Samuel spoke to the people and presented unto them the king they had asked for. He reminded them that he was old and grey headed, and his days would be numbered and soon they would have him no more. He was encouraging them to honour and follow their king. He reminded them that he had been faithful and judged them all his days and his family was with them, even his sons who were not following The LORD (see 8:1-5). He stated that if he had defrauded them in any way, which seemed to be without knowing it, they should declare it and he would repay it (v1-3). He was indeed a godly man who wanted to leave his legacy so that Saul would not be hampered in any way to follow his example. They had known him since he was a child and his life had been lived in full view.
The people answered him that he had not cheated or oppressed them in any way, and God was their witness to that statement (v4,5). Samuel reminded them of their history (v6-12) – that The LORD had raised up Moses and Aaron who had brought their fathers out of Egypt. He asked them to give careful thought to the righteous acts which The LORD had done. He also reminded them of their times of sin and rebellion against God, times of defeat by their enemies as a result. The times of God’s chastisement were in answer to their rebellion, but they must see those as the righteous acts of The LORD. God loved them and therefore, they needed chastisement and when they cried out to The LORD, He gave them a deliverer. He mentioned Jerubbaal (Gideon – Judges 6), Bedan (there is no mention of him in the book of Judges, but it may be another name for one of the others – Barak, Samson or Jair), Jephthah (Judges 11) and Samuel himself. But now, when Nahash comes along they cry out for a king and forsake God again.
It is always good to remember our history and particularly what God has done for us. There’s no doubt that God has delivered our nation more than once and raised up godly men. There are many times when we have sinned and rebelled against God, but He has been faithful and when we have sought Him and cried out to Him, He has delivered us. How we need this today in modern Britain. We are living in a day when some people want to rewrite history and, subjectively, take out the bits they don’t like. Seriously, we can’t do that! We are witnessing the total demise of righteousness and need to be reminded that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any nation” (Proverbs 14:34). People are seeking to devise evil schemes and, sadly, governments, various authorities and individuals are being taken in by them and imposing them on unsuspecting, vulnerable parts of our society, especially children and young people. Parents are being sidelined and left out of the equation, and ‘mini dictators’ and a vociferous minority are riding roughshod and controlling over others.
Samuel told the people that this was the king they asked for. It may have been tongue in cheek because he knew more about the real man in Saul, but, nevertheless, God had given them the king and they must fear The LORD and obey Him. If they did not obey, the hand of God would be against them. It was not God’s will for them to have a king but, having one, meant they must be loyal and obey God and the king (v13-15). The history Samuel had just reminded them of, indicating that the hand of the righteous God had punished their fathers when they were disobedient, should show them that this was the same God, and He would treat them the same.
Samuel continued and said that God would give them a sign to confirm His words to them (v16-18). It was time for the wheat harvest and heavy rain was unusual at that time, but God would send thunder and rain. This was to let them know that they were wrong in asking for a king and they needed to be reminded of that. They needed to realise that God was Almighty, and they should have trusted Him rather than wanting a king. It was a sign of God’s power and also His judgment. The heavy rains could destroy all their crops. Samuel showed them the power of prayer to God and as a result the people feared God. As a result, the people asked Samuel to pray for them (v19) that they would not die. They realised the power of God and now admitted that they had sinned in asking for a king. It was a pity they didn’t do it before they asked for one, but now they had one, and so must live with it, and they needed God’s help.
The people asked Samuel to pray for them that they may not die even though they had sinned in asking for a king (v19). God is the God of the second chance, and more, and Samuel assured them that even though they had sinned, and he did not make light of their sin, they need not fear if they follow The LORD with all their heart (v20-25). The LORD would not forsake His people, not for their sakes but for His own Name’s sake. This indicated that God was going to keep His promise (covenant) for them to be His people for the honour of His name. He would keep His promise even if they did not keep their side of the covenant. Samuel assured them of his prayers and right teaching for it would be a sin to him if he didn’t. They must fear The LORD and serve Him whole-heartedly, considering the great things The LORD done for them. However, he warned them that if they did wickedly, both they and their king would be swept away.
They were not to dwell on the past, but to face the future with their God and serve Him. Their sin of the past could be forgiven, just as our sin can be when we turn to The Lord in repentance and faith. God is true to His word and always will be. Samuel was a true man of God and, even though he was not pleased with the people, he promised to pray for them. It is important that we, as followers of Christ, should pray for others. Never forget what great things The Lord has done for us. ‘To God be the glory, great things He has done, so loved He the world, that He gave us Hs Son. Praise The Lord!’
