seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 7:5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a] of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
10 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. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,(b) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
10 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. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,(b) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
a. 1 Samuel 7:6 Traditionally judge; also in verse 15
b. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help
This comes from the easy English site.
They could not meet together at Shiloh because the Philistines had ruined the town. Mizpah is about 24 kilometres (15 miles) south of Shiloh. ‘They got water from the ground and poured it out in front of the Lord’ (verse 6). ‘In front of the Lord’ probably means in front of the altar where they gave sacrifices. This may be a picture way to show that God forgave them. We wash things clean with water. God ‘washed away’ their *sins when they confessed them to him. They did not eat that day because they were very sad about their sin. Samuel was a priest because he came from the tribe of Levi (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Chronicles+6:33-38&version=NIV). [/B]Samuel was also a prophet because God spoke to him (chapter 3; 4:1). This day he also became the leader of the Israelites. In verse 6, ‘ruled’ also means ‘judged’. So, Samuel led the people as the judges did in the book of Judges. He was their last leader before God gave them a king.
In these times, people thought that their gods ruled the weather. But the Lord rules the weather. Thunder is the noise that comes with a storm and lightning. Dagon was the god of thunder. So the Philistines were very afraid when they heard the loud thunder. They were confused so they ran away. It was easy for the Israelite men to fight and kill the Philistines.
In these times, people thought that their gods ruled the weather. But the Lord rules the weather. Thunder is the noise that comes with a storm and lightning. Dagon was the god of thunder. So the Philistines were very afraid when they heard the loud thunder. They were confused so they ran away. It was easy for the Israelite men to fight and kill the Philistines.
Samuel ruled the Israelites from his home town of Ramah. But each year he went on a 50-mile journey to 3 other important towns. He helped as a judge in their legal arguments.
This is from Bible.org.
Samuel offers a whole burnt offering to the LORD on behalf of the Israelites. He cries out to the LORD, beseeching Him to deliver the Israelites, and God answers his prayer. Samuel is still offering the sacrifice to the LORD as the Philistine warriors arrive. The Israelites are completely unprepared for this attack, but the LORD seems to bring about a great thunderstorm (or at least the sounds of thunder) which causes great confusion among the Philistine warriors and enables the Israelites to overcome them. From Mizpah, the Israelites pursue the Philistines as far as Beth Car, a city whose location is not known. Samuel then sets up a stone between Mizpah and Shen, calling the stone “Ebenezer,” which means, “stone or rock of my help,” a commemoration that this battle has been won by the LORD’S help.
