Leadership from Underneath

Leadership from Underneath: 1 Samuel 12

PRAY

INTRO: Elections coming up this week: Tuesday, November 6. - If only we could have confidence in those running for public office that they view themselves (and would behave accordingly) as servants of the people and bound in duty to what is right. - Josh Hawley’s promise on a tv ad I saw (only once mind you, I VERY rarely watch any live TV and just happened to catch it) that he was not in it for himself but to serve the people of MO and that he would even stand up to his own party when he believed they weren’t doing what is right. (Now of course those are campaign promises.... In politics and in life, the best we can do is try to find out if their track record matches up to their claims.)

Well, in our text today in 1 Samuel 12, Samuel gives a speech, but not to run for public office. In fact, he’s stepping down as the primary leader in Israel. He’s giving up out-front leadership bc the newly-crowned King Saul is now expected to be both judge and military leader. What we have though is an old and wise Samuel who yet leads from underneath by holding the people accountable to sin before God, by proclaiming God's gracious deliverance, and by helping the people through prayer and instruction.

The first part of this public address to the people is Samuel’s defense of his ministry to this point:

1 Samuel 12:1–5 ESV

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. 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. 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.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 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.”

Samuel Defends His Ministry (vv. 1-5)

I have done what you asked, in accordance with the will of God, in making you a king.

I have served you faithfully in leadership from my youth until this very day. [the king now walks before you (leads), indeed, I am old and gray… and yes my sons are with you (as you yourselves have said about them, 8:5 and see v. 3 there)… but I have walked before you in plain sight)

(So now testify against me. “Here I am.”) I put myself and my servant leadership on trial before you this day. (I stand trial here before the Lord and before his anointed king.)

What have I taken from you to line my own pockets? (Did I ever make people pay me for keeping my responsibilities?)

Whom have I cheated (exploited) or mistreated (oppressed, crushed… by unjust use of one’s authority)?

Who among you can say that I have ever taken a bribe to pervert justice? (If you can think of anything I will immediately restore it. - He of course is completely confident there isn’t.)

The people vindicate Samuel’s upright leadership.

The matter is confirmed. - The Lord is witness and your new leader is witness.

What was the point of that little defense? — So that they would listen to him still in what else he is about to say (and in the future)!

[Before moving on in Samuel’s speech, here’s a thought of application for your to chew on later…]

Application: Could the integrity of your life stand trial?

[Let’s continue]

1 Samuel 12:6–8 ESV

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. 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. 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.

Samuel Judges the People (vv. 6-19)

Again, invoking God as witness, (who appointed Moses and Aaron for the purpose of deliverance)...

Samuel has them stand before him to judge them. (And this judgment is according to the righteous deeds of God.)

Samuel’s overall point becomes this:

God is Deliverer

This is undisputed. God in his mercy brought them up out of Egypt and planted them in Canaan. (The underlying current is the continued faithfulness and kindness of God to deliver them when they “cried out” to him. …clearly not bc they deserved it, but because of his mercy.)

Don’t pin your hopes on a mere man! [Our Savior was God-man…] Let us not elevate a man, even an important leader, to a place that he doesn’t belong. We must not idolize men.

It is a danger always before us. Let us never give to men that which belongs only to God. Let us not suppose that “a man” will save us, that our future or the future of our church or of our nation depends on one man. This is especially important to remember in presidential elections. Men ought never to [be] idolized. God is the ultimate source of our trials and testings and chastening, and God is ultimately the source of our salvation and blessing. Men are, at best, only God’s instruments. (Deffinbaugh)

Application: Are you looking to God by faith for deliverance?

Thus it is faith (trusting submission to God) that brings deliverance. It is God who is Savior, Rescuer.

Isaiah 45:22–23 ESV

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

[and now let’s continue to listen to Samuel as he judges the people]

1 Samuel 12:9–13 ESV

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. 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.’ 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. 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. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

Israel’s Track Record & Recent Rebellion

Israel’s history of ignoring God to do things their own way, and their most recent rebellion in asking for a king - Israel’s history is evidence of God’s gracious care and righteous deeds! - A kindness and rebuke all at once to rehearse the history of God’s faithfulness to them (and to us).

Samuel recounts, in no particular order, some of the peoples that God allowed to oppress Israel in their disobedience as well as some judges God raised up for deliverance. ***

Because of their sin, God would allow their oppression by enemies around them. In their despair, they would finally admit their sin and cry out to God for help: “We have sinned, bc we have forsaken the Lord...” [Baal - The Canaanite storm god and bringer of rain. Chief of the Canaanite pantheon. (The Lexham Bible Dictionary.) - Ashtaroth - plural form of Ashtoreth, the female counterpart of Baal]

In fear of Nahash you asked for a king (when God was your king). - And now you have your king (whom God graciously used to deliver you… should be understood in this context. - But you have failed to yet recognize your sin.)

Application: When we fail to see sin as sin (or treat sin as sin), we attempt to solve our problems by secular means.

[And now his speech shifts emphasis: That is what you have already done. But let’s look ahead at where we go from here.]

1 Samuel 12:14–15 ESV

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. 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.

Accountability to & Dependence on God Remains the Same

The Lord has set a king over you (v. 13b)

Having a king changes nothing regarding your obligation to God. Nothing has changed with the appointment of a king over Israel. You are accountable to God the same as before you had a king. - God’s conditions for his divine blessing and cursing on his chosen people are the same as they always have been. (If you obey… but if you will not obey…)

And even though you have a king, Israel is still completely dependent on God. It is Him to whom they must submit. It is Him in whom they should trust. He is the one they should fear.

[And now Samuel caps off his powerful speech with a pretty effective audiovisual presentation! :-)]

1 Samuel 12:16–18 ESV

Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 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.” 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.

Samuel delivers a pretty mean speech (that means effective, for you literalists out there… or listeners under the age of 10). There’s nothing quite like a good thunderstorm to get your audience’s attention and drive home a point.

And it is a rousing success - The People Confess and Cry Out for Help

1 Samuel 12:19 ESV

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.”

So they agree with Samuel and admit their wrongdoing… they even ask him to intercede for them in prayer… no doubt to plead for God to be merciful. - Interestingly, Samuel of course already knows that God IS merciful. He also knows that they need more than just admission of guilt; that need to repent and change their ways. - They don’t need just external deliverance, they need heart change. Fortunately (in response to their fearful cry for help)…

1 Samuel 12:20–25 ESV

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. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 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. 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. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

Samuel Offers Hope & Help (vv. 20-25)

You have indeed failed. You have committed this evil. But don’t be afraid and don’t turn aside from God. Serve the Lord only with all your heart!

Notice the tender kindness of Samuel and God… - Samuel’s faithfulness to the people runs parallel to God’s faithfulness to them. — Offering Hope in spite of their failure. [To go through these final verses, I’d like to view it through the lens of applying it to ourselves…]

Application: What should we do when we fail?

(20b) Instead of turning away in shame, turn your heart back to God.

Next, don’t chase after empty things. (21) - Don’t seek answers in the wrong places. - And don’t give up, like, well I can’t please this father anyway, so why try. I’ll just go after some religion (here idolatry) where I can measure up.

Also v. 21 (that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty) - Learn to view success not in military and monetary terms, but in spiritual terms.

Let it sink in that God can be trusted, v. 22. He will not forsake his own. And here’s the WHY: Because it glorifies God to preserve his people!

Seek trustworthy help for prayer and instruction. - And here is Samuel’s help to the people: I am committed to praying for you (it would be a sin against the Lord NOT to…). And I’m committed to instructing you in the good and right way according to the word of the Lord.

(24) Then walk in the right path again with the right heart motivation.

Positive - for consider what things he has done for you (24a)

Negative - but if you do wickedly, you will be swept away (25)

And listen, here’s one point you need to hear: There is yet hope when we have failed miserably… because salvation is based on grace, not on our merit. The offer of salvation (and continued fellowship with God for believers) is because of the grace of God and the glory of God.

[To wrap things up, let’s return to the concept we started with regarding Samuel’s leadership…]

Leading by Serving

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

See also vv. 42-44

Mark 10:42–44 ESV

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

Application: Are you leading your family (or others) to dependence on God?

This is perhaps Samuel’s greatest legacy: the way he led when he “walked before” them is the same way he leads from behind, from underneath, when he’s not the head honcho. - What is probably the single most important trait of Christian leadership? - Humble service (Having a heart for God, of course, that’s the “Christian part”… the leadership part: that’s humble service… and it isn’t something that requires any ‘position’ of authority. In fact, those we elevate to positions of authority ought to be those who have proven themselves as humble servants.

(Feel free to use this for discussion [below] in small groups and in family devotions. Relate the questions to the example we find in Samuel’s life here in ch. 12 and most certainly apply it to your own lives and situations.)

Leadership through service (leadership from underneath) asks: (6 questions I came up with from this text as the backdrop)

1. How can I live in such a way that even my secret life is above reproach?

2. Who is holding me accountable to be who I aim to be before God?

3. How can I hold others accountable in a way that builds them up?

4. Who is the true deliverer of men’s souls? How can I best communicate that this is the WHY behind all things?

5. How dependent am I on God through prayer?

“I bless God for a religious and tender father, who often poured out his soul to God for me; and this stock of prayers I esteem the fairest inheritance on earth.” (The puritan Flavel in Blaikie)

6. How devoted am I to the instruction of God’s truth from His word?

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” (1 Sam. 12:24)