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HOW TO RESTORE GOD'S BLESSING

1 Samuel 7:1-14

By Chris Losey INTRODUCTION In your opinion, how many people want God's blessing in their life? Probably, everyone. How many people think it is important to be in a right relationship with God? Again, nearly everyone. I invite you turn in your Bible to 1 Samuel 7 as we look at a group of people who were not in a right relationship with God and desperately needed His blessing. As you read this message you may find yourself in league with these folks. Perhaps you, too, need God's restored blessing in your life. To begin, let me set the stage with some background information. Shortly before the events of 1 Samuel 7, a man by the name of Eli had been the high priest. The boy Samuel was taken to Eli by a woman named Hannah to be raised by him in the temple. Both of Eli's own sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were evil but Eli did nothing to stop their unholy conduct. God subsequently told Samuel that Eli's house would be destroyed. Samuel did not want to tell Eli this news but Eli pressured him and he finally told. Soon the Philistines came up to fight against Israel and defeated them. In a second battle Israel attempted to overcome the Philistines by having the Ark of the Covenant go before them. The ark represented God's power with His people and the Jews believed that God would use it to save them. The ark was a trunk-shaped box about four feet long, two feet high and two feet

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wide, overlaid with gold. It had four rings mounted so that two poles could be inserted for carrying. Instead of being victorious in this second battle, Israel was slaughtered in an even greater defeat. Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and Eli also died when he heard the news about his sons. The Philistines then captured the ark and took it to their own cities. They placed the ark next to a statue of their chief god, Dagon, but the statue kept falling over and the people began dying of tumors. After trying unsuccessfully to stop the plague by moving the ark to various other cities, the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel on a cart. When the ark arrived in Beth-shemesh the Israelites rejoiced! But many Jews made the fatal mistake of looking inside the ark, perhaps to see if the Ten Commandments, manna and Aaron's rod were still there. Only the Levites were allowed to handle the Ark. God subsequently killed many of the men of Beth-shemesh. The remaining disheartened Beth-shemites called the men of Kiriath-jearim (a city in the hills) to come and take the ark to their city. I wonder if the men of Beth-shemesh told the men from Kiriath-jearim what happened when some of them looked in the ark? Perhaps not. Maybe they simply contacted the men of Kiriath-jearim and told them that they could have a one-time, good deal of having the ark in their city. This brings us to 1 Samuel 7. Listen now to verse one: "And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord." It would seem that this should have been a time of great rejoicing in Israel. The ark had been returned and was safely in Kiriath-jearim. A

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Levite's son, Eleazar, had been consecrated to keep the ark. But unfortunately, there was not joy in the land. Verse two paints a much different picture, "And it came about from the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim that the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." Why were the people lamenting instead of rejoicing? What was wrong? I think the people believed that God had abandoned them. After all: they had lost the war, the high priest and his sons were dead, the Philistines had not been destroyed, more cities had fallen into Philistine control, there was danger of more attacks, God didn't seem to be doing anything, and the ark which they thought would save them had not been effective... The people were probably thinking, "What's wrong God? Why aren't You blessing us. We want Your blessing!" What the people of Israel did not understand was that people do not receive God's blessing just by asking for it. Much, much more is involved. Can God bless people? Absolutely! But what kind of people does He bless? Those who are sold out to Him! It apparently never occurred to the Jews that the problem was not God's, it was their’s. God did not lack the power to help, the people lacked the righteousness to be helped! And God was not about to bless their half-hearted commitment. What brings the blessing of God? It is a heart issue! God wants to bless those whose heart is right before Him. It is the goal of this message to show people how to restore God's blessing to their lives. It covers four major areas:

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THE NEED FOR RESTORATION THE WAY TO RESTORATION THE PROBLEM ACCOMPANYING RESTORATION THE RESULT OF RESTORATION Let's begin with the need. THE NEED FOR RESTORATION The Jews of 1 Samuel 7 needed to be restored. But wait! Weren't they God's chosen people? Sure they were but being a member of the Jewish nation did not guarantee God's blessing. God's blessing is a heart issue. Being a Christian today does not guarantee God's blessing either. It does guarantee eternal life after one dies but it does not guarantee blessing here-and-now. God's blessings come to those whose hearts are truly His. But didn't the men of Kiriath-jearim show great faith by going and getting the ark? Not necessarily. Perhaps they had selfish motives. Maybe they were thinking, "We get to have the ark in our town! Too bad for everyone else..." Their motive could have been pride rather than ministry. The ark was a religious artifact. It was a symbol of God's presence with His people, but it was only a symbol, a religious item. It's presence did not guarantee blessing. Does having religious things guarantee God's blessing today? No it doesn't. There are people in churches who have Bibles big enough to choke a mule, but who lack God's blessing. There are people who wear crosses, Christian T-Shirts, and have religious bumper stickers on their cars, but who are not blessed of God. There are people who come to church every Sunday who aren't experiencing God's blessing. Why?

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God's blessing is a heart issue. Having religious stuff does not bring blessing, but being right with Him does! But didn't the men of Kiriath-jearim do a good thing when they consecrated a Levite's son to care for the ark? Yes they did. They consecrated Abinidab's son, Eleazar. The problem was, the men of Kiriath-jearim were not willing to consecrate themselves. Have you ever met people like that? They say, "You ought to get involved in ministry. It would be really good for you but I'm personally too busy." Or, "You really ought to give to the church, but I have other financial commitments." Or, "I think you ought to attend church more often but my Sundays are full." These folks are willing to tell others what to do but they are not willing to do it themselves. They want God's blessing but they are not willing to give their own heart, soul and strength completely to the Lord. God does not bless such shallow commitment. The folks of Kiriath-jearim were not only God's chosen people, they also lived in the promised land. But, again, this did not guarantee God's blessing. There are people today who live in wonderful Christian homes but who are out of fellowship with God. God's blessing is a heart issue. Unfortunately what happens to many Christians is, they start strong but soon lose their fire. Instead of being excited to tell others about Christ, they become satisfied with simply going to church, carrying a Bible, wearing a Christian T-Shirt or having a Christian bumper sticker on their car. These things are not bad in themselves, but if a person's heart is not right with God, he will likely not experience the blessings God has for him. It is the fire in a person's heart that unleashes God's blessing. Is God's blessing you today. Is He using you in ministry? Has there been any fruit in your life? Does your life draw others to Christ? When

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was the last time you invited someone to church? Are you actively involved in ministry? Do you spend regular time in the Word and prayer? Does your heart ache for the lost? On a scale of 1 to 10, one being ho-hum and 10 being vibrant, how is your relationship with God? Is there great excitement? Are you on fire for God or do you simply go through the motions? Many Christians today think that they are walking with God when their faith is really lukewarm. Lukewarm hearts bring limited blessing. The people at Kiriath-jearim had a problem but didn't know it. They mourned for twenty years. They thought they were in fellowship with God but indeed were not. It is interesting how God will allow people to remain in a spiritual malaise until they are willing to do what is necessary to come out of it. The people lamented because God wasn't working in their lives. The fact was, they were out of fellowship and needed God's restoration. Listen to what Samuel tells them to do in verse three. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." In this verse Samuel gives the people the way to restoration. THE WAY TO RESTORATION It is interesting that it took a prophet to shake the people out of their spiritual doldrums. Some might say, "Why didn't Samuel say something sooner?" It is possible that before this time he didn't really understand what was going on because he was growing from childhood to young-manhood. Perhaps it took him twenty years to see that the people's

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problem was not a lack of religious stuff, it was a lack of whole-hearted commitment. In this verse Samuel gives the people the way to restoration. It involved four steps. The first was, RETURNING to God. Notice that Samuel says, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart." Returning to God entailed not just coming back to God, but coming back with all of one's heart. It was equivalent to another R, repenting. The Jews needed to stop going away from God and start going toward Him. It involved a 180 degree turn. This is precisely what many folks need today. Many Christians have done the same thing that happened in the Church of Ephesus as recorded in Revelation chapter two. They have left their first love. The people at Ephesus had lost their fire for Christ. John writes in Revelation 2:2-5:

2 I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.

The people at Ephesus were doing some pretty good things for God but it had become mechanical religiosity. Instead of giving God their whole heart, they began to focus on other things and soon Christ was no longer number one priority. He had simply become an add-on.

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Where is Christ in your life. Does He have the place of prominence and respect He desires or is He simply a Sunday thing? God makes it clear; if people want to receive His full blessing, they must have Him first in their lives. But how does a person RETURN to the Lord? Samuel tells how. Listen again to verse three, " "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you..." The first step in RETURNING to God involves REMOVING foreign gods. The Jews had polluted their worship by adding foreign gods. At that time in history many Jews also worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth. Baal was the Canaanite god of thunder who supposedly brought rain to water the ground. Ashtaroth was a goddess of war and fertility. The Canaanites believed that the two came together in sexual union producing good crops and a bountiful harvest. It is possible the Israelites turned to Baal and Ashtaroth because they felt that God had deserted them when He did not defeat the Philistines. Perhaps they thought, "If God won't help us then maybe Baal and Ashtaroth will." Do Christians today turn to other gods? You bet they do! Sometimes a Christian gets sick, loses a job or goes through some tragedy only to turn away from God and fill his life with other gods. Some folks rely on their intelligence. Others put faith in their bank account or career training. Some trust natural ability or good looks. All of these are important but none should become our gods. What do you put your trust in today? Do you have little Baals or Ashtaroths that you hope will come together to fertilize your life? Has some event made you feel that you can't trust God? If so, turn back!

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Give any gods (little "g") the heave-ho. Put your faith and trust squarely on the one true God. He alone is your security! I imagine the people of Kiriath-jearim were saying, "God why won't You bless us?" And God was saying, "If you remove all of the little gods in your life, I will bless you!" But RETURNING to God takes more than REMOVING foreign Gods. Listen to what Samuel says next, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord..." Here Samuel is telling the people to REFOCUS on God. They were to get their eyes off of any little gods and REFOCUS on the one true God. But how does a person really focus on God? This must be done on a regular basis through the Word and prayer. The Word and prayer are the only ways to do it! People need to take time to meditate on God's truth and talk to Him in prayer. The problem is that some folks who return to God and try to remove foreign gods fail to really REFOCUS on Him. God doesn't need another emotional decision. Personally, I am sick of emotional decisions. We need people who will not only decide to RETURN to God and REMOVE the foreign gods, but who will also do what it takes to REFOCUS on God. Many times in my own ministry I have failed to really focus on God. I have used the excuse that I am too busy to spend time in the Word and prayer. But in recent years I have come to realize that those who fail to spend time with God on a regular basis, operate in the power of the flesh. They may fill their days with all sorts of activity but little if any of it will be what God wants. Things done in the power of the flesh usually amount to a spiritual zero! It is important to start the day with God to be sure that a person is running in the right direction. I find when I spend time in study and prayer, God prompts me to do many things

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that I otherwise would not think about. And those things usually focus on people rather than projects. I am now almost afraid to start my day without spending time with God for fear of missing what He has for me to do. I do not want to operate in the power of the flesh. One thing I have found very helpful when I pray is to have a pad and paper nearby to write down promptings from the Lord. I have a small spiral-bound notebook with separate pages for home, church, staff meeting, etc. When the Lord prompts me to do something, I write it down and then set up a priority list for the day. The things that don't get done one day get carried over to the next. When I fail to study and pray, I miss much of God's direction. I believe that many Christians are running sixty miles an hour doing stuff that doesn't really count for eternity. Only when they take time to talk with God, study/mediate on His Word and listen for His promptings, can they know that they are headed in the right direction. Are you really focused on God? Do you seek Him daily in study and prayer. To find out if the Lord is really a priority in your life, here is something you can ask yourself. When is the last time you missed a regular meal? Some folks only eat once or twice a day so everyone's eating habits are different, but when is the last time you missed a regular meal? I venture to say that most folks don't miss very many meals or if they do, they miss them because they are doing something for themselves or career. On the other hand, when is the last time you missed a daily quiet time with the Lord? If you keep your physical meal schedule and yet miss your spiritual time with God, then no matter what you say, food is more important to you than the Lord. Actions speak much louder than words. That's a tough thought to swallow (no pun intended) but it is true. The commitment of so many Christians is quite shallow. No wonder God is not using them in a big way!

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But RETURNING to God involves more than REMOVING foreign gods and REFOCUSING on God. It also involves serving God in some capacity. Listen again to Samuel's words in 1 Samuel 7:3, "Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone..." Serving God alone might be called REPEATING the things you did at first. In other words when some folks come to Christ they get actively involved in ministry. They want to live out their new faith. But unfortunately after serving for a while, some Christians decide to take a break. They feel it is someone else's turn. This is not what Scripture says! The Bible teaches that every Christian is a member of Christ's body, the church. Every Christian has a place of ministry. A person never gets too old for ministry. The time Christians can step out of ministry is when God calls them home to be with Him, and even then they will minister before His throne. If a person says he has returned to God, removed foreign gods, and refocused on God, then the natural next step is to SERVE God. How can a person say he is close to God if he has no ministry? This is a contradiction in terms. If we say we love God, we need to REPEAT the service we hopefully did at first. If we don't have a ministry, it is time to find one through prayer. I love the saying, "Find a need and fill it." God has a place of ministry for each believer. It is up to Christians to seek Him and to look for opportunities of service. So, what is your ministry? Do you serve as a teacher, prayer warrior, greeter, choir member, usher, nursery worker, committee member, office worker, maintenance person or musician? Do you serve in children's or youth ministries? Every church has hundreds of

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opportunities. If you don't have a ministry are you praying daily for God to show you what He has for you? Have you called your pastor to see what the church's needs are? If you are not serving, you are crippling the body. If you are the thumb but not doing your part, the rest of the hand cannot function like it should. Although Christians need to be witnesses at work, they also need to serve in their local fellowship. You might be thinking, "If only the church had a prison ministry, I would serve." Or, "If only the church had a homeless ministry, I would serve." Start one! If you feel that God has called you to serve in an area where the church does not currently have a ministry, then start that ministry! Some of you know that one of our very elderly members goes out weekly and passes out tracts at the Farmers Market. The tract is entitled, "How to get to heaven from Marin County." I don't know what kind of impact her ministry is having but I know that there are a lot of folks who go to the Farmers Market who know that a little old lady loves Jesus. We may not know the full impact of her ministry until we get to heaven but God honors such faith. If an eighty year old lady can pass out tracts on the street, there is no one who can't have some ministry. Even if you can't get out of your house, you can pray or call other shut-ins. You can pray for me as your pastor. The possibilities for those who really want to serve are endless! Find a need and fill it! What did the Lord promise to do if the Israelites RETURNED to Him, REMOVED their foreign gods, REFOCUSED on Him, and REPEATED their works of service? God promised to RESTORE them by giving deliverance from their enemies. Listen again to Samuel's words in verse 3, "Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."

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God's deliverance and restoration await all who return to Him. There was a great NEED in Israel for the people to be restored to God. They thought they had everything but indeed they had nothing. Samuel then showed them the WAY to restoration, and the exciting thing is, they took it. Listen to 1 Samuel 7 verses 4 to 6.

4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone.5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 And they gathered to 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 sons of Israel at Mizpah.

The people listened to Samuel and returned to God. How exciting! They removed the foreign gods and served God alone. They fasted and offered sacrifices; two sure signs that a person is getting right with God. When a person fasts he feels hunger pangs and is able to remember the pain that Christ went through for Him. When he sacrifices his time, talents and treasure for God, it shows where his heart is. Would that all believers did such things. But there is a problem with restoration. It makes the enemy angry. THE PROBLEM ACCOMPANYING RESTORATION Notice 1 Samuel 7 verses 7 through 9:

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not

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cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered him.

When the Philistines heard what Israel had done, they were moved to attack. For the previous twenty years Israel had not been a threat. There was a pseudo peace in the land. But now with a renewed commitment to God, the Jews were a force to be reckoned with… Isn’t it like that in the Christian life? When a Christian finally makes a strong commitment to God, the enemy is furious. This should not surprise us. When the Jews saw that the Philistines come against them, they were afraid. Fear is a normal response, but we must always remember that we are to fear God, not men. For a moment the Jews forgot that God had promised to deliver them, but He was now on their side and about to fulfill His promise. Listen to what happened. It was the result of restoration. THE RESULT OF RESTORATION 1 Samuel 7 verses 10 and 11 state,

10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as below Beth-car.

Even though the enemy came against Israel, God fought for them. No matter how big the enemy, God is a majority. I imagine as the Philistines drew near to do battle, and Samuel was offering the burnt

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offering, that some people were saying, "Samuel, hurry up, the enemy is here. We can offer sacrifices later." But Samuel and most of the people had their priorities straight and gave God His due. And the result was that God thundered against the Philistines, confused them and caused them to be struck down with a great slaughter. What a valuable lesson for all of us. When God is for us, who can be against us (Rm 8:31). God will show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9)! But the results went beyond military victory. Listen to verses 12 through 14:

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

The Philistines were subdued and did not come anymore within the border of Israel. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities which the Philistines had taken were restored. There was genuine peace in the land. Praise God! The results of true restoration were beyond the wildest dreams of Israel and the results of true restoration in our lives will be the same. How often Christians hold on to their little gods when God wants them to have so much more. You can never out-give God. When you give Him your whole heart, He gives you so much more in return!

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Let's summarize. The people had a great NEED FOR RESTORATION. Samuel showed them that the WAY TO RESTORATION involved: RETURNING, REMOVING, REFOCUSING and REPEATING. Their was a PROBLEM WITH RESTORATION in that it brought attacks from the enemy. But the RESULT OF TRUE RESTORATION was the boundless blessings of God. CONCLUSION Is RESTORATION what you want for your life today? I invite you to make a commitment to be RESTORED with the Lord. If you are a Christian but have not walked as you should, rededicate your life today. If this is your desire here is a prayer you can pray. Dear Lord, Even though I have You in my life, I have not walked with You as I should. I ask Your forgiveness for my unfaithfulness. Today I rededicate myself to You. I REPENT of my sin and RETURN to You. I ask You to help me REMOVE any foreign gods from my life, REFOCUS on You and REPEAT (acts of SERVICE) as I should. I want Your RESTORATION and blessing no matter what it takes. I recommit myself to You. Help me spend time in Your Word and prayer and to seek You with all my heart. I ask these things in Jesus name. AMEN If, instead, you have never come to Christ but want His blessing in your life, ask Him to come into your life today. Here is a simple prayer you can pray: Dear Lord, I need You. I cannot save myself. I know that You came to this earth to die for me so that I could have eternal life if I put my faith in You. I ask You to come into my life, forgive my sin and make me the kind of

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person that You want me to be. I give myself to You. Help me walk closely with You each day. AMEN In closing let me add that just as Samuel took a stone in verse 12 and set it up as a stone of remembrance, I challenge you to find a stone this week, paint it white and write the following on the front of it as a remembrance of this day: 1 Samuel 7:3 THE WAY TO RESTORATION: RETURN REMOVE REFOCUS REPEAT TODAY'S DATE This is not a rock to be worshipped. It is not an idol. It has no power. It is simply a rock of remembrance that you can put on your fireplace, near a door or in some other location to remind you of the commitment you made this day. May God richly bless you as you serve Him.