Alistair took us on a whistle-stop tour through 1 Samuel chapters 4 to 6.
There we saw what happened when Israel rejected God, how they were defeated in battle, how the Ark was captured,
how God showed his power to the Philistines and his power over their false gods.
And we were reminded once again how big our God is.
So this week, we'll see if the Israelites have learnt their lesson.
If having seen the humiliation of the pagan gods, will they now enthusiastically and faithfully worship God and serve him only?
Finally, we'll be looking at the passage in four sections, as is on the screen.
I'm afraid if you're wanting an exciting PowerPoint, that's what you've got.
But yeah, so let's read the passage together and then see what God has to say to us through it.
1 Samuel 7, and starting at verse 1.
So the men of Kiriath-Jerim came and took up the Ark of the Lord.
They took it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eliezer, his son, to guard the Ark of the Lord.
It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the Ark remained at Kiriath-Jerim.
And all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord.
And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel,
If you're 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.
So the Israelites put away their bales and Ashtoreths and served the Lord only.
Then Samuel said, Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.
When he had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord.
On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, We have sinned against the Lord.
And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.
When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them.
And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.
They said to Samuel, Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us,
that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord.
He cried out to the Lord on Israel's behalf, and the Lord answered him.
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 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-kar.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shenn.
He named it Ebenezer, saying, Thus far has the Lord helped us.
So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.
Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.
The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her.
And Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines.
And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
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.
We see here at the beginning of our passage that the Ark of the Covenant has been returned to Israel.
Following the defeat of the Israelites and the capture of the Ark by the Philistines,
it has now been returned.
But it's been 20 years since then.
And nothing is recorded as having happened in that period.
But we do have a clue as to something that has been going on.
A couple of weeks ago, back at the end of chapter 3,
we read,
The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up.
And he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground.
And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,
recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh.
And there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
And Samuel's word came to all Israel.
Although we're not told what happened during those 20 years,
it's reasonable to speculate that this continued.
Samuel continued to travel around the country,
faithfully proclaiming the word of God
to people whose reception was, at best, lukewarm.
There's no mention of any actual opposition.
But for 20 years,
there's not much response either.
Some may have listened.
But as a whole,
the nation is far from God.
While it does seem that the worship of God
is still going on in some form,
although no mention of the tabernacle or priests
or anything like that,
it's combined with the worship of Baals
and Ashtoreths of the surrounding nations.
Just like we saw through the whole of the book of Judges,
they keep turning to these foreign gods.
And unlike some TV historians
that think they're being really clever
when they point out all this evidence
of polytheism in ancient Israel,
well, actually,
the Bible's brutally honest about it.
All the way through,
right from the beginning,
the worship of God
goes on alongside
the worship of other local false deities.
But then,
in the end of verse 2 here,
something changes.
That still,
small voice
they've been hearing
through the word of Samuel
suddenly
seems not to be just an annoying nagging,
but something of infinite significance
as we read
that all of the people of Israel
mourned
and sought after the Lord.
This is not just the turning of one or two people,
but this is the turning
of a nation
as a whole.
It's more akin to the early chapters of Acts,
where we
read of thousands
being saved
every day.
or like some of the major revivals,
like the one that took place in Lewis
in the middle of last century.
Duncan Campbell,
a preacher from the faith mission
who was
very much used in that,
said,
there's a world of difference
between a crusade,
a special effort in evangelism,
and revival.
We praise God
for such movements,
but is it not true
that such movements
as a general rule
fail to catch the community?
The community
remains
more or less the same,
and the masses
go past us to hell.
But in revival,
the community
suddenly becomes conscious
of the movings of God,
so that in a matter of hours,
not days,
in a matter of hours,
churches become crowded.
No inclination
of any special meetings,
but something happening
that moves men and women
to the house of God.
And you find within hours,
scores of men and women
crying to God
for mercy
before or near a church.
It seems that that
is what's happening here
in Israel.
after 20 years
of faithful witness
with apparently
little to show for it,
the nation
as a whole
mourns its sin
and seeks God.
Around the world today,
there are many
working hard,
faithfully proclaiming
the gospel,
but seeing
little fruit.
there are many
who dedicate
their whole lives
taking the gospel
to places
where it has never
been heard
and may
at most see
a handful of converts
in their lifetime.
And there are many
faithfully ministering
to small,
struggling congregations
week in,
week out
and seeing
little fruit
for their labour.
Across this city
today,
the word of God
will be faithfully
preached
in many churches.
Many will also
have various other
outreach efforts
going on.
And yet,
most of the city
will carry on
oblivious to all this,
thinking that's
of no relevance
to them.
Or there are
many of you
who in your own
lives
are faithful
witnesses
to family,
to friends.
You've been
praying for years,
longing for God
to work in their life,
and so far
have seen
no response.
But like Samuel,
this is out
with our control.
We cannot
bring anyone
to Christ.
All we can do
is be faithful
to God's calling
on our lives,
to be faithful
in prayer,
to be faithful
in our witness,
in whatever form
that might take.
God will work
in his own way
and in his own
timing.
We may see
the fruit of our work
or we may not.
As Paul writes
to the Corinthians,
I planted the seed,
Apollos watered,
but God
has been making it grow.
Without God,
Paul's work
and Apollos' work
would have been nothing.
Or maybe it's you
that's in those
years of silence.
Maybe it's you
that for the first time
or for the thousand
and first time
needs to hear
the voice of God
calling you
back to himself.
As Jim Reeves
sang in an old song,
How long
has it been
since you talked
with the Lord
and told him
your heart's
hidden secrets?
How long
since you prayed?
How long
since you stayed
on your knees
till the light
shone through?
How long
has it been
since your mind
felt at ease?
How long
since your heart
knew no burden?
Can you call
him your friend?
How long
has it been
since you knew
that he cared
for you?
How long
have you been
hearing
that nagging
voice
that you've
been ignoring?
How long
have you been
coming here
week after week
and feeling
challenged
and convicted
by sermons
that you hear
and then walking
straight out the door
and doing nothing?
How long
have you been
thinking
I need to
sort things out
someday?
As another
song says
come home
you who are
weary
come home
earnestly
tenderly
Jesus is
calling
oh sinner
come home
but we see
in the next
section
in verses
three to six
that it's
not just
some vague
turning back
that's called
for
it's a total
commitment
of their
lives that is
required
as we've been
hearing about
earlier
Samuel challenges
the people
as Joshua
had before
if you are
returning to
God
with all
your hearts
then
rid yourselves
of all
the foreign
gods
and
the
asterisks
and commit
yourselves
to the
Lord
and serve
him
only
they have
a choice
to make
if they're
going to
return to
God
it must
be
wholehearted
they can't
just come
to God
for what
they can
get out
of him
while
continuing
their
worship
of idols
God
Yahweh
the Lord
the infinite
eternal
almighty
one
the creator
and sustainer
of the
universe
the redeemer
of his
people
and the
judge
of all
the earth
will not
share his
place
with others
this is
not because
he's some
sort of
petty
deity
who
is
insecure
and jealous
of his
rivals
but because
he alone
is God
and to
worship
anything else
alongside him
is to show
that we haven't
understood at all
what worship
means
we haven't
grasped
how
unimaginably
immense
and awesome
he is
and yet
time and
time again
Israel
did
turn to
other gods
to idols
of wood
stone
gold
and silver
the first
commandment
that was
given to
Moses
on Mount
Sinai
you shall
have no
other gods
before me
but then
at the end
of his
life
God
tells
Moses
these
people
will
soon
prostitute
themselves
to the
foreign
gods
of the
land
they are
entering
they will
forsake
me
and we
we do
the same
and the
temptation
to follow
other gods
is a
real one
in supposedly
secular
Scotland
today
this is
not a
land
made up
of
atheists
and
Christians
there are
many
who
follow
other
religions
and there
are many
who follow
no defined
religion
but are
looking for
spiritual
experiences
wherever
they can
find them
as a
tendency
to
syncretism
to the
pick and
mix
attitude
to religion
that
taking a
bit from
here and
a bit
from
there
the bits
that
you like
the bits
that
you're
comfortable
with
I
recently
saw a
discussion
online
as to
whether
you could
be both
a Christian
and a
Buddhist
and while
a few
seemed to
think that
it was
problematic
as they
do have
fundamentally
conflicting
beliefs
many
seem to
see no
problem
in it
at all
but for
most of
us today
the temptation
probably is
not to
follow other
deities
real though
that might
be
but to
put other
things beside
God on
the pedestal
things that
we find more
tangible
things that
claim to
satisfy us
here and
now
and yet
can never
satisfy
many of
these things
may be
good
gifts
from
God
work
family
food
music
art
travel
nature
politics
whatever
it is
that's
important
to you
but we
have put
them in
the place
of God
as Paul
writes to
the Romans
we have
worshipped
and served
created
things
rather
than the
creator
but so
often what
we put
in his
place
is such
a distorted
twisted
version
of what
is good
that it
can no
longer be
called
good
at all
we claim
to worship
God
and yet
what fills
our time
what fills
our minds
what consumes
our bank
balances
may suggest
otherwise
like the
Israelites
we need
to come
to God
and mourn
the state
of our
wretched
hearts
and confess
our sin
to him
we need
to put
away from
us
anything
that we
have put
in his
place
it's
probably
in some
ways
easier
when that
is
physical
idols
that you
can
physically
remove
from your
house
but the
challenge
is just
as real
as William
Cowper
in his
great hymn
says
the dearest
idol
I have
known
what
e'er
that idol
be
help me
to tear
it from
thy throne
and worship
only
thee
and that
is what
we see
the Israelites
doing here
they listen
to Samuel
and they get
rid of their
foreign gods
they come
together
and they
publicly
confess their
sins
and ask
Samuel to
intercede
with God
for them
their fasting
their rituals
their sacrifices
may seem
alien to
us today
and I'm
not really
sure
and commentators
don't seem
to be sure
either
what this
pouring out
water is
all about
but these
things in
themselves
are not
what matters
to God
but by
them
they demonstrate
outwardly
and publicly
how seriously
they are
taking this
they commit
once again
as their
ancestors have
so many
times
that they
will serve
God
and God
only
and Samuel
the man
who has been
bringing God's
word to them
for all these
years
offers sacrifice
and praise
to God
for them
but we
today know
more than
they ever
could know
that if
we confess
our sins
he is
faithful
and just
he will
forgive our
sins
and purify
us
from all
unrighteousness
the final
sacrifice
has been
offered
and no
further
sacrifice
is required
but then
as we move
into the
next section
we see
that the
Israelites
are gathered
together
and their
trust in
God
was going
to be
put to
the test
right there
and then
the
Philistines
have got
word of
the fact
that
a huge
number
of the
Israelites
are gathered
together
in one
place
and they're
there for
a religious
ceremony
they're not
there prepared
for battle
this seems
too good
an opportunity
to miss
and so they
come
and attack
them
back in
chapter 4
when they
were facing
defeat from
the Philistines
Israel tried
to use
God's power
to their
own ends
as they
took the
ark out
into battle
as if it
was some
sort of
magic object
something
whose power
they could
wield
and summon
at will
and to
demonstrate
by their
actions
in the
later
chapters
that
actually
they had
no reverence
or fear
of the
God
whose
presence
the ark
represented
so will
they do
better
this time
or was
their
repentance
just a
flash in
the pan
no this
time
instead
of
arrogantly
claiming
God's
power
as their
own
they call
on Samuel
to continue
to intercede
for them
they fully
recognise
their
position
their
dependence
on God
that only
he can
save them
and as
he has
promised
God
fought for
them
and the
Philistines
are defeated
last week
when they
tried to
use God
they were
defeated
but when
they turn
to God
in dependence
on him
God
throws the
Philistines
into a
complete
panic
and they
are totally
routed
what will
we do
when the
trials
come
when life
hurts
is our
faith in
God
such that
we still
trust in
him
and cry
out to
him in
dependence
when the
challenges
come
when faced
with
sickness
death
unemployment
breakdown of
relationships
loneliness
fear
temptation
whatever
is our
theology
strong
enough
our view
of God
big enough
that we
don't just
worship him
when things
are easy
when we can
clearly see
his abundant
blessing
but do we
turn to him
in dependence
when we
struggle to
see the way
ahead
him
would ask
the almost
laughable
rhetorical
question
have you
trials
and temptations
is there
trouble
anywhere
well
yeah
of course
we do
of course
there is
but I
would continue
we should
never
be discouraged
take it
to the
Lord
in prayer
do we
or do we
try and
struggle
on
do we
turn to
our own
resources
to get
us
through
and leave
God out
of the
picture
until we've
got time
for him
do we
only want
to use
God's
power
when it
suits us
or do we
want to
surrender
to his
will
can we
sing
whatever
may pass
that has
taught me
to say
it is
well
it is
well
with my
soul
do we
as we
were thinking
this morning
trust
that good
shepherd
who knows
us
who calls
us by
name
who laid
down his
life
for us
and will
let nothing
snatch us
out of his
hands
the security
of our
salvation
does not
depend
on our
ability
to cling
to God
but of
his
powerful
hands
holding
us
and that
is
something
we can
depend
on
and so
we come
to the
final section
verses 12
to 17
we see
that Samuel
knows
that it's
not enough
for them to
have a
one-off
experience
of God
the challenge
for them
is to
go on
with him
to go
back home
from their
mountaintop
experience
to their
ordinary
lives
and to
live out
those lives
day by
day
following him
and not
turn away
again
so Samuel
sets up
this stone
a monument
as a
reminder
to them
as Gary
mentioned
earlier
he gives
the stone
this strange
name
Ebenezer
to most
of us
today if we
know the
word at
all it's
Ebenezer
Scrooge
in Charles
Dickens
Christmas
Carol
and as
such it's
associated
with a
miserly
unpleasant
character
but
that's not
what it's
about
instead it
just literally
means
rock of
help
and Samuel
explains its
meaning
for
by saying
thus far
has the
Lord
helped
us
Samuel's
drawing a
line in
the sand
he's placing
a landmark
in time
as a
monument
to what
has
happened
as a
very
visible
and tangible
reminder
that they
can look
back on
and remember
the commitment
they made
there on
that day
this may
seem
slightly
strange
to us
in our
modern
world
setting up
a standing
stone
seems a
strange
almost
prehistoric
thing to
do
but
actually
if you
think about
it
we set up
monuments
all over
the place
to far
less
significant
things
the number
of tourists
that come
to see a
statue of a
dog in
Edinburgh
for goodness
sake
but I
think
it's
important
for us
to have
these
monuments
in our
lives
most of
the time
they will
not be
physical
monuments
standing
stones
plaques
whatever
but there
will be
events
dates
that are
fixed in
our minds
times that
we can look
back on
and remember
what God
has done
for us
in the
past
one of
the most
obvious
ones to
many of
us
will be
our
baptism
a time
when we
decided
to publicly
nail our
colours to
the mast
and declare
what we
were building
our lives
on
although
far more
deeply etched
in my
memory
as the
night a
few weeks
before
when I
was trying
to work
on a
unique
project
that needed
done
for the
next
day
and I
just
could not
focus
it was
as if
God
was saying
to me
no
I'm not
going to
let you
think
about
anything
else
until you
pick up
the phone
and phone
the elders
and tell
them you
want to be
baptised
and so I
did
and got
the project
finished
but for
any of
you
that are
considering
it
remember
there's
great
opportunity
to discuss
it at
Graham's
on
Thursday
yep
got a nod
there
and there's
a baptismal
service planned
at the end
of the month
so if
you've not
done it
before
is this
the time
is this
the opportunity
for you
to set up
that monument
to what
God has
done for
you
in your
life
but there
are many
other times
that we
remember
times that
are etched
on our
mind
times
when our
experience
with God
was so
real
so powerful
times when
we've
prayed
with
Moses
don't
send me
from this
place
unless you
go with
me
I can
think of
several
times
wrestling
with God
sitting on
a rock
in the
Braid
Hermitage
walking
along
the beach
at school
on a
starry
night
that was
absolutely
mind
blowing
long
conversation
down beside
the croquis
club
on the
links
where
things
were
shared
that
started
a really
deep
friendship
that has
made
your
shaped
my
life
all of
these
are
events
that I
can look
back
on
as
evidence
that God
is at
work
in my
life
even if
it's not
always
so easy
to see
but these
monuments
whether
physical
or purely
mental
which help
us to
remember what
God has
done
are not
about living
in the
past
in saying
thus far
has the
Lord
helped
us
we're
not
saying
and who
knows
whether
he'll
carry
on
doing
it
we're
saying
look at
the wonderful
things he's
done in
the past
we have
tasted
and seen
that the
Lord is
good
therefore
we can
trust
in that
faithfulness
for the
future
and so
having
raised
their
monument
the
Israelites
must
go on
and live
for him
in the
light
of what
has
happened
there
at
Mizpah
the
remainder
of the
chapter
is an
account
of how
this
worked
out
and it
worked
out
pretty
well
they
continued
to push
back
the
Philistines
right out
of their
land
and there
is peace
in the
land
Samuel
spends
the rest
of his
life
travelling
on a
circuit
round
the
country
acting
as
judge
mediating
in
disputes
resolving
conflicts
but also
presumably
continuing
to speak
the word
of the
Lord
to these
people
to remind
them
and encourage
them
and we
are called
to do
likewise
to go
on in
faith
and live
for him
as the
verse that
was given
to me
at my
baptismal
service
says
live a
life
worthy
of the
Lord
and please
him
in every
way
but
that doesn't
mean
there won't
be further
failures
anyone who
believes the
Christian life
can be lived
without failure
is either
a very
new
Christian
totally
deluded
or probably
more likely
living in
denial of
the reality
that they
experience
every day
in fact
in reading
up on it
I discovered
that song
that we sang
at the
beginning
there are
versions where
they've
carefully edited
out
all references
to being
prone to
wander
as being
inappropriate
but
just seven
verses
into
chapter 8
God is
saying to
Samuel
they have
rejected
me
but we're
called to
once again
return to
God
to come
to him
in confession
and repentance
and go out
in faith
and keep
doing that
until that
glorious day
when faith
becomes sight
when our sin
becomes history
when we are
changed
into the
likeness
of our
glorious
redeemer
in our
final hymn
we're going
to be
singing
of many
of those
truths
as we
think about
what we
were
of how
God
showed us
our sin
and called
us to
him
of how
we can
trust in
him
as we
look forward
to another
week
into the
future
to the
unknown
with
everything
that that
brings
because we'll
be singing
to his grace
that taught
my heart
to fear
and grace
my fears
relieved
how precious
did that grace
appear
the hour
I first
believed
through many
dangers
toils
and snares
I have
already
come
to his
grace
that brought
me safe
thus far
and grace
will
lead me
home
Amen
in
only
works
in
another
way
to
do
things
I
believe
every
day
I
have
I
believe
that
I
can't
stay
proteas
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