Chapter 7.
Samuel Successfully Begins His Public Ministry And Establishes His Rule Over Israel Under YHWH, Finally Driving The Philistines Back To Their Own Territory And ‘Judging' Israel From Then On (1 Samuel 7:3-17).
Once Samuel had grown to manhood he began his ministry and called on Israel to turn to YHWH from all their idolatry, something which met with great success. The people were tired of being subservient to the Philistines.
Eventually, satisfied with their genuineness he called an assembly at Mizpah, which means ‘the watchtower', possibly because there was at this stage no Tabernacle to gather at, although it had been a gathering place in the past, see Judges 20, and belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:26). And there he was appointed ‘judge' of Israel. Whether it was his intention to proceed against the Philistines, or whether it was simply a gathering for the spiritual purposes which unfolded we are not told, but it was sufficient to alarm the Philistines whose five Tyrants took it as a declaration of war for the purposes of gaining their freedom. They gathered their army and advanced on Mizpah. In the face of this reality the Israelites were filled with fear. They pleaded with Samuel to intervene with YHWH on their behalf.
Samuel indicated to them that they should not be afraid by offering up a further burnt offering and calling on YHWH for His aid, and the result was that the advancing Philistine troops experienced the most appalling weather conditions, impeding their chariots and horsemen and demoralising their troops. Thus when Israel attacked the Philistines could do nothing but retreat, and were totally defeated. The consequence was that while Samuel was judge of Israel the Philistines no longer encroached on Israel (although they may have tried to), and the Israelite lands as far as Ekron and Gath were returned to them.
There are interesting parallels between Israel's defeat in 1 Samuel 4, and their triumph here. Thus in 1 Samuel 4 it was Israel who were ‘smitten, struck down' by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:2-3; 1 Samuel 4:10), here the Philistines are ‘smitten, struck down' by Israel (1 Samuel 7:10). In 1 Samuel 4:3 Israel look in vain to the Ark to save them from their enemies, in 1 Samuel 7:8 they look to YHWH to save them from their enemies. In 1 Samuel 4:21 the result is the naming of Ichabod (for she said, ‘the glory has departed), in 1 Samuel 7:12 the result is the naming of Ebenezer (for Samuel said ‘YHWH has helped us'). 1 Samuel 7 is thus a reversal of the whole situation.
The Ark of God Having Been Suitably Re-established in Israel They Are Promised That If They Return to YHWH and Put Away Their Idolatry They Will Be Delivered from the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:2-4).
Analysis.
a And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to YHWH with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to YHWH, and serve him only.”
“And he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Then the children of Israel did put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served YHWH only (1 Samuel 7:3-4).
‘ And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to YHWH with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to YHWH, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'
We should here remind ourselves of the words in 1 Samuel 3:19 to 1 Samuel 4:1. Samuel has now grown to mature manhood and begins his ministry as a prophet of YHWH, calling on the house of Israel to put away their foreign gods and their Ashtaroth and to direct their hearts towards YHWH, and serve Him alone. Then, he assures them, He would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines.
The foreign gods are defined in 1 Samuel 7:4 as the Baals. The plural may refer to the fact that Baal images were found everywhere, or it may indicate the differing Baals worshipped in different places (Baal-zebub, Baal Melchart, and so on). The Ashtaroth (-oth is a plural ending) were poles or Asherah images representing the consort of Baal which were placed alongside the Baals in the sanctuaries and high places. After the death of Joshua many Israelites succumbed to the appeal of the gods of Canaan, and Israel were never fully free of them during the whole period of the Judges. So the prophetic call now comes to finally put them away.
‘ Then the children of Israel did put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served YHWH only.
So the children of Israel who were within the sphere of Samuel's prophetic ministry obeyed him, and put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served YHWH only.