June 25, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 1 Samuel and Mark? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Samuel 7 (NIV)
1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.…..Continue Reading
Samuel gets everyone back on track. He urged them to put down the idols and serve only the one true God that has saved them time and time again! Finally they did and yet still afraid of the threat of the Philistines because now they are like new Christians learning to trust all over again despite their history and all God had accomplished on their behalf. The Philistines were afraid as well, afraid of a repentant, God-seeking Israel because even they knew that with God fighting for them Israel would be invincible.
And God was faithful to His people and did provide safety and security for them over the Philistines.
I am always amazed to read that the Ark of the Lord was in Abinadab’s house for 20 years. But nothing like the Ark of the Lord returning to Israel and all the things God did surrounding it’s return to lead the people to repent of their ways and follow Him. And Samuel is there to guide them in the way to go. And yet obedience is no guarantee that there will not be challenges, that are really opportunities to trust God to do what He chooses to do. So faced with the Philistines attacking, they resort to what is familiar, being afraid, but they also have God to turn to, so they ask Samuel to pray. And God takes care of it..thoroughly…and Israel joins Him in attacking them thoroughly. And Samuel is wise to keep on top of the things going on in Israel and because of his obedience and faithfulness the land of Israel is blessed. Just what faithfulness to God brings.
Agree pastor. The ark has been for 20 years put in the attic forgotten like an old box. Other things like prestige. Money. Pride material things or any other idol has taken its place. Pretty good picture for many who haven’t fellowship at church and their bibles collecting dust in an attic!!
1 Samuel 7
”Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.“
I Samuel 7:3-4 NKJV
It is scripture like this that, I think, contradict the doctrine of “total depravity”, at least the Calvinist definition of it. YES, we need a savior and are unable to stand before the Lord, but we are able to “repent” and turn to God and away from sin and idols. It is clear that God expects man to do this.
I am reading in Romans as well, the entire premise being that the just shall live by faith. Faith is not a work, but a heart response to God. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Samuel 7
If you return to the Lord with all your heart and put away your foreign gods. Samuel called for repentance that came from inward and outward.
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