August 4, 2023

Wandering hearts weep, repentant hearts find rest in God.

1 Samuel 6-7

Katherine Thomas
Friday's Devo

August 4, 2023

Friday's Devo

August 4, 2023

Friday's Devo

August 4, 2023

Friday's Devo

August 4, 2023

Big Idea

Outward appearances can be deceiving. God looks at the heart.

Key Verse | 1 Samuel 7:3-4

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.

1 Samuel 6-7

The Ark Returned to Israel

1 The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. 6 Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8 And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”

10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD. 16 And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, 1 6:19 Most Hebrew manuscripts struck of the people seventy men, fifty thousand men and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you.”

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

Samuel Judges Israel

3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen 2 7:12 Hebrew; Septuagint, Syriac Jeshanah and called its name Ebenezer; 3 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the LORD.

Footnotes

[1] 6:19 Most Hebrew manuscripts struck of the people seventy men, fifty thousand men
[2] 7:12 Hebrew; Septuagint, Syriac Jeshanah
[3] 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help

1 Samuel 6:4 - "Golden tumors and golden mice?"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | 1 Samuel 6-7

The Philistines were finished with the ark of the LORD. They passed it around like a hot potato because tumors plagued the people of the cities for seven months. The Philistines returned the ark on a cart pulled by two nursing cows, separated from their young, who had never been yoked together or pulled anything.  

The Lord permitted the cows to return the ark. This was a huge miracle—something wonderful only God can do. He made the first move in restoring His relationship with Israel. When Israel cried out to Him, He was already ready to show His steadfast love and kindness to Israel. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines and with Israel.

This was a turning point for Israel. Their hearts returned to the Lord and away from doing what was right in their own eyes and away from their compromising worship of foreign gods. They gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted and prayed and said, "We have sinned against the LORD." The truth is that we all have sinned against the Lord (Romans 3:23) and deserve death (Romans 6:23), but God in His mercy and grace sent Jesus Christ our Lord to die for our sins in our place (1 John 2:2). If you have accepted the free gift He offers (Ephesians 2:8-9), there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more or love you less (Romans 5:8).

When the unrepentant Philistines pursued Israel, the Israelites asked Samuel to keep crying out to the Lord for them. And the Lord delivered them from the Philistines.  

In the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," the words "Here I raise my Ebenezer" refers to 1 Samuel 7:12. When Robert Robinson wrote his lyrics, he followed the word Ebenezer with the phrase, "Here by Thy great help I've come." An Ebenezer, then, is simply a monumental stone set up to signify the great help that God granted the one raising the stone.

There was peace and rest in the land. 

This month's memory verse

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

– Mark 10:45

Discussion Questions

1. How has the Lord made the first move toward you? Where do you need God to do something to let you know that He is present in your life?

2. Have you accepted the free gift of God? Do you believe there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more or love you less?

3. Listen to the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Robert Robinson, which you can find on the internet.

Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I've come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

How can you acknowledge God's bountiful blessings and help in your life?

4. The Philistines put the ark of the LORD on a cart, so did the Israelites (see 2 Samuel 6:1-16).

Here's TA's sermon from 8/14/22: 

https://www.watermark.org/message/9259-from-good-to-godly-2-samuel-6-1-16

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Katherine! Thank you for your pull on “Come thou font…”. Among my all-time favorites. I don’t think I’ve ever made it through all the way without breaking down. Q1. The Lord’s move towards me? I’ll reprise my comment from earlier this week. “A Tap, A Slap and a Brick to the Head.” https://www.jointhejourney.com/5046-god-s-presence-doesn-t-mean-your-victory-if-you-re-outside-his-will Q2. This is a great question. “Acceptance” is the key. Even so, “Do you believe…” is the key to living it out. If I am honest with myself…I am not sure my actions always convey my belief.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

One piece I read recently asked this- “You may believe in Jesus but do you believe what Jesus believes?” The key verse for me is 1 Samuel 7:3- “And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the peo- ple of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.” Thinking about the distance they’ve come from the end of Judges to this moment in their journey. This links me to all the lessons about leadership we’ve read since January-
HS

Hugh Stephenson

The notes say this- “Samuel gave intercession priority in his ministry, because he realized how essential it was to Israel's welfare (cf. 12:23). All spiritual leaders should realize this need and should give prayer priority in their ministries. The suckling young lamb he sacrificed for the people represented the nation as it had recently begun to experience new life because of its repentance (v. 9). The burnt offering was an offering of dedication, but it also served to make atonement for God's people's sins (cf. 24:25; Lev. 1:4; Job 1:5; 42:8).” "Brief as the portrait of Samuel here is, it gives us a glimpse of the ideal ruler. He had been provided by God and trained by him; he now showed himself able to read his people's minds and capable of rebuking them effectively. He was decisive in word and action, and he was fully in touch with God. Nor is his concern to provide justice purely coincidental. Yet the irony was that such a ruler was precisely the man whom Israel rejected, as chapter 8 will show. Political unrest may mirror inadequate or oppressive leadership; on the other hand, it may well demonstrate the fatal flaws in human nature. Exactly the same may be true of unrest within any human community, including a local congregation." “Samuel's personal faithfulness to God qualified him for spiritual leadership and resulted in God blessing Israel. He was God's man for his time, calling the people back to faithful obedience to His will so they could experience His blessing. His ministry shows that the Israelites had no reason to demand a king. Samuel was an exemplary judge.”
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: 1Sam 6:4-5 How best to translate the Hebrew word “עׂפֶל ‘opalim,” rendered in the NASB as “tumors,” has long been debated. Other possible translations that have been suggested are: “swelling” or “boils” (symptomatic of bubonic plague) or “hemorrhoids.” In the following article, A.M. Maeir suggests the somewhat vulgar Hebrew word may best be translated “phalluses,” and that G-d may have smote the Philistines with erectile dysfunction, priapism, or some other kind of penile affliction involving painful swelling. Maeir’s theory certainly fits with the sudden, palpable alarm and urgency in the Philistine response. One squirms at the very thought he might be correct. Moreover, if Maeir is correct, it would make the five golden mice and five golden “עׂפֶל ‘opalim” in 1Sam 6:4-5 far more identifiable to the untrained eye. https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Maier-did_captured_ark_afflict_philistines_with_e.d._-_2016-01-04.pdf Re: 1Sam 6:6,19 Remarkably, the Philistines demonstrate greater faith in 1Sam 6:6, citing G-d’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, than the Israelites themselves demonstrate in 1Sam 6:19, when 50,070 (Note: different ancient manuscripts and the English translations which draw upon them vary by 50,000 men) perish for brazenly and presumptuously peering inside the Ark. Re: 1Sam 7:2 1Sam 7:2 (NASB) From the day that >>>the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years<<<; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. The Ark remains at Kiriath-jearim until King David sought to retrieve it in 2Sam 6:3 and 1Chr 13:7.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Katherine, especially for highlighting the wonderful hymn "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing." Some years ago I read where a worship leader wanted to rewrite the lyrics for "Here I raise my Ebenezer" because people didn't know what that meant. SO TEACH THEM!!!!! :::shaking my head::: I thought it was interesting that the Philistines, while naturally curious about what was inside the Ark, refrained from looking . . . while 70 Israelite men gave in to their curiosity and died for it. Also interesting was God's grace toward the Philistines when they picked up the Ark and put it on a cart, presumably because they didn't know Yahweh's rules . . . while He killed Uzzah for reaching out to steady it. God doesn't mess around with His holiness, but at the same time He is gracious and full of compassion. "For God so loved THE WORLD . . ." Not just the Israelites.
MS

Michael Scaman

God helped them up to this point. The helping was not always comfortable. 2 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen 2 and called its name Ebenezer; 3 for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” It reminds my of the dark book of the Psalms book 3 Ps 73 though Psalm 89 where Jerusalem is overrun and people gone into exile. It starts 'Surely God is Good to Israel" and in the end of that Psalm 73 explains it is good to be near God. That's the goal. The discomfort of discipline seen in the dark book of Psalms starts 'surely God is good to Israel' and with Psalm 89 starting 'I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever'. In the center the sweetest Psalm 81 where if God's people listen 'with honey form the rock will I satisfy you'
AL

Amy Lowther

1. He always makes the sun shine in anything though it might be pouring down rain. I want God present every moment of the day in everything I do. 2. Yes. Yes. 3. I can thank God by telling him thank you in prayer. I can thank God by using His values and His advice in daily life. I can thank God by helping others look to Him and to believe in Him. 4. Everybody can learn from the Ark of the Lord. Taking care of the ark opens up opportunities to benefit from it.
JC

Jason Cromwell

Crowder does an amazing version if you have never heard it.