1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12:1

TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY FROM SAMUEL TO SAULChapter 12 begins with the swan song of Samuel. This is Samuel’s swan song, his final speech. He was a remarkable man, and he was now succeeded by Saul. Although Israel’s choice was a king rather than God, He would still bless the people if they would obey. That is evident. Saul was king, and God would give him every opportunity.

1 Samuel 12:2

Samuel was brought up in the tabernacle. His life was spent in a “fish bowl"he was always in public view. Probably no man ever had quite the public life that Samuel had. Many times in our age a man moves into public life and the people accept him. Then suddenly someone finds out about his black past, and the hero comes falling to the ground. Such was not the case with Samuel. He was brought as a little boy, by his mother, to the tabernacle. He lived his entire life before the people. Then he put in this sad note of a fond father, “My sons are with you.” In other words, “Why didn’t you accept them?” Samuel tried to put them in position but God would not have them. They were boys who were not acceptable to Him.

1 Samuel 12:3

This is quite a statement for a man to make who had been before the public eye for so many years, and who had been a judge. He had had many opportunities to become rich but had not yielded to the temptation. Samuel is one of the outstanding men of the Word of Godyet he was a failure as a father. Many public men are like that. Many popular Christian leaders have had children who were failures. It is difficult to understand, but that is the way the human family has been moving down through the centuries and millenniums of the past. Samuel said that if he had done any of the things he had mentioned to any of the people, he would restore it. It would have been easy for some men who had been miffed at one of Samuel’s decisions to step out and say, “Well, you certainly were not fair with me.” But nobody stepped out.

1 Samuel 12:5

Samuel’s life could stand public inspection. It could be put under the hot spotlight of public opinion. He was truly a man of God. Samuel continues by rehearsing Israel’s history. Many men whom God made great used this method. Moses used it, Joshua used it, Gideon used it, and now Samuel uses it. In the New Testament we see that Stephen, when he appeared before the Sanhedrin, also rehearsed the history of Israel. Samuel is reminding his people of God’s faithfulness and mercy to them. When their apostasy led to servitude and they cried to the Lord in their distress, He graciously heard and sent a deliverer. He is saying, as he did at Mizpeh, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” Then he moves to their present state and condition.

1 Samuel 12:13

Samuel makes it quite clear that Saul was the people’s choice. Many people believe that the voice of the majority, the choice of the people, is the voice of God. The Bible contradicts this thinking. Generally the minority is closer to determining the will of God. The people wanted Saul. God was the One who chose David. What a difference when God makes the choice!

1 Samuel 12:14

Just because Saul is the people’s choice, God will not reject him. God is going to give him an opportunity.

1 Samuel 12:15

Samuel is telling it like it is. If the people will serve God, He will bless them. If they do not serve Him, judgment will come. Now God will respond to this in a dramatic and miraculous way.

1 Samuel 12:16

Elijah was not the first man that could “preach up a storm"he brought in a thunderstorm, but Samuel did it before Elijah did. And this is God’s seal, I think, upon Samuel’s life. The thunder and rain were God’s great “amen” on Samuel’s career as God’s spokesman.

1 Samuel 12:19

It was sin for these people to ask for a king. They were rejecting God by wanting a king to rule over them like the other nations.

1 Samuel 12:20

Friend, don’t let past sins and mistakes spoil your life. Regardless of who you are or what you have done, if you will turn to the Lord for salvation and forgiveness, God will accept and richly bless you. Don’t let the past destroy the future and ruin the present for you. Move out for God today, my Christian friend.

1 Samuel 12:21

Hold to the Lord alone. Let the gimmicks alone. Today the church is experimenting with methods. The church does not seem to realize that only God can bless. We need to hold on to the Lord and His Word. I don’t think the Bible needs defending. It needs explaining; it needs to be proclaimed. We need the exclamation point and the declaration mark more than we need a question mark.

1 Samuel 12:22

This is a glorious verse. Have you taken the name of the Lord? Is He your Savior? Are you resting in Him? He will not forsake you. The Lord says through the writer of Hebrews, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb_13:5). How wonderful is our God! It has pleased Him to make us His people. Why did God choose the nation Israel? When you are looking for the answer, look to God and not to the people. God did it and that is enough. Perhaps God chose you, and some of your friends are wondering why. The important thing is that God chose us and that is enough. Thank God for that. He could have passed me by, but I rejoice in the fact that He did not. This is a tremendous message Samuel is giving the Israelites! Aren’t you glad that you are on the Lord’s side? Isn’t it wonderful that you and the Lord are friends? Isn’t it great that He is your Savior? He is for you and not against you. He wants to help you. He is a mighty Helper, friend, as well as a Savior. And He saves to the uttermost.

1 Samuel 12:23

I have found in my radio ministry that many people have a gift. It is a gift of prayer, and I believe it is from God. There are some people in Southern California on beds of sickness and painsome who will never leave their bedswho have a ministry of prayer. I wouldn’t take anything for their prayers. I need their prayers. Now that I am retired I have more opportunity to move out across the country. I am enjoying my greatest ministry today, and it is largely because of the prayers of God’s people. For example, in Chicago a man shook hands with me and said, “You know, I have been praying for you for years.” When I hear something like this, I feel like weeping and getting down on my knees before Him. It is a privilege to pray for others. Samuel said, “God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.” Each one of us has a prayer responsibility. I feel the necessity to pray for a certain group of ministers in this country, most of whom are my friends. I have been in their churches, and I know something about their problems. I pray for them regularly. I also have a responsibility to pray for my family. If I don’t pray for them, who will? I have a responsibility to pray for my radio ministry. You too have a responsibility, Christian friend. We ought to pray for one another. There are many needy people. God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for one another.

1 Samuel 12:24

The last time I went to a football game it was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was a long time ago. I sat next to a man who was rooting for the other team, and I want to tell you he was a nut. His team would make an inch on the field and he would jump to his feet. You would think he was having a conniption fit of some kind. My, how he carried on. He irritated me because I was rooting for the other side. But as I looked at him, I could not help wishing that I had that kind of enthusiasm for the things of God. My friend, we need to serve Him with all of our hearts! What a message there is for you and me in this swan song of Samuel the prophet.