“And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'” 1 Samuel 7.3
October 24, 2025
Revival meetings were once a regular event in churches in the not too distant past. But were they really “revivals?” The question is currently being asked about the upsurges in interest in “religion.” According to theologian and author J.I. Packer, “A revival is the movement of God’s Holy Spirit upon His people as they repent of their sins to bring about renewed spiritual life and activity.”
In the days of the Judges Israel experienced cycles of oppression, repentance, and deliverance which characterized God’s covenant people. The result of the prophet Samuel’s faithful labor in preaching to Israel brought about a revival. Four steps to the recovery of spiritual order in the house of Israel are revealed. First, there was godly sorrow which led to repentance. The words “lamented” and “return” in 7:2-3 indicate grief over disobedience and sin. Have there been times in your own life as a Christian when you have moved away from sweet fellowship with the Lord due to a pattern of dishonesty, lying, or immorality? Chronic depression can be a symptom of grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Next, genuine repentance led to the removal of the idols that had been sought out by Israel. Disposal of the things that have come between us and God is a vital part of returning to the joy of the Lord. Is there something you need to “put off” (Col. 3:8, maybe pornography, the wrong kind of “friends,” something stolen that needs restitution? Declare war on those deceptive delights that dishonor God. True repentance is a pivot away from that which creates the misery of a violated conscience. How tender is God’s discipline to bring us back to our spiritual senses.
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“Our tears must drown our sins.” Thomas Watson