1 Samuel 12

There is really none like our God, the True God, the Creator of all things, and the Father of all mankind.

Faithfulness is His nature, Love is His name, and Righteousness is His crown.

Indeed wonderful is our God, and blessed are we who are His children, for He is pleased to make us, who are unworthy, to be His people.

The above words may sound generally poetic in describing our Lord God, but I think these are very apt words to describe the abstract marvels of our awesome God.

But before we get overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring and wonderful God, let’s first look what we can learn from Prophet Samuel, for he was a true leader of God.

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 12

A True Leader of God

This chapter opens with Samuel addressing the people that from now on, he is no longer the judge of all Israel, for the era of kingship has begun.

But Samuel did not retire as a priest after this address, for he continued to have authority in giving the word of God to the king and to the people, and he did actually showed this authority in 12: 18.

Samuel was faithfully serving the Lord from a tender age, and throughout his service, his ways were completely blameless before the Lord and before the people of Israel.

Unlike the 2 sons of Eli, and even his own sons, Samuel was totally faithful and obedient to the Lord.

The 2 sons of Eli, and later the 2 sons of Samuel, all these 4 priests had grown up in “priestly environment”, but strangely, somehow they did not mature spiritually like Samuel.

Was Samuel a super human being? Did Samuel possess supernatural powers from God? If the answers to these 2 questions are “No”, then Samuel was of the same nature as all the people of Israel, (same same but different), but the only difference in him was his mentality/heart towards holiness and dignity.

Therefore it was just a matter of choice in how to respond to the choosing and mercies of God; and also whether to grow up obeying the commandments of God or not.

As believers and readers of the Holy Bible, we have to let the records of the Bible to teach us how to be Christians who are pleasing in the eyes of God.

Samuel, the prophet and priest of God, is a character that we can really emulate, especially in his perseverance and obedience, who was also blameless before God and man.

Today, are we not priests in the eyes of God? (ref. 1 Peter 2:9). Therefore we must realized our status and do what is right as true priests of the Lord.

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. (Lam. 3: 22-23)

Samuel retold the history of how the Lord brought their forefathers out from Egypt to the land of promise, the land of their freedom; but it seemed that this freedom had been abused to do “what was right in their own eyes”.

As Christians today, we are freed from the bondage of sin, but are we abusing this freedom we have from the Lord? Are we living up to the name as a Christian, i.e. true followers of Christ? Or do we choose to lead our own lives as we please and still call ourselves Christians?

From the time of Exodus to the time when the Israelites settled in Canaan, even to the time of the judges, the people of Israel belonged to God, they were called the people of God by God Himself! But did the people of Israel treasure this status and stick to God’s commandments?

For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased

the LORD to make you His people.

1Sam. 12:22

From the murmurings in the wilderness to the rebellion of asking for a human king instead of honoring God as their King, God did not reject them outright.

If any of us were in the shoes of God, Israel would have been wiped out from the face of the earth long time ago!

But God is not man. Whomever He had chosen, He will not regret and will love them till the end. What then is the rightful response to this favor of God which is actually man’s salvation?

Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart, considering the

great things He has done for you.

1Sam. 12:24(HCSB)

God is faithful and righteous, and He had chosen to put up with the scruples of man, man like you and I whom He has called His own, He endured our criticisms and rejections; yet He never rejects us as He knew what is man but dust.

Once a sister told me to always ponder over God’s love and salvation, and when we truly count His blessings, we won’t be able to stop thanking and praising God for all He had given us.

We must truly seek God to understand Him, and also to walk intimately with Him; then we shall gain strength through the knowledge of the width, length, depth and height of His magnificent love and all!

Shalom!