Good morning, everyone! :) Welcome to 1 Samuel 7--a little bit more on the Ark's return, as well as chronicling the Israelites (once again!!) returning to God. Let's SOAP!
Scripture:
"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...and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car." ~1 Samuel 7:10-11
Observation:
The Israelites had deserted God, and I think that's one of the chief reasons that God let the Ark get out of Israelite hands for a time. Now the Ark had come back to Israel, and the entire nation was getting right with God. Samuel told the Israelites to all gather at Mizpah on a certain day, and there Samuel would intercede with God on Israel's behalf.
The Philistines, always observing Israelite movements, figured that Israel was getting ready to go to war with them again. Therefore, the Philistines gathered their fighting force and prepared to attack their enemy. When the Israelites find out about this, they are terrified. They weren't getting ready to fight! They were trying to get right with their God! So as all Israel is gathered at Mizpah, the prophet Samuel asks God for help.
God does help; he sends loud and terrifying thunder to scare the Philistines back to their home country. As the Philistines flee, the Israelites catch up and slaughter as many Philistines as they could. The Philistines never again invaded Israel.
Application:
The big lesson I got from this chapter was God's "forgive and forget" policy. When we sincerely ask him to forgive us, he does...and promptly forgets about the whole thing! After we've asked for forgiveness, it's like we never sinned at all. The Israelites--they ask God for forgiveness, and then ask him to deliver them from the Philistines. He does! God doesn't say, "Well, since you sinned, I'm not gonna do stuff for you any more!" God has already forgotten the Israelites' sins. He helps the Israelites big time in defeating their enemy. A verse that goes along well with this subject, and one of my personal favorites as well, is Psalm 103:12--
"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you so much for letting me read this chapter today. Thank you for reminding me that once I'm asked you for forgiveness of my sins, that you don't hold them against me, but instead forget about them and help me just as if I had never sinned. Thank you for being the wonderful God that you are. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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