1 Samuel 14:24

1 Samuel 14: 24 says, And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.  The people of Israel were distressed because Saul had declared a fast until evening.  Saul may have feared that the people would lose time in their pursuit of the Philistines by eating food that had been left behind, but Matthew Henry says this was a cruel decree because it left the people weakened.  Verse twenty-five adds, And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.  While under this decree of a curse on anyone who ate that day, they found a wooded area with honey on the ground.  This would have been a good source of energy for the tired people.  We should never keep people from getting the nourishment they need just to show our power over them, especially if God has provided a source of nourishment for them.  Verse twenty-six continues, And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.  Even when the honey dropped on the ground, the people would not even put their hand it it for fear of the curse that Saul had proclaimed, which he had done without consulting God and because he felt he had been disrespected.  If the world seems to be getting the best of us, we need to look to God for direction and not act because we somehow feel disrespected.  Verse twenty-seven states, But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.  Having not heard Saul’s proclamation, Johnathan ate some of the honey.  Since Saul had made the decree, this would mean that Jonathan was subject to the curse, even if he hadn't heard it,and it said his eyes were enlightened, or he could see more clearly.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.  One of a people told Jonathan about Saul's curse on anyone who ate that day,which they had refrained from doing,even though they were faint.  If someone who feels that they are obeying the law, no matter how harmful it may be, they are often quick to point it out if someone else doesn't obey it.  Verse twenty-nine continues, Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.  Jonathan told this person that his father, the king, had troubled the land, because nourishment would enlighten their eyes, or refresh their strength as it had his.  There is never a good reason to impose unnecessary burdens of God's people, especially if it is done for personal reasons by those in power.  Verse thirty concludes, How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?  Jonathan continued by asking what better time would there be to eat and replenish their energy than now, when the Philistines had left so much food available to be eaten.  We should never get so carried away with engaging in battle with the world that we neglect the things God has blessed us with to help us to continue to do what He calls us to do.  Verse thirty-one says, And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.  The people of Israel killed the Philistines over a great area, but they were very faint from fasting even as they did so.  We should never call for people to do something that makes it harder for them to do what they need to do, especially if we are in a position of power over them.  I believe the opposite is true, and that we should do all that we can to ensure their health and safety.  Verse thirty-two adds, And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.  The people were so hungry that they killed and ate the sheep, oxen and calves without even draining the blood, which was a requirement of God.  Verse thirty-three states, Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.  The people told Saul that people had transgressed by eating the blood.  If we are guilty of sin, all we can do is confess to God and ask His forgiveness.  Of course, they were not confessing to God, but to Saul.  Saul then told them to roll a great stone to him, but he also did not confess their sins to God nor seek His guidance.  Verse thirty-four adds, And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. Saul then told the people to bring their oxen and sheep and slay them there, and eat, but not to sin by eating the blood.  Of course, they had already done this, so simply following God's law afterwards would not remove the sin that they had already committed.   Sin cannot be covered over with later obedience, but must be confessed to God and forgiven by Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Verse thirty-five continues, And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.  Saul then built an altar to God, which was the first one that he had built.  Saul was actually turning away from God, but he wanted an appearance of Godliness.  Too many people are still that way today.  

1 Samuel 14:16

1 Samuel 14:16 says, And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.  Saul was still in Gibeah, not leading as a king should be, when the watchman saw the multitude of Philistines melting away.  Saul should have been the one leading the people of Israel into battle under God's leadership, but he was hiding away looking for his own safety.  We need Christian leaders today who go out into the world bravely to fight against evil, but too often they seem to be seeking their own safety.  Verse seventeen adds, Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.  Saul told the people there with him to number themselves to see who was missing, and they determined that it was Jonathan and his armor bearer.  Saul didn't even realize that his son was missing.  If our children are out doing God's will today, we should not only know it, but we should support their efforts as well.  Verse eighteen continues, And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.  Saul responded to this news by asking that the Ark of God be brought to him.  Saul did not consult Samuel, who was most likely nearby, to seek guidance from God, but asked for the Ark instead.  Saul was evidently still upset with Samuel, so he sought a way around seeking his guidance.  We cannot look for a way around God's will and his called leaders today just because we don't like what they may be telling us if it is God's truth.  Verse nineteen states, And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.  As Saul was conferring  with the priest, the noise of the Philistines destroying themselves grew louder, and Samuel told the priest to withdraw his hand, or to no longer seek God's guidance.  He decided he had enough evidence to make the decision on his own.  We cannot just base our actions as Christians on what we perceive to be truth without consulting God.  Verse twenty adds, And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.  The people that were with him and Saul himself went to see the battle, even though they been hiding away in fear before.   They witnessed the Philistines killing one another in confusion.  If God begins to do a great work in the world today, if we as followers of Christ have been hiding away in fear, the least we can do is come out and witness what He is doing.  Verse twenty-one continues, Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.  Some Hebrews had defected to the Philistines, and they returned to join those with Saul.  None of this had been accomplished by Saul, but was strictly God's work because of the faith and actions of Jonathan and his armor bearer.  I believe that had Jonathan not acted on his faith, none of this would have happened.  God could have done this at anytime, but He did it when Jonathan reached out to Him by faith.  God doesn't need us to accomplish His will today, but He chooses to work through us as Christians, His people, and it may be that at times what God wants done in the world doesn't happen or is delayed because we lack the faith to undertake the task.  Verse twenty-two concludes, Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.  Other people of Israel who had been hiding came out and followed hard after the Philistines when they heard the Philistines had fled.  Sometimes, those Christians who have been hiding today will also be quick to come out and try to take part when they see that God has been victorious in a particular situation, but He needs us to be more like Jonathan, who was willing to go against a much greater force as long as he knew God was with him.  Verse twenty-three declares, So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.  Saul, their new king, did not save Israel that day, but as always God did.  No new leader, no matter how powerful he may look or be, should ever be the one we put our faith in as Christians, but only God should be.  

1 Samuel 14:8

1 Samuel 14:8 says, And said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.  Jonathan decided they would make themselves known to the men.  They would not continue hiding.  As followers of Christ, must make ourselves known to men and cannot continue in hiding because we fear what might happen if we reveal our faith.  Verse nine adds, If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.  Jonathan said if they told them to stand still until they came to them, that was what they would do.  He was not making rash decisions, but as we will see, was using how the Philistines responded to their presence to determine how they would react.  Going rashly into any dangerous situation is not the best way for us to react to it.  Verse ten continues, But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.  Jonathan then said if the Philistines invited them to come up to them, that they would go, because it would be a sign that the LORD had delivered them into their hands.  There was still only two people, Jonathan and his armor bearer, but Jonathan put his faith in God being able to deliver the Philistines into their hands.  As Christians, if we feel overpowered by the world today, we need to remember Who our God is.  Verse eleven states, And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.  Jonathan and his armor bearer showed themselves to the Philistines, who said mockingly I believe, look, some Hebrews have come out of the holes where they have been hiding.  They had very little concern about the Hebrews, God's chosen people, and evidently had little concern about nor respect for their God.  When we as Christians make ourselves known to the people of the world today, they may mock us and thereby mock God, but as long as we are faithful to Him, He will do great things though us.  Verse twelve adds, And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.  The Philistines told Jonathan and his armor bearer to come up and they would show them a thing, and Jonathan told his armor bearer that they would go up because God had delivered the Philistines into the hand of Israel.   He didn't just see them as being there for their own glory, but for the glory of Israel because of the work of God.  As Christians, we should never see our actions as something to bring honor to us, but as bringing honor to God and all Christians.  The Philistines may have thought they were going to show them a thing, but Jonathan and his armor bearer through the power of God were about to show them a thing.  Verse thirteen continues, And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.  Though Jonathan had to basically crawl up the rocks to get to the Philistines, they still began to fall before Jonathan and his armor bearer after him.  They were so confident that they had basically ignored Jonathan and his armor bearer, just two Hebrews that they believed they had already beaten, and they found out how wrong they were to do so.  The world may look around at Christians today and think that we are so few in numbers and that God is so powerless that they either look down on us or ignore us, but as long as we remain faithful to God, the victory will always be ours.  Jonathan acted out of faith in God and not his own fighting skills, and so must we today.  Verse fourteen declares, And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.  The first group of men that Jonathan and his armor bearer killed was about twenty men in about a half acre of land.  That would have meant they were outnumbered about ten to one by a force that was superiorly armed, but God was with them.  We may be facing a superior force today as followers of Christ, but God is with us as long as we are acting under His leadership and authority.   Verse fifteen adds, And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.  Though there were still only two men fighting against them, the whole army of the Philistines trembled so badly that they shook the ground.  We should never underestimate to power of God to cause His enemies to shake in fear when just a few of His people stand up to them.

1 Samuel 14:1

1 Samuel 14:1 says, Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. Without telling Saul, his father, Jonathan told the young man who was his armor bearer that they would go over to the Philistines.  He wasn't content to just hide, and probably figured Saul would stop him if he told him he was doing this.  As Christians, even if we have to act alone, we must face the enemy today and not look for some place of safety to hide away in.  Of course, it is better if we let others know what we are doing and see if they want to join us.  Verse two adds, And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;  Saul, who now only had six hundred men with him, and not the three thousand that he had chosen, seemed to be at a loss as to what to do.  He was basically hiding outside Gibeah, though he was the king that the people had demanded.  We may have plenty of people around us to help us as followers of Christ, but if real trouble comes, we may find the number greatly diminished.  Also, we don't find Saul seeking God's guidance in the situation.  When we as Christians are surrounded by trouble, the first thing we should do is to pray and ask God's guidance about what we should do.  Verse three adds, And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.  We are told that Ahiah, Eli's grandson, was the priest at Shiloh.  Samuel had abandoned Saul because of his sinful action in offering a sacrifice to God as though he were the priest, so he hoped that Ahiah would be able to tell him what to do.  Of course, the priesthood had been removed from Eli's sons and family because they had perverted it.  We today may look for preachers who will tell us what we want to hear and not what God has to say to us.  None of them knew what Johnathan was doing, and a true priest should have, I would think.  Verse four states, And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.  Verse five adds, The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.   Jonathan, in the meantime, was making his way to a camp the Philistines, going by a very rough passage.   He did not just march up to their camp, but went in a way they they might not have expected.  Sometimes, meeting our enemies head on may not be the best thing to do.  I believe that Jonathan was relying on God's leadership, as seems to be shown in the next few verses.  Whatever we do as Christians today we need to do so under the leadership of God.  Verse six declares, And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.  Jonathan then professed his faith in God to bring them victory, no matter how outnumbered they might be.  He said that they would go into the camp of the uncircumcised Philistines and that it might be that God would work for them.  He had no guarantee that he this would be true, but simply had to go by faith.  We have no guarantee that we will always be successful in our fight against the forces of evil in the world today in this lifetime, but we do have God's assurance of the everlasting victory, so we should never allow fear to stop us from doing what we know He calls us to do.  Verse seven adds, And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.  Jonathan's armor bearer told him to do what was in his heart, and he would be there with him.  We need this type of Christian friends today, and we need to be this type friend to our fellow Christians.  If  they or we are doing something that God has called them or us to do, we need to be there to support each other, even if it puts us in a dangerous situation.  We must do this with unwavering faith in God. 

1 Samuel 13:11

1 Samuel 13:11 says, And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;   Samuel asked Saul what had he done by offering the sacrifices himself.  Saul tried to justify his actions, partially by blaming Samuel for not being there earlier and partially by saying the people of Israel were still scattered and the Philistines were already amassed.  When we are waiting on the Lord as Saul was waiting on Samuel, God's representative to the people of Israel, we cannot afford to become impatient and take matters into our own hands, no matter how dire the situation may seem.  Veres twelve continues, Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.  Saul said that since he feared that the Philistines would come down on him before he made supplication to the LORD that he forced himself to offer a burnt offering.  Saul was basically saying that his convictions told him this was wrong, but he was proud he was able to overcome them.  When we know that something is wrong, we should never be proud that we were able to overcome that knowledge and do it anyway, especially if we are claiming to have done it to secure God's blessing of what we are doing.  Verse thirteen continues, And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.  Saul may have been king, but Samuel was still God's priest, and he told Saul that he had done foolishly by violating God's commandments.  No matter how powerful a person may be in the world today, if they are violating God's commandments they are acting foolishly.  Samuel then told Saul if he had kept God's commandments that God would have established Saul’s kingdom over Israel forever.  Of course, we forever become a part of God's kingdom by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, but when we do, we are still expected to keep His commandments.  Verse fourteen concludes, But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.  Saul had barely begun his reign as the first king of Israel, but Samuel told him because of his sinful actions that the kingdom was going to pass from him.  God was going to seek a man after His own heart to reign over Israel.   Of course, we know this man was David, but the ultimate Man after God's own heart to rule forever over God's people is Jesus Christ.  All others, even David himself, came up short.  Verse fifteen states, And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.  Samuel left, going from Gilgal to Gibeah, Saul’s city, without praying for Saul, and Saul numbered those present with him at about six hundred.  Matthew Henry says the Samuel went to Gibeah possibly to show Saul that though he was displeased with him, he hadn't totally abandoned him.  When God is displeased with us as Christians today, He may remove His protective hand from us, but He will never abandon us completely.  Saul had very few troops to stand against the Philistines with.  Verse sixteen adds, And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.  While the troops, Jonathan and Saul himself remained at Gibeah, the Philistines and their far superior force encamped at Michmash.  This was a main pass from which they could control much of the area. We need to acknowledge that the forces of evil in the world are going to do everything possible to gain an advantage over Christians today.  Verse seventeen says, And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:  Verse eighteen adds, And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.  From Miczhmash, the Philistines sent out three parties of troops to defeat the Israelites.  They had the far superior force in numbers and armament, so they could afford to divide into three troops and still have the advantage.  Sometimes, it may seem that the forces of evil outnumber us as followers of Christ significantly, but as long as we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, the victory is ours, no matter what happens in this world.  Verse nineteen states, Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:  The Philistines removed all the smiths from Israel to keep them from making swords.  Matthew Henry says that only Jonathan and Saul had swords, and the rest were armed with farm tools, slings and rocks.  Verse twenty adds, But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.  Still, though they had no ability to make swords, they did the best that they could to arm themselves.   We as Christians today need to make the best of what we have under the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our battle against evil in the world today.  Verse twenty-one continues, Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.  Still, they did have a file to sharpen these tools and make them more lethal.  Matthew Henry points out that Saul should have used his first couple of years as king to address this problem, but he didn't.  We need to be prepared at all times to be ready to battle against the world today, and not just sit idly by until the battle comes to us.  Verse twenty-two states, So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.  As stated earlier,  when the battle came, only Jonathan and Saul had swords.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.  The Philistines then went out from Michmash to battle the Israelites.  We can be certain that the world today stands ready to engage Christians in war, and we need to be spiritually armed when they do.

1 Samuel 13:1

1 Samuel 13:1 says, Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,  Verse two adds, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.  After Saul had reigned over Israel for two years, he chose three thousand men from Israel to be his army.  Two thousand who were with him at Michmash and a thousand were with Jonathan, his son, at Gibeah.  The rest he sent home.  Matthew Henry says the reference to the one year might have referred to Saul’s maturity level, though this isn't specified, and if these forces were simply to serve him, there were too many, and if for an army there were too few.  Verse three continues, And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.  Jonathan and his forces, under Saul's direction, killed a garrison of Philistines at Geba, for no apparent reason. and the Philistines heard about it.  This brought dishonor to the Israelites.  Then, Saul sounded the trumpet and called on all the people of Israel to hear it.  We cannot just destroy the people of the world today because we don't like them and they don't follow God's laws.  To even act out of hatred towards them brings dishonor to Christ, Who died for their sins as well as ours.  Verse four concludes, And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.  The people of Israel heard that Saul had killed the garrison of Philistines, and that the Philistines then considered the word of the people of Israel to be worthless, though we aren't told if there was a particular treaty that Jonathan acting under Saul's direction had broken.  All the people of Israel rallied to. Saul's call and gathered with him at Gilgal.  When we see fellow Christians in need today, for whatever reason, we needed to rally to the call if they call out for help.  Verse five states, And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.  The Philistines also rallied to fight against Israel, with much greater and very well equipped army.  We as Christians are still up against a formidable army who are fighting against us today.  Verse six adds, When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.  When the people of Israel saw this great force that was ready to go to war with them, they went and hid.  They did not pray and ask God's guidance, but they had sort of given up that right when they demanded a king.  Verse seven continues, And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.  Some of the people went back across the Jordan to Gad and Gilead, but Saul remained in Gilgal, and the people followed him with trembling.   He was the king that they demanded, but they didn't seem to have great faith in him.  When danger comes today, will we as followers of Christ remain faithful to Him, or will we scatter looking for our own safety?  We are to be a beacon on the hill, and not a candle hidden under a bushel basket.  Verse eight continues, And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. Saul remained at Gilgal for seven days, and even though some of the people of Israel were with him, Samuel was not.  Samuel had told Saul at one point to wait seven days and he would come to him.  Matthew Henry points out that Saul did not send anyone to inquire of Samuel, but that before the end of the seventh day, he took matters into his own hands.  We cannot allow our impatience to cause us to run ahead of God.  Verse nine declares, And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.  Though Saul was not a priest, who were the ones who could offer burnt and peace offerings to God, Saul by his own authorization offered these offerings.  We can never just authorize ourselves to do specific things in the name of God, but must do them in accordance with His word and calling.   Verse ten adds, And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.  As soon as Saul offered up these offerings, Samuel came as he had said he would.  We today have an even greater One than a priest or prophet, and that is the Holy Spirit that indwells us, but we still sometimes act out of our own atrengh and knowledge instead of relying on Him for guidance in all that we do.

1 Samuel 12:13

I Samuel 12:13 says, 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 the people to behold their king, whom God had set over them.  Of course, we need to remember that this was the desire of the people, which God granted, but this had not been His plan.  God, leading through priests, prophets, and judges that He appointed when they needed them had been His way to lead the people.  As I stated before, God may grant us what we want today, but if He does, we may miss what we need.  Verse fourteen adds, If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:  Samuel then hit them with one of the ifs that we find throughout the Bible.  If the people and the king feared the LORD, obeyed His Voice and didn't rebel against Him, they would continue following God and be led by Him.  This still applies to us today as Christians.  Of course, as I have said many times, I don't believe fearing God means being afraid of God, but means showing Him the great respect that He deserves.  Verse fifteen continues, But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.  Then, Samuel gave them the but that comes with the if.  But if they did not obey God, keep His commandments, and rebelled against Him, His hand would be against them as it had been at times against their fathers.  We cannot rebel against God's will as Christians and still expect Him to bless us in this life here on earth, though if we have truly accepted Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we have the everlasting blessing of life with Him forever.  Verse sixteen declares, Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.  Just as Samuel called on the people of Israel then to stand and see this great thing that God was going to do before them, we need to stand today as Christians expecting to see God do great things in our life.  Verse seventeen adds, Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.  Though God had given them a king, Samuel asked if the wheat harvest was not today, and said that he would call on God to send thunder and rain on the wheat to show them the great wickedness that they had done in asking for a king.  It may be that if we are simply asking God to endorse our plans that He is sending thunder and rain on our wheat harvest.  Verse eighteen continues, So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.  This was not a common occurrence at this time of the year, and it also happened just as Samuel had said God would cause it to happen.  We may at times want to write off God's warnings of His displeasure with us as just natural events, but I believe if we are attuned to His will at all we will know the difference.  Verse nineteen states, And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.  The people asked Samuel to pray for them, because they feared they would die for the great evil of asking for a king.  Fortunately, if we as Christians today realize that we have fallen away from the will of God, we can go directly to Him and ask for His forgiveness.  Verse twenty adds, And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;  Samuel told them not to fear, that even though they had done this great wickedness, all they neeed to do was not turn aside from following the LORD.  We cannot change any sin that we commit as Christians, so all we can do is confess our sin,  as the people of Israel did, ask for forgiveness, and then not turn aside from following God.  Verse twenty-one continues, And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.  As Samuel told the people then, if we turn aside from following God, we are chasing vain things, or things that are worth nothing.   Verse twenty-two declares, For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.  Samuel said that God would not forsake His people for His name's sake, because He had chosen them, and it pleased Him to do so.  As Christians today, we are God's people, because He has called us to be so, and it pleased Him to do so, and we will always be His people.  Verse twenty-three adds, Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:  Samuel said that as for himself, God forbid that he ever stopped praying for the people of Israel.  This should still be our attitude towards others today, both our fellow Christians and especially the lost people of the world.  Verse twenty-four continues, Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.  This should be our calling today as well.  Verse twenty-five concludes, But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.  Samuel then gave them a warning.  If they refused to obey God and keep His commandments, then their king and they would be consumed.  I believe this applies to those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord today, but can also apply to our works as Christians.  Those things that we do out of the will of God will be consumed one day.