I Samuel 12 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
Samuel’s farewell address is deeply personal and theological. He begins in vs. 1-5 declaring his innocence before all Israel and asking them to respond. They respond that Samuel has been not stolen from them, defrauded them, or oppressed them nor has he accepted any bribe.
Samuel then provides a summary of their history from Egypt to the present. This is a selective summary. In fact, Samuel runs his narrative of Israel’s history quickly from the exodus, conquest, to Sisera (Judges 4), mentioning the Philistines, Moab and then more judges in 12:11. Samuel that places Nahash the king of the Ammonites before Israel’s request for a king. But the request for a king came in 8:5 while Nahash is reported in 11:1.
If there is any doubt how Samuel feels about the king, we find his rebuke in this chapter. Look at vs. 12-13, “. . . you said to me, `No, but a king will reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king who you have chosen, for who you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.” This is something they asked for not something that Samuel wanted for them. He says they said, “No” and “you have asked” for the king. This is all on them in Samuel’s mind. Samuel wants the people to realize he had no part in this and their stubbornness is why they have the king in this way.
Nor did God want this for them in the way they asked for one. God tells Samuel not to take the people’s request personally, “for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them” (8:7). Their request was out of refusal to listen to Samuel when he warned them that the king would take from them. “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (8:19-20). This is sad but fascinating. The people wanted what they wanted and did not want to listen. They heard the warning (whatever heard means in this context) and went right ahead. Talk about keeping up with the Joneses! If the pagan nations have a good-looking, tall king, then we want one too. I’m sure glad the church doesn’t try to keep up with the world in our day.
In chapter 12, Samuel delivers a strong rebuke. For instance, in v. 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.” Then later in v. 17, “. . . 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.” In v. 20, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord.”
The people seem to be confused and one is confused trying to follow their mental and spiritual meanderings. First, they say “No” to Samuel and then in 12:19, “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.” They want Samuel to intercede to the Lord “your” God. “. . . for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” What? Now you think this is an evil?
I imagine that was a temporary response to thunder and rain. This was not a heartfelt repentance. Leave that to the people of Nineveh. God’s people have a half-hearted, poorly-thought-out plea to get them out trouble. It appears they deserved their first king.
Samuel, like all godly leaders, does not give up. In verse 20, while admitting that the people have sinned and agreeing they have done evil, Samuel says, “Do not turn aside after empty things . . . for they are empty. Then he provides meaning to the word covenant: “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 to himself.” This is astounding. God will make sure the covenant is in place because He wants a people for Himself. It just seems like He could have found better people. But He continues to use flawed, rebellious, stubborn people like you and me.
Samuel also reassures them in v. 23, that it would be a sin for him to stop praying for them. He will continue to pray and to teach. As Paul might say, Samuel will do this in season and out of season. We rely on people like Samuel. We need to be taught over and over again. We need instruction, correction, and we need it daily, weekly, monthly and year after year. Thank God for godly leaders in our lives that teach and pray for us.
Even in their evil ways, God’s plans were not thwarted. It certainly appears that this rebellion might upend or overturn God’s will. But it didn’t and it couldn’t. God works through and despite our sin. Yes, a king was desired by less than good and godly reasons. But from the next king, comes the Messiah. Reading this chapter, you just can’t see the Messiah coming from this process. But He does.
Lord, we certainly ask for the wrong things and for the wrong reasons. We make a mess of things and sometimes make it worse for others. Yet, as we read in this chapter, You can take our sin and our rebellion and still accomplish all You want to do. Forgive us and then use us to glorify Your Son, The Lord Jesus who was the perfect King. We pray in His strong and royal name. Amen.