1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verse 1

 Samuel makes this statement to the people but he would not have

heeded the voice of the people alone. They asked for a king back in

Chapter 8 but we read there that the thing displeased Samuel and he

did not answer them but rather went to the Lord. It was the Lord who

told Samuel to heed the voice of the people.

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verse 2

 Notice he says “my sons are with you.” Which means he has removed

them from being in any type of position of importance or authority.

They are simply with the people. Samuel dealt with the wickedness of

his sons which was the right thing to do before the Lord, for the

people, and for his sons.

 We aren’t told what happened to them but do you remember what

happened to the sons of Eli? Eli’s sons died, they lost their lives,

because their father was too foolish to yank them from their

wickedness. Samuel did well and his sons lived. In fact, we know his

sons had sons and daughters that in generations to come would

flourish, serving the Lord, living well.

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verse 3

 We don’t have an internal monologue from Samuel as to why

specifically he is giving this speech to the people. We know that the

nation is in a time of transition. A transition from the leadership of

Samuel to the kingship of Saul. Samuel is handing over a solid legacy

and, in a way, the people are being messaged that if it all goes poorly,

well, it wasn’t handed to Saul in that condition…

 He’s also setting the people up for a tough pill to swallow in the rest of

this chapter in what he is going to tell them. He is stepping back, his

authority is transferring, and he has a final message that is not exactly

positive but it is truthful and he must deliver it while he still has the

hearts of the people… So, he is laying before them really his intention

by reminding them of his legacy.

 He’s also just a good man. “Hey, if I’ve done wrongly to any of you in

any way, please, don’t just let it go, don’t harbor any bitterness or ill

will, don’t suffer on my account, tell it to me, I will take accountability

and I will make it right.” To take the responsibility for and of the

people around you, especially those that you love, is good, it is right

and it is godly. It’s a son of God reflecting the Father and that is what

is defined as bringing God glory…

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verses 4 – 12

 This is the message Samuel had to leave with the people. Not that he

wanted to… I’m sure he just wanted to bless them and to pray for

them and to ask God’s favor upon them and their new king, but that

would be taking from them, harming them, right after they had all

agreed that he was found with nothing of theirs in his hand.

 The point is that Samuel was burdened by the Lord to deliver a

message of warning to the people about where they were in life. Not

that God was going to leave them. Not that they had crossed a line

with God and oh they better be afraid and fix their ways or God won’t

love them…, that’s often how we message/deliver warnings…

 But notice Samuel first humbles himself, asks to serve them, asks to

make everything right that was on him, he deals with himself and his

own sin…, THEN, he recounts for them the goodness and the

faithfulness and the love of God even through the ups and downs of

the people…., THEN, he tells them their sin… No condemnation, no

blaming or shaming, just objectively tells them the malady…

 He doesn’t call them to groveling, he doesn’t demand from them some

sort of admission, he just lays it out and now looks forward, looks to

the going forward, the future and what the Lord would have them to

do…

 One other pattern being laid out by Samuel here, it is impossible, or

maybe nearly impossible, to trust the Lord with your present and with

your future if you forget what He has already done for you. Many

cycle in and out of faithlessness because of this. It is important to

remember all that God has done so that you will be able to stand in the

day that He is seemingly silent. And guys, just an FYI here, He is

almost always seemingly silent. Hindsight is 20/20…, in the moment

we are typically blinded by need or want so that we demand the

deliverance in an obvious immediate way!

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verses 13 – 19

 I literally sighed twice and found myself shaking my head while

studying this passage. It’s as if they don’t listen. It’s definitely as if

they don’t hear. He just told them that if they would do right now…,

what’s been done is done, they can’t change what has happened, the

past is the past and yesterday’s sins are yesterday’s…, (hopefully…,

yesterday’s sins that become today’s sins are an entirely different

teaching…)…

 Samuel just told them that they have not lost favor with God even

though they have been in rebellion and God would continue to guide

them and be with them if they choose today to do what was right…,

then he confirmed his word with a miraculous sign! Thunder and rain

at the time of harvest is highly unusual and would be concerning

because heavy rain could harm or destroy their crops…, this all just

went down…

 And their response is, “pray that we don’t die!?” It’s short-sited, its

deaf-hearted, it’s self-centered…, this is the time for national resolve,

not personal plea. I know that I’ve made mistakes and by the Word of

God and the Spirit teaching me directly, I see them. I acknowledge my

sin…, and very swiftly I set feet to pavement with full intention of

heart and resolve of mind to not return to that sin in what I have now,

which is ONLY my going forward…

 Proverbs 26:11 says, “As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool

repeats his folly.” This response of the people reveals not so much a

rebellious spirit, although it does. Their response reveals not so much

a selfish focus, although it does. What this response reveals is a

character of foolishness.

 Idiots, morons, nitwits, stooges, suckers and twits! And I catch myself

sometimes thinking this way as well… The Word of God is clear and

it is about GOD…, I am not the center, subject or object of the Word

of God…, He is… And the directives, promises and ramifications are

clear… What Samuel says is clear… I’m wondering if he face palms

here, because he tries again…

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verses 20 - 22

 He continues in just a moment but these verses are outstanding. Don’t

be afraid, yes you have done all this wickedness, but God has chosen

you, He has made you His people, and because of His own goodness,

not mine, not yours, He won’t forsake you, forget you or destroy you.

Why?

 Because I’m so lovable. Because God so loves me. Because God

knows my heart that underneath all this nonsense, I’m really a good

person. Not so much, truly. It’s not my goodness or my badness or

my good deeds or my sorrow over my mistakes…, that’s all about my

my my my my my…., it’s not about me. I’m neither the object nor the

subject…

 God’s promises to me are solid. God has welcomed me into His family

and kingdom through the work of the cross. God’s heart is for me.

God’s eyes are constantly and forever on me. God’s will and purpose

is every day for my good and for my wellbeing no matter my

goodness, good works, good deeds or badness, off day, fleshly season

or bone-headed decision. Why? Because He is good. Because He is

pure and holy… Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He

remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself!”

 So am I the subject of his love…, yes. But not necessarily because I

am entitled to His love or because I am somehow 1% more righteous

than my Muslim neighbor…, but because God is good, all the time…

and all the time…, God is good!

 All other pursuits in life, any priority you set above knowing God and

being known by God turns itself empty and profitless… The nation of

Israel has experienced that over their generations just like I have found

that to be true in my own life…, and yet I know, I will unfortunately

find the foolish side of that truth again and again until I go to glory.

AND YET, the entire time, the favor of the Lord, the love of the God,

the guardianship of Jesus will follow me throughout the rest of my

life… Why? Because God is GOOD.

 This is the confidence of the saint. This is the integrity of the One True

God…

1 Samuel Chapter 12 Verses 23 – 25

 Again, impossible to fear the Lord, reverence the Lord, without

considering the great things He has done for you!

 I am perplexed at that phrase, “swept away.” It gives me the mind

picture of someone wading out into the ocean…, and they are out

there at the wrong time, high tide and the tide is going out…, and they

just keep going…, and then boom…, they’re gone… swept away…

 It describes the process of a life that simply won’t come into shore

where Jesus is there preparing a meal. The disciples had gone fishing

after Jesus was gone and we see this scene in John 21:3-10, “Simon

Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are

going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the

boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had

now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know

that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any

food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the

net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they

cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the

multitude of fish. Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved said to

Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the

Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and

plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat

(for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits),

dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land,

they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus

said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

 No luck on their own. No catch. They do as the Lord says and boom,

huge profit… But forget the catch, Jesus already had breakfast

preparing for them. They could have stayed on the water…, but no

breakfast and no Jesus… Gotta come into shore.

 Another way to say this phrase “swept away,” is to be scraped,

chipped…, over and over until the accumulation of the shaving off

leaves nothing… takes everything away and just nothing is left. When

the Lord desires to comfort, feed and commune. Saul will

unfortunately choose poorly… And the greatest potential king of

Israel as we saw in chapter 11 will become the example of someone

who lost everything and even himself… why? Swept away… Why?

An inability to remember and consider what great things God has

done for him… Result, no reverence, worship or fear of the Lord…,

to be swept away is to find a life without wisdom…