Exclusive allegiance to the LORD

1 Samuel 7:1–17 shows us that we are utterly dependent upon the Lord for everything we have. We depend upon him for our repentance and faith. If he did not send someone, in the past, to proclaim his Word in the power of the Spirit, we would not be here today. We depend upon him for our food and health. If he did not send sunshine and rain, there would be no crops to eat. We depend upon him for our jobs and income. We depend upon him for our homes and cars. We depend upon him for our growth in godliness and our works of obedience. There is nothing in this life that we can trace back to our ingenuity or cleverness. It is all of grace. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side let Israel now say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us (Psalm 124:1–2). Our help is in the name of the Lord (Psalm 124:8); we are utterly dependent upon him. Praise him for his grace and mercy, praise him that he has loved and helped sinners like us.

In response to God’s help, the big application for us today is exactly the same as the application for the Israelites back then. That is to say, if we belong to the Lord, and if the Lord is our help, then we must trust him and forsake our idols. There is no place for Baal and Ashtaroth amongst his people.

Ultimately, all idolatry is a matter of trust. Do I trust the Lord to look after me and to work all things for my good? If the answer is yes, then that trust shows itself in gentle obedience. I am more than happy to submit to God’s commandments if I know that he loves me, and if I am confident that he will care for me as I do so. Seek first the kingdom of God, said Jesus; your heavenly Father will see to your needs (Matthew 6:25–33). But if that trust is lacking, then we will find lots of ways to sidestep God’s commandments to ensure that our needs are met. That is what happened in Israel. They did not trust God to care for them. They thought the Lord was one god among many and so they hedged their bets, so to speak, by serving him as well as serving idols. You need food to eat, so you plant your seeds and you pray to the Lord. But just to be sure, given the fact that many people think Baal is responsible for fertility, you also pray to him. When you are married, you try for children. Infant mortality is high. New births are dangerous. And so you pray to the Lord. But again, just to be sure, you also pray to Asherah. You have needs to satisfy and you do not quite trust God to meet them in his time.

We can hedge our bets in similar ways today. Perhaps we no longer pray to an idol figurine, but we all chase after God-given needs in ways that will allow us to remain in control. The idol of self is deeply embedded in our sinful nature. My comfort, my peace, and my pleasure are of utmost importance. That is why we are so drawn to money and possessions. If our income was just a little bit higher, if our house was just a bit nicer, if we had a better car or the latest gadget, then we would be safe for the future and we would get to do things the way we want to do them. We will be able to say that we trust in the Lord, but we also have a good back-up plan should things go sour.

The human heart is an idol factory, said John Calvin. We are constantly looking for comfort and security apart from God. We want to be independent from our Creator and so we are quick to justify disobedience when it suits us, and we are slow to change long-held patterns of behaviour. But as followers of Christ, we are called to put away our idols and trust in God. We are called to put obedience to his commandments above our own perception of need; to suffer want and discomfort with the confidence that our Lord will care for us. When our plans do not work out, there is no need to become angry and no need for sin. The Lord has promised to provide for body and soul. Even when our circumstances are difficult, we can trust him to do so as we submit to his commandments.