1 Samuel 12 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

1 Samuel 12

Samuel’s Farewell Address

12:1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me¹ and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness,² who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,³ then your fathers cried out to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the LORD their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,⁴ and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak⁵ and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.⁶ 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

Footnotes

[1] 12:3 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Testify against me
[2] 12:6 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks is witness
[3] 12:8 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them
[4] 12:9 Septuagint the army of Jabin king of Hazor
[5] 12:11 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Bedan
[6] 12:15 Septuagint; Hebrew fathers

Commentary

v1: Having defeated the Ammonites, the people had gathered at Gilgal (11.14-15), to publicly declare Saul as King. Samuel took the opportunity to speak with them.

v2: Samuel made reference to his sons. The elders of the people knew that they were dishonest (8.5), although Samuel did not claim they were faithful.

v3-5: The people acknowledged that Samuel had lived a blameless life, and enjoyed a clear conscience. This strengthened his authority as judge and prophet and priest.

v6-11: Lessons from O.T. history. Through the different experiences of the people of Israel, the Lord God raised up and sent leaders, Moses and Aaron, Gideon, Barak and Jephthah, and finally Samuel. Where such leaders were clearly God's choice, there is a responsibility upon the people to follow them.

After the people had worshipped false gods, and the Lord had delivered them into the hands of Gentile rulers, the people cried out to God for deliverance. His response was to send leaders, judges, who delivered them.

v12: When the Ammonites gathered against Israel, it was therefore not logical that the people asked for a king. The Lord had not commanded this. The people thought that a king would solve all their problems.

v13: In response to the people's request, the Lord God did choose a king for them, Saul. Samuel describes Saul as the king chosen by the people, “the one you asked for.” They had set their sights low and had received a king of weakness.

v14-15: Whatever the people's view regarding a king, there remained an on going decision to follow the true God. God would continue to honour their obedience.

v16-19: God sent a sign, of thunder during the wheat harvest, to demonstrate their folly in asking for a king. Now they would learn what it was to be ruled by a king.

v20-22: The decision had been made, the people had chosen a king, and that would not be reversed. What was important was that they remained true to God, and not to follow after "useless idols". The people were also assured that God would not forsake His own.

v23: Samuel would continue faithful to the people, in praying for them, and in teaching them.

v24: Samuel's closing challenge;

Fear the Lord;
Serve the Lord faithfully and whole-heartedly;
Consider what the Lord has done.

v25: Samuel recognised in the people a tendency to do wrong. The people themselves must be conscious of this and learn to obey the Lord God.