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Turn to I Samuel Chapter 7 – Between verses 1,2there were twenty years during which time the people lamented or yearned for restoration.

People are yearning today, but they do not know what for. There is almost a spirit of unity for something to be done to repair what was so terribly and tragically and sinfully wrong. There was a spirit of unity because the situation was so desperate. It took twenty years!

This was a hard and difficult time for the people of God – and it must have been for Samuel too – but on he goes. He is not discouraged nor disheartened. God thrusts him into this situation. It could not have been easy. These are hard passages, and it is so today – and it is unrealistic to think otherwise. We have had no mention of Samuel for some time.

He is about to galvanise the nation into a different type of action than warfare. For a number of years God and Samuel had let the people go.

Verse 3 – Samuel the leader takes the initiative. This is around 25 years after the incident with Dagon and some of the strongholds being pulled down. Samuel had a heart for battle and the spirit of battle – and the people appear to be ready now for a different kind of leadership. They now know they need a man of God.

Mizpah means watchtower. This the story and record of God and His people.

Verse 15 - Samuel went to Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah and Ramah. He was giving the Word of the Lord in this itinerant ministry from year to year.

These are very strong words. When they were repenting earlier, Samuel was not very impressed. Put away the strange gods from among you. Sometimes God’s people want it both ways. They want to see God work in the land – without putting away what ought not to be there.

Peter speaks about judgment beginning at the House of God. 1Peter 4verse 17. “If it begins with us what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” What if God were to say to us – “Prove it”. Sort things out, and get your lifestyle into some sort of Christian order.

The glory of God had departed – now the Ark was back – but not the glory. The people mourned – yearned – longed for renewal or revival. The nation had to be revived.

Samuel preached and the requirements were – a real returning to God. Put away your foreign gods. Fertility gods and sensual pleasure had taken priority. Does that sound familiar?

Half-hearted repentance never works. It has got to be more than words, and we saw that with Jonathan – and with Barnabas. Action is required. Commitment is required. Very few people are committed to anything. If it does not work we will try something else and move to greener pastures.

Verse 6 – the pouring out of water was a symbol of helplessness. They were without God. Precious water cannot be gathered up – is this a sowing of what is precious? Were they going to pour themselves out before God? Samuel led them. The God whom Samuel represents was the only God who could save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

Verse 7 – What happened here? Were they unaware of the power of repentance? This was the start of what we might call revival. Israel’s faith was marked by – holiness – separation unto God – obedience to God – they were pilgrims and aliens down here. They came together as a congregation – or as a nation.

Verse 8 – They are clinging to the man of God – who seems to know what to say and what to do.

Verse 9 – Samuel was going to minister – and pray – and sacrifice a lamb. He would have learned this as a boy at Shiloh – and God spoke. He appeals to God – just as we would in the name of the Lamb – our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine if our Government took this attitude – and got alongside our King some Sunday – do you not think there would be a mighty following – perhaps even nominally to begin with?

The Ark is restored. Sacrifice is restored. The prophetic word is restored. Is it not all so simple when Almighty God is in it? 3verse 21 must be our guideline and significant reference.

Verse 10 – The Lord thundered with a loud thunder. The people were experiencing the presence and the power of Almighty God – and the disciples in the book of Acts certainly experienced that. Thunder is a word used for panic and supernatural manifestation. The people of God and the Philistines recognised this truth and reality. It was a supernatural visitation.

Verse 11 – The honour and glory of God are returning as a consequence of Repentance.

Verse 12 – Samuel built an altar of stone. This has happened since the day of Abraham. This is something that would last – and it would be visible. On this rock I will build My Church. The only safe place – the only useful place – the only hopeful place – is to be with God – to be in Christ.

Verse 13 – What an impact this man made! Samuel created a climate in Israel – the climate for a prophetic ministry to be exercised for over 200 years. The power of sin within the land was subdued.

19 verse 20 – Private divinity schools – home groups – small fellowships – out of sight of the nation. Samuel was building for the future – not very attractive work.

It was about this time that the schools of the prophets were founded. It became organised in a good way. There was a structure.

It begets men who can teach others and who can pass it on – Paul’s instructions to Timothy, to teach others who will in turn teach those come later on.

Samuel did not see the effect he had upon the nation. Our task is to be faithful to our remit – to our calling in Christ. There was a lasting nature of Samuel’s work and ministry. What a difference now from Chapters 2,4 – barrenness – corruption – carelessness and idolatry – you would not have thought it was possible! But that is the situation into which the Word of the Lord came.

It was similar when God chose the man we know as John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Twenty years ago they had carried a box – a chest – the Ark. Now, God was with them, because repentance had been real and leadership had been strong and godly.

And – God confused and subdued the Philistines.

Some had been praying – waiting – lamenting – yearning – longing – for 20 years – but the Ark – the symbol of the real presence of the living God – the only God there is – was returned and praise and worship restored.

Verse 14 – And there was peace. And yet – they were soon to demand a king .

“Help us, risen and living Jesus – help us Holy Spirit, in every area of our lives – O for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame, a light that shines upon the road that leads us to the Lamb – help us, Lord God – we are surrounded by people enslaved and imprisoned by hurts and habits and hangovers. Amen”

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

Complex Simplicity