1 Samuel 12:1-25
Samuel’s Address at Saul’s Coronation
1 Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
4 And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
5 Then he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”
And they answered, “He is witness.”
6 Then Samuel said to the people, ”It is the LORD who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and your fathers: 8 When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king.
13 “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the you. 14 If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. 15 However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 “Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes: 17 Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.”
18 So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Samuel the prophet called the people to witness his faithfulness and honesty in serving the LORD while preparing the people to crown their king Saul officially. The LORD God was his ultimate witness and they simply acknowledged that truth. He then reminded them how God chose men He raised up to lead and guide them along their journey, how He heard their cries under the oppression of bondage and for their penitent sins binding them against Him. The people had cried out for saving from their enemies all around when they repented of serving their idols and sought safety under His sovereign mercy and grace. But they stumbled once more when they were rescued and saw Nahash king of the Ammonites come to conquer them, pleading for their own king like him to give victory and power instead of continuing to acknowledge that the LORD your God was their only true and necessary King and no other. Thought they had chosen a king, Saul, to rule over them, Samuel reminded them all that ultimately it was still LORD who had set a king over them. If they still feared the LORD and served Him and obeyed His voice along with their earthly king, then they would follow their God and prosper; if they or their ruler rebelled against Him and His word again, then God’s hand of judgment would again be upon them to correct them and lead them to either repentance or defeat and death. He then told them plainly that their wickedness was great in the sight of the LORD in asking a king for themselves instead of looking to and following their heavenly King. He drove the point home with thunder and lightning to emphasize the seriousness of their decision. The people fearfully responded with a plea to be saved from the consequences of their evil choice on top of their other sins, but they were encouraged to make the most of it and wholeheartedly follow and serve the LORD. This is still the key, to serve the LORD with all your heart and follow Him as our sovereign of grace and mercy because He chose us to be His children, knowing that He will never leave or forsake (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5) us. We should echo Samuel in unceasing prayer for one another (James 5:16) as we teach one another the good and right way of His gospel according to the written word of the Bible given to us. We also are to fear the Lord and serve Him (Matthew 4:10, Colossians 3:23-24, 25) in truth with all our hearts, considering the great things He has done in His Son by calling and saving us from sin and its eternal consequences. We are reminded also of the consequences of continuing disobedience without seeking repentance, that of doing wickedness and suffering the due effects of that rebellion against out God of mercy and grace, but also the hope of our calling (Ephesians 1:18) and grace of everlasting forgiveness in Christ whom we follow. In absolute assurance of our Acceptance in the Beloved, we are then to consider these things and aim to live Acceptably for Him with godly fear (2 Corinthians 7:11, Hebrews 12:28), faithful service (Romans 12:1, Ephesians 6:6-7, 8), and willing thankful obedience (Colossians 3:15, Hebrews 13:15, 1 John 5:3) to Him in whose hands we are securely held until that day of judgment and fullness of eternal life.
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