Till Now the Lord Has Helped Us!
1 Samuel 7:3–13 ESV
Context: Spiritual Blackout
So, this passage that we will expound today has a background effect, quite dark, because the spiritual state of Israel was dark. As we know, before Israel had a kingly leadership, they had judges. This was somewhat a bummer when you don’t have a proper framework for national leadership. Spiritual collapse is one of the primary reasons a nation experiences oppression, invasion, or other calamities.
Daniel, as a young man, is a prime example. He was pushed out of his land because of foreign oppression and was made captive under the Babylonian Empire. Now we need to know that young people are not responsible for this calamity. It is the responsible leaders of the land who need the conviction to understand that without God, things will collapse—empire or kingdom—especially a nation chosen by God. This is exactly the blueprint of the nation of Israel. Their spiritual compromises led them to face hard consequences.
We read in 1 Samuel 7:2 that the Ark of the Covenant had been in the possession of the Philistines for a long time. The text says twenty years. That is a bummer.
The Ark of the Covenant was not a magic object but a sacred symbol of God’s covenant presence among His people. Inside it were the tablets of the Law, Aaron’s rod, and a jar of manna, representing God’s covenant, holiness, mercy, and provision. When Israel honored the Lord in obedience, the Ark signified guidance, protection, and victory; but when they misused it as a good-luck charm without repentance, it became associated with defeat and judgment. Ultimately, the Ark pointed forward to Christ. who fulfilled the Law, became our true Mercy Seat through His atonement, and is “God with us”, teaching us that what matters most is not the symbol itself, but living in faithful relationship with the Lord.
Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant because of deep spiritual failure rather than military weakness.
Corruption began in leadership, as Eli (13th judge and high priest, 40 years)’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, dishonored the Lord and abused their priestly roles. The text in 1 Samuel 2:12–17 concludes that the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord… They treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt.
Despite clear prophetic warnings, the nation did not truly repent or reform.
In 1 Samuel 2:27–36, we see that God sends a prophet to Eli, warning that his family would lose the priesthood because of their corruption.
In 1 Samuel 3:11–14, God confirms to Samuel the judgment on Eli’s house.
Instead of seeking God after defeat, they treated the Ark like a weapon or good-luck charm, bringing it into battle without genuine humility or covenant faithfulness.
See 1 Samuel 4:3–7.
At the same time, they tolerated idolatry, worshiping Baal and Ashtoreth, while maintaining outward religious activity.
1 Samuel 12:10: “And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.”
In the end, Israel did not lose the Ark due to a lack of ritual, but because of a lack of repentance, holiness, and wholehearted loyalty to the Lord.
1 Samuel 4:22 (ESV): “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
God Calls Them Back
They Returned (v3-4):
“And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.”
Now this is good news: we don’t have a God who is driven by fire and brimstone - that’s a situational truth. The greater truth is that God is gracious, kind, loving, and full of mercy. He is a good God, a generous God, and a God who calls His people back.
The Prime way of God initiating homecoming is by sending his servants to preach the call for repentance. Preach the call for turning back. So, God called Samuel to do that, and he gives that call honestly. Honest feedback. That the nation of God – the chosen people of God – whom the Lord rescued from Egypt needs to quit on their sins of their idol worship. Like literal idol worship. Those demo gods. Does anyone of you have one? Another Good thing that happened here in the text was that people of God returned. Praise God! Stubbornness is not Good.
2. God Invites Confession
They Admitted (V5-7):
5 “Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.”
In this passage, we see a humble posture, not of an individual man or woman, but a corporate and public confession, followed by a day of fasting.
In one of my blogs, I called it “Sacred Start: Confession.”
We can begin our meaningful journey of spiritual formation with the non-threatening discipline of confession, which is a holistic call to put off dead works. Such confession leads toward restoration from our broken spiritual condition. It is also essential to note that when we discuss confession, we must not think of it as beating ourselves up. Instead, the importance of confession should be understood considering restoration.
This is what James the Just states: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (ESV, James 5:16). Healing in Scripture can be interpreted as both spiritual and physical (Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000, 247).
David Brazzeal further explains that when we confess the reality of our ongoing spiritual brokenness—regardless of how unholy we may feel—it shapes who we are. Then God miraculously touches us deep within our soul and restores our relationship anew. As Book of Revelation 21:5 declares, “God makes all things new” (David Brazzeal, Pray Like a Gourmet: Creative Ways to Feed Your Soul, Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2015, 110).
This insight beautifully captures the heart of confession. It is not a ritual of shame. Instead, it is a sacred act of honesty before God that leads to supernatural restoration—both spiritual and physical.
Let us not forget that fasting can simply be expressed as saying, “Lord, I am serious about these flaws, and I want You. Therefore, I fast.” It is a demonstration of sorrow for our sin and a symbol of our deeper hunger for God.
3. God Responds to Prayer
Samuel Interceded (8-10)
And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” So, Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.
In the New Covenant, we see this considering the Church praying on our behalf. Church, we are praying for you every week. If you have a prayer request, just send me a text—just say, “Can our church pray?” If you would like me to pray personally, please let me know. Keep it between you and me—that’s fine. I understand the need for confidentiality, and I am very good at keeping things private. I’m not the Christian BBC with chatty, gossiping texts. That’s annoying, especially when some people share everything about you without consent. That’s evil—they intend to destroy someone. But the good news is you can’t touch someone sent by the Lord or His people.
Above all, in this New Covenant, Christ intercedes for you, my friend. And the good news is this: you don’t have to bring an animal as a burnt offering. Could you imagine if I were your Old Testament priest, asking, “Now that you’ve done something wrong, before entering the temple, bring a tender cow for sacrifice,” and all the meat would go to my house? That would be absurd! No, we don’t sacrifice bulls, cows, rams, or pigeons.
We have Christ, who was slain for our sins. We have been washed in His blood. And by the power of His blood, we can all come and pray before God in His presence. We don’t need the temple format or a high priest to pray for us. We are all priests in Christ; therefore, we must confidently pray for the right things. God will hear us, and we will see great things, restoration, revival, and the replanting of the good land. Amen. God hears us.
4. God Sends Help
Power of God Seen (v. 8–10)
As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Our prayers are not empty or without power. The prayers we offer are powerful. As Scripture says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The bigger picture is that God is gracious and good, and He listens to our prayers. He answers and sends help—not just once, but many times. We are all on a journey, and the Lord is with us.
Let’s close with Psalm 20, asking Him to send His help quickly from Zion.
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
4 May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!
6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king!
May he answer us when we call.”
