Chapter 7

So they do.  The men of Kiriath-jearim consecrate Eleazar, the son of Abinadab, on whose land the ark resides, to have charge of the ark.  They don't send for the Levites or the high priest.  They just appoint someone to look after it.  The ark stays in this place for 20 years!  As I read it, the people continue to worship the Baals and the Ashtaroth for 20 years, and then "all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord".

Samuel urges Israel to put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth and serve God only.  They do so.  They gather at Mizpah for Samuel to judge them.  The Philistines hear of it, and gather to make war on them.  Samuel offers a prayer and a sacrifice.  The Lord thunders "a mighty sound", the Philistines are confused and run away, and Israel pursues them. 

2025 - We think things are bad here in the US, that we are getting away from our Christian heritage and the dedication to God of the founding fathers.  Yet here is Israel, set free from Egypt with great miracles and power and plagues, turned to Baal worship and idols and ashtaroth.  What we ought to note is that even this far removed from their Godly heritage, they could still come back by national repentance.  They had a revival here, and they turned back to God, under the leadership of Samuel.

2022 - Mizpah comes up quite often as a gathering place.  Here is a map.  Just off the map at the bottom is where the Jordan river - to the west of Mizpah, runs into the Dead Sea.  Mizpah is mentioned in these chapters: 

It was from here that Laban and Jacob parted.  Jephthah, one of the judges, lived here, and when he got home from battle, his daughter came out the door and ended up tragically sacrificed because of Jephthah's rash vow.  It was here that Israel went to fight against the Benjamites for their heinous crime in Judges.  It is the place to which the few remaining armed men of Israel along with those who had fled the Babylonian invasion returned when Gedeliah was made governor.  It is the place where Gedeliah was murdered. But, in this chapter, the Philistines are defeated here because Israel has returned to the Lord.  Mizpah is really not a wonderful place with great memories.  It is more of a reminder of tragedy and loss.  Many think the word itself means "watchtower".

From then on, while Samuel is judge, the Philistines leave Israel alone, as do the Amorites.  Samuel does a circuit, and judges in each city, then goes home to Ramah, then starts again.