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The Beginning of the End
Samuel visited the cities and villages throughout the land, hoping
to turn the hearts of the people to the God of their fathers, and his
efforts brought good results. After suffering the oppression of their
enemies for twenty years, the Israelites “lamented after the Lord.”
Samuel counseled them, “‘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.’” Practical religion was taught in the days of Samuel, as Christ
also taught it when He was on earth.
Repentance is the first step that everyone who wants to return to
God must take. Individually we must humble our souls before God
and put away our idols. When we have done all that we can do, the
Lord will show us His salvation.
Samuel Becomes a Judge
A large assembly gathered at Mizpah, and they held a solemn
fast there. With deep humiliation the people confessed their sins,
and they gave Samuel the authority of judge.
The Philistines interpreted this gathering as a council of war and
set out to scatter the Israelites before their plans could mature. News
of their approach caused great terror in Israel. The people begged
Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that
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He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
While Samuel was in the act of presenting a lamb as a burnt
offering, the Philistines drew near for battle. Then the Mighty One
who had parted the Red Sea and made a way through Jordan for Israel
showed His power again. A terrible storm burst on the advancing
army, and the earth was littered with the bodies of mighty warriors.
The Israelites had stood trembling with hope and fear. When
they saw the slaughter of their enemies, they knew that God had
accepted their repentance. Though unprepared for battle, they took
the weapons of the slaughtered Philistines and pursued the fleeing
army. This victory came on the very field where, twenty years before,
Israel had been defeated by the Philistines, the priests killed, and the
ark of God taken. The Philistines were now so completely subdued
that they surrendered the strongholds that they had taken from Israel,
and they avoided any acts of hostility for many years. Other nations