1 Samuel 7 (Listen)
7:1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
Samuel Judges Israel
3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah 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 people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people 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.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen1 and called its name Ebenezer;2 for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the LORD.
(ESV)
1 Samuel 7 Commentary
In 1 Samuel 7, the ark of the Lord was taken to Kiriath-jearim, where it remained for 20 years as Israel longed for the Lord (1 Samuel 7:1-2). Samuel urged the people to return to God wholeheartedly by removing foreign gods, and they obeyed, worshiping only the Lord (1 Samuel 7:3-4). He then gathered Israel at Mizpah where they fasted and confessed their sins (1 Samuel 7:5-6).
When the Philistines advanced against Israel, the people were afraid and they pleaded with Samuel to intercede for them (1 Samuel 7:7-8). Samuel offered a burnt offering, crying out to the Lord, and God answered by throwing them into confusion and allowing Israel to defeat them (1 Samuel 7:9-11).
Samuel then set up a stone, naming it Ebenezer, signifying the Lord’s help (1 Samuel 7:12). At that time, the Philistines were subdued and Israel regained lost territories. There was also peace with the Amorites (1 Samuel 7:13-14). Samuel judged Israel throughout his life, traveling to different cities to lead them. He built an altar to the Lord at his home in Ramah (1 Samuel 7:15-17).
20 Years
The Israelites took 20 years to reach a point where they truly lamented after the Lord, demonstrating that heart transformation is not instantaneous. Initially, they treated the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm, misunderstanding its significance. Through divine intervention, God reestablished His holiness among them, leading them to a place of reverent fear and longing for His presence.
Samuel’s call to return to the Lord required more than just an emotional response; it necessitated action. The people had to remove their idols and commit fully to serving God alone. This was only possible because of the deep, patient work God had done in their hearts over those two decades.
The takeaway is that God’s timing in our spiritual growth is often much slower than we desire. We live in a world of instant gratification, but God prioritizes what we need over what we want. True repentance and transformation require seasons of longing, refinement, and preparation. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us, orchestrating His plans beyond what we can immediately see.
Samuel’s Revival
After the devastating setback at the hands of the Philistines back in 1 Samuel 4, Israel was weakened. Setbacks can be discouraging, but they can also set us up to hear the voice of God more clearly. The Lord was already beginning to stir their hearts toward joyful obedience by demonstrating His kindness in bringing back the ark of the covenant.
This was the moment Samuel emerged with a challenge. Samuel was a true spiritual leader. He did not merely issue commands from a distance, but he was with the people in their repentance and revival. He summoned them to Mizpah, a place of deep spiritual significance, and guided them through a time of sincere consecration before the Lord. There, the people took tangible steps to demonstrate the restoration of their faith. They openly declared their sins in God’s presence.
Samuel’s leadership was essential in this effort. He acted on behalf of the people, praying for them, guiding them, and calling them to total commitment. This was the spiritual leadership Samuel had been called for and exactly what was lacking within the priesthood.
So, consider what it took. The people were wounded by their sins. God initiated grace. A bold spiritual leader rose up to challenge, and finally, the people responded to God’s grace 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 together, setting aside past divisions and coming before the Lord as one people.
- Confession: The people openly acknowledged their sins, humbling themselves before God in repentance.
- The Abandonment of False gods: They removed every idol from their midst and committed themselves to worshiping the Lord alone.
- Intercessory Prayer: Samuel earnestly cried out to God on their behalf, showing that true revival begins with fervent prayer.
- Full Surrender: Samuel’s burnt offering symbolized total devotion to God, and in response, the Lord delivered them from their enemies, leading them to declare His faithfulness by raising the Ebenezer stone.
“This summary section speaks of Samuel’s ministry in a positive manner. It is a necessary element because the next section will describe Israel’s quest for a king in the manner of the other nations of the day (ch. 8). The narrator wishes the reader to know that this quest for a king was not due to any fault in the person or ministry of Samuel himself.”
Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary
