Probably twenty or twenty-five years elapsed between the events recorded in chapter 7 and those in 8.

Samuel was now an old man, about to pass from the scene, and a new generation had emerged in Israel with new leaders who had new ideas.

Life goes on, circumstances change, and God’s people must have the wisdom to adapt to new challenges without abandoning old convictions.

Like many great leaders, Samuel in his old age faced some painful situations and had to make some difficult situations.

He left the scene convinced that he had been rejected by the people he had served so faithfully.

Samuel obeyed the Lord, but he was a man with a broken heart.

God had chosen Moses to lead the nation of Israel and Joshua to succeed him, but Joshua wasn’t commanded to lay hands on any successor.

He left behind elders he had trained to serve God, but when they died, the new generation turned away from the Lord and followed the idols of the land.

There was an automatic succession to the priesthood, and the Lord could call out prophets when needed.

But who would lead the people and see to it that the law was obeyed?

During the period of the judges, God raised up leaders here and there and gave them great victories, but nobody was in charge of the nation as a whole.

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The “nation” of Israel was a loose confederation of sovereign tribes, and each tribe was expected to seek the Lord and do His will.

The Bible talks about the godly or the happy man. Happiness is something I believe every human is searching for. The pursuit of happiness is even a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. Psalm 1 gives us insight needed to achieve this, and it starts in the positive by stating that the blessed man "delights in the word of God." One translation says "he finds his greatest pleasure in the Bible.

The Bible talks about the godly or the happy man. Happiness is something I believe every human is searching for. The pursuit of happiness is even a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. Psalm 1 gives us insight needed to achieve this, and it starts in the positive by stating that the blessed man "delights in the word of God." One translation says "he finds his greatest pleasure in the Bible.

This section of Peter’s letter emphasizes submission in the life of the believer. This is especially true when it comes to our relationship to government and people in authority.

of course, everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord and the good of His kingdom! But Peter was careful to point out that Christians in society are representatives of Jesus Christ.

to understand the real meaning of what Peter is saying we must understand something of the nature of slavery in the time of the early church.

In the Roman Empire there were as many as 60,000,000 slaves. Slavery began with Roman conquests, slaves being originally mainly prisoners taken in war.

It was not only menial tasks which were performed by slaves. Doctors, teachers, musicians, actors, secretaries, stewards were slaves.

In fact, all the work done in Rome was done by slaves.

Roman attitude was that there was no point in being master of the world and doing one’s own work.

Let the slaves do that and let the citizens live in pampered idleness.

It would be wrong to think that the lot of slaves was always wretched and unhappy, and that they were always treated with cruelty.

Many slaves were loved and trusted members of the family; but one great inescapable fact dominated the whole situation.

In Roman law a slave was not a person but a thing; and he had absolutely no legal rights whatsoever.

This section of Peter’s letter emphasizes submission in the life of the believer. This is especially true when it comes to our relationship to government and people in authority.

of course, everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord and the good of His kingdom! But Peter was careful to point out that Christians in society are representatives of Jesus Christ.

to understand the real meaning of what Peter is saying we must understand something of the nature of slavery in the time of the early church.

In the Roman Empire there were as many as 60,000,000 slaves. Slavery began with Roman conquests, slaves being originally mainly prisoners taken in war.

It was not only menial tasks which were performed by slaves. Doctors, teachers, musicians, actors, secretaries, stewards were slaves.

In fact, all the work done in Rome was done by slaves.

Roman attitude was that there was no point in being master of the world and doing one’s own work.

Let the slaves do that and let the citizens live in pampered idleness.

It would be wrong to think that the lot of slaves was always wretched and unhappy, and that they were always treated with cruelty.

Many slaves were loved and trusted members of the family; but one great inescapable fact dominated the whole situation.

In Roman law a slave was not a person but a thing; and he had absolutely no legal rights whatsoever.

Today I wanted to talk to you about Idolatry of the heart. Specifically from 1st Samuel 7. The Israelite people had just gotten the Ark of God back from a disastrous defeat by the Philistines. The leadership had also changed from Eli the High Priest to now Samuel a judge and priest over Israel. God had called Samuel to bring the people from their backsliding into the loving arms of their God once again. He told them that "if they would return to the Lord with all their hearts, and put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among them, prepare their hearts for the Lord and serve Him only; that God would deliver them from the hand of the Philistines, their longtime enemies.

Today I wanted to talk to you about Idolatry of the heart. Specifically from 1st Samuel 7. The Israelite people had just gotten the Ark of God back from a disastrous defeat by the Philistines. The leadership had also changed from Eli the High Priest to now Samuel a judge and priest over Israel. God had called Samuel to bring the people from their backsliding into the loving arms of their God once again. He told them that "if they would return to the Lord with all their hearts, and put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among them, prepare their hearts for the Lord and serve Him only; that God would deliver them from the hand of the Philistines, their longtime enemies.

Today is presidents day, officially known as Washington's Birthday (even though it isn't actually on Washington's birthday!). So, I wanted to talk a little about this man, the first president of the United States. George Washington is known as the founder of this country, and historically he was known or, should be known as a man of strong Christian faith and prayer.

Today is presidents day, officially known as Washington's Birthday (even though it isn't actually on Washington's birthday!). So, I wanted to talk a little about this man, the first president of the United States. George Washington is known as the founder of this country, and historically he was known or, should be known as a man of strong Christian faith and prayer.

This section of Peter’s letter emphasizes submission in the life of the believer. This is not a popular subject.

Peter applied the theme of submission to the life of a believer as a citizen (1 Peter 2:11-17).

A worker (2:18-25) and in marriage (1 Peter 3:1-7), and a member in the church (1 Peter 3:8-12).

All three of these areas have been polluted in today's age. What is interesting is today's climate looks a lot like that of the ’60s.

God has established the home, government, and the church, and He has the right to tell us how these institutions should be run.

There was free sex, drugs, drinking, political upheaval, climate concerns, radical music, riots, marches, wars, and racial issues.

Rebellion to authority is not something new, its something old and is demonic in nature. You know the leader of a rebellion taking a third of the angels.

Now, in saying that. There are times to resist authority, but only when that authority tells you to do something contrary to the law of God.

Act 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.

“Submission” does not mean slavery, but simply the recognition of God’s authority in our lives.

Satan’s offer to our first parents was freedom without authority, but they ended up losing both freedom and authority.

The Prodigal Son found his freedom when he yielded to his father’s will.

Peter shared with his readers three excellent motives for submitting to authority and living dedicated, obedient Christian lives.