20240317

the right sign

1 Samuel 12:1-18 (JDV)

1 Samuel 12:1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “I have noticed and listened to your voice – to everything you said to me and established a king over you.
1 Samuel 12:2 Now you notice that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and notice my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until now.
1 Samuel 12:3 Here I am. Bring charges against me before Yahveh and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whom have I accepted a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”
1 Samuel 12:4 “You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded.
1 Samuel 12:5 He said to them, “Yahveh is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they said.
1 Samuel 12:6 Then Samuel said to the people, “Yahveh, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness.
1 Samuel 12:7 Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before Yahveh about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors.
1 Samuel 12:8 “When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to Yahveh, and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
1 Samuel 12:9 But they forgot Yahveh their God, as a result he handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them.
1 Samuel 12:10 Then they cried out to Yahveh and said, ‘We have sinned, because we abandoned Yahveh and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
1 Samuel 12:11 So Yahveh sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely.
1 Samuel 12:12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’ — even though Yahveh your God is your king.
1 Samuel 12:13 “Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Notice, this is the king Yahveh has placed over you.
1 Samuel 12:14 If you fear Yahveh, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against Yahveh’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow Yahveh your God.
1 Samuel 12:15 However, if you disobey Yahveh and rebel against his command, Yahveh’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors.
1 Samuel 12:16 “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that Yahveh will do before your eyes.
1 Samuel 12:17 Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on Yahveh, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in Yahveh’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.”
1 Samuel 12:18 Samuel called on Yahveh, and on that day, Yahveh sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared Yahveh and Samuel.

the right sign

In yesterday’s text, the people had recognized that Saul could lead them to victory over their enemies, so they wanted to kill those who initially doubted Saul. They wanted the slaughter of the doubters to be the sign that Saul should be feared. But God led Saul to say no to that request. In today’s text, we find out why. The sign that God wanted to show the thunder and rain that Samuel predicted. That sign showed who was really to be feared.

As leaders, we need to be cautious about the signals we allow. Some ideas should be negated by us because they could give the impression that we are the reason for God’s blessing. God’s grace is always why he acts.