and quickly her mouth began to fill with blood. At first it was incredibly difficult to tell what had happened, but once we got her to spit, we noticed a giant gash on her tongue. She had bit through it as she fell.

After phone calls the the pediatrician, failed attempts at calming her down, we took her to the ER. They told us that we had to wait it out and her tongue would heal on it’s own quickly so after a little while, they sent us home. Hours later after she continued to scream, bleed, and leave us at a loss we started driving back to the ER for a second time.

It had been several hours since the incident took place. and finally on the drive back to the ER I stopped and thought - man, I haven’t stopped and prayed at all. I’ve been trying to figure this all out, i’ve been filled with anxiety, fear, and not once did I go to God in prayer for my daughter or my own fear.

Fear reveals what we trust.

I think we all know that when life is stable, it’s so easy to say we trust the Lord. But when your kid is bleeding, when a bad diagnosis comes, our job situation changes, the college decision doesn’t go how we hoped, our relationship falls apart, or a child struggles fear gets in the way. That’s when we find out what we actually believe. That’s when our idols show. It’s how we know what we lean on instead of God.

This is where we pick up with Israel in 1 Samuel 7. After the Ark has been captured by the Philistines, Israel has been defeated in multiple battles, God’s glory has departed everything has looked bleak. But even in bad news, God shows up to rescue his people.

This passage teaches and reminds us that when God’s people return and continue to trust in him, they discover that their salvation doesn’t rest on their strength, but on God’s rescue. Your rescue doesn’t depend on you. It depends on God.

Point 1: Return to the Lord v. 2-6

A. Repentance begins by returning to God

In verse 2 we read that 20 years have now gone by and we’re told that now, Israel longs for God. They have been without him and his glory had departed, but now, their hearts are ready to worship him. They now long for their relationship with the living God! But Samuel doesn’t just take them at their emotions. It’s not just that he has heard maybe even in word what they are feeling. He moves them to not just be longing for God but he shows them how they can demonstrate their heart for God. 1 Samuel 7:3 “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.””

B. Identifying Idols

The people have been doing what is right in their own eyes. Their immediate problem of God’s glory departing and the ark having been captured was the result of where they have been. They have not followed God. they have worshiped other false gods and entrusted in themselves. Now as they long for God, it’s not just about an emotional roller coaster of we’re in a bad season so let’s go back to God. But they have come to see that these false gods, idols, and doing what is right in their own eyes has done nothing but lead them into utter despair. The Philistines have been the visible enemy but their idolatry was the deeper issue.

We do the same thing and Ricky pressed on it last week. We often want God to change our circumstances and we aren’t concerned with God changing us. When we follow our own idols we start looking at God and saying “I want you to just fix all of my problems.” But true worship and longing for God should be met with asking ourselves “do I want God himself, or do I only what what I think he will give me?”

We all have idols. For a high school student it may be approval of all your friends, teachers, coaches, or parents. The young professional may be stuck obsessing over achievement. Young families we wrestle with comfort or control. Idolatry is not just bowing down to a random statue always. An idol is anything we ask to give us what only God can give us. It what we look for to provide our identity, security, worth, hope, control or peace.

C. True Repentance

If we ask the average christian what repentance is we typically get met with answers like “repentance is ask for forgiveness, stop sinning” but that isn’t what repentance is. Repentance is a change of mind. Now it also includes a change of mind on what you think about your sin and then is followed with action. But the action is the fruit of repentance, not the heart of it. Maybe you’ve heard it described as “turn from your sins” but that isn’t understood as a change of mind about your sins. That’s just don’t do it, be good, stop sinning.

Look how Israel expresses this in the passage. v. 2 they long for the Lord. In v. 3 Samuel says If you really are returning to God with your HEART, then the action follows. V. 4 Israel has a change of mind, a change of heart. They put away their idols not because they think it’s going to clean them up. But they do so because they want to worship only the one true God.

True repentance is a total change of mind and heart. It’s not just that we think we shouldn’t do the things we are doing. But it’s actually a hatred of sin. It’s believing that God is so much better. It’s total transparency in confession. If we confess our sins and we start making excuses as to why we fall into it. If we say we’ve got it handled on our own. If we blame shift, that’s not actual repentance.

D. Repentance produces dependence upon God

In v. 5-6. Israel’s repentance starts with a heart longing for God. It moves to worship him and putting away their idols. They don’t just put the idols away, they draw water and pour it out as a act of worship, they fast demonstrating that they’ll feast only on the God’s word and know that he is ultimately what they need more than food, and they verbally confess what they have done without excuse. They give up food and water. That’s their life source. They directly show their hatred of what they have done, know that only God alone can provide and they demonstrate dependence upon God and worship him whole heartedly.

Repentance produces dependance because we recognize that we cannot rescue ourselves.

As you evaluate what idols are in your life, ask yourself “what do I run to when life gets difficult? What do I fear to lose the most? What if it was gone would make me wonder if my life still has meaning. Take it further then, why do you believe that will give you more than God ever would? What are you falsely believing about God? Then confess that to the Lord. Don’t just feel guilty and try and stop. But invite the Holy Spirit to actually give you a hatred of that idol. Ask God to show you how much better he is and to make your heart long for him much more than whatever idol you’re working through.

The call is to return to the Lord with all your heart.

Point 2: Cry out to the Lord who Saves v. 7-11

A. Returning to God doesn't mean trouble disappears

The Philistines hear that all of Israel is in one place. They have all come to Mizpah to worship. The Philistines have been wiping them out for the last 20 years and here is there chance to get them finally in one place and have a total defeat so they begin to march toward Israel. Israel in all their fear cries out for Samuel to continue to interceed for them. They want Samuel to be the man who stands in the gap for them and lead them in worship to God.

Notice, Israel has repented and begun to worship God and their enemy is still after them. In v. 7 it says they’re afraid. Their circumstances have not become easier. Sometimes we think that if we do what God wants, he’s going to change everything about our circumstances. Here, we see that Israel’s enemy is still after them even though they have repented.

B. The Lord is the one who saves

But they respond differently than they would have before. This time, they respond in dependance and faith in God. They tell Samuel in v. 8 to keep praying. They’re not pretending the Philistines aren’t there. They aren’t running away. They aren’t turning to themselves or their own tricks now. They go to God and God answers they’re prayer.

Samuel takes action to offer a young lamb to God and he continues to cry out to God on behalf of the people. Then God roars loudly against the Philistines. God confuses them and the people fight with truth that God has gone before them as they strike them down and defeat the Philistines finally. To the outward appearance it could look like this was Israel’s victory, but it belongs to God and God alone. He’s the one who saves the people.

C. Gospel: The Greater Samuel

We live in a world that when our problems show up, we’re the ones who are supposed to fix it on our own or we blame everything and everyone around us. We’re told we need to work harder to feel like we belong, be smarter to succeed, plan carefully for your comfort, control everything so your can protect everyone you love. But the reality is, we can’t save ourselves.

The passage isn’t about “be like Israel. just repent and pray.” But Israel needed more than good advice or just to tuck away the idols in the closet. Israel needed a mediator, someone to stand int eh gap for them. Samuel is the one who steps in and calls them to repentance and offers a sacrifice for them. Samuel is faithful, but not the final mediator. Samuel offers a lamb, but Jesus is the true lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Samuel intercedes for them, but Jesus to this very day intercede’s and hears our prayer and prays on our behalf. Jesus did not just cry out for sinners, he gave his life for them. Samuel leads them to victory over their enemy, the Philistines, but Jesus conquers our greatest enemies in sin, death, and satan.

The problem isn’t the Philistines or their idols. The problem is that they’re separated from God and we can’t solve that problem ourselves. Jesus is the one who brings us peace with God. The victory that happens at Mizpah is real, but the victory that Christ gives us is final. In Christ we are brought back to peace with God!

Application

What happens here in verses 7-11 is that Israel has repented. They put their idols down and their enemy is still coming. But what happens is that their repentance leads to dependance on God.

Here is sometimes where we can get stuck though. We know we have idols and we can even name them. But we don’t know how to put them down.

Let me go back to the car ride with my daughters accident. I’m anxious, i’m trying to figure out how we can help her and trying to control everything to heal my daughter. Control was the idol I was wrestling with. I’ve done everything I can do to protect her and she still got hurt. I’ve called the pediatrician and followed instructions to go to the ER. ER told us to go home and just let it heal. Everything I was trying to do was fight for any ounce of control so that I could help my little girl and fix her injury.

But my daughter didn’t need me to figure it out. Her body was going to heal itself and I needed to stop trying to fix it all anxiously failing to solve my problems. What I needed was to give over control to God, to trust him in the mess.

So what actions followed once I realized what I was doing? I prayed. I started crying out to God in fear. Asked for help with my daughter. I stoped trying to fix her and I stoped to depend on the Lord to take care of her.

Approval:

So when you notice that you’re struggling with the idol of popularity or wanting to be approved of by others. You fall into the trap that thinking if they like you, accept you, and make you feel significant. But what actually happens is that you are filled with anxiety, comparison, insecurity and you are always left fighting for people’s approval and its totally unstable. Today they like you and tomorrow they’ll hate you.

But Jesus gives you an identity that isn’t determined by crows and is final. You don’t have to manufacture what he thinks of you because he has died for you. You are seen, known, and loved by Jesus and his approval doesn’t changed based on what you wear, how you talk, if you have a lot of followers, or how successful you are. The approval of others says be impressive enough and you’ll belong. Jesus says “in me you already belong and you always will. welcome home.”

Control:

Your idol of control says that if you can just get organized enough, your marriage, finances, kids education, health, schedule can all make you safe. But what you’re left with is exhaustion and fear because you start trying to grab it all by yourself, trying to hold all the pieces together to work perfectly, and slowing things fall through the cracks. Because eventually your start to realize but don’t give into the brutal truth that you can’t control your family. you can’t have complete control of what happens to your kids. You can’t control the economy. You can’t control that random leg injury. You can’t control the random cancer diagnosis. You can’t control the future.

But Jesus gives us something that control never can. Assurance that while you can’t hold it all in place, you are held by someone who can. You can faithfully parent without pretending you’ve got it all figured out and release them to the Lord. You can plan without pretending you’re God. You can work hard without believing that everything depends on you. You can delegate knowing that it’s going to be okay. Because when you’re control tells you that you need to keep it together, Jesus steps in and says “I am before all things and by me all things hold together. even you.” You’re not carrying the weight, he is.

You can put the idol down, not because you’re strong enough, but because Jesus is enough. Because of the gospel, we stop grasping because it’s already held together by Christ.

The text goes on to demonstrate further, the Lord’s rescue.

Point 3: REMEMBER THE LORD'S Rescue v. 12–17

A. Remember who saved you

After God has given them victory, Samuel takes a stone and sets it up to remember what God has done. It’s a tribute to God’s victory and his work in the people. Not just that God defeated the Philistines, but God’s work in their hearts. That as they long for him, God is merciful enough to come back and restore them. His glory is now with them once more as they have repented and returned to the Lord

Pay attention to the wording here. He says in v. 12 “the Lord has helped us to THIS POINT.” Samuel doesn’t say that we will never have difficulty again. But he points out that look how far God brought us. He was faithful back then and he is faithful now. So this monument, this rock reminds us that we can trust him with whatever struggle with have next.

Think about this. Ebenezer is the city where back in chapter 4, the people lost their battle against the Philistines. This word once was a reminder of their defeat, death, loss of friends and family. It was a symbol of a reminder that they were in total chaos and at rock bottom. But God redeems something that was once a place of misery and demonstrates how he can make something dead and bring it to life. Now this is a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

B. Remember how far God has brought you

This is something we can learn from Samuel. He sets up this rock to be an intentional reminder of God’s grace and faithfulness to them. We need to do the same thing in our lives to respond to God. Too often we forget how God has answered and what he has done in our lives. What if we wrote down prayers that God has answered. Retell the stories to your kids of God’s faithfulness in your life. Share testimonies and celebrate God’s work.

As a staff team we get together most monday mornings and we spend time intentionally sharing stories of how God was at work in the church body over the last week. I have a note dedicated to these meetings and it’s filled with God’s faithfulness. That way when I’m wondering if God’s using us, when I believe lies that we aren’t seeing any change or I’m feeling down about something difficult. I open up this note, and start scrolling. I remind myself of how much God has done and he continues to do so.

C. Ordinary Faithfulness:

After the drama closes, Ebenezer is set up, life goes on. Samuel continues on to ordinary ministry of Judging Israel, travels the communities to care for the people, set’s up an alter and place to worship God in Ramah. It’s the ordinary place of life under God’s rule and peace.

Often, life can feel ordinary in life. The school year brings the routine, wake up, get ready, go to school/work, evening activities, clean up/study, go to bed and repeat all over again. But our lives are a continual walk with Jesus. What the Christian walk is much more than just ordinary rhythms of getting through the season. In Christ we continue to walk with him and towards him.

As we continue on, we can faithfully remember his work which spurs us on in our transformation to be made to be like him. Ordinary faithfulness is that when we struggle with our idols, sin continues on in persistence we can actually repent and turn to God. Rather than trying to figure everything out, we can remember that God has it all figured out.

We no longer say I need my circumstances to change, but I can trust God in the circumstances. We no longer try to hide in our sin, but we confess our sin and see God as greater.

Conclusion

Jesus brings the peace we ultimately need

Imagine Israel standing before the stone. The battle is over, the Philistines have been driven back and they finally have peace. They hear Samuel’s words, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Years later they come back and see it standing strong as they recount the story to their kids and repeat those faithful words, “this is where the Lord rescued us.”

The cross is the ultimate Ebenezer. When we’re struggling with sin, feel alone, wonder if God is listening or present in our lives we can look to the cross. If we want to know if God is faithful we continue to look at the empty tomb. If we want to know if God is for you, look at Jesus.

Our hope isn’t found in being strong always. Our hope isn’t that you’ll always make the right decision or that you’ll never struggle. Our hope isn’t found in a career that brings the feeling of success or kid’s lives being better than ours. Our hope isn’t even understaning that you understand everything God is doing.

Our hope is that God has rescued us. Jesus has done for us, what we could never do on our own.