I Samuel 7:7
“Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.”
The Israelites were in a vulnerable place. They were grieved for their 20 year self alienation from God. They now are attempting to make it right. They were instructed to go to Mizpah for their ceremonies. Apparently this put them in a place vulnerable to attack from the Philistines. Thus, they are fearful.
We find ourselves in multiple settings as we follow the Lord. Sometimes those situations call for vulnerability and/or make us vulnerable. What are we to do? This is where faith kicks in. Think of The Lord’s Prayer, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” If we are sure in His guidance, then we are to trust Him with our defense. Psalm 23 says, “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me”. The rod beats off our enemies, while He uses the hook on the staff to steer us from danger. We can trust Him.
The situation at Mizpah caught them off guard. It was done in sincerity and innocence. God covers those things. We are to use wisdom in other situations. We might find ourselves in a vulnerable spot with an unsafe person. Wisdom normally tells us to not trust that one. We attempt to back out with the least damage. If we feel God guidance to disclose to them, proceed with prayer and caution. We will get burned here and there. This deepens our wisdom.
Lord, give us wisdom as we follow Your guidance.