TURNING BACK TO GOD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord. And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are 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 Baals 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 they 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 Car.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. 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.

1 Samuel 7:2-14

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 6 of 1st Samuel closed, the ark of the Lord had been returned to the Israelites as Beth Shemesh who at first rejoiced at it coming back into Israelite hands until seventy of their men were struck down by God for looking into the ark. Instead of seeing the act as it was, God’s judgment on a group of disobedient men, the people of Beth Shemesh thought the problem was the ark itself and so they sought to give it away, finding takers in the men of Kiriath Jearim who would keep it for twenty years. During this time, scripture tells us that “all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord”. Actually, the New Living Translation of the text actually gives us a better feel for what the people were going through. It reads, “During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.”

Question: Have you ever gone through a period of time when you lamented because you felt the Lord had abandoned you?

So why had God seemed so distant to the Israelites at Kiriath Jearim? Well, we see the Lord’s faithful servant Samuel enter the scene to offer spiritual guidance to the “whole house of Israel” saying, "If you are 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." In other words, the reason that God seemed so distant to the Israelites is because they had distanced themselves away from Him, turning instead to the false gods of the Canaanites.

Question: How often do we distance ourselves from God and then wonder why He seems so distant from us?

Our passage tells us that the Israelites listened to Samuel’s counsel and “put away their Baals and Ashtoreths”, choosing to serve the Lord only. It was then and only then, that Samuel would intercede for Israel with the Lord as he called them to assemble at Mizpah.

Question: Do you realize that you can only get right with the Lord when you first give up everything in your life that would cause you to distance yourself from Him? In other words, when you decide to surrender your sinful nature in exchange for the righteousness only He can give.

Well, Israel “assembled at Mizpah” led by Samuel, drawing water and pouring it out before the Lord, an expression of remorse. They then “fasted and…confessed’ saying, "We have sinned against the Lord."

Question: If you have distanced yourself from the Lord, do you realize you can make things right this very moment? All you need to do is sincerely desire to turn from your sinfulness, pour your confession out before Him and then stand ready to accept His gift of forgiveness, grace and love. Then, the most important step…don’t repeat the sinfulness again. Stay true to your word and turn away from what would draw you distant from the Lord.

So Israel had repented and confessed before the Lord, giving up everything that had distanced them from Him. Now they were ready to experience His favor.

For we read that the Philistines had heard about Israel’s assembly at Mizpah and decided to attack them. The Israelites, fearing that they would face yet another slaughter, appealed to Samuel saying, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines." And Samuel did intercede for Israel, taking a suckling lamb and offering it up as a “whole burnt offering to the Lord” before crying “out to the Lord on Israel's behalf”.

And the result? The Lord answered him.

Question: Do you know that when you turn from your wicked, sinful ways and pour out your sincere, heartfelt confessions before the Lord, that He will hear your cry and answer you? Trust and know that the Lord loves you and wants to partner with you to ensure you live a life that is righteous, holy and pleasing to His sight. Also trust and know though that the Lord will not partner with sin and so if you decided to allow sin to rule and reside in you, don’t expect the Lord to coexist there. You have to choose…sin or the Lord. You can’t have both.

Well, Israel chose right. They chose the Lord and He rewarded them with deliverance. For “while Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering”. Scripture tells us that “the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle”. But the Lord was going to have none of it. This time, a repentant Israel would have the victory as “the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed”. And the “men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car”...they were “subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again”.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the Lord continued to keep His hand “against the Philistines” throughout Samuel’s lifetime. He also restores all the towns that the Philistines had captured from Israel, “Ekron to Gath”, and “delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines”. Furthermore, “there was peace between Israel and the Amorites”. A lot had changed and all for the good. All because Israel had turned back to God.

Question: Do you wish for God’s favor to be with you? Do you wish to live a life that is pleasing in the sight of the Lord?

Well, if your answer is yes, then this scripture clearly outlines the path to get there. First, turn from your sinful ways, confess of your wrongs, cry out to the Lord for His guidance and instruction and receive His word and Spirit as He hears your cries and shows you the path to walk…the path that He is ready to walk with you…the Christian walk that leads us to a destination that is always holy and righteous and good. The joy is in the journey. Thanks be to God. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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