Bible text: I Samuel 7:2 to 13,
Dear brothers and Sisters,
Loving greetings in Jesus Christ. Today let us see about the importance of having the servants of God to have success and peace of mind in our lives. The bible says the bible of God were mourning for twenty long years without a servant of God as in 1 Sam 7:2 It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD . Finally God sent his servant the prophet Samuel to help them. He helped the people to take a right decision for the lord in the right time. He encouraged and helped them to return to God with all their heart. He made them firm to give up all their previous falls ways and to throw away all the idles that they had to sincerely commit their ways to God. He promised them a total deliverance from the hands of the enemies they had as in 1 Sam 7:3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "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."
When the servant of God Samuel came and taught them the ways of God the people were already so much fed up with their enemies, so they immediately came forward to throw away all their idles in order to serve the Lord as in 1 Sam 7:4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
The servant of God Samuel after teaching them to understand the ways of God and after cleansing them or correcting their ways, he called them all to assemble in the presence of the lord so that he can intercede for them as in 1 Sam 7:5 Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you."
Now because of this servant of God, they all came together to fast and confess their sin to God as in 1 Sam 7:6 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." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.”
Whenever we corrects our ways and come before God the enemy will try to come against us to frighten us as in 1 Sam 7:7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.” We see the same in the New Testament also when our lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days the enemy came to test him as in Mat 4:2 & 3, “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Vs.3, The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Since there was a servant of God the people did not fear and they came to him and requested him to pray and intercede on their behalf before the lord that the Lord may rescue them from their enemy as in 1 Sam 7:8 They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines."
The prophet Samuel knew what to do at the time of the problem so he offered the right sacrifice before the lord and prayed for them and he got the answer from God as in 1 Sam 7:9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel 's behalf, and the LORD answered him.
The enemy also knew the power in the prayer so he came faster to attack them so that they may not have time to go back and bring their weapons. But God knew every cunning plans of the enemy so He himself did the battle and frightened them that they may not have any strength to stand before the children of God as in 1 Sam 7:10 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.”
Seeing the help of God the children of God got encouraged and they pursued after them and had a great victory as in 1 Sam 7:11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.
The servant of God put a memorial symbol that the people may remember about the help of God in their lives as in 1 Sam 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."
As long as they had this wonderful servant of God alive they never had any problem with their enemies as in 1 Sam 7:13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines.
The bible says we must obey the leaders as the people obey to the prophet Samuel and stayed peacefully under his leadership as in Heb 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” When we fail to obey them they cannot be happy to serve us and their work will not be an advantage or profit for us. So we must always obey to them and keep them happy.
The work of the watch man is written in Ezek 3:17 to 21 : "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel ; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. Vs.18, When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. Vs.19, But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. Vs.20, Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. Vs.21, But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."
God calls people to serve him and his people because the bible says no one can take care of their own soul as in Psa 22:29, “and none can keep alive his own soul. So the good shepherd calls the servants of God as per His choice for this ministry of watching the sheep. And he assigns them the task of taking care of the sheep because they love Jesus in their lives. They are doing this work because Jesus Christ is commanding them to take care of the sheep which are innocent without knowing the ways of God as in John 21:15 to 18, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, " Feed my lambs ." Vs.16, Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, " Take care of my sheep ." Vs.17, The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, " Feed my sheep .”
That is why our lord Jesus himself told about the servants who are hired not called by the master shepherd, He said the hireling will run away when the problem comes in the lives of the sheep he will try to save his own life then the life of the sheep as in John 10:12 & 13, “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. Vs.13, The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
May the lord help each one of us to have a good shepherd of God's own heart and the one who really loves the lord to serve the sheep even at the risk of his own life. Only he who is willing to lose his life will gain it as in Mat 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it .” Without receiving the lords called servants of God whom He has sent to serve us we cannot receive God as in Mat 10:40 & 41, "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Vs.41, “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. Apostle Paul also writes about accepting the servants of God as in 1 Cor 16:10 & 11, “If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. Vs.11, “No one, then, should refuse to accept him . Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.” Amen.
With love and prayers
Yours in His Service,
Rev. Dr. T. Marcus Devasahayam