Turning Back to God

Alistair took us on a whistle-stop tour through 1 Samuel chapters 4 to 6.

1 Samuel 4 · chapter mention

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

come home

you who are

weary

come home

earnestly

tenderly

Jesus is

calling

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

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

YouTube

Try

to

higher

Life

б

UND

into

cases