Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 7:12-17
12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
13 So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. 14 The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. 16 Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. 17 Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the Lord at Ramah.
12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
13 So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. 14 The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. 16 Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. 17 Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the Lord at Ramah.
Commentary:
7:16 Bethel was one of the most important sacred sites, being associated with the patriarchs (see Gen. 35:15). The ark was there at one time (Judg. 20:26–27). Joshua 18:21–22 lists it as a Benjaminite city, but during most of history it was a part of Ephraim. It was in Bethel, as well as in Dan, that Jeroboam established a sanctuary for worshiping a golden calf as a rival to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:28–29). The modern site is Beitin, 10 miles (16 km) north of Jerusalem, at the intersection of two major highways—the mountain ridge road and the main road leading from Jericho to the coastal plain. The site of Gilgal has not yet been identified. It was the place on “the east border of Jericho” where Joshua and the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River (Josh. 4:19, etc.). This ancient city was a place of worship and sacrifice in the Benjaminite district. Gilgal was important in the kingship of Saul: he was ordered to go there and wait on God after his private anointing (1 Sam. 10:1); there the people made him king (11:15); and there his perpetual (i.e., dynastic) kingship was rejected (13:8–15) and finally negated (15:23). Later, in the eighth century, Amos (Amos 4:4; 5:5) and Hosea (Hos. 4:15; 9:15; 12:11) denounced Gilgal, along with Bethel, as an active but illegitimate place of worship. Thus, the narrator summarizes Samuel’s era: Israel was secure and stable both externally and internally under the judgeship of Samuel, for the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines and there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites. Samuel’s annual visits from his hometown of Ramah gave the people confidence and trust in God and in Samuel’s leadership. In the next episode, however, the people of Israel senselessly request a new institution (kingship) rather than a new judge, despite Samuel’s opposition.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 503.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 503.
Questions:
After Israel repented and turned back to God, things began to change. The Philistines were defeated, towns that had been taken from Israel were recovered, and the land experienced peace.
But God wasn't taking Israel back to the way things used to be. The “old way” had brought them to this place in the first place. They had wandered from God, followed other gods, and done whatever they thought was right. Going back to those same patterns would eventually lead them to the same place again.
God's restoration is bigger than getting back what we lost. Sometimes we want God to give us back the relationship, comfort, routine, reputation, or season we had before. But God cares about something deeper than making our old life comfortable again. He wants to bring us back to Him. Real restoration means letting God change what needs to change. It means leaving behind the patterns that pulled us away from Him instead of carrying them into whatever comes next. God doesn't restore us so we can go right back to the same things that broke us. He restores us so we can learn to walk with Him in a new way.
But God wasn't taking Israel back to the way things used to be. The “old way” had brought them to this place in the first place. They had wandered from God, followed other gods, and done whatever they thought was right. Going back to those same patterns would eventually lead them to the same place again.
God's restoration is bigger than getting back what we lost. Sometimes we want God to give us back the relationship, comfort, routine, reputation, or season we had before. But God cares about something deeper than making our old life comfortable again. He wants to bring us back to Him. Real restoration means letting God change what needs to change. It means leaving behind the patterns that pulled us away from Him instead of carrying them into whatever comes next. God doesn't restore us so we can go right back to the same things that broke us. He restores us so we can learn to walk with Him in a new way.
- When you ask God to restore something you've lost, what are you usually asking Him to give back? Have you ever wanted things to go back to the way they were without wanting God to change what led you there in the first place?
- What is a habit, attitude, or way of dealing with problems that you know has not been good for you? When life starts getting hard, what makes you want to go back to that familiar pattern?
- Sometimes God's answer isn't “go back to how things were” but “let Me lead you somewhere different.” Is there an area of your life where you need to stop trying to get back to the old normal and start trusting God with what comes next?
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to show you anything from an old season that you are trying to hold onto even though He is calling you to leave it behind.
- Pray for the courage to let God change the habits, attitudes, and choices that have kept you stuck, instead of simply asking Him to make your circumstances easier.
- Ask God to help you trust Him with what comes next, especially when His way looks different from the life or circumstances you were hoping to get back.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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