1 Samuel 7:1-6

Put Away the Foreign Gods

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1Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.

2And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the LORD.

3Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.

5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”

6When they had gathered 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 judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

Berean Standard Bible

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The men of Kiriath-jearim place the ark in Abinadab’s house and consecrate his son Eleazar to guard it. Twenty years pass while it remains there, and all Israel mournfully seeks the LORD. The nation has experienced defeat, loss, and the consequences of treating holy things as a guarantee. Samuel now speaks to a people whose longing for God has become visible in their mourning.

Samuel tells them that returning to the LORD must involve their whole hearts. They must put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths, prepare their hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. His promise of deliverance is joined to a concrete change of allegiance; the people are not asked to keep every rival loyalty and simply add more religious words.

The Israelites respond by putting away the Baals and Ashtoreths and serving only the LORD. The account is brief about the objects themselves and clear about the decision. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry that trouble came. It is turning from the gods that have claimed the household and returning to the LORD.

Samuel calls Israel to Mizpah and promises to pray on their behalf. They gather, pour out water before the LORD, fast, and confess that they have sinned against Him. Their return includes both putting away false gods and admitting their own wrongdoing. Samuel serves as their judge there.

The reading does not promise that every change of allegiance removes every future hardship. It shows the beginning of a restored relationship: mourning becomes a reason to seek the LORD, and seeking Him becomes a decision to put away what competes with Him.

Questions

1 What has happened during the long period when the ark is at Kiriath-jearim?

AnswerTwenty years have passed, and all Israel mournfully seeks the LORD. Samuel calls them to make their return wholehearted by serving Him alone.

2 What did Samuel tell Israel to put away?

AnswerSamuel told them to put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths and prepare their hearts to serve the LORD alone.

3 What did Israel do in response to Samuel?

AnswerThe Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths, served only the LORD, and gathered at Mizpah as Samuel directed.

4 What promise did Samuel connect to returning to the LORD?

AnswerHe said that if they prepared their hearts and served the LORD only, He would deliver them from the hand of the Philistines.

What This Means for Us

The people do not return to the LORD by adding Him to a crowded shelf of competing powers. Samuel calls for a change of allegiance. For a household today, that may involve noticing what receives our trust, fear, time, or obedience when we say that God is Lord.

Name one loyalty that is shaping your family more than you want it to. Do not turn the exercise into a hunt for objects or a reason to shame one another. Ask what practical change would make room for faithful service, and make that change together rather than demanding repentance from someone else while avoiding your own.

Prayer

Lord, turn our household back to You with undivided hearts. Show us the loyalties that compete for our trust, and give us courage to turn from whatever claims the worship that belongs to You alone. Let repentance become a real change in how we spend, speak, worship, and serve. Amen.

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