Ready for Revival

Ready for Revival

1 Samuel 7:1-17 

 

Intro: Revival!

 

As we open to 1 Samuel 7, we look back on a people, who powerfully experienced revival after a long period of spiritual stagnation. Under the leadership of a young prophet named Samuel, we will see revival take place amongst God’s people. A revival that is revealed through their longing, returning, trusting, and remembering that God is the One they need, and He is where there help comes from.

What we see in this chapter is a people who were ready for revival and turned wholeheartedly to the Lord. But that chapter comes after some chapters that reveal what took place prior to their revival.

We have been looking at some of the circumstances of the nation leading up to the chapter, and what we know is the time period in the beginning of the book of first Samuel is the time period of Judges. Samuel will be the last Judge, and he will bridge the gap between the period of Judges and period of kings, yet what we know and see as Samuel comes on the scene is that in those days, everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).

Everyone doing what they felt was right in their own eyes is the world Samuel entered into. Throughout the book of Judges, we see a cycle and that cycle is also seen continuing in 1 Samuel. It was a pattern that was on repeat, the people would walk with God, then they would grow tired of walking with Him, then they would wander away from Him, then turn away from Him altogether, then we continually see an enemy overtake them, the people would cry out to Him, God would deliver them through a judge he would bring to them, then they would walk with Him again.

The cycle would continue, we see it on repeat.  It was a constant cycle of sin and deliverance. The people rebelled, they found themselves in trouble, then the people would repent, and the Lord would deliver them.

While reading through the chapters, it is the theme that we begin to see, and when we do, we can easily think, “oh here we go again, what is wrong with these people…Don’t they get it? Can they just figure it out? Can’t they just learn from the past and apply it to their present for a better future?” And it is at that moment that we begin to realize that the cycle is not just something that has been on repeat throughout biblical history, but into church history…

 

Illus. Church History.

 

If we think about it further, however, we see the cycles, or circumstances in our own lives. The times we might define as “awakening,” or other times we might define as “sleeping.” It is through looking back on the Scriptures and in our own lives, however, that we are able to break the cycles and understand there is a better way, and it is in the recognition that we have gone the wrong way, that we become ready for revival.

 

Romans 15:4, For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 

Illus. Recap.

 

1 Samuel 7:1-2, And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the Lord. From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned after the Lord.

 

As the chapter opens in verse one, we read that the ark of the Lord had come back to the Israelites. It was brought to the house of a priest and would remain there for many years. From biblical history we see that it will remain there until 2 Samuel 6, which would have been over 70 years.  After 20 of those years, we see a people who are ready for revival. It had been a long time, but they were going to cry out to the Lord. Though it had been a long time, it was not too late for them to turn to the Lord, and this leads us to the first point I want those who are in need and ready for revival in their lives to see.

 

1. It’s Not Too Late to Return to Him

 

1 Samuel 7:2, The time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned after the Lord.

 

• From chapter 6, we know that the ark of God was with the Philistines for 7 months (1 Samuel 6:1). And now, it has been back with the Israelites for 20 years.

 

• Samuel was last seen as a young boy in the temple hearing from God. In 1 Samuel 3, it is thought that he was around 12 years old, so now fast forward 20 years, he is likely in his 30’s.

 

• 20 years has passed since the ark was captured, since the people put their faith in the ark of God rather than the God of the ark.

 

• And the people, after what the Scripture calls a “long time,” are described as mourning for the Lord.

 

• Their mourning is described a lamenting or turning back to the Lord.

 

• It is a word that depicts a crying out that comes with feelings of sorrow, or regret that comes with a sense of grief.

 

• Their mourning, their regret, their sorrow, was attached to their feeling of sorrow surrounding where they were at before the Lord.

 

• The Bible says it was all Israel with this disposition.

 

1 Samuel 7:2(b), Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. (NIV)

 

• Last week we noted how the people had allowed substitutions to the take the place of God.

 

• We noted in chapter 3 that the word of the Lord was rare in those days, and the fact of the matter was, it was rare because people did not have ears to hear or eyes to see.

 

• Ultimately, the glory of God, His goodness and presence, had departed from Israel in chapter 4, but the people had departed from God long before that.

 

• But here they are returning to the Lord, they are ready for a much-needed revival and what we see is that though it had been a long time, it was not too late for the people turn back, long for Him, and what we will see is that He will respond to them.

 

• It had been a long time, but it was not too late to return to Him.

 

Illus. Return Policy.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 

• Though the Israelites had gone their own way for a long time, it was not too late to turn back to the Lord.

 

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

• All Israel was ready for revival, they were grieved over their sin, and in that conviction of their sin, that lament, that regret, they turned to the Lord and would learn that it was not too late to do so!

 

1 Samuel 7:3-4, Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.

 

• What Samuel points the people to upon seeing their desire to turn to God, is to turn away from that which was in the way or had turned them away from the Lord.

 

1. Turn from the Things that Turn You Away From Him

 

• Tim Keller, who did a great deal of research and study on biblical revival notes repentance and conversion as an essential step to revival.

 

• Conversion means “changed.” In a biblical sense, conversion is similar to repentance, which is a turning away from sin in repentance and to Christ in faith.

 

• It is turning from one path in order to pursue a new one. It is a change in direction.

 

• The word “repentance” means “a turning from sin,” and the word “repent” means to “change ones mind.”

 

• The picture is of one who turns away from sin and toward Christ. It is a looking away, or turning away from one direction, and looking toward and heading in a new direction.

 

• Repentance was not just an essential step to Tim Keller, it is noted as the subject of the first words Jesus preached.

 

Matthew 4:17, From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

 

• That word is tied to action, to a change in direction, it was one chapter earlier in Matthew 3, where John the Baptist noted the importance of bearing fruit in keeping with repentance.

 

• In Acts 26:20, Paul tells us of the importance of tying action to repentance..

 

Acts 26:20, Continually proclaimed to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they are to repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.

 

• Samuel here does the same, the people were turning to God and Samuel tells them…

 

1 Samuel 7:3, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone…”

 

• What this text directs us to is that repentance is inward and outward.

 

• There is the inward, returning to the Lord with all ones heart, and the outward, with their hearts turned toward God, they needed to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

 

• Samuel essentially says, if you are returning to the Lord with all our heart, prove it, bear fruit.  

 

•  He tells them that they need to remove the false gods, the baals and ashtaroths from among them.

 

• These were the gods the other nations looked to. The other nations looked at these false gods as having authority over crops, fertility, military, and love.

 

• Baal was known as the farm god, governing rain and crops. In 1 Kings 18, we see the people trying to get baal to respond and consume a sacrifice, the people danced around, screamed loudly and cut themselves raving about, trying to get baal to respond to their request.

 

• Ashtaroth, was referred to the as the goddess of love and fertility. Worship of ashtaroth involved sexual immorality.

 

• The picture is not of a people who had completely rejected God. But rather, a people who had not turned away from the gods of the world when they turned to God.

 

• The desire for good crops and financial success caused them to incorporate some worship of baal. The lust of the flesh caused them to keep ashtaroth around.

 

Exodus 20:3, You shall have no other gods before Me.  

 

• The people needed to turn away from that which had turned them away from the Lord.

 

Illus. Walking Contradiction.

Illus. Inward and outward.

 

• Samuel said, “put away the foreign gods so that your heart will be prepared for the Lord.”

 

III.    Put Your Faith and Trust in Him Alone

 

1 Samuel 7:5-7(a), And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.

 

• After the people gathered together, Samuel prayed and the people poured out water before the Lord as a representation of pouring out the hearts before the Lord

 

• The people return to the Lord, and what do we see next, an attack.

 

• The Israelites gather together for revival, and the Philistines had something they wanted to say about it. They wanted to get in the way of it.

 

• What is this we hear? After 20 years the Israelites are up there gathering and turning back to God?

 

• Let’s go attack them, they decide.

 

• This is important for us to know in our own lives.

 

Illus. An opportune time.

 

Luke 4:13, When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

 

What does this mean…Opportune time? Well, he would wait, for a moment of perceived weakness…and time when he might be able to temp, or get Jesus to turn…He would leave for a little while, until an opportune time…

 

If Satan thought there was an opportune time for him to return and temp and take out Jesus…

 

Surely he will try to do that with Jesus’ followers…

 

1 Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

 

• The enemy looks for opportune times, and he uses the Philistines to attack them at that time.

 

• But it was also an opportune time to put their faith and trust in the Lord.

 

1 Samuel 7(b)-11

 

• The Israelites are described as afraid of the Philistines, yet their faith and trust in the Lord is seen even in the midst of their fear as they ask Samuel to keep on praying to God for them, so that He may save them.

 

• For many years, the had been trusting and mixing in the worship of other gods. We saw in chapter four that they were looking to the things of God to save them.

 

• We looked at their desire to take the ark of God into battle so that “it” or He, or anything really, might save them.

 

• But here, there has been a revival. There was a turning away in this chapter from the posture of anyone and anything, to a recognition that what they needed was the One true King.

 

• Samuel prayed and offered a sacrifice to the Lord. And He continued, crying out to the Lord, and the Lord answered him.

 

• The Lord thundered a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day. The Philistines were confused, overcome and driven out by the Israelites.

 

• The Philistines were confused by the thunder. Likely, there confusion stemmed from the fact that God used loud thunder in the sky to drive them away from the Israelites.

 

• Remember, baal was a false god they believed controlled the forces of nature, rain, sun, thunder and lightning.

 

• In fact, little statues of baal have been found in the Middle East with baal holding a lightning bolt.

 

• God put the Philistines into confusion.

 

• The Israelites on the other hand, grew in their faith and trust in Him.

 

Psalm 37:5, Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. (ESV)

 

Psalm 20:7, Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

 

• As they trusted in Him, God gave assurance to them! They saw His hand at work and Samuel would then do what he could to make sure that the people would remember what God had done.

 

1. Remember to Rely on Him

 

1 Samuel 7:12-14

 

• Samuel sets up a stone of remembrance. This stone of remembrance, he called, an “Ebenezer,” which means “stone of help.”

 

• Samuel sets it up, he doesn’t simply say, you make sure to remember. Rather, he wants them to see it.

 

• He wanted to make sure the people would remember what took place that day. That they remembered the Lord, to rely on Him, that there help was from Him. Samuel knew the cycle. He had seen the ways of the people.

 

• I encourage you to set up reminders in your own life of what the Lord has done.

 

Illus. Growing Forgetful.

 

• That the Lord had helped them thus far did not mean that the Lord would not help them as they went forward, but rather it was a stone the people could look at and remember what the Lord had done.

 

• When Samuel said, “the Lord has helped us thus far,” I think of it in terms of both distance geographically, and how far away they had gotten morally.

 

• The Lord met us when we were this far away. The Lord helped us thus far.  

 

Illus. Come thou fount.

 

Ephesians 2:13, in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 

Psalm 121:1-2, I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

1 Samuel 7:1-17