Samuel shows how different life could have been for Israel (and for us) by simple obedience.
After the debacle regarding the ark at Beth Shemesh, the men there did what the Philistines had done—called their neighbors to take away the ark. So they said to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up with you” (1 Sam 6:21). This they did, and the ark remained in the house of Abinadab for 20 years (7:2), until David reclaimed it for the Lord. And yet, though the ark had been returned, Israel remained in bondage to the Philistines. Why? Because they were in bondage to sin. Thus, declared Samuel, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines” (v 3). And, to our amazement, we read, “So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only” (v 4). Now it was time for a showdown! Samuel gathered Israel at Mizpah. There they poured out a drink offering, illustrating their total commitment, fasting all day, and confessing, “We have sinned against the Lord” (v 6). When the Philistines heard this, they immediately gathered their troops against Israel. What weapons did Israel have? “Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him” (v 9). Adoration and supplication: the all-sufficiency of God for the needs of the people. Now the Lord brought the thunder, so disorienting to the enemy that Israel won handily. There Samuel raised a memorial, calling it Ebenezer, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (v 12). Let’s raise our Ebenezer memorial today, too.