Samuel's farewell address

1 Samuel Chapter 12

Samuel addressed the people and told them he had given them a new king as they requested. He asked them if he had ever in all his days as their servant, cheated them, oppressed them or taken a bribe. They confessed that he had never done any of those things.

Samuel said, "The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your people out of Egypt. Now stand here quietly before the Lord and I will remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors."

He proceeded to tell them about how the Israelites were in Egypt and cried to the Lord and he send Moses and Aaron to rescue them and bring them to this land. But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he let them be conquered by Sisera and by the Philistines and the king of Moab. Then the people cried out to the Lord again and confessed their sins of worshiping Baal and Ashtoreth, and the Lord again saved them by sending Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel. "Then" he said, "the people were afraid of Nahash of Ammon and you people came to Samuel and requested a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. And here is the king you have chosen. Look him over. The Lord has granted your request."

Samuel said, "Now if you will fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice and do not rebel against his commandments, and if you and your king follow the Lord, then all will be well. But if you rebel against the Lord's commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors. Now stand here and see what the Lord is about to do. You know it does not rain at this time of year during wheat harvest, but I have asked the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking for a king."

So Samuel called the Lord and thunder and rain fell and all the people were terrified. They told Samuel to pray for them or they might die, and said they had added to their sins by asking for a king.

But Samuel reassured them not to be afraid. He admitted they had done wrong, but told them to be sure and worship the Lord with all their hearts and not to turn their back on the Lord. He urged them to not go back to worshipping worthless idols that could not rescue them. He told them the Lord would not abandon them, for that would dishonor his great name. The Lord had made this a special nation.

Samuel said he would not sin against the Lord and would continue to teach the people in what was good and right. And he reminded them that if they continued to sin, they and their king would be destroyed.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Samuel continued to serve as the people's priest, prophet and judge, but Saul had political and military control over the tribes. In his farewell speech, Samuel was reminding the people that having a king was their idea, not his. The rainstorm came near the end of the dry season when the wheat was to be harvested. The thunderstorm was considered a miracle, but not a good miracle because it could damage the crops and cause them to rot quickly. The thunderstorm miracle showed God's displeasure with the demand for a king.

Why did God make Israel a "chosen people"? He did not choose them because they deserved it, but in order that they might become his channel of blessing to all people through the Messiah. If he chose them, then he would never abandon them, but he could punish them for disobedience in order to bring them back to a right relationship with him.

You have to admire Samuel's tenacity for teaching the people what to do, even though he disagreed with them.He reminded them twice in his farewell speech about the great things God had done for his people.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? How many times have seen someone go down the wrong path and sin against God? Do we give up on that person? If at all possible, we try to tell that person about GOd's goodness and help to strengthen their faith. What about you? Are you so future focused and progressive that you forget about the wonderful things your Lord has done for you? Remember your life and the times he has come through for you, so you can move ahead with gratitude. We often need a Samuel in our lives to remind us of God's gifts. Can you be a Samuel for someone in need?

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Arlene’s nephew David, Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family and my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, is now able to speak and is working on rehab for paralysis. Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: She is 10 weeks old and has her own room at the hospital. The doctors continue to experiment with respirators, but her parents can see progress in her lung activity. Pray also for healing of Mark after brain surgery. Pray also for Craig who is undergoing heart tests. These folks need your prayers so badly. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.