In Search of a King Part 10

We we hear the story of Samuels waining days in office. There are some closing thoughts that you need to know. Some final things but very important things.

These are things that we should remember.

1. Remember your walk?

1 Samuel 12:1–5 ESV

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And 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 said, “He is witness.”

When others look into your life what do they see?

What do they say?

There is power in personal integrity.

Spurgeon said it this way.

1 Samuel 12:1–5 ESV

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And 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 said, “He is witness.”

A good character is the best tombstone; those who love you, and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts and not on marble.

It is as though Samuel is providing Israel a glimpse of her past and future.

Samuel represents the past while Saul the future.

A Godly leader doesn’t exploit the people.

A Godly leader edifies the people.

A Godly leader edifies the people rather than exploiting them.

Samuel was a giver not a taker.

The people exchanged a leader who served them for one that would serve himself.

2. Remember God’s work.

1 Samuel 12:6–13 ESV

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the 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 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

1 Samuel 12:6–11 ESV

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.

God had provided...

a. Leadership

Moses, Aaron, Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, Samuel

God had not left his people leaderless.

b. Deliverance

Every time the people cry to God he responds and delivers.

Every time the people cry God would raise up a deliverer.

Until God raises up an ultimate deliverer.

When is the last time you looked back on the goodness of God in the story of your life?

3. Remember your sin.

a. God blesses faithfulness.

1 Samuel 12:12–14 ESV

12 And when you saw that Nahash the 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 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.

1 sam 12 12-

Obedience to God brings a blessing. Never forget that. Satan says you are missing out on all that is available. Satan says you can have the good life by following his ways. God says the only way it will be well with

b. God judges sinfulness

b. God judges sinfulness.

1 Samuel 12:15 ESV

15 But if you will 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 and your king.

1 sam 12 15

1 Samuel 12:15–18 ESV

15 But if you will 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 and your king. 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

This is the problem - if blessings come through obedience, if the law of sowing and reaping is inextricably linked to my life - there is no hope for me receiving the blessing.

Is it not wheat harvest now? Wheat harvest took place early in Israel’s dry season (in May–June). In this period of almost complete drought, Yahweh’s sending of “thunder and rain” at Samuel’s request would serve both as a sign of divine approval for Samuel and as a mild punishment for Israel’s sin, as rain is never welcome at harvest time.

Thunder and rain normally do not come in Israel from about late April to sometime in October. Their coming would function as a sign of an immense evil the people had committed … by requesting a king.

1 sam

c. God responds to repentance.

1 sam 12 19-

1 Samuel 12:19–25 ESV

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 this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 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.”

When is the last time you have been overwhelmed by a sense of your own sinfulness?

Martin Luther sated

"The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation."

When is the last time you have been overjoyed by a sense of God’s forgiveness?

Augustine Stated

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.