YEAR 2, WEEK 30, Day 1, Monday, 21 July 2025

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=1+Samuel+7

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 21 July 2025:

Listen to this short commentary from Dr. J. Vernon McGee on 1 Samuel 7:1-11 — https://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/popPlayer.cfm?id=4631&rel=mcgee_j_vernon/1Sa

1 Samuel 7:2 – 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.

Israel’s grief was not just for the ark but for the loss of God’s felt presence and favor. It was the beginning of repentance. Sometimes God allows seasons of delay—twenty years, in this case—to deepen our longing and dependence. Like the prodigal son who “came to himself” (Luke 15:17), Israel finally began to seek the Lord, not just His blessings.

1 Samuel 7:3–4 – 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… and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

True repentance involves both inner contrition and outer action. Samuel’s condition — “with all your heart”—reflects the first and greatest commandment (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). Israel couldn’t cling to the idols of Canaan and also expect God’s deliverance. Likewise, Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). God requires exclusive allegiance.

You cannot serve God and your own competing personal interests. Serve the Lord wholeheartedly, Him only.

1 Samuel 7:5 — I will pray to the LORD for you.

God wants you to pray for other Christians who need to return to The Lord.

1 Samuel 7:6 – 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.”

Pouring out water was a sign of contrition and helplessness — a visual prayer of dependence and emptiness (see 2 Sam. 14:14). Fasting and confession revealed the depth of their repentance. It was not ritual, but relational — a people broken and returning to the Lord.

1 Samuel 7:7–9 – When the Philistines approached, Israel no longer relied on symbols like the ark for victory, but on intercession and dependence on God through Samuel. “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us…” (v. 8).

This is a picture of Christ, our great Intercessor (Heb. 7:25), whose prayers secure our deliverance. Samuel’s intercession, like Christ’s, brought divine power into a helpless situation. The sacrificial lamb he offered (v. 9) foreshadows the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

1 Samuel 7:10–11 – The Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines….

God responded to humble repentance and sacrificial intercession with divine intervention. He fought for His people once they returned to Him. Israel did not lift a sword until God had already routed the enemy — grace always precedes human effort when God’s people walk in dependence.

1 Samuel 7:12 – Then Samuel took a stone and set it up… and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”

Ebenezer means “stone of help.” This is both a memorial and a testimony. God’s people need reminders of His faithfulness to strengthen future faith. The past is not proof of self-sufficiency, but a witness to God’s mercy (Psalm 124:1–8). As believers, Jesus is our living Ebenezer—our sure help in every age (Hebrews 13:8).

1 Samuel 7:14 — The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel.

God can restore what you lost in your sin.

1 Samuel 7:15–17 – 1Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 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.

Samuel’s lifelong, circuit-riding ministry to judge and teach God’s Word shows the pattern for faithful spiritual leadership: mobility, consistency, justice, and prayer. He lived not for power, but for obedience and service. His life was poured out in the service of God’s people.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 21 July 2025: “Put away the foreign gods… and serve him only” (1 Samuel 7:3). Today, examine your heart for subtle idols—those “Ashtaroths” and “Baals” of comfort, control, or security that compete for your devotion. Name them, renounce them, and return fully to the Lord. Practice repentance with action. Fast if necessary. Confess what needs to be confessed. Trust in Christ, our intercessor and sacrificial Lamb, and raise your own Ebenezer by reflecting on how far God has already brought you. Like Samuel, intercede for others, serve selflessly, and let your life bear witness to the Lord’s help.

Pray: “Lord God, You are my Shepherd, my Deliverer, and my Help. Thank You for Your mercy that waits patiently while I wander, and for the grace that thunders from heaven when I return. Reveal to me the idols in which I’ve trusted, and give me the courage to tear them down. Make my heart wholly Yours. Teach me to walk in faithful obedience, to intercede like Samuel, and to follow Jesus, my true and better Shepherd. Today, we raise my Ebenezer—You have helped me this far, and I trust You to lead me home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.