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Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 11; 1 Sam. 12
As we read the history recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel, we need to realize that, no matter what was happening, God was behind the scene directing everything. We see this in a particular way in the history concerning Saul.
Saul, who was very tall and handsome, matched Israel's human concept of a king, and they immediately recognized him as the king. But God sees through all things from beginning to end and knew what was within Saul's heart. In the sight of God, Saul was useful at a certain juncture for carrying out God's temporary purpose. He was needed by God to discipline and train Israel. Israel needed an education under a king who was apparently good but who actually was very selfish. On the one hand, Saul was qualified and capable and had the capacity, humanly speaking, to rule Israel. On the other hand, he was evil in the sight of God and also a pretender who could put on many different masks. At the time of his inauguration, Saul put on a mask of humility, but near the end of his life, he was exposed as actually being an evil person before God.
After Saul's forty years of reigning, Israel surely learned not to follow the nations in a human way. As a peculiar people, a particular possession belonging to God, their way should be according to God's heart. This is the kind of person Samuel was. He was absolutely according to the heart of God, not according to the customs of the nations. Although Israel had been delivered from tyranny in Egypt and had been brought into the promised land to be a particular treasure in the sight of God, they were not willing to be such a treasure but instead followed the customs of the nations. Therefore, God used Saul to discipline them.
Because Samuel, a Nazarite, was fully in submission to God as the Head, he was willing to do whatever God wanted him to do, without expressing his opinion. For this reason, when God told Samuel to anoint Saul to be the king over Israel, Samuel was obedient.
With this in mind, let us now go on to consider the history concerning Saul in chapters eleven and twelve.
After Saul was anointed king, the Ammonites came to threaten and reproach the children of Israel (11:1-5). Nahash the Ammonite encamped against Jabesh-gilead, and the men of Jabesh told him that if he made a treaty with them, they would serve him. Nahash replied that he would make a treaty on the condition that all their right eyes would be gouged out. He would thus make it a reproach upon all Israel. The elders of Jabesh asked for seven days' respite to see if there was one who could save them, and they sent messengers to Gibeah of Saul. This created an opportunity for Saul to make a show. He was not for the kingdom of God but for his monarchy.
Saul conquered the Ammonites (vv. 6-11). God sent the Spirit to rush upon Saul (v. 6), and he was empowered by God. Then he gathered the people, divided them into three groups, and slaughtered the Ammonites (vv. 7-11).
Saul's victory uplifted him in the eyes of the people of Israel. Some of the people said to Samuel, "Who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men that we may put them to death" (v. 12). However, Saul forgave his despisers, saying, "No man shall be put to death on this day, for today Jehovah has accomplished deliverance in Israel" (v. 13). Saul behaved in an attractive way and gained the heart of the people, but Samuel was clear concerning Saul's real situation.
In 11:14—12:25 we have an account of Samuel's reminder to Israel.
After Saul conquered the Ammonites and forgave his despisers, Samuel spoke to Israel about renewing the kingdom, saying, "Come and let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom" (v. 14). All the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Jehovah and sacrificed peace offerings before Jehovah. There at Gilgal Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly (v. 15). Although Saul had been victorious over the Ammonites and appeared to be such an attractive, humble person, according to Samuel the nation of Israel was still not the kingdom of God on earth.
In 12:1-18 we have Samuel's reminder. This reminder implies a comparison between Samuel and Saul. If we compare Saul with Samuel, we will be able to see what is truly of God's heart and for God's heart.
First, Samuel reminded Israel of his integrity — that he was pure and just in dealing with the people (vv. 1-5). He reminded them that he had not taken anything from them, defrauded them, oppressed them, or taken any bribe from them. He said, "Jehovah is Witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand" (v. 5a). Samuel's word implied that Saul would pervert justice and take away many things from the people. Samuel had this kind of foresight concerning Saul.
In his wisdom, Samuel did not first speak about God to the people of Israel. Instead, Samuel reminded the people of his integrity and then went on to speak to them of Jehovah's righteous acts for Israel. He reminded them that it was Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought their fathers up out of the land of Egypt (v. 6). Then he reminded them that Jehovah delivered them from the hand of their enemies all around (v. 11).
Finally, Samuel reminded Israel of their wickedness in asking for a king, though Jehovah their God was their King (vv. 12-18). Jehovah was their King, yet they wanted another king (v. 12). Here Samuel was rebuking Israel for leaving her Husband. Because they wanted a king as a replacement for God, they would not have the proper enjoyment of the good land.
I believe that, to some extent at least, Samuel's intent here was to provoke the children of Israel. After Saul's conquest of the Ammonites, the people were happy, but they had been deceived by Saul, and Samuel was not happy about this situation. Samuel seemed to be saying to Israel, "You should have remained under the kingship of God, taking Him as your Husband and your Head. Then you would have enjoyed a good life, for He would have had His kingdom among you. But you have done wrong in taking a man as your head instead of God. You have actually divorced God and married Saul. You regard him as a handsome man, a man of choice, a man who is kind and humble. But this is only his outward appearance. Within him there is something dark. He will cause you to suffer and will take away many things from you."
Samuel's words were confirmed by Jehovah's sending thunder and rain (vv. 16-18). Samuel told them to stand and see the great thing that Jehovah would do before their eyes. Then he went on to say, "I will call to Jehovah, that He would send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness which you have done in the sight of Jehovah by asking for a king for yourselves is great" (v. 17). Then Samuel called to Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain on that day. These were not positive signs, for they were signs not of God's happiness but of His displeasure.
After Samuel called to Jehovah and He sent thunder and rain, all the people feared Jehovah and Samuel greatly (v. 18b).
Verses 19 through 25 record the people's confession of their sin and Samuel's charge to them and his praying for them.
The people confessed their sin, saying that they had added to all their sins the evil of asking for a king for themselves. Thus, they begged Samuel to pray to Jehovah his God that they would not die (v. 19).
Samuel charged the people of Israel not to turn away from following Jehovah but to serve Him with all their heart (v. 20). He warned them not to turn away to vain idols, which, being vanity, could not profit them or deliver them. The people needed to have only one heart, a heart that was toward God and with God. Therefore, Samuel said, "Only, fear Jehovah and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be consumed" (vv. 24-25).
In verse 23a Samuel told the people, who had begged him to pray for them, "As for me, far be it from me that I would sin against Jehovah by ceasing to pray for you." This reveals that Samuel considered not praying for God's peculiar people to be a sin against Jehovah. We need to learn of Samuel to pray not only for our own children but also for God's children. If we pray for our children without praying for God's children, we may be selfish and sin against God. Praying for God's children actually includes praying for our children. As we pray for God's children, our children will be under His care.
The record in 1 Samuel shows us that Samuel's heart was only for God's elect. The term elect is precious to the ears of God and to the heart of God. His elect are His peculiar, personal possession as a treasure. Caring for God's elect was a crucial aspect of the history concerning Samuel, which was in sharp contrast to the history concerning Saul.
