1Sa 7:3 | KingComments | STEP | When the work of God’s Spirit reveals itself, Samuel comes. Now it is time for action. Samuel speaks the word of the prophet. He points to the wrong things, which are the cause of the Philistines ruling over them. The Philistines are a rod of discipline in the hand of God for His people. In what Samuel says to the people, we see that repentance has three characteristics: 1. the removing of the foreign gods, that is separation from evil, 2. direct the heart to the LORD to be taught by Him about the cause of evil and to come to the right mind of a broken heart and a defeated spirit and 3. to serve Him alone, that is, to dedicate oneself completely to Him. If these characteristics are present, we can count on deliverance from the yoke of the enemies. What happens here under the last judge, did not happen during the whole time of the judges. In professing Christianity sometimes something wrong has been removed, but by no means everything. This only happens in case of total self-judgment as Israel here. The people give up their wrong connections, break them and become free to do the work of the LORD, or better, to let this work be done first with themselves. We also see such an attitude in the beginning of the church.

‏ 1 Samuel 7:3

The Israelites Serve the LORD Alone

When the work of God’s Spirit reveals itself, Samuel comes. Now it is time for action. Samuel speaks the word of the prophet. He points to the wrong things, which are the cause of the Philistines ruling over them. The Philistines are a rod of discipline in the hand of God for His people.

In what Samuel says to the people, we see that repentance has three characteristics:

1. the removing of the foreign gods, that is separation from evil,

2. direct the heart to the LORD to be taught by Him about the cause of evil and to come to the right mind of a broken heart and a defeated spirit and

3. to serve Him alone, that is, to dedicate oneself completely to Him.

If these characteristics are present, we can count on deliverance from the yoke of the enemies.

What happens here under the last judge, did not happen during the whole time of the judges. In professing Christianity sometimes something wrong has been removed, but by no means everything. This only happens in case of total self-judgment as Israel here. The people give up their wrong connections, break them and become free to do the work of the LORD, or better, to let this work be done first with themselves. We also see such an attitude in the beginning of the church.