I Samuel Chapter 12

Memory verses for this week: Psa 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Introduction: We continue our study on Samuel this week. In last week’s lesson, we studied about the deliverance of the men of Jabesh by the leadership of Saul. After this victory, Saul was truly accepted as the first king of Israel.

I. Samuel’s Proclamation of the Kingdom

1 Sam 12:1 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.

1 Sam 12:2 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.

1 Sam 12:3 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.

1 Sam 12:4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

Saul declares that he has hearkened unto the people’s voice. In this, he was being obedient unto the Lord.

1 Sam 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

In verses 2 through 5, Samuel takes one last chance to preach to Israel on the folly of their desire to have an earthly king. He speaks of himself as an old gray-haired man cast off by the people. Even his own sons had taken sides with them against Samuel. Samuel had all his life served the Lord and walked before the people from his youth for their good. Samuel asks them to make accusations against him of any fault of which he might be guilty. If he had taken any man’s ox or ass, or defrauded or oppressed them, let him know. He promised to make full restitution to anyone to who he had taken a bribe. Samuel was an honest man with a pure heart before the Lord. None could find fault in him. The people readily admitted that he was not guilty of any of these things.

1 Sam 12:5 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 called on the Lord to witness this admission, and also their king whom they had chosen. The people agreed and said “He is witness.”

II. Samuel Rehearses the Deliverance of Jehovah

1 Sam 12:6 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.

1 Sam 12:7 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 gives all the credit to God for bringing Israel into the land of Canaan. Moses and Aaron were only instruments in the hands of God in the deliverance of Israel. He asked them to stand and listen to what he had to say concerning their fathers. The Lord had brought them out of Egypt and established them in Canaan, but they forgot Him and fell into the hands of Sisera, the Philistines, and the Moabites. These nations brought bondage to the people and made them cry out unto the Lord. They confessed that they had forsaken the Lord. They also confessed that they had served the false gods of Baalim and Ashtaroth. These were false gods of the heathen and Israel’s worship of them brought the judgment of God upon them. They say they will serve God if he will deliver them out of the enemies’ hand.

1 Sam 12:8 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.

1 Sam 12:9 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.

1 Sam 12:10 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.

1 Sam 12:11 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.

Out of the tribes, four men are named to deliver Israel. He declares that these men were victorious in their encounter with the enemies.

1 Sam 12:12 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.

When the Nahash, the king of Ammon came against them they requested a king to reign over them. Samuel declares that at this time God was their king. What would cause men to desire a man to rule over them when God was their ruler?

1 Sam 12:13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

1 Sam 12:14 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:

1 Sam 12:15 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.

Now that Israel had their king, if they would obey the voice of the Lord and not rebel against His commandments, both they and their king would prosper before the Lord. If they rebelled against God, then He would again be against them, just as He had been against their fathers.

III. The Sign of Thunder and Rain

1 Sam 12:16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

1 Sam 12:17 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.

1 Sam 12:18 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.

God would do a miracle before their eyes. It was the time of wheat harvest, and ordinarily there was no rain at this time. A heavy rain could be disastrous to the harvest. He tells them to stand and see what God was about to do. Samuel would call to the Lord and He would send thunder and rain upon them because of their wickedness in asking for a king instead of depending on the Lord. They could see how great their sin was in the sight of God by His dealing with them in the storm on their wheat fields. It must have been a terrible and terrifying storm. We are told that the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. They plead with the prophet to pray for them. They confessed that they had sinned against the Lord in asking for a king and ask him to pray for them that they die not.

1 Sam 12:19 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.

1 Sam 12:20 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;

1 Sam 12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

1 Sam 12:22 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.

1 Sam 12:23 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:

1 Sam 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.

1 Sam 12:25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

Note the advice Samuel gave the people in this verse. Even though they had done evil he encouraged them to serve the Lord. There is not a Christian on earth that has not sinned, but we are not to quit but continue to do our very best for the Lord. If the people turned aside they would probably go after evil things. Vain things can not profit nor deliver us, only God can do this. God will never forsake his people. It pleased God to make Israel His people. Samuel assured them that he would continue to pray for them. He promised to teach them the good and right way.

Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

He closes warning them to turn from evil.

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Prov 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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