The Dawn

by G. PRASHER, SR. | Category: The Last Of The Judges | Nov 1961

Kiriath-jearim and the house of Abinadab were provisional resting places for a transitional period. God had left His house in Shiloh on account of His people's sin. He took up His abode among them on the ground of promised obedience, and now that they had proved rebellious and disobedient He had no alternative but to abandon both house and city. The house of God is always conditioned by obedience: "whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end" (Hebrews 3.6).

The day when the ark arrived at Kiriath-jearim became a epoch. "The time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented (was drawn together) after the Loan (1 Samuel 7. 2).

According to Mr. Newberry's dates Samuel was about six years old when he was weaned and brought up to the house of God. When the ark was taken he would be thirty, and now at the time of lamentation he would be fifty; and the ark remained in Abinadab's house for some ninety-eight years.

Naturally, we incline to search for the cause of Israel's being drawn together after the LORD, and surely the answer is that godly Samuel's ministry had borne fruit. Those vigorous years between thirty and fifty, though perhaps but little is recorded of his activities, were wonderfully owned by God. Samuel, the last of the judges, had the great joy of seeing conversion of heart in the Israel people, the outstanding change from departure from God, to being drawn together after Him.

Seekers after God must give practical evidence of the work of God in their hearts, so Samuel exhorts: "If ye do return unto the LORD with all your heart, then put away the strange gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare (direct) your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines " (verse 3). Kno, the Hebrew word for prepare," has a varied usage in the Old Testament, but mainly it has the thought of " preparing, directing and being steadfast." How needful for the disciple of the Lord today to attend to preparation of heart, and to directing the heart with steadfastness of purpose to serve God.

Then the children of Israel did put away the Hanlim and the Ashtaroth, and served the Loan only." They gather together to Mizpah where Samuel prays, where the people draw water and pour it out before the LORD, and they fast, and confess their sin. Their helplessness is expressed in the water poured out which cannot be gathered up again (2 Samuel 14.14): sorrow is seen in their fasting:

honesty in confession of their guilt. Such as these always command the attention of heaven, and the Loan sees and hears and answers their cries, for God delights in showing mercy.

They are afraid as the Philistines again assemble their forces against them, but now their dependence on God is shown by their plea to Samuel, "Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines." The LORD answered by His mighty thunder, and discomfited the Philistines, and they were smitten before Israel. Now between Mizpah and Shen a stone is set up and named Eben-ezer, the stone of help, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us." The LORD is the Helper of the humble and helpless.

Samuel, we are told, judged Israel all the days of his life. "He went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar unto the LORD." From such an altar the LORD graciously accepted the offerings. When the house was in being worshippers were responsible to come to the altar at the door of the house. Those erected elsewhere, usually for other gods, were the high places which provoked the LORD to anger, and brought down His displeasure. We do well to honour Hannah for the son which was lent to the LORD. This revival in Israel, and the dawn of day, are traceable to her who prayed, who vowed, and who paid her vow unto the LORD.

G. PRASHER, SR. | Nov 1961
The Last Of The Judges