1 Samuel 7:5

THE GREAT VICTORY OF ISRAEL AT MIZPAH

"Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you." So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the people had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines." So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering unto the Lord, and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. As Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel, but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, as far as below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah and called its name `Ebenezer'; for he said, `Hitherto the Lord has helped us.'"

"Gather all Israel at Mizpah" (1 Samuel 7:5). Mizpah was located some five miles north of Jerusalem (Willis gave "eight miles north" as being probably correct[8]). This place was the gathering point for Israel upon two other very important occasions, namely: (1) when they declared war on Benjamin (Judges 20), and (2) upon the occasion when Saul was made king (1 Samuel 10:17). According to Josephus, "Mizpah means watch-tower."[9]

"They drew water and poured it out, and fasted that day" (1 Samuel 7:6). The only other instance in the Bible that resembles this is that of David who would not drink the water which his mighty men, at great risk to themselves, had drawn for him from the well in Bethlehem. David, "Poured it out to the Lord, and said, `Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives'"? (2 Samuel 23:15-16).

"The lords of the Philistines went up against Israel" (1 Samuel 7:7). As H. P. Smith stated it, "The opportunity for plundering an unwarlike community was not to be lost. Josephus correctly understands that the people had come without arms."[10] We normally accept what Josephus says, but not in this instance. 1 Samuel 7:11 declares that Israel `smote the Philistines,' and one does not smite an invading army with his bare hands. The Israelites were most certainly armed. The circumstances of the gathering at Mizpah were such that, as R. P. Smith said, "The Philistines looked upon it as a virtual declaration of war."[11]

"Do not cease to cry to the Lord for us" (1 Samuel 7:8). George DeHoff wrote, "How often have preachers been implored to pray for those at death's door, only to see all signs of penitence vanish upon the recovery of the sick or the lifting of the threat of death."[12] As an old Latin proverb has it:

The devil was sick; the devil a saint would be.

The devil well, and the devil of a saint was he!

"The Lord thundered with a mighty voice against the Philistines" (1 Samuel 7:10). We have no other information about the Lord's part in the tremendous victory that came to Israel here. There is no mention of lightning here, nor hail, or rain, or any kind of a storm; and, although many commentators have seen all these things in the passage, it remains true that, "The words may be symbolic."[13] We do not really need to know any more about "how" the Lord threw confusion and disaster into the ranks of the Philistines than what is revealed here. Whatever it was, it was fully adequate.

And the men of Israel went out ... and smote the Philistines as far as Beth-car (1 Samuel 7:11). These words say in tones of thunder that Israel had sufficient weapons for such a military exploit.

"Ebenezer ... Hitherto the Lord has helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12). H. P. Smith speaks of this as, "a difficulty," "The inscription says, `hitherto the Lord has helped us,' whereas it was not only to this[14] point that Jehovah had helped them, but beyond it." We can find no fault whatever with this, because it is impossible to set up a memorial for what God is supposed to do in the future! The name of the stone then means, "Thank God for what he has done for us down till the present time."

"The historical validity of what is related in these verses (1 Samuel 7:5-12) can hardly be questioned."[15] What we have here is an accurate record of some of the events in that period.