1 Samuel 7:1-8
REFORMATION IN ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
REFORMATION IN ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men of Kirjath-jearim, to whom the Bethshemites had sent word of the return of the ark, 1 Samuel 6:21, CAME, AND FETCHED UP THE ARK OF THE LORD, AND BROUGHT IT INTO THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB IN THE HILL, on an elevation near the city, AND SANCTIFIED ELEAZAR, HIS SON, TO KEEP THE ARK OF THE LORD,... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long, its length, on account of conditions in Israel and on account of the oppression of the Philistines, seemed unusually great; FOR IT WAS TWENTY YEARS, twenty years of servitude and disgrace; AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, with reference to the apparent sincere sorrow of the people, IF YE DO RETURN UNTO THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS, if their lamenting was no mere sham and hypocrisy, THEN PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS AND ASHTAROTH, the male and female idols of the he... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the children of Israel, heeding the earnest words of their great prophet and leader, DID PUT AWAY BAALIM AND ASHTAROTH, they completely did away with the worship of strange gods, AND SERVED THE LORD ONLY, they restored His exclusive worship. Here again the fact is brought out that idolatry had... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, which was used as a place of assembly at other times also, Judges 20:1, AND I WILL PRAY FOR YOU UNTO THE LORD, principally with the object of restoring them to the covenant relation with Jehovah, now that their conversion had been shown to be sincere.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, a symbolic act of penitence as expressing their deep misery, care, and anxiety, Psalms 22:15, AND FASTED ON THAT DAY, to express the deep humiliation of their souls, AND SAID THERE, WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LO... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel, they mobilized an army to attack the children of Israel, for they considered the great assembly a hostile demonstration, if not an actual mustering for wa... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel said to Samuel, the sincerity of their recent conversion showing also in the fact that they now relied entirely upon Jehovah, CEASE NOT TO CRY UNTO THE LORD, OUR GOD, FOR US, by keeping silence for so much as one moment, THAT HE WILL SAVE US OUT OF THE HAND OF THE PHILISTI... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samuel took a sucking lamb, one having been about seven days with its mother, Leviticus 22:27, AND OFFERED IT FOR A BURNT OFFERING WHOLLY UNTO THE LORD, without having divided it according to the usual form of burnt offerings. AND SAMUEL CRIED UNTO THE LORD FOR ISRAEL; AND THE LORD HEARD HIM, ga... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHILISTINES OVERTHROWN... [ Continue Reading ]
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, while this act of worship was still going on, THE PHILISTINES DREW NEAR TO BATTLE AGAINST ISRAEL; BUT THE LORD THUNDERED WITH A GREAT THUNDER, with terrific peals, which followed one after another, ON THAT DAY UPON THE PHILISTINES AND DISCOMFITED THE... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men of Israel, while the enemies turned away in confusion, WENT OUT OF MIZPEH, AND PURSUED THE PHILISTINES, AND SMOTE THEM UNTIL THEY CAME UNDER BETHCAR, below a city at some distance from the field of battle.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, at the place where the two former battles with the Philistines had also been fought, AND CALLED THE NAME OF IT EBENEZER (stone of help), SAYING, HITHERTO HATH THE LORD HELPED US. Although the victory did not complete the deliverance from... [ Continue Reading ]
So the Philistines were subdued, in consequence of this victory, AND THEY CAME NO MORE INTO THE COAST OF ISRAEL, all attempts made by them with this object in view were promptly frustrated; AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS AGAINST THE PHILISTINES ALL THE DAYS OF SAMUEL; while he lived, they did not rega... [ Continue Reading ]
And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath, these cities being on the Philistine frontier. These cities themselves were clearly not included in the territory which they yielded, the text merely stating that Israel recovered the land... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, rendering decisions in difficult matters and proposing measures for the benefit of the people even when Saul had been made king.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, toward the north, AND GILGAL, in the valley of Jordan near Jericho, AND MIZPEH, toward the southwest, AND JUDGED ISRAEL IN ALL THOSE PLACES.... [ Continue Reading ]
And his return was to Ramah, to this city he always came back; FOR THERE WAS HIS HOUSE; AND THERE HE JUDGED ISRAEL, when not absent on one of his circuit-court trips; AND THERE HE BUILT AN ALTAR UNTO THE LORD. Although the Tabernacle remained at Shiloh for the time being, public worship was, for a n... [ Continue Reading ]