◄ 1 Samuel 7:9 ►
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.
Study Bible
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb
Samuel, the last judge and a prophet of Israel, takes a young lamb, which is significant as lambs were often used in sacrificial offerings due to their purity and innocence. This act symbolizes the need for atonement and the importance of offering something valuable to God. The use of a suckling lamb also prefigures Christ, who is referred to as the "Lamb of God" in John 1:29, symbolizing ultimate sacrifice and purity.

and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD.
The whole burnt offering was a common practice in ancient Israel, signifying complete dedication and surrender to God. By offering the entire animal, Samuel demonstrates total commitment and seeks to atone for the sins of the people. This act of worship and sacrifice is a precursor to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, who offered Himself wholly for the sins of humanity, as seen in Hebrews 10:10.

He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel,
Samuel's intercession for Israel highlights his role as a mediator between God and the people, similar to Moses. This act of crying out signifies earnest prayer and supplication, reflecting the deep spiritual need of the nation. It underscores the importance of intercessory prayer, a theme echoed in the New Testament where believers are encouraged to pray for one another (James 5:16).

and the LORD answered him.
God's response to Samuel's prayer demonstrates His faithfulness and willingness to forgive and restore His people when they turn back to Him. This divine response is a testament to the power of sincere prayer and repentance. It also foreshadows the New Covenant promise that God hears and answers the prayers of His people, as affirmed in 1 John 5:14-15.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Samuel
A prophet and judge of Israel, Samuel is a pivotal figure in the transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy. He is known for his dedication to God and his role in anointing the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.

2. Suckling Lamb
The offering of a suckling lamb signifies purity and innocence. In the context of the Old Testament sacrificial system, it represents a complete and unblemished offering to God.

3. Whole Burnt Offering
This type of offering symbolizes total dedication and surrender to God. It is a sacrifice that is entirely consumed by fire, indicating the worshiper's complete devotion.

4. The LORD
The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is the central figure in Israel's history and the one to whom Samuel directs his prayers and sacrifices.

5. Israel
The nation chosen by God, often struggling with faithfulness, yet continually called back to repentance and renewal through leaders like Samuel.
Teaching Points
The Power of Intercession
Samuel's prayer on behalf of Israel demonstrates the importance and power of intercessory prayer. Believers are encouraged to pray for others, trusting that God hears and responds.

Total Surrender to God
The whole burnt offering signifies complete dedication. Christians are called to offer their lives as living sacrifices, wholly devoted to God's purposes.

God's Faithfulness in Answering Prayer
The LORD's response to Samuel's prayer is a testament to His faithfulness. Believers can be assured that God listens and answers according to His will.

Repentance and Renewal
Samuel's actions lead Israel back to God, highlighting the need for continual repentance and renewal in the believer's life.

Leadership and Spiritual Guidance
Samuel's role as a leader and spiritual guide is a model for Christian leaders today, emphasizing the importance of guiding others in faithfulness to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Samuel's role as an intercessor in 1 Samuel 7:9 inspire you to pray for others in your community or church?

2. In what ways can the concept of a "whole burnt offering" be applied to your personal walk with God today?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness in answering prayer. How does this encourage you in your current prayer life?

4. How can you, like Samuel, lead others towards repentance and renewal in their relationship with God?

5. Compare Samuel's intercession for Israel with Jesus' role as our intercessor. How does this comparison deepen your understanding of Christ's work on our behalf?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 1
This chapter outlines the laws concerning burnt offerings, providing context for the significance of Samuel's offering.

Psalm 50:15
This verse emphasizes calling upon God in times of trouble, paralleling Samuel's intercession for Israel.

Hebrews 7:25
This New Testament passage highlights Jesus as our intercessor, drawing a parallel to Samuel's role in interceding for Israel.
Sermons
Steps of Return to GodD. Fraser 1 Samuel 7:1-12
A City Changed by a Revival1 Samuel 7:3-11
An Ideal StatesmanJ. S. Exell, M. A.1 Samuel 7:3-11
An Old Testament RevivalC. S. Robinson, D. D.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Disaster Aids RepentanceH. C. Trumbull.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Repentance and RevivalW. G. Blaikie, D. D.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Repentance and VictoryA. Maclaren, D. D.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Returning to Lost ExperiencesJ. Spencer.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Samuel the JudgeT. D. Witherspoon, D. D.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Samuel the JudgeM. G. Pearse.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Samuel the JudgeMonday Club Sermons1 Samuel 7:3-11
Solitary PowerJ. Parker, D. D.1 Samuel 7:3-11
The Brotherhood of WorshipW. L. Watkinson.1 Samuel 7:3-11
The RevivalR. Steel.1 Samuel 7:3-11
Three Decisive StepsSpurgeon, Charles Haddon1 Samuel 7:3-11
National DeliveranceW. G. Blaikie, D. D.1 Samuel 7:7-11
The Holy WarR. Steel.1 Samuel 7:7-11
The Victory of EbenezerB. Dale 1 Samuel 7:7-14
People
Abinadab, Amorites, Eleazar, Israelites, Samuel
Places
Beth-car, Bethel, Ebenezer, Ekron, Gath, Gilgal, Kiriath-jearim, Mizpah, Ramah, Shen
Topics
Answereth, Behalf, Burned, Burnt, Burnt-offering, Causeth, Cried, Crieth, Fat, Israel's, Lamb, Offered, Offering, Prayers, Samuel, Sucking, Sucking-lamb, Suckling, Taketh, Wholly
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Samuel 7:9

     4663   lamb
     4826   fire
     7322   burnt offering
     7773   prophets, role

1 Samuel 7:3-9

     7734   leaders, spiritual

1 Samuel 7:3-13

     6634   deliverance

1 Samuel 7:5-9

     8611   prayer, for others

1 Samuel 7:7-12

     5597   victory, act of God

1 Samuel 7:7-14

     4207   land, divine gift
     5607   warfare, examples

1 Samuel 7:8-9

     7435   sacrifice, in OT

Library
Sermon at the Faribault Celebration of the Centennial of the Inauguration of George Washington, 1789-1889.
"Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebeneser, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."-- 1 SAMUEL vii. 12. No words are more fitting on this Centennial day. One hundred years ago George Washington was inaugurated the first President of the United States. Words are powerless to express the grateful thoughts which swell patriot hearts. Save that people whom God led out of Egypt with His pillar of fire and His pillar of cloud, I know of no nation …
H.B. Whipple—Five Sermons

Three Decisive Steps
"And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Ebenezer!
I beg you, therefore, dear friends, for a little time this morning, to fix your thoughts upon your God in connection with yourselves; and, while we think of Samuel piling the stones and saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us," let us lay the emphasis upon the last word and say, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped US," and if you can put it in the singular, and say, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped ME," so much the better. Again, it is a very delightful exercise to remember the various ways in which the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 9: 1863

Ebenezer 1Sam 7:12
 …
John Newton—Olney Hymns

Faithlessness and Defeat
'And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. 3. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Emmaus. Kiriath-Jearim.
"From Beth-horon to Emmaus it was hilly."--It was sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem.--"To eight hundred only, dismissed the army, (Vespasian) gave a place, called Ammaus, for them to inhabit: it is sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem." I inquire, whether this word hath the same etymology with Emmaus near Tiberias, which, from the 'warm baths,' was called Chammath. The Jews certainly do write this otherwise... "The family (say they) of Beth-Pegarim, and Beth Zipperia was out of Emmaus."--The …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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