Faith Results In Victory

Samson had shown little concern for the things of God, and his attitude permeated Jewish society, with idolatry, crime and immorality increasing greatly.  While Eli served the Lord, his sons aggravated the problems, ripping off the sacrifices and taking sexual advantage of the women who offered sacrifices so that people began to see the Jewish religion as just a way of taking advantage of people.  God became less important to them than the objects used in worship, such as the priest’s ephod or the Ark of the Covenant.   God had allowed the Ark to be captured by the Philistines, probably to drive home the point that the Ark was only symbolic and had no power of its own.   In the process, the Philistines learned that God was far more powerful than the gods they served, and returned the Ark. 

Samuel had been a small child when the Ark was taken.  Later, he began to hold regular worship services in Bethel, Mizpeh, and Gilgal, while making his home at Ramah.   After twenty years of attacks and domination by the Philistines, the Israelites wanted peace.   Samuel told them that God would give them peac if they would turn to him completely, in I Samuel 7:3.  “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.”

The people heeded Samuel’s advice, and gathered at Mizpeh to make a firm commitment to serve God as I Samuel 7:4-6 describes.  “Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.  And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.  And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.”

When people turn to the Lord, Satan often attacks, playing on their fears and past failures to discourage them.  The Philistines had terrorized Israel for twenty years, and they wanted to prevent any cooperative effort by the Israelites, so they attacked in an attempt to distract the people, in I Samuel 7:7.  “And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.  And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.”

The Israelites were terrified of the Philistines, but there was no way to avoid dealing with them.  They prayed for protection, then went out to face the attack, in I Samuel 7:8-11.  “And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.  And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.  And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.  And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.”

Israel could have avoided the conflict by scattering to their homes, but instead they chose to trust god and face the problems.  When they did, God intervened and gave them the victory, driving the Philistine army completely out to Israelite territory.  Had they yielded to their fear and avoided the situation, they would not have seen God’s power and would have remained under Philistine oppression. 

Samuel set up a memorial to remind the people what God had done, in I Samuel 7:12.  “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”  Each time they saw that monument and called it Ebemezer (the rock of help), they would be reminded God gives the victory.  As a result of this victory, I Samuel 7:13-14 tells us the Philistines would not invade Israel again while Samuel served a judge.  “So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.”  Israel even reclaimed the land the Philistines had seized. 

We do not know how many years Samuel judged Israel before Saul became king, but I Samuel 7:15 tells us, “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.”   The Philistines would not attack Israel again until several years after Saul became king.  He continued to hold regular meetings throughout his life as described in I Samuel 7:16-17.  “And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.  And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.”  All this time, the Ark remained in Kirjathjearim, while the Tabernacle was in Shiloh, limiting their practice of the Jewish religion.