The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Help” it comes from the Hebrew Word “ezer” which means “help.”
After twenty years, Samuel calls Israel to genuine repentance, and God grants a decisive victory. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is 1 Samuel 7.
After twenty years with the ark resting quietly at Kirjathjearim, Samuel calls all Israel to genuinely return to the Lord, putting away their foreign gods and Ashtaroth, and serving Him only, promising that God will then deliver them from the Philistines. Israel obeys, and Samuel gathers them at Mizpeh, where they fast, confess their sin, and Samuel judges them there.
Hearing of this gathering, the Philistines march up to attack, and the terrified Israelites beg Samuel to continue crying out to the Lord on their behalf. Samuel offers a sacrifice and prays, and as he does, the Lord thunders with a great noise against the Philistines, throwing them into confusion, and Israel defeats them decisively, pursuing them and striking them down.
Samuel takes a stone and sets it up between Mizpeh and Shen, naming it Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help,” the Hebrew word for help being “ezer,” declaring, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” The Philistines are subdued and do not invade Israel’s territory again throughout the rest of Samuel’s lifetime, and the cities the Philistines had taken are restored to Israel, with peace even existing between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel continues judging Israel throughout his life, traveling a regular circuit between Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and building an altar to the Lord at his home in Ramah.
The victory at Ebenezer came only after genuine repentance, putting away idols rather than simply asking for military help while holding onto compromised worship. Samuel’s memorial stone, hitherto hath the Lord helped us, captures something worth remembering, gratitude rooted in looking back honestly at exactly how far God has already brought His people.
Visit Us At: www.youtube.com/@BibleLifeBasics
Support Us On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BibleLifeBasics