Week 13 Day 6
Samuel had been groomed
for this moment
He is in place
to step up and become
the last judge of Israel
This story is about repentance
turning away from sin
turning toward God
The people proved their intentions
by tearing down their idols
and ridding themselves of them
There was a prayer meeting at Mizpah
The people sacrificed their water
pouring it out before the Lord
In a dry climate
that is a drastic act
They fasted
and confessed their sins
another drastic act
The enemy came; filled them with fear
"Lord, save us!" and God did
Samuel erected a monument
a physical reminder
of God's intervention
salvation
Never forget what happened here
tell your children
again and again.
FAST, CONFESS AND PRAY
Peace and restoration continued throughout Samuel's lifetime.
I Samuel 7 & 8
2All the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. 3Then
Samuel spoke, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your
hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths
from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and
serve Him only; He will deliver you from the hand of the
Philistines." 4So the children of Israel put away the Baals
and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray
to the Lord for you." 6They gathered together at Mizpah, drew
water, and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day,
and said, "We have sinned against the Lord." Samuel judged
the children of Israel at Mizpah.
7Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel
had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines
went up. When the children of Israel heard of it, they were
afraid. 8So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not
cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save
us from the hand of the Philistines."
9Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt
offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel,
and the Lord answered him. 10Now as Samuel was offering up
the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against
Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the
Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were
overcome. 11The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and
pursued the Philistines, and drove them back. 12Then Samuel
took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called
its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us."
13So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come
anymore into the territory of Israel. The hand of the Lord was
against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14Then the
cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored
to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory
from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace
between Israel and the Amorites.
1 It came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons
judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and
the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after
dishonest gain, took bribes and perverted justice.
This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV
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