Read 1 Samuel 12
Samuel’s Farewell Speech
1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”
“He is witness,” they said.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. 7 Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.
8 “After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 “But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.
12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.
16 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”
18 Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”
Go Deeper
In 1 Samuel 12 the prophet Samuel passed authority to Saul, rebuked the Israelites for their sin, and presented them with options on how to move forward. In order to understand the significance of Samuel’s farewell address it is essential to understand the sin Israel committed, the outcome of that sin, and the choice that the people of Israel had to make. This will remind us of who God is, how we should respond to Him, and how we are to live our lives.
First Samuel 8 recalls how the Israelites rejected Samuel as their judge and demanded a king. Calling for a King was sinful for the Israelites because it was rooted in a) the rejection of God b) a desire to be like others rather than set apart and c) a lack of faith in God’s character. God pointed out to Samuel in that “they have not rejected you but have rejected me from being king over them.” By rejecting God’s kingship, they asserted that the rule of man is more fitting, more secure, and more beneficial than the rule of God. In addition, their motivation for demanding a king was to be like all other nations. Although God set them apart as holy (Deuteronomy 7:6), they wanted to be like everyone else. Rather than trusting in God’s promise and character to provide, protect, and lead them, they sought the leadership of a man.
This sin had a few consequences that Samuel warned of in earlier chapters. During his farewell address, Samuel outlined how God has historically humbled and redeemed the Israelites for turning from Him, and Samuel argued that this is just another instance of how God will offer the Israelites grace even when they are caught in sin. The Israelites responded to this address and God’s sign with repentance.
Sometimes we can be in despair from our sin. We dwell in it, and we allow our guilt to prevent us from accepting the forgiveness and grace God so readily provides. The Israelites were in this very position, but Samuel encouraged them, “Do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.” We cannot live in the past, but the past should exist as a constant reminder to us of God’s sovereignty, power, and grace in our lives (as Samuel explained in v. 6-9). Samuel talks to Israel amidst their sin. They sinned against God but even in their mess, Samuel called them to serve God and obey Him where they were at now. God always offers a choice—no matter how far from him we run. We can either begin to obey and fear Him or continue to disobey and disregard Him.
This passage speaks to God’s unconditional love for us—even in our sin, He provides a path for us to be near Him and experience His blessings. Even when we forget what God has done in our life, He provides reminders to us of His faithfulness in our life. In response to His grace and faithfulness to us, we should take steps each day to “serve the Lord with all our heart.”
Questions
- Who/what is king in your life and how does that affect your decisions and life?
- What are examples of how God has humbled you and given you grace in the past?
- What does it look like to be obedient to God in this season of your life?
A Quote
“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” – Timothy Keller
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4 responses to “1 Samuel 12”
We are such hardheaded and hard hearted people. God just wants us and we reject Him, blantely over and over throughout history. We do not learn from the past and we do the same things over and over. BUT GOD!!! Samuel wasnt leaving or quiting just giving over his authority to what the people thought they wanted, a king. Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully 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 said here you go, God is giving you what you want, I am still going to be here interceding for you. You must serve Him faithfully. As you do God blesses your life, and it will not end in good. We have a IF /THEN convant. Thank God, fear (respect and be afraid of Him not being close or you being close to HIm) Him, and obey Him. If we do this we will reap the consequences, hopefully good and some of the time bad. Then is freedom of choice which equals to good or bad outcomes. Maybe you havent followed God and you are reaping some consequences BUT GOD has not given up on You so do not give up on Him. Come back, come home, ask for forgiveness, recieve God’s grace and move on. The repercutions may still be in play but God is with you in this as well. We as a people should follow Samuels footsteps and be interceding for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
God thank You right now for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that are struggling. May they seek You with all of their hearts and find You. God give them the strength to lay down their idols that they are clinging to and open handed themselves to You. God Your grace is suffecient and all encompassing. God have someone reach out and love on them today, so that they know they are not alone. God poke me, prod me to listen and obey who I need to reach out to. Thank You for Your love goggles to see others as You see them. God even when I stray, I am so thankful You do not give up or wash Your hands of me. God thank You for letting go of the things that beset me and opening my heart and hands to You for forgiveness and guidance of how, when, where, and what it is You want me to be doing, today in these minutes in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This chapter is loaded with rich theology expounded on by Samuel:
•God sends prophets to lead his people.
•It is necessary to recall the righteous acts of God.
•Sin separates us from God, but confession & true
repentance captures his heart.
•We are to fear God and serve him faithfully, hating
evil.
Free will,choices. May we always follow the instructions of the Lord. His unconditional love never fails us. We are the ones who choose other self- gratifying gods that lead us to sin and destruction just as the Israelites chose. I thank the leaders of HC that instruct and teach us to follow Christ. To God be the glory!
14 “if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good!”
We need to follow the Lord AND our leaders need to follow the Lord!