I'm getting ready to preach through I Samuel 7 this Sunday night so I'm throwing out some thoughts on what is really a great passage of scripture:
1. When the Israelites finally get that this divided heart thing is not working, they mourn and seek God. Samuel tells them that they have to "clean house" and then they got rid of all of these foreign gods. It never ceases to amaze me that we think we can have this wonderful relationship with God while clinging to all the garbage of the world. God does not co-habitate.
2. They return to the Lord - but the Philistines still attack. A return to God doesn't guarantee an end to the battles. They may even escalate.
3. When God does come in - there is no battle. Just like Revelation 20:7, when Satan is released and preps for battle. God breathes, it's over. (Whatever your interpretation of this passage: futuristic, symbolic, preterist - it's pretty cool). Point: When God breathes, the enemy dies. Do we realize that the authority of the Creator of the universe is within us when we seek to advance His kingdom? The gates of hell cannot stand against Him! Again - there is no battle when God breathes!
4. Ebenezer - "Thus far has the Lord helped us." I love this part of the victory, because in "thus far" is the expectation of greater things. (or at least different things - they may not be greater.) It's a marker, but one that's placed along the way, not at the end. Samuel is expecting more. I get charged by this because sometimes I think that where I am is the end of the story. There are greater things to come if I will only open my heart and my mind to God.
Once when I was administrator of SSCA, one of my teachers came up to me with an interesting problem. Seems he had written on one of student's Progress Reports: "Student X has had a great term thus far." The mother called him livid - was he expecting this to be temporary? Was he expecting her son to fail, to be unable to keep up with this pace? We laughed about this (after the meeting) and told Mrs. Capozzi to relax, but at least she understood something, something that Samuel also knew: "Thus far" means that things can change along the way. For good or bad.
I read this chapter and I get challenged and excited. Get rid of the garbage, be prepared for battle, know that with God victory is assured, and expect great things. Not a bad chapter.
2 comments:
real nice! you and i both know there is no way i would have ever gotten a positive comment at any point during the semester on my report card!
this is good stuff man. i am loving my read through i samuel right now.
i really like that idea, "God does not co-habitate." that is a huge topic in christianity, how many worldly things we allow ourselves to get away with while still claiming Christ. it is a trend that is spanning all generations too. we justify so many things. we should only justify what is already just.
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