The LORD works repentance

1 Samuel 7:1–17 presents the concluding episode in the first cycle or section of 1 Samuel. Samuel is recognized as Israel’s judge, and many years will pass before the request for a king comes (1 Samuel 8:1–22).

At the beginning of the chapter, Israel appears to be in a worse position than they were in the beginning of the book. If you remember, 1 Samuel begins in the time of the Judges. A time where there was no king and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. A time when Israel experienced God’s wrath, his anger in response to their covenant disobedience. Because they forsook the Lord to serve idols, and because they did not submit to the terms of the old covenant, he gave them over into the hands of the Philistines and they were ruled and dominated by them. In this time, Hannah came to the Lord with a request for a son. She wanted a boy, not primarily for herself and her inheritance, but for the people of God. She realized that Israel’s suffering was due to Israel’s sin and to her mind, if the Lord would grant her a boy, she hoped that boy would take the place of Samson. She hoped that her boy would be the one through whom the Lord brought deliverance to Israel.

Initially things looked like they were going well. Samuel served the Lord at the tabernacle. He grew in stature with God and men. He was even called by the Lord to serve as a prophet. A godly boy, there was every reason to think that he would be used by the Lord to do much good. But then there was the failed rebellion. When the people of Judah mustered the tribes of Israel at Ebenezer, everyone thought this is our chance to get rid of the Philistines. There was great hope for victory. Samuel, however, was not consulted. No one thought to hear from God’s prophet, and so there was another humiliating defeat. The armies of Israel were routed; many sons and daughters were slain. And it was no longer just the tribe of Judah that was under Philistine control, now there were garrisons throughout Israel. All the tribes had been forbidden from making their own weapons (see Judges 15:11; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 13:3, 1 Samuel 13:19). Most likely they were also being forced to pay some kind of tax or tribute. The political situation has gone from bad to worse.  

In terms of religion, the situation is also dire. The ark of the covenant is no longer at Shiloh, no longer at the heart of Israel where it would be accessible to all the tribes. No, after being taken into battle and treated like some kind of magic charm, the ark was captured and then eventually returned to the small town of Kiriath-jearim. High in the mountains, it remained out of sight and out of mind. The special presence of the Lord was hidden away. The annual pilgrim festivals had come to an end. There was no Day of Atonement. The priests had been scatted; the house of Eli was no more.

Thankfully there was a glimmer of hope. A hope grounded in God’s grace and his commitment to the promises he made to Abraham. A hope that was realized in the calling of Samuel. Despite the corrupt priests at the tabernacle, despite the defeated armies of Israel, the Word of the Lord was still available. Through the voice of Samuel, the Lord was speaking to his people. He did not leave them alone; he did not turn his back upon them. He was calling them to repentance. Week by week, year after year, Samuel was there proclaiming God’s truth—a light shining in the darkness. When there were complaints about the Philistines, he reminded the Israelites that their troubles were due to their disobedience. Because they were serving the Baals and the Ashtoreths, that is why they had been defeated in battle, that is why they were suffering. Covenant curses in response to covenant disobedience.

Over time and by the power of his Spirit, the Lord used the preaching of his Word to work a repentance in the hearts of his people. Not one year, not two, but more than twenty years is what it took. Twenty years since the initial defeat at Ebenezer, twenty years since the destruction of Shiloh. Twenty years of faithful teaching and preaching. Twenty years of ordinary gospel ministry. Finally, after twenty years, the day arrived where the people as a whole are willing to confess their sins. Finally, the day arrived where the people are willing to get rid of their idols and commit themselves to serving the Lord. Most likely it is just the family heads who gather at Mizpah, but they come from all over. Every tribe is represented. A solemn and yet a joyous occasion—the people of Israel are seeking the Lord; they want to be reconciled to him. The Lord has worked a repentance in the hearts of his people.