1 Samuel 12:1 says, And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. Samuel told the people of Israel that he had listened to them and made a king over them, but it was really God Who had done so. Of course, Samuel did represent God before the people, but even if we are representing God today, we need to make sure that it is His word that we are presenting when we make statements about what we would have them do and never claim credit ourself for what He has done. Verse two adds, And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Samuel said he was old and now the king was walking before them. He also said he had walked before the people of Israel as God's representative since he was a child. We could only hope to be able to say that as we get old. He also said his sons were with them and could be held accountable for any wrong they had done. We cannot justify the bad actions of our children just because they are the children of a Christian or even a leader in the church. Verse three continues, Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. Samuel then asked several questions concerning his integrity before the LORD, and said if he was guilty of cheating anyone that he would restore what he had taken from them dishonestly. We as followers of Christ should never cheat others, but if we do, we should be ready to restore whatever we have taken from them to them. Verse four states, And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. To Samuel's credit they said he had never done any of these things. It is one thing for us to say we have done nothing to harm others, but it is so much better if they say the same thing. Verse five adds, And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. Samuel asked that God be a witness that he had done none of these things, and the people said that God was a witness. It is good for us the believe that we have done nothing wrong to others, better if they acknowledge it, but best if God Himself is a witness to the fact. Verse six continues, And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Samuel reminded the people that it was God Who had placed Moses and Aaron over them as He had brought them out of Israel. As Christians, we should never forget that it should be God Who places people in positions of power over us today in the church. Verse seven declares, Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. Samuel told the people to stand still while he reasoned with them, reminding them of all that God had done for them. Sometimes, we just need to stand still and remember all that God has done for us. Verse eight adds, When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. Samuel began with Jacob, who had gone to Egypt during a severe drught, which had led to the people of Israel being enslaved there, until they cried out to God, Who raised up Moses and Aaron to deliver out of Egypt and bring them to the Promised Land. We as followers of Christ have already been delivered from the enslaving power of sin by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and we need to always remember that. Verse nine continues, And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. Moses then reminded them that they had forgotten God, and He allowed them to be defeated by the Philistines and Moabites. If we forget about God in our everyday walk of faith, we may find ourselves under the power of sin once more. Verse ten says, And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. Samuel reminded them that when this happened that they had confessed their sins and asked God to help them, saying they would then serve Him once more. We cannot just turn to God when we find ourselves in trouble, but should instead follow His guidance daily so we don't get in trouble to begin with. Verse eleven adds, And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. Samuel then reminded them of the men God had sent through the years to deliver them from the power of other nations. We today need to remember only one Deliverer, and that is Jesus Christ. Verse twelve continues, And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. Samuel then reminded them that when Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against them that they had demanded an earthly king, where God had always been their King before. We do not need anyone to come between God and us, but we need to follow Him by having a personal relationship with Him through our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord and by the leadership of the Holy Spirit Who indwells us. Verse thirteen concludes, Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. Samuel then told them to behold the king, Saul, whom God had set over them. This still was not God's plan, but was His allowing the people of Israel to have what they thought they needed. Today, we may ask for things that are outside the will of God, and He may allow us to have them, but they will eventually prove to have not been what was best for us.
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