Father’s Love Ministry Ireland

13/10/2026

5 Then Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.’ 1 Samuel 7

Samuel had instructed the Israelites to GET RID OF THEIR IDOLS. Once they had done this Samuel called them to gather at Mizpah where he said he would intercede with the Lord on their behalf. Even Samuel, God’s ordained leader had to be sure that Israel and himself were on holy ground. It’s easy to want to rush into God’s presence and ignore something wrong to get the answer we need, but we serve a holy God.

15 Then the Lord said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Jeremiah 15

Samuel led Israel in a thorough cleanup, they didn’t skip over their repentance before the Lord.

6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, THEY DREW WATER AND POURED IT OUT BEFORE THE LORD. On that day THEY FASTED and there THEY CONFESSED, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ 1 Samuel 7

This scripture ends with the short statement that, ‘And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah’.

Different leader (or Godly leader), Different outcome! Samuel led the people to sincerity of heart in God’s presence and God showed them His Grace and Mercy in their hour of need. However, Israel were under the Old Covenant of the Law and Samuel was led to do one further thing to invoke God’s help.

9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him. 1 Samuel 7

Samuel offered a lamb as an atonement for Israel’s sin. Christ was offered as our sacrifice and on that basis alone can we stand before God, but we are invited to do just that.

16 Let us therefore come ‘boldly’ before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4

(The Greek word for "boldly" (parresia) means freedom of speech, openness, and confidence rather than fear or shame.)

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar. 1 Samuel 7

God reacted at once against Israel’s enemies; God Thundered and Israel Followed and routed the opposing troops. As we said, Different/Godly leader, Different outcome - great victory for God’s people.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

13/10/2026

12/10/2026

3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, THEN RID YOURSELVES OF THE FOREIGN GODS and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ 1 Samuel 7

In the previous verse, we are told that, ‘Israel mourned twenty years and sought after God’, while the Ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. Israel were under severe threat of attack from the Philistines all this time. Even though they mourned and were sorrowful before God, they still held on to their idols. It’s so easy for us as Believers to pick up things from this world that others are putting their trust in and embrace them as our own, but we shouldn’t do that. The Scripture says that Samuel told Israel to ‘GET RID OF THEM’.

These verses demonstrate that there is a difference between REMORSE, which is internal and REPENTANCE, which is often external! An example of this is the New Testament Church, being founded through Paul’s preaching in Ephesus.

18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practised sorcery BROUGHT their scrolls together AND BURNED them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. Acts 19

These people who were turning to the Lord in Ephesus had been heavily involved in witchcraft, but now they demonstrated true Repentance by PUBLICLY BRINGING AND BURNING what they’d formerly depended upon. They did something publicly to confirm what the Holy Spirit had done in their hearts and lives.

After twenty years Samuel demanded that if Israel were serious about returning to Lord, that they should GET RID OF ALL THEIR IDOLS. God brought Israel to a Point of Decision, where they could either acknowledge Him as their God or continue being harassed by the enemy.

5 Then Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.’ 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ Now Samuel was serving as leader/judge of Israel at Mizpah. 1 Samuel 7

Israel chose to turn away from compromise and corruption and turn back to the true God. As soon as they did this the Philistines gathered to attack them. We shouldn’t be shocked that when we are led to Repent and turn back to God that the enemy will oppose and attack us on different fronts. When we turn back to God, He is our Mighty Defender and will come to our aid.

Remorse/sorrow may be the beginning of turning towards God, but Repentance/action is necessary to complete the process. Israel repented and came under God’s protection once again.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.