1 Samuel 7:1-17

The help stone

In this chapter, the people of Israel have learned this thing about God: They cannot live without Him. They had lost bitterly and needed His help. But they also struggled to live with God - even some died from the weight of God's glory returning to them.

God helps those He shouldn't

The stone the Israelites set up stated one thing: God helps, even when He shouldn't. The Israelites didn't deserve any help after the way they had treated God, yet He brought them back through repentance. They cried out for His help and turned back to them in their hearts. They were aware of their need for His help.

They first had to repent of their sins - destroying other gods they worshipped and relying solely on Him. They were to devote themselves exclusively to God, commit to Him like a husband and wife and worship Him alone. This is true repentance.

In mission, we need God's power so that His glory is revealed and those whom it reaches are brought to their knees as they recognise their sinfulness and repent and dedicate themselves wholly to Him and Him alone

Israel's devotion was proven to be genuine by a trial. They faced the Philistines, openly declaring their faith to be real. They depended on God to deliver them, and their faith shone through. God responded to them because of their faith, not only proving their faith, but God's faithfulness also.

Genuine faith is rewarded. Those who are faithful will see the day when God's glory is fully revealed and the faithful are rewarded with a lifetime of worship. That reward for our faith is proven to be genuine through the trials. Those trials might seem long, and God makes us wait, but not out of cruelty but so that there is time for more to believe and be saved and join the faithful.

For the faithful, God provides victory. For the Israelites that was in battle against the Philistines. Yet what was it that brought God's victory? A sacrifice. The lamb was slain and at that moment God's glory was revealed. In that moment, God was giving them and us a picture. The lamb that was undeserving was killed. The Israelites, who deserves exile from God received victory. God had gone into exile when the ark was removed from Israel.

See the picture? Jesus, God incarnate, was killed, removed from God like the ark was removed from exile. And as He thundered with a loud voice, victory came? Jesus' sacrifice was the sacrifice that brought the picture to life for us. Our victory comes from the sacrifice of God's only son. That victory is salvation, brought through His servant. Like Samuel was God's servant, gone but returned when Israel repented. Samuel interceded for God's people and offered the sacrifice the brought victory, and set up the stone of remembrance. He established a permanent reminder of what God did. Samuel was a signpost of Jesus, who would offer a sacrifice and lay down a stone of remembrance (the Lord's Supper) so that all who believe can remember what God has done. The cross for us is a reminder of the reason that God's glory is unbearable in unfaithfulness, and the remedy that gives us the ability to stand in God's glory in Christ.