Introduction: Israel was defeated and the ark of God was captured by the Philistines in Ebenezer and taken into the temple of their god, Dagon. The Lord proved to them that He is the only God, beside Him there is no other and at the mention of His name and in His presence everything that exalts itself bow. So the Philistines were forced to return the ark of God, but the ark was not sent back to its original abode but displaced and transported into Kirjath Jearim. After a long

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “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.” So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only (1 Samuel 7, 3-4). As we study yesterday, the children of Israel after a long time came back longing for

And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah (1 Samuel 7, 5-6). The whole assembly of Israel gathered in Mizpah and prayed and fasted. This is as relevant to us now as Christian as it was to them. As a child of God we need to d

Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. So the children 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.” 1 Samuel 7, 7-8 While the revival was taking place at Mizpah and the children of Israel found their way

Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel (1 Samuel 7, 10). The Israelites came to a juncture where they recognised that their strength and ability over the years have failed in this battle against the Philistines, and since the last battle with the Philistines, they have been under the

And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car” (1 Samuel 7, 11). The children of Israel drove the Philistines far from their territory and built a memorial of the great deliverance wrought for them by Yahweh at the same place where they were defeated twenty years ago. The stone was set to remind them of the help of God from the oppression and assault of the enemy and their renewed faith in God but also a poi

So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7, 13). This was a long lasting victory as the bible says the Philistines were subdued all the days of Samuel. To subdue is to bring under control, to tame, to defeat, to crush, to quash and overpower so while Samuel was around, the Philistines were overpowered. Samuel was a prophetic voice in Israel

So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7, 13). The children of Israel subdue the Philistines throughout the lifetime of Samuel and the hand of God was against their enemies. The word of God not only subdues the enemy but engages the hand of God on our behalf. The bible says “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”