Samuel had been groomed

      for this moment

He is in place

      to step up and become

      the last judge of Israel

This story is about repentance

      turning away from sin

      turning toward God

The people proved their intentions

      by tearing down their idols

      and ridding themselves of them

There was a prayer meeting at Mizpah

The people sacrificed their water

      pouring it out before the Lord

In a dry climate

      that is a drastic act

They fasted

      and confessed their sins

      another drastic act

The enemy came; filled them with fear

"Lord, save us!"  and God did

Samuel erected a monument

        a physical reminder

        of God's intervention

                       salvation

Never forget what happened here

        tell your children

        again and again.

                               FAST, CONFESS AND PRAY

Peace and restoration continued throughout Samuel's lifetime.

                                          I Samuel 7 & 8

    2All the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.  3Then

Samuel spoke, 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; He will deliver you from the hand of the

Philistines."  4So the children of Israel put away the Baals

and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

    5Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray

to the Lord for you."  6They gathered together at Mizpah, drew

water, and poured it out before the Lord.  They fasted that day,

and said, "We have sinned against the Lord."  Samuel judged

the children of Israel at Mizpah. 

    7Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel

had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines

went up.  When the children of Israel heard of it, they were

afraid.  8So the children 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."

    9Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt

offering to the Lord.  Then Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel,

and the Lord answered him.  10Now as Samuel was offering up

the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against

Israel.  But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the

Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were

overcome.  11The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and

pursued the Philistines, and drove them back.  12Then Samuel

took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called

its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us."

    13So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come

anymore into the territory of Israel.  The hand of the Lord was

against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  14Then the

cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored

to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory

from the hands of the Philistines.  Also there was peace

between Israel and the Amorites.

    1 It came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons

judges over Israel.  2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and

the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 

3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after

dishonest gain, took bribes and perverted justice.
             _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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