Mizpah is an important location that is referenced several times throughout the Bible. It served as a key meeting place and landmark for the Israelites at various points during their history. Understanding where Mizpah is and the significance of the events that occurred there provides valuable insight into the Biblical narrative. This article will explore the different references to Mizpah in the Bible, examining where it was located and why it held such importance.
Introduction
Mizpah was a city that became a prominent meeting place and landmark for the Israelites during the time of the judges and kings. It was located in the land of Gilead, which was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The name Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout point.” True to its name, the elevated hill of Mizpah made it an ideal location for a watchtower and place of gathering.
Several pivotal events in Israel’s history took place at Mizpah. It was a site of holy convocations, key military gatherings, and important political decisions. As such, Mizpah and the Valley of Mizpah are referenced many times throughout Scripture. Examining when and why they are mentioned provides insight into Mizpah’s significance.
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This article will survey the different biblical references to Mizpah. It will look at what occurred there and why the location was chosen in each circumstance. Exploring the history of Mizpah through Scripture reveals the importance of this ancient city.
Key Takeaways:
- Mizpah was located in the land of Gilead, east of the Jordan River
- Its elevated hill made it a prime location for a lookout point and meetings
- Many important events happened at Mizpah in Israel’s history
- Mizpah hosted holy convocations, key military gatherings, and political decisions
- Understanding Mizpah’s biblical significance provides insight into Israel’s history
Mizpah as a Meeting Place for the Israelites
One of the earliest references to Mizpah in Scripture presents it as a gathering place for the Israelites. In Judges 20, the leaders of the nation assemble there to discuss how to respond after the horrific incident at Gibeah involving the Levite’s concubine.
Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the LORD at Mizpah (Judges 20:1, NKJV)
The leaders determine at Mizpah that they will fight the tribe of Benjamin over their defense of the wicked men of Gibeah. They gain confirmation from the Lord there that they should proceed against Benjamin (Judges 20:18-28). So Mizpah is established early on as a place where the tribes of Israel could assemble for important matters.
Later, in 1 Samuel 7, the people gather at Mizpah once again. This time it is for religious purposes, as Samuel summons them for a solemn assembly after twenty years of oppression by the Philistines:
Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. (1 Samuel 7:7, NKJV)
The people fasted and confessed their sins before the Lord at Mizpah. God responds by thundering against the Philistines which allows Israel to defeat them in battle (1 Samuel 7:7-10). This establishes Mizpah as a place set apart for holy convocations where the people could get right with God.
The Covenant Renewal Ceremony at Mizpah
After Israel’s first king, Saul, is killed in battle against the Philistines, there is confusion about who will lead the nation going forward. Ishbosheth, Saul’s surviving son, and David, who Samuel had anointed years earlier, both stake claims to the throne. Civil war threatens to break out between the tribes.
To prevent this, Abner the commander of Saul’s army arranges a meeting with David’s men at Mizpah to form a covenant that would unite the kingdom under David’s rule (2 Samuel 3:12,21). This wise compromise prevents further bloodshed and consolidates the nation once again.
Mizpah is again being used as neutral ground for bringing people together – this time for a politically unifying ceremony. The location and significance of the site are clearly established at this point in Israel’s history.
Mizpah Fortified by Asa Against Israel’s Enemies
Later in the divided kingdom period after Israel splits into the northern and southern kingdoms, King Asa of Judah fortifies Mizpah along with several other cities against invasion by the northern kingdom of Israel:
And he built fortified cities in Judah: Mizpah, Adullam, Lachish, Azekah, Ziph, Mareshah, and Zorah. (2 Chronicles 11:5,8 NKJV)
King Asa strengthens Judah’s defenses, recognizing that Israel could attempt to invade and take control of Jerusalem by taking advantage of Rehoboam’s youth and inexperience. Asa wisely chooses Mizpah as one of his key fortified cities to guard against attack given its strategic location.
Mizpah Selected as Judah’s Temporary Capital
Later during the reign of Asa, the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, attacks Judah and ransacks several cities. After appealing to God, Asa is able to defeat the Arameans with the Lord’s help. The prophet Hanani then comes to Asa and rebukes him for relying on Aram instead of the Lord during this conflict.
In response to Hanani’s rebuke, Asa has him imprisoned. The king also oppresses some of his people at this time. So God strikes Asa with a disease in his feet, yet he does not seek the Lord’s help but only relies on physicians.
When Asa dies, his son Jehoshaphat succeeds him as king. But before Jehoshaphat’s reign is established:
His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.
Now the rest of the acts of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. So Asa rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.(1 Kings 22:41-43 NKJV)
Since Jehoshaphat was still young when he first took the throne, his mother Azubah ruled as queen regent in Jerusalem. But Jehoshaphat himself lived and ruled from Mizpah during the early years of his reign while his mother oversaw matters in Jerusalem:
Now when Jehoshaphat had become king of Judah, he strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken. The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 17:1-3,6 NKJV)
Jehoshaphat ruled well in the sight of the Lord, but he still allowed the pagan high places to remain throughout Judah. Nonetheless, with his mother ruling Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat himself governing from Mizpah, there was wise leadership guiding Judah during this transitional time. Mizpah once again served an important role in Israel’s national affairs.
Mizpah’s Role as Judah’s Border Defense Against Babylon
The final significant mention of Mizpah comes shortly before Judah’s exile to Babylon. After the fall of Jerusalem, Gedaliah is appointed governor over the poorest people who remain in Judah. He takes up residence at Mizpah with a contingent of Babylonian soldiers:
Now when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah???Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah[b] the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. (2 Kings 25:23-24 NKJV)
With Mizpah situated on Judah’s eastern border, it functioned well as a headquarters for Gedaliah’s guard troops against invasion. However, Mizpah’s defenses ultimately could not prevent Gedaliah’s assassination by Ishmael (Jeremiah 40:13-41:3). With Gedaliah’s death, many remaining Jews feared Babylonian reprisals and fled to Egypt against God’s command.
Nonetheless, in Judah’s final days before the exile, Mizpah continued to play an important military role in guarding the nation’s eastern flank from threats. Its strategic hilltop location served that defensive purpose well.
Conclusion: Mizpah’s Significance as a Holy Meeting Place
Examining all the biblical references reveals that Mizpah was a strategically valuable city for Israel at various points throughout its history. The elevated hill provided an ideal natural location for a lookout and fortified base of operations against enemy forces.
But Mizpah’s unique significance derived especially from its distinction as a holy meeting place where God’s people gathered to encounter Him. The Valley of Mizpah hosted solemn assemblies, covenant renewal ceremonies, and key decision-making events that shaped the nation’s history.
Whenever the people of Israel needed to come together to consecrate themselves and seek God’s direction, Mizpah served as a divinely appointed destination. Its spiritual legacy remains as a testament to the power of unified prayer, fasting, and repentance. Just as Mizpah was set apart as holy ground for the Israelites, God can use any location as hallowed space when believers gather there to humbly meet with Him. The biblical saga of Mizpah conveys how locations take on spiritual significance based on the encounters with God that occur there.
