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1 Samuel 7 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Coming off the heels of their defeat to the Philistines, Samuel would bring forth a challenge. Often in our weakest moments is when God’s voice will speak the loudest. God had stirred their hearts toward obedience by bringing the ark back to their land. He was the initiator of grace, now it was time to respond.
Samuel was a true leader. He not only called them to this, but he walked with them through it. He took them to Mizpah, a special place of repentance and prayed for them there. They renounced their old ways, poured out a sacrifice, and repented of their wrongdoing. This was the spiritual leadership Samuel had been called for.
So, consider what it took. The people were wounded by their sin. God initiated grace. A bold spiritual leader rose up to challenge, and finally, the people responded with repentance and obedience. This is the same pattern we see today.
F.B. Meyer wrote of this revival pattern using 5 points…
- Unity. All Israel was gathered. The divisions and jealousies of preceding years were renounced.
- Confession. The people poured out their hearts before the Lord.
- The abandonment of false gods. “They put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only.”
- Intercessory prayer. The one condition of revival is to get back to prayer. “Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us.”
- Full surrender, as set forth in Samuel’s burned-offering. Yield thyself to God, and thy Philistine sins, stealing up the valleys, will fall back discomfited, and thou shalt raise thine Ebenezer.