1 Samuel 12:20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not; ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Oh Friends, better advice was never given! Samuel, in his winter years, had made his two sons, Joel and Abiah judges over Israel, but they did not follow in his footsteps, ‘but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgement.’ (1 Sam.8:3) Consequently, the elders of Israel came to Samuel and told him, ‘now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ (1 Sam.8:5) That request did not sit well with Samuel, but he prayed to the Lord about it. ‘and the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ (1 Sam.8:7) Yes friends, the Israelites were not satisfied with the Lord’s structure of rulers, and cried out for a king patterned after the nations around them. Obviously the Lord felt rejected since He considered Himself their king. But being the magnanimous, merciful and forgiving God that He is, He instructed Samuel to grant their request, but warn them of the consequences of having a king, a ruler with supreme authority, whose word was law, and from whom they had no avenue of redress. And Samuel did; even letting them know that if the king oppressed them and they cried out to God for help, He would not hear them. But being a stubborn and hard-headed people, they did not heed his warning. ‘Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we may be like all nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.’ (1 Sam.8:19-20) They failed to realize that they were the Lord’s chosen, and were not supposed to be like other nations. And people, what a high price we end up paying when we reject and/or disobey the Lord. Subsequently, Saul, handsome and taller than all the people was anointed to be king, and after he defeated the Ammonites in battle, ‘all the people went up to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord… and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.’ (1 Sam.11:15) But then Samuel made his farewell speech as their judge, first pointing out his hard work and faithfulness in that capacity, with which they all agreed. ‘And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and your fathers.’ (1 Sam.12:6-7) And he pointed out all the Lord had done for them from the time Jacob escaped the famine into Egypt, in spite of all their disobedience, ending with asking for a king, ‘when the Lord your God was your king.’ However, the Lord had granted their request, and if they and their king obeyed the Lord’s dictates, they would prosper, but if not, ‘then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was with your fathers.’ (I Sam.12:15) Ah Friends, how often had the prophets and leaders told them that eh? But it never made much difference, at least not for very long. And it was only when they felt the brunt of the punishment for their disobedience that they came running back to beg for forgiveness. Friends, please let us not fall into that trap for it is fraught with danger and much suffering. Much LOVE!…to prosper…listen to the voice of God… To Be Continued.
Oh Friends, better advice was never given! Samuel, in his winter years, had made his two sons, Joel and Abiah judges over Israel, but they did not follow in his footsteps, ‘but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgement.’ (1 Sam.8:3) Consequently, the elders of Israel came to Samuel and told him, ‘now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ (1 Sam.8:5) That request did not sit well with Samuel, but he prayed to the Lord about it. ‘and the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ (1 Sam.8:7) Yes friends, the Israelites were not satisfied with the Lord’s structure of rulers, and cried out for a king patterned after the nations around them. Obviously the Lord felt rejected since He considered Himself their king. But being the magnanimous, merciful and forgiving God that He is, He instructed Samuel to grant their request, but warn them of the consequences of having a king, a ruler with supreme authority, whose word was law, and from whom they had no avenue of redress. And Samuel did; even letting them know that if the king oppressed them and they cried out to God for help, He would not hear them. But being a stubborn and hard-headed people, they did not heed his warning. ‘Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we may be like all nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.’ (1 Sam.8:19-20) They failed to realize that they were the Lord’s chosen, and were not supposed to be like other nations. And people, what a high price we end up paying when we reject and/or disobey the Lord. Subsequently, Saul, handsome and taller than all the people was anointed to be king, and after he defeated the Ammonites in battle, ‘all the people went up to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord… and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.’ (1 Sam.11:15) But then Samuel made his farewell speech as their judge, first pointing out his hard work and faithfulness in that capacity, with which they all agreed. ‘And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and your fathers.’ (1 Sam.12:6-7) And he pointed out all the Lord had done for them from the time Jacob escaped the famine into Egypt, in spite of all their disobedience, ending with asking for a king, ‘when the Lord your God was your king.’ However, the Lord had granted their request, and if they and their king obeyed the Lord’s dictates, they would prosper, but if not, ‘then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was with your fathers.’ (I Sam.12:15) Ah Friends, how often had the prophets and leaders told them that eh? But it never made much difference, at least not for very long. And it was only when they felt the brunt of the punishment for their disobedience that they came running back to beg for forgiveness. Friends, please let us not fall into that trap for it is fraught with danger and much suffering. Much LOVE!…to prosper…listen to the voice of God… To Be Continued.
SCRIP-BITS 