1 Sam 7.1-4 says they came and took the Ark into the house of Abinadab (“father of generosity”) to keep it instead of taking it to the Mishkan. Their intent was to protect it and keep the people away. Years later, David would take the Ark from there. Samuel begins to lead the nation in teshuvah (repentance) and speaks to the people at one of the festivals and said if the people repent and remove the false gods from them, Yehovah would deliver them from the Philistines. So they removed the Ba’als and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord.
1 Sam 7.5-14 says that Samuel told the army to gather at Mizpah (“watchtower”) and he would pray for them. So they came and poured water out to symbolize that they were pouring their hearts out in repentance (Lam 2.19), and they fasted, showing humiliation, and they asked God for forgiveness. Mizpah is where Jacob separated from Laban (Gen 31.49) and it is where Israel gathered in repentance in Judges 20.1.
The Philistines heard that Israel was praying and fasting and they attacked Israel, just like the Arabs did in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and Samuel said to keep crying to the Lord. He took a lamb (Yeshua) and offered it as a Korban Olah, and the Lord answered him. When the Philistines came near for battle, the Lord thundered with a great thunder and this confused the Philistines and they were routed, even before Israel got to them. So Israel pursued them and struck them down at Bethcar (“house of the lamb”).
Samuel took a stone, which is a picture of the Messiah (Gen 28.18 49.24; 1 Cor 10.4), and set it between Mizpah and Shen meaning the “crag” and it alludes to Isa 16.1; Exo 17.6 (rock is”tzur”) and Num 20.11 (rock is “sela” meaning a clefted rock), and named it “Ebenezer” or the “stone that helps.” Moses was to strike the “tzur” in Exo 17, but only speak to the “sela” in Num 20. However, he struck the rock in Num 20 and ruined a picture of the Messiah that the Lord was trying to show. Yeshua was to be struck one time, but after that we only need to speak to him (the rock) and we will find safety in the “crag” of the “sela” (protection). After this, the Philistines did not come anymore and they also gave back the cities they had taken from Israel.
1 Sam 7.15-17 says that Samuel judged Israel all his life, even under Saul (Acts 13.21) and he would go on an annual circuit to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah. He was like a circuit judge. He lived in Ramah and the people could see him there also. He built an altar there to the Lord because Shiloh was destroyed, so it was lawful at the time.
1 Sam 8.1-9 tells us that when Samuel was old (about 54 years old) he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. This was not to the credit of Samuel because nepotism is never a good thing and his sons did not walk in Samuel’s ways, but were lovers of money, took bribes and perverted justice. Samuel overlooked these sins and that is a common mistake people make with family and friends. So the elders of Israel gathered in Ramah to reject Samuel’s sons, which was wise, but they wanted Samuel to appoint a king over them, which was unwise. However, the people were not ready and they were premature in their request. Besides, the land had not been conquered yet. Samuel was very displeased with this request because they rejected his sons. But, in addition, it wasn’t the fact that it was wrong to have a king because the Torah allowed for a king, but their mistake was asking for a king because that is what the nations did (v 5). They were wanting a change in government, from a theocracy to a monarchy. This meant a change in their view of the Lord as king.
Then the Lord told Samuel that the people were not rejecting him, but they were rejecting the Lord (Luke 19.14). As a result, Saul will come on the scene and his story, along with David, will be very eschatological as we will see. He will be a picture of the first Adam who ruled over the kingdom of God, and then came David. The people in the first century rejected Yeshua, making the way for the False Messiah to follow. This event is the result of a long list of ingratitudes toward the Lord. Keep this in mind as we move forward. Samuel was told to listen to the people but he was to warn them about having a king. This “procedure” is called a “Mishpat” meaning custom and judgment and it would be what governed them, as opposed to the divine Torah of God. There is a big difference between a judge and a king.
So, in 1 Sam 8.10-22, Samuel spoke all the words God gave him to the people. He said, “This shall be the procedure (“Mishpat” or judgment, custom) of the king who will reign over you” and then proceeds to tell them the evil that will follow. The king will take their sons to build an army to protect himself. They didn’t need to do that with Yehovah. He will harvest their food and make weapons of war. They didn’t need to do that with Yehovah either. The king will also take their daughters for perfumers, cooks and bakers. He will take the best of their fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. These will help support the “Avadim” or warriors who were used as royal bodyguards. They didn’t need to do that with Yehovah either.
He will also take a tenth of their seed and vineyards to give to his officers and servants. This was an additional tithe not required in the Torah, He will also take a tenth of their flocks and herds and they would become his servants in tribute and new taxes. Then they will cry out because of “your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yehovah will not answer you in that day.” Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel and sneered at what he was warning them about. They still wanted a king like the other nations, “that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” They didn’t realize that their greatest honor was not to be like the other nations (Deut 4.6-8).
So Samuel took notice and listened to the people and told the Lord, and the Lord told Samuel to listen to them and appoint a king. So Samuel told them to go home and wait for the appointment of a king which the Lord had reserved for himself (Deut 17.14-20). As we move forward, Saul will be a picture of Adam and the False Messiah, which paves the way for David, a type of the Messiah (Yeshua).
We will pick up here in Part 7.
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