1 Samuel Chapter 7

Samuel Judges Israel

³ Then Samuel told Israel, “If you’re coming back to Yahveh with all your heart, put away the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. Direct your heart to serve him only, and he’ll deliver you from the Philistines.” ⁴ Israel got rid of the images of Baal and Ashtoreth and served Yahveh only.

⁵ Samuel said, “Gather Israel to Mizpah, and I’ll pray to Yahveh for you.” ⁶ They gathered there, drew water, and poured it out to Yahveh. They fasted that day and said, “We’ve sinned against Yahveh.” Samuel judged Israel at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they went up to attack them. The people heard about it and were afraid. ⁸ They told Samuel, “Don’t stop calling out to Yahveh our God for us to save us from the Philistines.” ⁹ He offered up a suckling lamb as a whole burnt offering. He appealed to Yahveh for Israel, and he answered him. ¹⁰ As he was offering it, the Philistines came to attack; but Yahveh thundered with a loud noise that threw them into a panic. ¹¹ Israel chased them and kept striking them down as far as below Beth-car.                                                                                                                                                1 Sam 7:3-11      

¹² Then Samuel set up a “rock” between Mizpah and Shen. He called it Ebenezer because Yahveh had ‘helped’ them that far. ¹³ The Philistines didn’t invade Israel again. Yahveh opposed them Samuel’s whole life. ¹⁴ The towns they’d taken reverted to Israel from Ekron to Gath. Israel rescued its territory from them.  Israel and the Amorites were at peace too.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel his whole life ¹⁶ on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. ¹⁷ Then he’d come back to his house in Ramah. He administered justice there as well and built an altar to Yahveh.                             

1 Sam 7:12-17