SS Lesson October 15th, 2006 1st Samuel 7(3-13)
SAMUEL (Holman Bible Dictionary)
Personal name in the Ancient Near East meaning “The name is God,” “God is exalted,” or “son of God.” The last judge, first king-maker, priest, and prophet who linked the period of the judges with the monarchy (about 1066-1000 B.C.). Born in answer to barren Hannah’s tearful prayer (1 Sam. 1:10), Samuel was dedicated to the Lord before his birth (1:11) as a “loan” for all his life (1:28; 2:20). Eli raised Samuel at the Shiloh sanctuary (1 Sam. 2:11). As a child, Samuel grew “both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (1 Sam. 2:26 NAS; compare Luke 2:52). Samuel met God and received his first prophetic mission as a young lad (1 Sam. 3:1,11-14). God’s initial word to Samuel concerned God’s rejection of Eli’s family from service as priests as punishment for the sins of Eli’s sons.
Samuel was responsible for a revival of the Shiloh sanctuary (1 Sam. 3:21). Psalm 99:6-7 relates that God spoke with Samuel from out of the pillar of cloud as God had previously with Moses and Aaron. God “was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Sam. 3:19; also 9:6). Jeremiah regarded Samuel and Moses as the two great intercessors of Israel (Jer. 15:1).
Following the death of Eli and his sons, Israel experienced twenty years (1 Sam. 7:2) of national sin and Philistine oppression. Samuel reemerged in the role of judge, calling Israel to repentance and delivering them from foreign domination. Samuel also exercised the judicial role of judge, administering justice at Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, and Ramah (1 Sam. 7:15-17).
Samuel served as the prototype for future prophets in tension with the kings of Israel and Judah. The sins of Samuel’s sons and the Philistine threat led the elders of Israel to appeal to Samuel for a king “like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:3,5,20). Samuel rightly understood this call for a king as rejection of God’s rule (1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19). Samuel warned Israel of the dangers of a monarchy—forced labor, seizure of property, taxation (1 Sam. 8:10-18)—before anointing Saul as Israel’s first king (1 Sam. 10:1). Samuel’s recording of the rights and duties of kingship (1 Sam. 10:25) set the stage for later prophets to call their monarchs to task for disobedience to God’s commands and for overstepping God’s limits for kingship in Israel. Samuel foreshadowed Elijah in his call for rain during the wheat harvest, the usual dry season, as vindication of his word of judgment concerning Israel’s demand for a king (1 Sam. 12:17-18).
Samuel’s relations with Saul highlight the conditional nature of kingship in Israel. Israel’s king was designated by God and served at God’s pleasure. Saul’s presumption in offering burnt sacrifice before battle with the Philistines (1 Sam. 13:8-15) and his disregard of God’s command to leave no survivors among the Amalekites or their flocks (1 Sam. 15) occasioned Samuel’s declaration of God’s rejection of Saul’s kingship. Obeying God’s call to anoint another king amounted to treason in Saul’s eyes, and Samuel had concerns for his life. Samuel was, however, obedient in anointing David as king over Israel (1 Sam. 16:13). Later when Saul sought David’s life, David took refuge with Samuel and his band of prophets at Ramah (1 Sam. 19:18-24). Finally, Samuel’s death brought national mourning (1 Sam. 25:1; 28:3). It also left Saul without access to God’s word. In desperation he acknowledged Samuel’s power and influence by seeking to commune with Samuel’s spirit (1 Sam. 28). Thus in life and death Samuel cast a long shadow over Israel’s history of worship, rule, prophecy, and justice.
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.
ASHTAROTH —Holman Bible Dictionary
is the plural form of Ashtoreth, a Canaanite goddess of fertility, love, and war and the daughter of the god El and the goddess Asherah. The Greek form of the name is Astarte. In Canaanite mythology, she appears to be the sister of the goddess Anath and the spouse of the god Baal.
The biblical writers often coupled Baal with Ashtaroth as a designation of pagan worship (Judg. 2:13; 10:6; 1 Sam. 7:3-4; 12:10). In addition to her worship by the Canaanites, the Old Testament mentions the people of Sidon (1 Kings 11:5) and the Philistines (1 Sam. 31:10) as reverencing her. At Beth-Shan, the Philistines erected a temple to Ashtaroth (1 Sam. 31:10). The reference to the Queen of Heaven (Jer. 7:18) may have Ashtaroth in mind, but this is uncertain. The Israelites worshiped her, and the biblical writers specifically refer to Solomon’s leadership in promoting the worship of Ashtaroth (1 Kings 11:5). She was only one of many foreign deities revered by the Israelites. Josiah destroyed the shrines built to her (2 Kings 23:13).
Ashtoreth( from Smith’s Bible Dictionary) (a star ) the principal female divinity of the Phoenicians, called Ishtar by the Assyrians and Astarte by the Greeks and Romans. She was by some ancient writers identified with the moon. But on the other hand the Assyrian Ishtar was not the moon-goddess, but the planet Venus; and Astarte was by many identified with the goddess Venus (or Aphrodite), as well as with the plant of that name. It is certain that the worship of Astarte became identified with that of Venus, and that this worship was connected with the most impure rites is apparent from the close connection of this goddess with ASHERAH. ( 1 Kings 11:5,33; 2 Kings 23:13)
If
The word “if” is one of the smallest words in the English Language, but Oh, what power it has. In this verse God says He will deliver the people of Israel from their enemies “if” they will prepare their hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only. I think this promise is good for us as individuals and as a nation today. Oh, how much God desires to bless His people and this land, but blessing can only come when it is accompanied by obedience. God cannot, and will not, bless over sin. he will forgive sin if we repent, but unrepented sin will separate us from His goodness in our lives. Samuel is the last judge of Israel and he has to fight the same battle all of the others faced. The people are so finicky with their faithfulness. They cry to God when they are in pain, but turn to their idols when they are at rest. The background of our story is that in the previous chapter the High Priest of Israel, Eli, and his two wicked sons, Hophni and Phineas, had died and the ark had been taken by the Philistines. God himself cursed the Philistines and gave them the impetus to return the ark, but it now was in Kiriath-jearim. It had been there for 20 years while the Philistines tormented God’s people. They now cried unto God for deliverance. God once again made a covenant with His people. He would deliver them, but He would require their allegiance and obedience. Oh, how merciful our God is and His love beyond our understanding!
4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.
BAAL
Lord of Canaanite religion and seen in the thunderstorms, Baal was worshiped as the god who provided fertility. He proved a great temptation for Israel. “Baal” occurs in the Old Testament as a noun meaning, “lord, owner, possessor, or husband,” and as a proper noun referring to the supreme god of the Canaanites, and often to the name of a man. According to 1 Chronicles 5:5, Baal was a descendant of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son, and the father of Beerah. Baal was sent into exile by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. The genealogical accounts of Saul’s family listed in 1 Chronicles 9:35-36 indicates that the fourth son of Jehiel was named Baal.
The noun comes from a verb that means to marry or rule over. The verb form occurs in the Hebrew text 29 times, whereas the noun occurs 166 times. The noun appears in a number of compound forms which are proper names for locations where Canaanite deities were worshiped, such as Baal-peor (Num. 25:5; Deut. 4:3; Ps. 106:28; Hos. 9:10), Baal-hermon (Judg. 3:3; 1 Chron. 5:23), and Baal-gad (Josh. 11:17; 12:7; 13:5).
Baal Worship in Canaan Baal worship revolved around two themes that represented the conception of Baal his worshipers held. Baal was both the sun-god and storm-god. He was worshiped as sun-god when the people wished to express thanks and gratitude for light and warmth and fertility. Worship of Baal as storm-god took place to appease the destructive nature of Baal, demonstrated by drought and storms that devastated the vegetation of the worshipers. The efforts to appease Baal whenever adverse conditions prevailed culminated in the sacrifice of human beings, usually the firstborn of the one offering the sacrifice. The victims were burnt alive, a practice in the Old Testament termed “to pass through the fire” (2 Kings 16:3; 21:6). Baal worship was as diverse as the communities in which he was worshiped. Each locality had its own Baal, who was named after the city or place to which he belonged. Baal was considered the owner or possessor of the land on which his followers lived.
Baal Worship in Israel The Northern Kingdom of Israel, under the leadership of Ahab of the household of Omri, was led to worship Baal as the state god (1 Kings 16:31). The prophets Elijah and Elisha delivered the condemnation of God concerning Baal worship and tried to rid the land of the idolatry (1 Kings 18:17-40; 2 Kings 1:9-16).
The worship of Baal infiltrated the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The reform movement of Hezekiah was reversed when Manasseh became king (2 Kings 21:2-16), as he reinstated Baal worship, along with worship of Assyrian gods and other gods.
The conflict between Baal worship and the worship of the Lord God is described in the Book of Hosea. The judgment of the people of God for their idolatry, and their restoration is disclosed in Hosea 2. The Bible writers affirmed the supremacy of Yahweh and condemned the worship of any other gods beside Yahweh.
—Holman Bible Dictionary
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. 6 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.
Poured it out water
The significance of pouring out water before the Lord is missed by many modern folks, but it was a common practice among many societies in Bible times. We know that the Romans and Greeks often practiced this same ritual. The meaning of pouring out water in a dry land illustrates pouring out ourselves to God. The Chaldaic translation of this Scripture says they “poured out of their hearts before the Lord.” It speaks of tears flowing in repentance and dedication. We are directed to pour out ourselves in submission and repentance signifying the total giving of ourselves to God. These folks are in trouble and they realize it will take their total dedication to God for deliverance to come. Have you poured out yourself to God? Have you given it all to Him? Have you sought Him first in your life? The answer to that question is personal, but it may control how much God blesses your life.
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 enemy
Whenever a church, nation, or individual decides to repent and dedicate themselves to God, Satan is not pleased. He will not give in easily. He will use any tactic he can devise to cause the progress to cease. He realizes the great power that the children of God can tap into when they are in the center of God’s will. In this case he used fear to attempt to stop the momentum of God. Other times he will try to use division or weariness or some other diversion. We must be aware of his methods and hold on to the promises of God.
8 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. 9 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.
The responsibility of leaders
Samuel realized the fear of the people and he cried out unto God. The people relied upon Samuel to touch God. They cried for him to “cease not to cry unto the Lord.” Why did they ask Samuel to pray and not seek God in prayer themselves? The answer is simple and revealing. They cried to Samuel because they had confidence in his manner of life and his ability to reach God in prayer. Leaders should strive to live so that others have confidence in them. It is important to be examples to the flock. Samuel gave an offering unto God signifying that he needed for God to help. He could only truly commune with God through the intermediacy of a sacrifice because Christ had not come to earth and died to justify human beings as of yet. Samuel was a great and holy man, but without the blood of Christ he could have no standing to ask God anything. It had to be done through a sacrifice. We don’t need to do that today under grace. Listen to this verse: Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We don’t need to offer a lamb because God has already offered His Lamb. Jesus Christ, the eternal Lamb of God provides me access to the throne of grace. Nothing else needs to be given in my place. He hears me, answers my prayer, and meets my needs!
10 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. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.
The Lord thundered with a great thunder Literally, The Lord thundered with a great voice—he confounded them with a mighty tempest of thunder and lightning, and no doubt slew many by the lightning. Adam Clarke's Commentary
Discomfit
The word translated “discomfit” means to crush, confuse, or destroy. The Lord caused a great thunder and lightning storm which panicked and defeated the enemy. The people of Israel never won this battle; God won it! Sometimes he gives you the power to overcome; sometimes He fights for you: However His method, we win!
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. 13 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.
A memorial
Samuel put up a stone as a monument to this great victory. This would serve as a reminder to the people of how God delivered them and had the power to deliver them in the future. Think of our society! We have monuments in our parks commemorating our victories in wars and honoring our heroic soldiers who gave of themselves for our freedom. Shouldn’t we have some Spiritual monuments erected somewhere in our lives. We need sometimes to think back on the times God has helped us overcome trials and tribulation. It serves to make us thankful and to add to our confidence in Him. Samuel named this stone “Ebenezer” which means a stone of help. Does that remind you of anything? Who is your stone of help? Jesus Christ is the stone which can help you overcome all things. The enemy can never defeat Him!
(New American Standard Version to be uses as a commentary only) 3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone. 5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 They gathered to 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 sons of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." 9 Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered him. 10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel. 11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer , saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
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