Restore the Blessing of Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:3–9)
Restore the Blessing of Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:3–9) 10/4/2026
When God brought the age of Eli to an end and opened a new age through Samuel, one of the blessings God restored through Samuel was the blessing of Mizpah. Because all Israel gathered together at Mizpah, it is also called the Mizpah Assembly. And because the course of Israel’s history changed after this event, it is also called the Mizpah Movement. Why was the Mizpah Assembly, or Mizpah Movement, so important? Because this gathering became a turning point through which the Israelites, who were living through a difficult period, recovered the blessing of being God’s chosen people.
First, what kind of nation was Israel, the nation God had chosen? When Abraham left a background of idol worship and went to Canaan with nothing, God gave him the covenant that his people would become a source of blessings. God promised to bless his descendants and make them into a great nation, defeat their enemies, and make them witnesses through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. After Joseph died, the Israelites lived as slaves for 400 years. But God delivered them, split the Red Sea, and led them back toward Canaan. While Joshua was their leader, they conquered Canaan to the point where the people of the land became afraid of the God who was working through Israel (Joshua 2:10–11). Just as God had promised Joshua, He gave Israel the land on which their feet had walked. They conquered the land, and there was a period of time they prepared for the future.
- What happened to the Israelites after Joshua died?
1) They continued to experience devastating failure. During the period of the Judges, the Israelites repeatedly suffered because of attacks from the Canaanite peoples. Then, during the time of priest Eli, the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the covenant relationship between God and Israel, was captured.
2) Who does this represent? Why does history repeat this kind of suffering and failure? This was not only their problem. It is the present condition of fallen humanity since Genesis 3. Unless we continually enjoy the grace of God’s salvation and hold on to the covenant given to those who have been saved, we will continue to be deceived by our enemies and live in suffering as long as we are on this earth.
① Their faith in God became weak, so they continually fell into the world and looked toward the world. That was idolatry (Colossians 3:5). They did not realize that they were experiencing difficulties because they had lost hold of God and the covenant He had given them. It was as though they thought God was not enough, so they continually looked for other sources of power and other methods. They had not completely abandoned God. They knew that He alone was the Creator and therefore the only Savior. But they had lost sight of the power and blessing that come when He rules their lives. How far did this go? We see it in chapter 8. They thought their problems were happening because they did not have a king, so they demanded a king. As a result, Saul became king through their insistence. What is obtained through human insistence rather than God’s will does not last long. And so Saul eventually fell.
② Why did their faith in God become weak? They did not know what God’s promises (covenant) were. The covenant is the absolute plan of God that He gives as a promise concerning me, His people, and the entire world. God does not give this covenant to just anyone. He gives it to His chosen people (this is why the Philistines were judged even more severely after taking the Ark of the Covenant in chapters 5–6). We must recover our faith and live with the confidence of knowing what makes us different from unbelievers who have no covenant. From the moment you were saved, first hold on to the fact that you were chosen by God before the foundation of the world. In Christ, you were forgiven of all your sins, have become a child of God, and have become someone who can enjoy every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3–5). Even when problems come, even when crises come, if we truly look to Him, God promises to give us victory and make everything into a testimony (re-creation, re-production, and re-challenge).
③ This is why we must make the covenant our imprint, our root, and our nature. Without the covenant, we have no strength to overcome when an enemy comes, and we collapse. Even when we fail, we have no assurance that we can rise again. That is why God’s people repeatedly fall and cannot overcome their wounds, their level, and their limitations. Through the message from the pulpit, hold on to the covenant for the week. Meditate on it every day and hold on to the covenant for today. As you do this, the covenant for your entire life will also become clear. Then pass it on to your children, and see the evidence of the covenant in yourself and in the generations that follow you (covenant journey, pilgrim journey, and victor’s journey).
- What are the three things God had Samuel lead the Israelites to do when they gathered at Mizpah? Within God’s time schedule revealed through the message from the pulpit, we must hold onto the time schedule of blessing that God is giving to me, my family, and our church (covenant of Ezekiel 47).
1) He led them to throw away all idols and hold on to “only.” Our lives are ones that He created, chose, and saved. He alone is my Savior, my Redeemer, and my Mediator. There is no one else who can do this work. Christ, the One who came as the Son of God, is the “only.” (Acts 4:12)
① Hold on to only Christ, only the Kingdom of God, and only the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ finished every problem on the cross. He rules over me and establishes me as a witness. It is not my power. It is the power of the Holy Spirit. Study while enjoying this blessing. Work at your job and run your business while enjoying this blessing. It does not matter how inadequate we may be.
② This is when the answers and evidence of “only,” “uniqueness,” and “re-creation” come. Because we have “only,” even the small things we do become uniqueness, and they become opportunities for re-creation that save everyone.
③ For this purpose, God works through With, Immanuel, and Oneness. This was the blessing enjoyed by Joseph and all the remnants. God is with me, He is with the people I meet, and He is with everything I do.
2) He led them to hold on to God alone as the bartizan that overcomes every enemy.
① Israel did not choose God. God chose Israel. Therefore, He also fights against my enemies. Why do God’s chosen people become oppressed, tormented, and live in humiliation under their enemies? Because they have lost this blessing.
② God protects me, fights for me, and gives me His victory and glory (this is what it means to “restore the blessing of the bartizan.”) Do you know why they gathered specifically at Mizpah? The Hebrew word “Mizpah” means “bartizan” or “watchpost.” Why specifically use a word meaning bartizan or watchpost? Because it is something needed in warfare. It is not merely an ordinary word. It is also a theologically important word. It represents the covenant that Christ will fight for me to the very end and give me victory (Revelation 17:14).
③ Look at how God actually gave them undeniable evidence. The Philistines dared to attack at the very moment when God’s people had gathered, restored the covenant, and were praying. But God caused those enemies to be utterly defeated. This is where the confession of faith called “Ebenezer” came from (1 Samuel 7:12). David, who received this secret, held on to this confession throughout his entire life (Psalm 62:2). He defeated every enemy and became a testimony of a victor (Song of Songs 4:4). The One who would come as a descendant of David is Christ. He is called the “Morning Star,” representing the victorious One (Revelation 22:16).
3) Finally, Israel’s lifelong enemies were defeated, everything that had been taken from them was restored, and an age of peace opened in the land. Without realizing it, they had lived allowing so many things to be stolen from them by darkness. Now, rise up, hold on to the covenant of victory, and live. Satan, who will ultimately bow before Christ (1 Corinthians 15:25), will certainly have his head crushed beneath our feet (Romans 16:20). And then all the blessings follow. The Bible says that all the blessings given to us are the result of Christ’s victory (Ephesians 4:8).
Conclusion – Restore the blessing of Mizpah within yourself and within your family. It will become a blessing that revives the church and saves all nations.
10.4.26 Restore the Blessing of Mizpah