REPENT (SAM.7)
So the people of Kiriath-Jearim came and got the Ark of the Blood-Covenant Witness and took it to Abinadab’s house (HE WAS A PRIEST), which was on a hill in their town. They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it, and it stayed there for twenty years, and during this time everyone in Yisharal felt that Yahusha was no longer near, so they were yearning for Him, and crying out for His help.
WHY DIDN’T THEY TAKE THE ARK BACK TO SHILOH AND THE TABERNACLE LOCATED THERE? OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENED AT SHILOH, (POLITICALLY) TO MAKE IT UNSUITABLE AS THE SPOT FOR THE TABERNACLE ANYMORE. MAYBE IT WAS DESTROYED AFTER THE ARK WAS TAKEN AND ELI'S FAMILY WERE KILLED (THERE IS ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF THAT) - THE PRIESTS PROB RAN FOR THEIR LIVES AND THIS IS WHY ABINADAB AND HIS FAMILY ARE AT KIRIATH-YEARIM INSTEAD OF SHILOH, SERVING AS PRIESTS.
IF YOU REALLY WANT YAHUSHA YOU GOTTA THROW OUT ALL THE WICKED BEHAVIOUR !!
So one day, Samuel told all the people of Yisharal, “If you really want to turn back to Yahuah, then prove it. Get rid of all your foreign idols, including the ones of Astarte. Turn back to Yahuah with all your heart (MIND - THE PLACE OF THOUGHT AND DECISION - WE THINK FROM OUR HEART - NOT OUR EMOTIONS) and serve only Him, and He will rescue you from the Philistines.”
Then the people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only Yahusha. THE PEOPLE OF YISHARAL WERE HAVING AN EMOTIONAL DESIRE FOR YAHUSHA AND ALL THE PEACE AND BLESSING THAT SUCH A RELATIONSHIP BROUGHT WITH IT, BUT SAM WAS TELLING THEM THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT WHICH THEY FELT; THEY HAD TO MOVE BEYOND ONLY THE EMOTION OF IT ALL AND SET THEIR MINDS, THEIR WILLS, TOWARDS THE GOAL OF OBEDIENCE. BUT EVEN THEN THEY WERE STILL PASSIVE, SO WHAT WAS CRITICAL WAS TO PROVE THEIR DESIRE THROUGH ACTION - BEHAVIOUR! AND THE ACTION WAS TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE THE FOREIGN IDOLS AND PAGAN SANCTUARIES FROM THEIR MIDST AND ONLY SERVE YAHUSHA . . . BEHAVE HIS WAY!!
Then Samuel said, “Tell everyone in Yisharal to meet together at Mizpah, and I will speak to Yahuah for you.” SAMUEL WAS ACTING AS A SORT OF MEDIATOR OR HIGH PRIEST, ALTHOUGH OFFICIALLY HE WAS NEITHER, HE WAS A PROPHET. HOWEVER A PROPHET WAS YAHUSHA’S TOOL ON EARTH AND THEY WERE OFTEN A JACK OF ALL TRADES FOR YAHUSHA. NONE, THOUGH, WERE GIVEN THE VAST RANGE OF DUTIES AS SAM WAS.
So the Yisharalites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader, and they drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to Yahusha. And on that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed that they’d been disobedient to Yahusha. IT WAS HERE, AND AT THIS MOMENT, THAT SAMUEL’S ROLE AS A SHOPHET/JUDGE OF YISHARAL BEGAN.
But when the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Yisharal, who were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming. “Keep speaking to Yahuah!” they told Samuel, “Don’t stop, ask Yahuah our Alahim to rescue us.” THE PHILISTINES WHO STILL FELT THAT THEY GOVERNED OVER THE YISHARALITES SAW THIS GATHERING AS AN UNLAWFUL AND THREATENING ASSEMBLY IN DIRECT AFFRONT TO THEIR AUTHORITY AN DEITY, SO THEY WEREN’T ABOUT TO LET IT SLIDE.
So Samuel begged Yahusha to rescue Yisharal, then he sacrificed a young lamb to Him. And Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack. And Yahusha answered Samuel, making thunder crash all around them. Then the Philistines panicked and ran away and the men of Yisharal left Mizpah and chased after them as far as the hillside below Beth-Car, killing every enemy soldier they caught.
And the Philistines were so badly beaten that it was quite a while before they attacked Yisharal again. After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs, naming it “Ebenezer” (Stone of Help) to remind Yisharal just how much Yahusha had helped them this far.
And for as long as Samuel lived, Yahusha helped Yisharal fight the Philistines, allowing them to recapture their towns and territories between Ekron and Gath, and Yisharal also made peace with the Amorites.
THE AGE OLD SAYING “THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND”, IS QUITE APPLICABLE. THE AMORITES AND THE PHILISTINES WERE BITTER ENEMIES AS BOTH SOUGHT TO DOMINATE CANAAN AND MUCH OF THE MIDDLE EAST; SO WHEN YISHARAL SUBDUED THE PHILISTINES IT WAS NATURAL THAT (FOR A TIME) THE AMORITES FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE UNFAMILIAR POSITION OF BEING ON YISHARAL’S SIDE.
And Samuel was the leader in Yisharal all his life, and every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as a judge for the people. Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. He also had an altar built for Yahusha at Ramah.
SAMUEL WAS NOW THE HIGHEST SPIRITUAL AND SECULAR AUTHORITY OVER YISHARAL AND WAS THE FIRST JUDGE OR RULER SINCE JOSHUA TO HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ALL THE 12 TRIBES OF YISHARAL. LET’S NOT EXAGGERATE SAMUEL’S INFLUENCE THOUGH. ALL 12 TRIBES SEEMED TO RESPECT THE FACT THAT SAMUEL WAS YAHUSHA’S PROPHET FOR THEM AS A WHOLE NATION, BUT NOT ALL THE TRIBES AND THEIR PRINCES WERE SO READY TO ACCEPT TOO MUCH IN THE WAY OF HIS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER THEM.
SAM'S AUTHORITY WOULD HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED BIG-TIME BY THE LEFT-OVER PRIESTS (AT NOB AND OTHER SPOTS) WHO WERE ACTUAL LEVITES AND FELT THEY DESERVED SUCH AUTHORITY BECAUSE OF THEIR LINEAGE AND QUALIFICATIONS (SOUND FAMILAR?). SO HIS INFLUENCE (WHILE MORE WIDESPREAD THAN ANY OTHER JUDGE WHO CAME BEFORE), WASN'T NATIONALLY ACCEPTED TO THE POINT THAT HE WAS CONSIDERED THEIR RULER OR LEADER (LIKE MOSES OR JOSHUA). INFACT THEY DIDN'T SEE HIM AS “KING-LIKE” AT ALL .... THEREFORE A KING WAS STILL NEEDED TO UNITE YISHARAL!
REPENT (HEBREW UNDERSTANDING - SHOOB): to turn back, retreat, break, build, circumcise, lay down, rejoice, weep, bring back home, carry back, convert, deliver again, draw back, fetch, recover, refresh, relieve, rescue, return, reverse, send back, withdraw.
SCRIPTURE UNDERSTANDING:
"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and communicate with Me and seek My face, turning from their wicked behaviour, then I'll hear them, forgive their wicked behaviour and heal their land". 2 CHRON 7 BRS
"If we tell the truth and admit what we've done, He is trustworthy and just to forgive us and purify us from all our wickedness". 1 JOHN 1 BRS
Whoever hides their wicked behaviour won't make it and nothing will work for them, but the one who tells the truth and owns up to everything finds favour from Yahusha. PROVERBS 28 BRS
"Come near to Yahusha and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you wicked people, and purify your hearts, you double-minded fools". JAMES 4 BRS
"I've not come to call those who think they're right, but the unclean, the sick and the criminals to repentance". LUKE 5 BRS
"Peter replied, 'Repent and be immersed, every one of you, in the name of Yahusha Mashiach for the forgiveness of your wicked behaviour, and you will receive the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit.'” ACTS 2 BRS
Yearning for Yahusha like Yisharal was? Want His Attention and affection in your day? He wants that with you too. It's simple ... Put away your idolatry (bad behaviour, evil habits, lifestyle) and Love Him, Follow Him, Serve Him, Listen for His Voice ... WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND BEING ... MAKING A CONSCIOUS ACTIVE DECISION, deciding rationally, soberly, intuitively from a spirit-filled heart (mind) ... instead of being passively tossed around by every wave of emotion ... SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND, ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN, KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. Yahusha is the same yesterday, today and forever, drawing close to those who want Him ... But it's His way not ours!!
REPENTANCE IS NOT AN EVENT, IT'S A DAILY ONGOING BEHAVIOUR OF HUMILITY BEFORE A PERFECT CREATOR, SEEKING HIS GUIDANCE, PERMISSION AND DIRECTION, EXCITED WHEN HIS LIVING WORDS COME TO YOU (EVEN IF THEY'RE TO CHASTISE OR REBUKE), NOT DESPISING HIS DISCIPLINE IN YOUR LIFE. IT'S REALLY KNOWING YOUR PLACE, THAT YOU ARE A SERVANT WITH NO RIGHTS OR OPINIONS, AND HE IS THE ALL-POWERFUL MASTER WHO KNOWS ALL.
TRUE REPENTANCE IS NOT JUST AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE, BUT AN ACTIVE TURNING AWAY AND WALKING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION FROM YOUR WICKEDNESS.
CAN YOU GIVE UP YOUR LIFE (SUCH AS IT IS) AND RELINQUISH THAT SORT OF CONTROL ... TO STAY IN HIM AND BEHAVE OBEDIENTLY ?
THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SORT OF BELIEF. DO YOU WANT IT, OR JUST ROLL OVER AND GO BACK TO SLEEP ???
REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM (THE REIGN) OF YAHUSHA IS COMING !!!