CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES—
1 Samuel 7:13. “They came no more.” “They no more invaded the territory of Israel with lasting success as they had done before.” The words which immediately follow—“the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines,” etc., show that they made attempts to recover their lost supremacy, but that so long as Samuel lived they were unable to effect anything against Israel” (Keil). The forty years domination, mentioned in Judges 13:1, now terminated.
1 Samuel 7:14. “From Ekron even unto Gath.” “This definition is probably to be understood as exclusive, i.e., as signifying that the Israelites received back their cities up to the very borders of the Philistines, measuring these borders from Ekron to Gath. For although these chief cities of the Philistines had been allotted to the tribes of Judah and Dan, in the time of Joshua (Joshua 13:3-4; Joshua 15:45-46), yet, notwithstanding the fact that Judah and Simeon conquered Ekron, together with Gaza and Askelon, after the death of Joshua (Judges 1:18), the Israelites did not obtain any permanent possession.”—(Keil).
“And there was peace,” etc. “These words suggest what is in itself very probable, that in this war the Amorites, finding the Philistines worse masters than the Israelites, made common cause with Samuel, and assisted the Israelites in their wars against the Philistines.”—(Biblical Commentary.)
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— 1 Samuel 7:13-14
VICTORY, REST, AND RESTORATION
I. One decisive victory brings a long season of rest. This victory at Ebenezer brought peace to Israel for many years, and so the human soul, by a decisive victory over one strong temptation, gains often a long season of rest from the tempter’s snares. He gives by such a victory such a proof to the powers of evil of his moral courage that it is deemed hopeless to renew the conflict while the soul remains so strong and watchful. It is written concerning the Son of God, after His decisive victory over the devil in the wilderness, that the tempter “departed from Him for a season” (Luke 4:13). The total defeat he had experienced told him how vain it would be to renew the assault while the being whom he desired to overthrow remained in His present frame of soul. In all warfare it is best to decide at once who is to be the master of the field by a decisive blow, and if a Christian desires any rest of soul there must be no parleying with his spiritual enemies, he must—with the help of the same God by whom Israel routed the Philistines at Ebenezer—let them know without delay who is to be the conqueror. Even then the devil will “depart for a season” only, but these seasons of repose will enable him to gather strength for the next attack.
II. Victory brings restoration of that which has been lost by subjection. When Israel had conquered her oppressors she regained the cities which had been taken from her in the day of her subjection. The human race does not now possess all that belonged to it when God created the first man, and bade him “replenish the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). God at first “put all things under his feet” (Psalms 8:6). But now it is plain that man is not the absolute lord, either of the earth and the phenomena of nature, or of the animal creation. He has lost his rule by sin. “We see not yet all things put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). But when man is restored to his original position in the universe by victory over sin, he will recover his lost rule over material things. There is to be a “time of restitution” (Acts 3:21), when the powers which now hold man in subjection will be finally defeated, and he will recover his former dominion, not only over himself, but over the world and over all the creatures below him in the scale of creation.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The revival of religion has ever had a most important bearing on social and moral improvement. The return of man to God restores him to his brother. Restoration to the earnest and hearty performance of religious duties towards God, leads to a corresponding reformation in relative and political duties. Those countries in Europe which have had the greatest religious reforms, have advanced most in liberty, civilisation, and commerce. They are not trodden by the iron heel of despotism, and they possess the greatest amount of domestic quiet. It was the revival of religion which secured the Protestant succession to England, and many of the liberties we now enjoy. It was the revival of religion that gave such a martyr-roll to the Scottish Covenanters, and led to the revolution settlement of 1688. In Israel every revival of religion was succeeded by national prosperity and political independence.—Steel.