Day 984: Milestones of grace - 1 Samuel 7 vs 7 - 17

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. 8 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.”

9-10 So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 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 routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; (Stone of help) for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”

13-14 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. The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. 15-17 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord. 1 Samuel 7:7-17 English Standard Version

Satan never rests. Verses 1-6 told how the Israelites had repented of sin and thrown away the idols they'd been serving, and had sought the Lord. But as soon as this revival had begun among God's people, so the lords of the Philistines rallied their troops to attack them. Be sure that any desires on your part to draw nearer to Christ will meet with opposition from the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) So what did the Israelites do as the enemies attack threatened? (vs 8)

They cried out to Samuel to pray on their behalf for God to come to their aid. Samuel here is an example of what Jesus Christ would eventually do for God's people. The apostle Paul wrote: “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5) Hebrews 7:24 tells us that “because Jesus lives forever . . . He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” When did God's salvation, in this case, break out for Israel? ( vs 9-10)

Yes, it was as Samuel offered up a lamb that had been slain. In the last book of the Bible we read of the ultimate victory of God's people over Satan and the forces of evil. We’re told that they conquered Satan “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony - for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11) This confirms Paul's words when he said that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Following the deliverance God had brought about, Samuel set up a stone, called 'Ebenezer', to remind Israel how God had helped them right up to that moment of their faltering history. Many hundreds of years earlier, their forefather Jacob had also set up a stone as a reminder of promises God had given for Israel. And when Israel eventually took possession of the land God had promised them, they set up 12 stones as a memorial to how God had parted the Jordan river for them to cross over.

The stones in Israel's history are a bit like the stones that were placed along roads in days of old to mark off the miles of a journey. In the case of Israel, they were milestones of God's grace. If you are a Christian may I suggest that every birthday you celebrate is like a milestone of God's grace through your life's journey. The King James Bible translates Samuel’s words as “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” Quaint as that may sound, it’s something every child of God can say, whatever your age.