Thus Far Has the Lord Helped Us
1 Samuel 7:2-17
Key verse: 7:12
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’”
Last time we saw how the Israelites thought they could use the ark of God for their own benefit, but it backfired on them. They were defeated by the Philistines and the ark of God was captured. But when the Philistines set the ark of God next to their god Dagon, God made the stone statue fall on its face before the ark, with his head and hands broken off. It means no other religions can stand before the one true God. When the ark was finally returned, some overly curious Israelites looked inside it, but God put seventy men to death for their presumption. So the people said, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?”
In today’s passage we see how God used Samuel as a spiritual leader for his people Israel. Samuel told them their problem was they had a broken relationship with God through worshipping false gods. It was their responsibility to restore their relationship with God. Then God would help them. May God help us to learn how to have a right relationship with him and acknowledge God’s goodness.
I. Spiritual Revival at Mizpah (2-14)
Read v.2. “It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord.” The ark of God was back in Israel, but it was in Kiriath Jearim, a remote place. For twenty years it remained under guard at a man named Abininadab’s house, not a tabernacle or place of worship anymore. It seemed to be God’s training for his people who had taken him for granted and misused the ark. They realized how hopeless they were without a right relationship with God. There is a saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” When the ark was not easily accessible, they realized how miserable their lives were apart from God. V.2 says “all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord.” When they realized their ungratefulness toward God and taking God for granted, they broke down with tears flowing down their cheeks and sought the Lord again. ((In our desperation of life, God leads our thirsty souls back to him. Dt 4:29 says, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”))
Read v.3. “And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” The people showed a good change of attitude from before. Probably it had a lot to do with Samuel’s Bible teaching and preaching. Samuel recognized the spirit of God working in people’s hearts to repent by returning to the Lord. Therefore, Samuel gave them spiritual direction including a challenge and a promise.
First, rid yourselves of foreign gods. Samuel said, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts.” Repentance is turning from my own way to God’s way. Returning to the Lord. With all your heart. It is a matter of the heart. Where is our heart? Do we love and worship God or false gods? The people of Israel had been influenced by the false gods of the Philistines and Canaanite nations around them- particularly Baal and Ashtoreth. Baal was the god of agriculture- fertility of crops- food in order to live- material things-money. Ashtoreth was the goddess of sex- fertility to have children- sensual pleasure. These idols- even little statues they bought at store- gave them some comfort in an uncertain world. But it was a false sense of security. They were false gods leading God’s people away from the one true God. God told Moses and the Israelites, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” One God- one heart. Even though the ark was in Israel, their heart was still with false gods, not true God. Samuel challenged them, “Rid yourselves of the foreign gods…” These days there are same kind of idols in America. We love money and worship the economy and depend on our careers to give us comfortable life and many possessions and gadgets to make us feel secure and comfortable. Materialism When people lose jobs, become insecure and anxious, like Israel trusting Baal for fruitful crops. Sensual pleasure is all over tv, movies, internet, fashion and music industry- as is greed and materialism. People lose heart for God and give their hearts to false god of physical pleasure. I realized I am constantly tempted by sensual things on tv & internet- even when I am watching news or reading email. I also see I depend on my job and my boss for my living rather than God. I need to get rid of these idols. God knows we need money and love, but we need to trust God’s way.
Second, commit yourselves to the Lord. After challenging them to rid themselves of false gods, Samuel directed them to instead commit themselves to the Lord and serve him only. We can think of this in context of couples. Some people live together without getting married- no commitment- minimize damage if break up- not willing to give up anything. Don’t give their heart. Without giving heart they are not one, but two- always doing own thing. Can’t share same joys and sorrows. Insecure thinking any day person may leave. The same is with our relationship with God. We want to use God for some benefit- give me a job; give me A’s; give me a wife. But we want to cling to our own agenda at same time. We leave an open door to bail out on God when we feel the cost may be more than we are willing to pay. But we have a double life- trying to get benefits from God while getting security in world. Without our whole hearted commitment to God our souls are not at peace. Samuel’s words challenge us to commit to God and trust him and love him and serve him only- not half way holding on to old dependencies- but full commitment- whole heart like Samuel’s mother Hannah did when she devoted her son to God for all his life. Now look at what a great servant of God he became. I realized most of my worries and insecurities of life come from holding back my time and love for God. But God is loving and commtted to me, giving me love and eternal life and salvation through Jesus. I repent for not committing my life to him when God gave everything to me. We cannot be truly happy in God unless we repent of our selfish agenda and half-heartedness and fully commit ourselves to God.
Third, he will deliver you. The Israelites had put their hopes in false gods for protection. They were fearful and didn’t trust fully in God so they trusted in false gods as a kind of back up- they couldn’t see God, but they could see these little idols they put in their bedrooms. But they were false hopes. They still lived in fear of their enemies, especially the Philistines who were constantly at war with them. Samuel’s challenge to rid themselves of idols and commit their lives to God came with a promise: “he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” If they trusted their false gods of wood and stone against the Philistines, they would be defeated for sure. God would not help them. But if they committed to God, God would protect them as a husband guards his wife and children from any harm. They could experience victory over their enemies. They could be free from fear. When we have a right heart with God, we can have the peace and assurance of his promised protection in our lives.
How did the people respond to Samuel’s challenge? Verse 4 says, “So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.” They positively responded to Samuel’s challenge. They did not say, “That’s not realistic. I don’t trust those things- you should see my neighbor, wow, he’s gone overboard.” They took personal responsibility for their bad relationship with God. They put away their false gods. They did not just say, “I repent.” They had clear and decisive action to prove their repentance and put them away, maybe burying them or destroying them completely. When I began Bible study, I heard how some students repented of listening to dark rock groups and destroyed their record collection, worth hundreds of dollars. I had dirty magazines hidden in my desk drawer. But I bundled them up and threw them in the trash can. Some people repented of watching too much tv by putting it in the closet or even throwing it in trash. We also stopped going to late night clubs and drinking parties and attended late night Bible study and singing practice instead. God blessed us with a wonderful, joyful turning point of our lives through our practical repentance.
In v.5-6 Samuel ordered that the whole nation of Israel be assembled at the town of Mizpah where he would intercede in pray to the Lord for them. The people assembled pouring out water before the Lord. This was a kind of sign of pouring out their hearts and tears of repentance. They fasted and confessed saying, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Samuel was a good leader for them. He did not tell them, “It’s not your fault. It’s the Philistine’s fault.” Samuel did not let them indulge in a victim’s mentality. He laid the responsibility for their lives and their nation on them. We have many problems personally and as a nation. God does not want us to blame our problems on others, but take responsibility and repent. If there is a problem in my life, I need to repent and confess my sins to God. If there is a problem in our nation, we need to repent for not being a good influence. America has many problems. I think economy, immorality and terrorists are America’s problem but not my problem. But I realized my sinfulness is part of the problem. I need to repent and help others put trust in God. At Mizpah God worked a great revival when people repented. In America’s history there were revivals when people repented. May God revive our lives and our nation through our repentance and confession of our sins to God.
So Israel was happy having a kind of independence day revival celebration. But in v.7-9 we see their revival meeting was rudely interrupted by the Philistines. The Philistines saw the whole nation in one place and thought it was the perfect opportunity to attack them and wipe their rivals out for good. When we repent, watch out for the devil’s attack to strike fear in us and discourage us from committing fully to God. At first they were afraid. But they told Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” Samuel had promised God would deliver them from the Philistines, right? So v.9 says Samuel sacrificed to God and “cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.” Thank God, the Lord answered him just as Samuel promised.
How did God answer? Read v.10-11. “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a great panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.” God was faithful to his people when they repented and put their trust in him. He sent a great thunderstorm over the Philistines. Israel was no longer afraid but greatly strengthened and were protected from their enemies. What a change we see in the Israelites. Back in ch.4 they thought they could just cart in the ark of the Lord like a secret weapon against the Israelites. But now we see through their repentance they changed their attitude to depend on God and asked God’s servant Samuel to pray for them. They experienced a great victory over their enemies as promised. God wants to deliver us from harm and give us victory in our lives. It begins when we surrender our hearts to him in repentance.
II. “Thus Far has the Lord Helped Us” (12-17)
How did Samuel celebrate the victory over the Philistines? Read v.12. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’” God worked mightily through Samuel and the Israelites by revival and victory over the Philistines. Samuel wanted to make a lasting memorial to God by setting up a stone memorial in God’s honor. He named the memorial Ebenezer which means “stone of help,’ saying to the Israelites, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” Samuel wanted Israel to always remember God who was faithful to help them in their time of desperation. He did not want them to forget the grace of God. Forgetting comes naturally, but remembering takes effort. In the future, when they faced trouble, Israel could look at the stone and remember God who helped them and give thanks to God and trust him for the present and the future. How important it is to remember God who has been with us in our lives. Last night I realized I never really shared my testimony with my children how I came to faith in Jesus. I told them how I put my hope in school, jobs, money, girlfriends, school counselors. Couldn’t help me. But through Bible learned put hope in God, when other things failed me. God delivered me from my failures and gave me victory when I had failed. I could be thankful that God has been faithful to hlp me. Then my children can see my life like the generations to come could see the Ebenezer stone and learn how God blessed their ancestors. Our testimony is like Samuel’s stone for our family and friends and Bible students. Samuel wanted each person and the whole nation to remember God who helped them so they could each confess, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” May this be our confession.
Read v.15-17. “Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.” Through Samuel’s leadership and influence, God brought peace to Israel with all their enemies. Samuel served as judge over Israel. He taught people right and wrong according to the law of God. He taught them the Bible from year to year and from town to town in the nation. He was a circuit preacher, going from place to place to strengthen and encourage God’s people with the word of God. He was a faithful leader and servant of God. He shows us the life of a shepherd Bible teacher. We go to teach the Bible on campus in the Student Union or here at the center, or at our students house or our house. Though we are small ministry, we serve JHU, UMB and Towson- 3 campuses. We can see revival through students studying the Bible and joining SWS. God wants to use each of us as spiritual leaders like Samuel for our times by studying and teaching the Bible. God wants us to repent and helping others to turn from false dependencies to true God. We thank God who has always been our help.
Read key verse 12