The Lord Applies His Victory To His People

1 Samuel 6. We're going to start in verse 13. Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their

wheat harvest in the valley, and when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to

see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was

there, and they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden

figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and

sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it,

they returned that day to Ekron. These are the golden tumors that the Philistines offered as a

offering to the Lord, one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron,

and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the

five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set

down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

And he struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord.

He struck down seventy men of them, and the people mourned, because the Lord had struck the people

with a great blow. Then the men of Beth Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the Lord,

this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us? So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of

Kiriath-Jerim, saying, The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.

The men of Kiriath-Jerim 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.

From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-Jerim, a long time passed, some twenty years,

and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. 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. So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth,

and they served the Lord only. Then Samuel said, Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the

Lord for you. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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 routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah, and pursued the

Philistines, and struck them as far as below Beth-kar. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it up between

Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer. For he said, Till now the Lord has helped us. 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. 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. Samuel 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. So the word of God for the people of God.

You may be seated. Isaiah 40 tells us that the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the

Lord stands forever. Luke 1, no word from God shall be void of power. Would you pray with me again?

Lord, we thank you that your word is not scarce, that your Holy Spirit takes up the sword of the

Spirit, the word of God, and wields it powerfully still today. I pray, Lord, that your Holy Spirit

will illumine the truth of your gospel, salvation, and Jesus Christ alone from this ancient passage

in 1 Samuel. I thank you for your people and for those who are still far from you, but who you have

brought to hear your word, Lord. And we pray that your word will pierce in where no human wisdom,

no human words can touch, but that your Holy Spirit will quicken and make alive that which was dead.

Ears that are deaf will be made to hear, and eyes that are blind will be made to see you

in your holy glory for the first time by faith. We ask this for your glory alone and for Christ's sake.

In his name we pray. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Hiro Onoda did not live his life aligned to reality. He became a soldier in the Japanese army in 1944,

and he was sent off to a remote island in the Philippines on a mission, but with the Allies' campaign

of island hopping, they would knock out the communication between these islands. So here

was this Japanese soldier sent there in 1944 without him or his commanding officers knowing

that World War II would come to an end in just a few months. He remained on that island thinking

that World War II was still going on for 30 years. That's 10,000 nights.

Can you imagine the realization to look back on 30 years of your life thinking,

I could have been living in freedom, watching my country boom economically, moving on with all

the other things a normal life and time of peace would give me, but here he was instead in suspicion,

worried, constantly afraid of captivity and death, living as though there's a war.

I've been thinking a lot this week of what does it mean to be a Christian, and really it means to align

our lives to the spiritual reality. Sanctification is watching God do that. He's aligning my life more

and more, every aspect of it, to the reality that he is victorious. There are no other gods besides him.

He's already proven this in Philistine territory.

He's shown that Dagon, remember the father of all the other gods,

the father of Baal and all these lesser gods,

bowed down, prostrate, literally disarmed,

head crushed. There is no other god.

But this happened over in Philistia.

The Israelites are living out of alignment

to that reality.

So, beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

what I want to try to walk us through in this passage is how

the Lord applies his victory to his people.

How the

holy Lord God applies,

makes a real experience

of the victory he already accomplished

in the lives of his people.

We have four celebrations

and a couple other observations

as we work through this passage.

The first is this.

The holy

Lord God doesn't keep his victory

to himself.

He turns

his own exile into a great

exodus.

He redeems his people, accomplishes the victory

using reversal,

but he doesn't stay there

and he also doesn't go somewhere else.

He returns

and shares this victory

with the people

of Israel.

We have to start back

in chapter 6

to remember what

he is doing here.

See, this holy

Lord God,

by the power of the Holy Spirit,

he is dragging

his ark,

which represents

the presence of God

with sinners

using the means

that he's ordained

for them to receive grace.

And he drags it

all the way across

Philistine territory

using these untrained

mother heifers

with the yoke

to pull it.

Their udders are full of milk,

their calves are bleeding,

and yet they are marching

without turning

to the right

or the left.

Look at verse 12

of chapter 6.

1 Samuel chapter 6

1 Samuel 6:12

verse 12.

The cows headed

straight for the road

to Beth Shemesh,

and they went along

the highway,

lowing as they went,

and did not turn

to the right hand

or to the left.

And the Philistine lords

went after them

all the way

to the border.

What a sight

that would be.

The kings

of each of the major cities

of the Philistine kingdom

following behind,

drug along

as captives,

so to speak,

watching

the ark

of the Lord

by the power

of the Spirit

alone,

the invisible hand

of God

returning

to Israel.

Not just

to anywhere

in Israel.

Look at

verse 13,

chapter 6,

verse 13.

Where

was this ark

going?

It could have

gone anywhere,

so it must be

significant

where it goes.

See,

the people

of Beth Shemesh,

this is where

it's going.

They were reaping

their wheat harvest

in the valley.

That's significant

as well.

Do you remember

Dagon was

the god

of fertility

and grain?

Dagon was

the god

that could

send storms

and rain

that would

make this

wheat grow

and create

a great

harvest.

And this

is what

the people

of Israel

are doing.

They're

harvesting

their wheat.

Remember,

the Philistines,

they had

encountered

the true

God,

and they

learned to

fear Him

alone.

Now,

how would

the people

of Israel

receive this

God?

Would they

view Him

as the one

and only

God?

Well,

we read

that in

verse 16,

if you'll

skip down

to 16,

when the

five lords

of the

Philistines

had seen

this,

they returned.

They wanted

to be rid

of this

holy Lord

God.

In Israel,

they did

nothing different

in the meantime.

The last

they had

encountered

this ark

was when

the Lord

made them

lose to

the Philistines

and 30,000

of their men

died.

And they

declared

Ichabod,

the glory

of God

has departed.

Nothing

has changed

in Israel

this whole

time.

But for

this fullness

of time,

these 70

days while

the ark,

I'm sorry,

seven months

while the ark

is in

Philistia,

Israel's done

nothing to

deserve God

returning to

them.

Yet the

Lord returns

victorious,

leading captivity

captive all the

way to the

border.

And why is

He going to

this city?

See,

Israel has

not yet

repented

for their

sin.

Who was

it that

carried away

the ark

of the

Lord to

the great

battle that

they lost?

It was

Hophni and

Phinehas.

They're the

last Israelites

to have

handled or

carried this

ark anywhere.

And the

Lord was not

pleased and

He showed

very clearly

in that

battle,

He is not

pleased with

Israel.

They need

to learn

His law

and they

need to

repent of

their sin.

There's not

been a revival

in the land,

there's not

been a

great

reformation,

there's been

no covenant

renewal ceremony

the way the

Lord prescribed

it,

which is the

only way

He'll accept

their repentance.

Well,

why Beth

Shemesh?

Why this

town compared

to all

hundreds or

thousands of

other towns

it could have

gone to?

In the book

of Joshua

Joshua 21:13

chapter 21

verse 13,

we learn that

Beth Shemesh

was a

Levitical

city,

specifically

given to the

clan of

Kohath.

The

Kohathites

were assistants

to the

priests and

the Levites.

They were

the ones

who were

allowed to

go in

and perform

a lot of

the duties,

but only

after the

descendants of

Aaron had

covered up

all the

furniture in

the tabernacle,

including the

Ark of the

Covenant.

And so this

was a

Levitical city.

These are

the ones

God has

set apart

and called

to handle

the ceremonies

of forgiveness

of sins.

In Numbers

Numbers 4:3

chapter 4

verses 3

and 4,

these were

the ones

specifically

the

Korathites

assigned for

the care

of the

Ark.

See,

the Lord

knows that

you and

I need

our sins

pardoned.

The Lord

is victorious.

He's already

seated at the

right hand of

God the

Father Almighty

until all of

his enemies

are put under

his feet.

But he knows

that you and

I need

his victory

that he

accomplished

applied to

our lives.

our sins

need to be

covered by

his work.

You and I

individually,

we can't

approach God

on our

own terms.

He was

victorious

and he meets

his people

for a covenant

renewal.

This is why

he's going

to a

Levitical

city.

the people

of Israel

don't know

what God

requires of

them because

the word

of God

has been

so long

neglected.

Do you

remember?

The word

of God

was scarce

in those

days.

Where we

left off

in 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

Samuel had

been established

as a true

prophet,

but it

takes so long

for the people

of God

to be under

his word

and to

reform their

thinking and

their right

view of

God,

and Israel's

not there

yet.

But this

holy Lord

God does

not keep

his victory

to himself.

He returns

to his

covenant

people.

Well,

the second

celebration

is this,

that this

holy Lord

God,

he comes

near to

sinners

while they

are still

in darkness.

There's the

people of

God,

ignorant,

without his

word,

in darkness,

and yet God

comes to

them.

Would you

look at

chapter 7,

verse 3?

Samuel has

to tell the

people,

put away

the

bales.

The bales

were the

gods of

the storm

and rain

subservient

to Dagon.

And put

away your

asterisks.

These are

also false

idols,

a pagan

goddess of

love,

fertility,

and

reproductive

desire.

So it's

not a

stretch to

conclude that

here are

the people

in Beth

Shemesh

bringing

these idols

along for

good luck,

bringing

along the

bales and

the asterisks,

and here

comes the

ark of

the

Lord.

Is it

just one

more of

all these

gods that

might give

them an

even better

harvest?

Samuel tells

them,

put away

these idols

from among

you,

prepare your

hearts for

the Lord

and serve

him only.

Now go

back to

chapter 6,

verse 13.

See,

I think

Beth Shemesh

described as

reaping their

wheat harvest

in the

valley is

also significant

because if

these are

Levites,

they're not

supposed to

be farmers.

Remember?

This shows how

far the word of

God has been

neglected and

this is another

pattern in

Israel.

In Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:10

chapter 13,

verse 10,

after the

people of God

have been

exiled,

they've abandoned

his word,

they don't know

his ways,

look at what

he has to

correct them

with.

Nehemiah

says,

the Levites

have not been

given their

regular food

allotments,

so the Levites

and the singers

who led the

services of

worship had

all left

and gone

back to

their farms.

So the

people of

Beth Shemesh,

the Lord is

exposing the

sin of the

nation.

You don't

know my

word,

you all as

a nation

should have

been setting

these Levites

apart,

and here they

are,

worshiping the

Baals and the

Ashtaroths,

trusting in

them for a

great harvest.

How wrong

you've gotten

my kingdom.

They're ignorant

of God's

word,

but the

Lord,

he goes

to those

sinners,

and he

will receive

sinners while

they're in

darkness if

they come

to him by

the way of

the covenant

he's provided.

See,

God's covenant

does require

sacrifice for

blood guilt,

but it's not

just any

blood guilt.

There's a

great principle

in the

scriptures called

federal

headship,

and this

means that

one can

represent many,

many.

You can see

why this

principle is

so important

for the

gospel.

How is it

that one

could represent

many?

This is built

into the

sacrificial

system.

Specifically

this,

if a

high priest

or any

priest

sins,

it's not

just any

animal that

could be

brought to

cover the

sin of

the priest.

Remember,

what's been

exposed so

far as the

great sin

was the

two sons

of Eli.

These are

priests who

have sinned.

Israel's never

repented.

The Lord has

never covered

up that

sin of

these

priests.

So how

could anyone

else have

their sins

covered up

until the

priests get

clean?

Leviticus 4

says,

if an

anointed

priest

sins,

bringing

guilt on

the people,

the whole

nation is

now cursed

by this

principle of

federal

headship,

he must

bring to

the Lord

a young

bull,

a male

uncastrated

bull,

without

defect,

as a

sin offering

for the

sin the

priest committed.

And the

priest is to

present the

bull at

the entrance

to the

tent of

meeting

before the

Lord.

The priests

should know

this.

And those

who help

with the

tabernacle

ministry,

the Kohathites

and these

Levites that

live in the

city of

Beth Shemesh,

if they

have the

word of

God

minister to

them,

should know

all of

this.

And this

should be

their posture

toward the

Lord,

who's already

been victorious

over all

the other

gods.

But look

back at

chapter 6

now,

verse 14.

When the

cart came

into the

field of

Joshua

of Beth

Shemesh

and stood

there,

a large

stone was

there,

so they

split the

wood of

the cart

and offered

the cows,

these same

two young

female heifers

that had

left their

calves behind

as a burnt

offering to

the Lord.

So they

did burn

it all

the way,

but the

Lord did

not receive

this as

the atonement

for their

sin that

he required.

How is it

that sinners

can know

the terms

of God?

We must

learn God's

terms from

his word.

God does

not lower

the terms

of his

covenant.

And you

and I,

despite our

sin,

we can know

the terms

of God's

covenant,

covenant,

but we

must learn

from God's

word.

We need

to be the

people of

his word.

We need

to help

one another,

sharpen one

another.

That's one

of the things

I love about

the culture

of this

church is

we're under

his word

together.

You see

how this

holy Lord

God,

he comes

near to

sinners

while they're

still in

darkness.

Have I

proved that

these people

are in

darkness?

They need

the word

of God?

I think

the reason

the Lord's

exposing this

is because

that will

be Samuel's

ministry.

It's to

minister the

word of

God finally

that's been

long neglected.

And while

he's been

recognized as

an established

prophet of

God,

they are not

receiving the

word of

God.

So what's

the third

observation

here?

Well,

the Lord

will get

their attention

even further

by showing

the high

cost of

falling short

of his

glory.

This

holy Lord

God,

he shows

the high

cost of

falling short

of his

glory.

They took

the wood

that the

Philistines

had sent

over,

burnt it,

put these

female

heifers on

top,

but they

fell short

of the

glory of

God.

They

sinned

against

him.

The

Philistines

knew the

holiness of

God better

than Israel

did.

We're told

in verse

19,

chapter 6,

verse 19,

the Lord

struck the

men of

Beth Shemesh

because they

had looked

into or

gazed at

the ark

of the

Lord.

They

gazed at

or looked

inside this

ornate

golden box.

Picture this

in the desert

wilderness,

massive box

with two

ornate

angels,

cherubim,

warrior angels,

separating what

is unholy

from the

Lord who

is holy.

What a sight

for these

simple Israelite

farmers.

farmers.

And the

Lord strikes

them dead

for looking

at the

ark.

They looked

at it because

they didn't

know the

word of

God.

They had

not been

taught that.

One

commentator

said they

put it as

a tourist

attraction.

Here's a

big stone,

set it up

there.

Everyone

traveling this

highway,

come and

gawk and

look at

it.

And the

Lord said,

this is not

how you

worship the

holy creator

of all,

who's

condescended

and made

himself low

to be in

covenant with

you through

the shedding

of blood.

They were

inspecting the

ark and

likely many

were idolizing

the ark

itself with

their eyes

rather than

receiving the

living God

by faith,

not by sight.

In Matthew

Matthew 15:8

15 verses

8 and 9,

Jesus said,

these people

draw near to

me with their

mouth,

they honor me

with their

lips,

but their

hearts are

far from

me.

See how

nothing changes.

This can be

said of us

before Christ

has saved us

or when our

flesh is too

strong and it

can be said of

many who will

look at a

crucifix,

look at a

painting of

Jesus and

think they've

paid him

enough honor,

move on with

their lives

rather than

fearing and

having reverence

for the holy

God and

approaching him

by the shed

blood of

Christ to

cover our

sins.

And so in

verse 19,

the Lord

struck the

men.

The number

that's given

in verse 19

is a topic

of debate.

I don't agree

with this,

but some will

say it's a

copyist error.

I don't agree

with that.

A better

explanation,

some of you

don't even

see the

conflict,

but it's

because in

some translations

it'll say

70 men

were struck

down.

Others will

say 50,000

and 70

were struck

down.

The best

explanation

that I have

come to

believe is

right.

It's that

right before

this we're

given a

summary again

of God's

vengeance

upon the

Philistines.

It's a

summary of

all the

five cities,

all the

gold,

all the

curses of

the plague

that they

endured,

and then the

Philistines

watching up to

this point,

now it's the

handoff,

and these

70 of

Israel also.

So the

number 50,000

is likely the

number of

how many

died in

Philistia

of this

plague,

and 70

based on

the size

of Beth

Shemesh

would have

been how

many died

from Israel.

So in

total,

the total

number is

50,000

and 70.

Five cities

of the

Philistines,

five lords,

50,000

Philistines,

and then 70

of those who

had gawked

and gazed

and looked

into the

ark and

forgotten

the holiness

of God

in Israel.

We're told

this was a

very great

slaughter,

and the

people lamented

because this

holy Lord

God had

struck the

people of

Israel in

this Levitical

city with

such a

great slaughter.

See the

contrast?

I think what

we have seen

right here is

still another

one of the

results of

the neglect

of Hophni

and Phinehas,

the sons of

Eli.

See the

neglect of

the ministers

of the word

and of the

sacraments,

it's far

reaching.

Their sin,

failing to

provide the

word of

God and

calling people

through the

means God

had ordained,

it continued

to affect so

many other

people,

including these

citizens of

Beth Shemesh.

This is the

great lesson

to be learned.

I think that

the Philistines

were to teach

the Israelites

a lesson.

They're used

as a foil

or a contrast

here.

Look back at

chapter 6,

verse 5.

See what the

priests of

the Philistines

realized quicker

than Israel?

In chapter 6,

verse 5,

the priests of

the Philistines

said,

you should give

glory to the

God of Israel.

And the word

glory is you

should give

weightiness to

this God,

Yahweh,

who slayed

Dagon.

And perhaps

he will lighten

his hand

from you.

Perhaps

he'll lift up

some of the

weight of his

glory from

Philistia.

In chapter 6,

the Philistines

made the

connection.

They need to

learn from

the history

of Israel

that Israel

apparently had

forgotten.

Why do you

harden your

hearts as

the Egyptians

and Pharaohs

had hardened

theirs?

John B.

Webster

commented,

religion is

sin when it

makes God

into something

which we

can handle.

If the

holiness of

God is not

perceived and

appreciated,

then the

entire work

and conduct

of God

cannot be

grasped.

Israel needs

to understand

first and

foremost,

before anything

else,

God is

holy.

You have

forgotten

this,

people of

God.

You need

to grasp

that he

is holy

before you

will appreciate

anything else

of the work

of God

for you.

Maybe that's

a lesson

for us

today.

So,

in chapter

6,

verse 20,

the men

of Beth

Shemesh

come to

the same

conclusion

that the

Philistines

had come

to.

Who is

able to

stand before

this holy

Lord God?

The Lord

needed to get

Israel's attention

and needed to

expose to them

their need to

be under

his word.

God.

And they

came to the

conclusion,

we cannot

stand before

this holy

God.

Who will

teach us?

Who will

come and

show us

how it

is that

we can

even be

near

Yahweh

who

delivered

our

people

out of

Egypt?

Instead,

they say

right now,

who can

we pass

him up

to?

Who can

we get

rid of

the ark

to?

But we

know it's

got to

be above

us.

It's

got to

go upward,

not down.

So,

they send

the ark

of the

Lord

away.

In

Job

Job 21 · chapter mention

chapter

21,

the wicked

are described

this way.

They spend

their days

in prosperity

and in

peace they

go down

to Sheol,

to hell.

And they

say to

God,

depart from

us.

We do

not desire

the knowledge

of your

ways.

And those

in Bethshemesh

who did

not desire

to know

the ways

of God,

enjoying

their harvest

and their

prosperity

going down

to hell.

Who wants

to know

the will

of God?

Who desires

to have

the knowledge

of the

holy God?

The

holy God

had come

down to

them,

yet they

would not

have him

on his

own terms.

And the

holy Lord

God shows

the high

cost of

falling short

of his

glory.

Well,

brothers and

sisters,

the Lord

Jesus Christ

is the

one who

makes this

same holy

Lord God

encounter

you and

me.

And in

his work

he showed

the high

cost of

falling short

of the

glory of

God.

It's the

wrath of

God poured

out on

sin.

And it's

poured out

on you

still if

you don't

know

Jesus.

But only

in Jesus

he received

the wrath

of God

for the

ways in

which we

fall short

of his

glory.

And now

we celebrate

we do

have a

mediator

who took

the wrath

of God

in our

place.

And we

receive God

in covenant

through Jesus

Christ every

time we

gather.

Well,

here's the

fourth

celebration.

It's that

this holy

Lord God

causes his

people to

desire the

victory he

already

accomplished.

He got

their attention.

Now he

causes them

to desire

this victory

for themselves.

Israel

neglected to

keep the

word of

God and

Israel was

unfaithful

to God.

What would

God do?

Will this

holy Lord

God lower

the terms

of his

covenant?

What the

Lord does

is he

acts in a

holy way

once again.

He uses

time to

work on

people.

Look at

chapter 7

verse 1.

They send

the ark

of God

away and

specifically

on a

hill.

They know

he must

be higher

than us.

They

consecrate

a priest

Eliezer.

the son

to keep

the ark

of the

Lord.

In verse

2 we're

told it

was there

that the

ark remained

at Kiriath

Jerom for

a long

time.

It was

there 20

years.

And all

the house

of Israel

lamented

after the

Lord.

So the

Lord is

back in the

land of

Israel.

The glory

of God

has returned

but he's

still not

communing

with these

sinners.

20 years

pass.

Would the

Lord prepare

a generation

to receive

him?

And how

would he

do it?

Well let's

think what

we can

deduce

would have

happened

during these

20 years.

In Israel

all the

indicators are

that over

20 years

time once

the ark

is again

out of

sight it's

out of

mind for

the people.

We don't

see them

coming to

repentance

in those

20 years

no worship

no prayer

no covenant

renewal

ceremonies

on a

regular

basis.

Samuel's

not

mentioned

at all.

Either

Samuel was

negligent

as possible

or he

was

established

but no

one would

listen

to him.

What about

in the

Philistines?

What would

have happened

to them?

Well one

generation of

the lords

of their

cities would

have died

20 years

past.

The soldiers

that would

have been

in their

prime

and would

have

remembered

the plagues

and the

story of

the God

of Israel

invading

their land

and slaying

them.

Many of

them would

have died

off by now

and been

forgotten.

So up

comes the

next generation

proud and

arrogant in

just 20

years time.

So the

Philistines

begin to

become greedy

again and

they start

looking at

the land

of the

Israelites

and they

become a

massive threat

once again

20 years

later.

And now

the people

are woken

up a little

bit.

God's got

their attention

here come

the

Philistines.

What are

we going

to do?

We're told

in verse

5 that

they summoned

Samuel.

Then Samuel

said this is

nationwide.

He says

gather all of

Israel to

Mizpah.

It's a point

of reference.

It's most

likely a stone

there and

the name of

the stone

Mizpah is

Watchtower.

Samuel says

gather

representatives from

all of Israel

and I will

pray for you.

And here's

how Samuel

judges all

of Israel

at Mizpah.

Verse 5

If you

return to

the Lord

with all

your heart

and put

away the

foreign

gods to

the

Ashtaroth

from among

you and

prepare your

hearts for

the Lord

and serve

him only

he will

deliver you.

Will this

generation

repent?