God helps us! Since God helps us, then why are we so unfaithful? Specifically, why am I so unfaithful? Twenty years after the Philistines defeat Israel, Israel still finds itself needing spiritual renewal (2). While the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from Israel in their triumph (1 Samuel 5), the LORD forced them to return it by decapitating their god and sending various plagues their way (1 Samuel 6).
Why was the Ark so important? The Ark represented God’s presence among God’s people. What represents God’s presence for us? What lets us know that God is with us? Regardless, the Philistines decided that they no longer wanted to keep the Ark. They encountered Israel’s God and found that he was more than just Israel’s God! Who can blame them for that decision?
The people mourned and sought after the LORD (2). Well, they sort of did this… Do you remember Samuel? His barren mother, Hannah, miraculously conceived him and dedicated him to the LORD (1 Samuel 1). She took him to the temple and gave him to the priest, Eli, to raise him.
Unfortunately, Eli’s own sons were wicked men, and Eli did not restrain them (1 Samuel 2). The prophecies pronouncing judgment against Eli’s house continued to come. In the midst of it, the LORD calls Samuel, but neither Samuel nor Eli immediately know what’s happening (1 Samuel 3). When they finally figure it out, God gives another prophecy against Eli. Finally, it all happens (1 Samuel 4-5).
In one sorrow-filled day, Israel experiences defeat at the hands of the Philistine army. The Ark of the Covenant is captured. God leaves Israel. Eli’s sons are killed in the battle, and when Eli hears the news, he falls, breaks his neck, and dies. Just as God has said, judgment comes to the Eli’s house and all of Israel.
Samuel replaces Eli and his sons as priest. God adds prophet and judge to Samuel’s job title. He’s been serving Israel for twenty years. It is hard not to ask: Has it been twenty years? How quickly the years pass? Time does pass quickly, especially here. From the end of chapter 6 to the beginning of chapter 7, twenty years pass! We do not know a lot about those twenty years except that Samuel served God faithfully during that time.
So, the people turned and sought the LORD (2), but like us, not fully. Samuel says, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods… and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (3). This is the key verse in the passage.
If Israel is to experience freedom from their Philistine oppression then they must renew their relationship to God! If we are to experience freedom from our oppression then we must renew our relationship to God. God helps us! God works on behalf of those who live in right relationship to him.
If we are returning to God, then Samuel mentions three movements that need to happen. He tells us to put away our gods for God, commit ourselves to the LORD, and serve him alone. While some would want to make this into a formula to get God do what we wish, this verse goes far beyond some chemical mixture to get a scientific result.
Why do we need to renew our relationship to God? In our story, the people of God have been unfaithful to God. God helps us! Why are we unfaithful to God? There could be many reasons. Let’s wonder together why God’s people would be unfaithful to a faithful God.
Sometimes, it is just hard to wait on God. It’s been twenty years of Philistine oppression! Where is God during this time? We have waited on him: 5 years, 10 years, 15 years… What about all of our mourning and seeking him? We’ve been sorry for our unfaithfulness! Haven’t we paid enough already? Isn’t it hard to wait on God? We get impatient with his timing. We want deliverance today, but really, we were not ready for it. Our hearts are still divided. We are unfaithful.
It’s not only the wait that made it hard to be faithful. Maybe, it was their utter defeat twenty years ago. If God really cares about us then how could have he let us experience such a total defeat at the hands of the Philistines. It’s hard not to fear the Philistines more than God. Look at what they did to us! We’ve been completely defeated by these people. Are they more powerful than God, at least in our lives? Do we fear man more than God? Our defeat can challenge our faithfulness. When we think that we’re following God and encounter utter failure, we wonder about God. Who failed whom first?
It’s Eli and his sons fault! Their poor leadership put us in this place! If they had been what they should have been then we would not have received the judgment. Sleeping with women volunteers! Stealing sacrifices! Betraying God! Look what they did! They lead us down this path. We want to blame someone else. Make them responsible for our unfaithfulness. Yet, when Samuel calls the people back to God, he has to tell them to get rid of the foreign gods! While the leaders may have been ungodly, it was not just the leaders who departed from God. They all had a part to play! And they played it well!
Why are we unfaithful to God? I believe that we are unfaithful when we are uncertain of our relationship to God. When we sin, we put our relationship with God on shaky grounds! When we do not truly take responsibility for our sin, confess them to God and turn from them, then we struggle in living for him. Like Eli and his sons, lack of godly leadership plays a role in that uncertainty, but through our personal sin, we do our share of the damage as well. Our sin separates us from God. Thankfully, God raises up godly leaders, like Samuel, to lead the people to God, not away from him.
Yet, how do we know if a leader is godly and leading us in the way that we should go? What happens when we follow the leader, and it appears that our situation grows worse and more dangerous for ourselves and our families? Should we have followed him? Do we follow him?
The Israelites risk it! They put away their foreign gods (4) and assemble at Mizpah (5). They followed Samuel. Unfortunately, the Philistines hear of Israel’s gathering. It does not matter if it is a non-violent religious gathering or a gathering of troops. Israel isn’t mobilizing their forces. It doesn’t matter! The Philistines assume it’s a rebellion against their oppression! So, they mobilize their army to attack Israel and end the rebellion.
What’s our first thought? The enemy is coming to destroy us, so let’s pray! Samuel intercedes with the LORD on behalf of Israel (5-9). They drew water and poured it out before God (6). I don’t really understand why, but they do it. They fasted and confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD” (6)! Samuel leads people in this renewal of their covenant relationship to God (6). The Philistines are coming to attack Israel (7)!
What are they going to do now? Continue praying? What about our troops? The Israelites are scared! They tell Samuel to keep crying out to God, “Save us!” They know that they need God to save them from the Philistines. They cannot deliver themselves! They cannot free themselves of this oppression! Only God can do it for them! Samuel offers the sin sacrifice to the LORD and cries out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf (9).
Samuel continues crying out to the LORD (9)! The Philistines draw near to do battle (10)! Israel gathered for a religious ceremony, not to do battle! Not to fight against the Philistines! They gathered for renewal of their covenant with God and revival of their relationship to this LORD! Instead, Samuel has led them to further defeat and death! Or has he?
This passage; this message does not focus on the enemy, whether Philistines or another. While the enemy’s threat may increase and our fears grow more intense, we cannot set our limited sight upon them or upon ourselves. This message does not focus on the false reasons of our unfaithfulness: long waiting, devastating defeat, or lousy leadership. None of these will excuse our unfaithfulness and sin.
We cry out to God, and God answers (9)! God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Christ died for sin in our place. He saves us! God thunders from heaven sending the Philistine army into absolute panic (10)! Israel knows that they cannot defeat this enemy. Only God could deliver them. Why would God deliver them from the Philistines? He delivers them for the same reason that he answers any prayer. They cry out to him. Samuel sets up a stone and names it, “the LORD helped us” (12).
The enemy is subdued. Israel regains their territory. Godly leadership prevails (13). There was peace for a time (13, 14). What enemy are we facing in our lives and our church? While it is probably not named, Philistines, can we give it a name? What territory do we need to recover? What have we lost to the enemy? Will we cry out to the LORD for help and salvation? Christ has won the victory for us. God helps us. Will we be faithful to the LORD who helps us?
May God’s Word and Sacrament deepen more than our knowledge of Him! May we draw near to the Lord who draws near to us in them. May Grace and Peace through our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, be an ever present reality to us. AMEN!
Sources:
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version.
I find great inspiration in the sermons of Frederick Buechner and Fred Craddock.
Buechner, Frederick. Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons (New York: HarpersOne, 2006).
Craddock, Fred B. The Cherry Log Sermons (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001).
Lowry, Eugene. The Homiletical Plot: the Sermon as Narrative Art Form (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001).
Lowry, Eugene. Website: http://www.eugenelowry.com/
My Narrative Sermons on 1 Samuel:
1 Samuel 1: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8340729/narrative_sermon_why_is_god_against.html?cat=52
1 Samuel 2: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8319861/narrative_sermon_could_my_kids_really.html?cat=37
1 Samuel 3: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8351675/narrative_sermon_an_unfamiliar_voice.html?cat=37
1 Samuel 4: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8358917/narrative_sermon_all_alone.html?cat=44
1 Samuel 5-6: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8370439/narrative_sermon_can_god_fail.html?cat=44 (This is my first sermon from this passage.)
While I have reviewed four of Lowry’s books, here is my review of the Homiletical Plot: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7940249/book_review_the_homiletical_plot_by.html?cat=38