Jim Peters

1 Samuel 12:8-16

⁸ After[1] Jacob went into Egypt, and your ancestors[2] cried out to the Lord[3], the Lord[4] sent Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors[5] out of Egypt (so that you could) live in this place. ⁹ But they forgot the Lord[6] God[7] and he sold them into the hands of Sisera, the leader of Hazor’s army, into the Philistines’ hands and into the king of Moab’s hands, and they fought against them.

¹⁰ (But) they cried out to the Lord[8] and said, ‘We’ve missed (your standard of perfection)[9] because we’ve abandoned the Lord[10] and (became) slaves to the Baals and Ashtaroth.  Now, rescue us from our enemies and (we’ll be) your slaves.’

¹¹ (So) the Lord[11] sent Jerubbaal[12], Bedan[13], Jephthah[14] and Samuel[15], (who) rescued you from the hands of your enemies around you (so that) you lived in safety.

¹² (Then) you saw king Nahash[16] from Ammon’s descendants come against you and you said, ‘No!  (Give us) a king to reign over us, (but) the Lord[17] God[18] was your king. ¹³ Now, here’s the king who you chose and (who) you asked for.  Look! The Lord has given you a king over you. ¹⁴ If you fear the Lord[19] and are his slaves, (if) you listen to his voice and don’t rebel against the Lord’s[20]  command[21], (then) you and also the king who reigns over you will follow[22] the Lord[23] God[24]. ¹⁵ If you don’t listen to the Lord’s[25] voice and rebel against Lord’s[26] command[27] (then) the Lord’s[28] hand will be against you as the he was against your ancestors[29].

¹⁶ Even now, stand (here) and see the great thing that the Lord[30] will do in your sight[31].

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[1] “when/soon/after”  [2] :fathers” [3] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [4] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [5] “fathers” [6] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [7] “’elohim” [8] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the  existing One” [9] “sin/miss” [10] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [11] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [12] “let Baal contend” [13] “in judging” [14] “he opens” [15] “His name is El/God”  [16] “serpent” [17] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [18] “’elohim” [19] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [20] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [21] “mouth” [22] “after” [23] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [24] “’elohim” [25] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [26] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [27] “mouth” [28] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [29] “fathers” [30] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [31] “eyes”

Application

There’s a basic principle at work:  If I depend on God, he’ll be there for me and he’ll rescue me.  On the other hand, if I rebel against him and refuse to obey him, then the Lord’s going to actually fight against me.  This doesn’t sound so bad if I don’t know who the Lord is.  However, if I recognise him as creator of everything, the One who will have ultimate control, the judge and the Living God who never loses even a scuff, let alone a battle, then it doesn’t seem quite so wise to oppose him.

I have two choices.  The first is to be God’s slave and to serve only him all my life.  In return he promised love, goodness, mercy, kindness, deliverance, protection, provision, health, long life here and eternal life with him.  The other choice is to disobey God and live for myself, which of course is probably the best choice if God wasn’t real.  However, since he is real, the deception of the devil will bring separation from God both here and for eternity.  None of the specific personal benefits of knowing God will rest on my life unless I choose to be his slave.

The thing to note is that I’m not called to close my eyes and just say a prayer that indicates I’m sorry for doing wrong and that I believe in God.  I’m actually supposed to turn away from everything that God hates and to live for him alone…  I wonder if praying a prayer and thinking I’m good with God, without any sign of change, isn’t the greatest deception of all.

Prayer

Father, I am sorry for sinning against you and I do believe that you sent your Son to pay the price for my sin.  However, God I also, in view of all you’ve done for me, offer my whole life back to you.  I want to be your slave and learn to please you and obey you in everything.  Fill me Holy Spirit and change me so that I indeed bear good fruit.

IJN Amen

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1 Samuel 12:1-7

¹ Samuel said to all Israel, “Sure enough[1], I’ve listened to your voice and to everything you said to me.  I’ve (given) a king over you. ² Now, here’s the king walking before you, but I’m old and grey.  Sure enough[2], my sons are with you and I have walked before you until this day. ³ Here I am and answer me before the Lord[3] and (the one) he’s anointed[4]… Whose bull[5] have I taken?  Whose donkey have I taken?  Who have I oppressed?  From whose hand have I taken a bribe to hide (something from) my eyes?”

⁴ They said, “You haven’t wronged us, oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

⁵ He said, “The Lord[6] and (the one) he’s anointed[7] are witnesses this day that you found nothing in my hand.”

And they said, “(They’re our) witnesses.”

⁶ Samuel said to the people, “It was the Lord[8] who appointed Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors[9] up out of the land of Egypt[10] (which means “double difficulty”). ⁷ Now, stand (here) and I’m going to judge you before the Lord[11] according to all the right (things) the Lord[12] did for our ancestors[13].

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[1] “behold/see/lo/if” [2] “behold/see/lo/if” [3] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [4] “”Messiah/Christ/anointed One/one set apart by pouring oil on them” [5] “ox/cattle/bull” [6] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [7] “”Messiah/Christ/anointed One/one set apart by pouring oil on them” [8] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [9] “fathers” [10] “double straits/restrictions/difficulties” [11] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [12] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [13] “fathers”

Application

I don’t know about you, but I often start out wondering what God really wanted to say in so many passages.  Samuel seems to be justifying his own righteousness and actions before the people.   He claimed to have lived a very upright life, never having stolen from the people or having abused his position as God’s prophet and ambassador on earth.  The people confirmed this before God and the king that indeed Samuel was a righteous person and had never abused anyone.

There is a calling on my life to live in such a way that I bring honour to God and that people will recognise it.  I haven’t been perfect by a long shot, but God wants me to rise to his standard and forsake the flesh and the world.

The situation was that Samuel had been the representative of the true King of the universe, the One who rules over all.  Now the people had asked for and been given a man as king.  This man wasn’t going to deliver generations from their enemies.  In fact, he was mortal and going to die within a generation.  Samuel had faithfully represented God and, although one can reasonably assume that he was a sinful man with many faults, he had represented God well.

I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ and called to reflect that glory of God.

I’m meant to be like Samuel, faithfully serving the King of heaven. 

Prayer

Father, I need your righteousness and your goodness in my life.  Please forgive my past and use me for your glory so that people are drawn to you and their lives changed for all eternity.  I am yours and want to be righteous in every way.  Let your Spirit rule in my heart and in my actions

IJN Amen

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1 Samuel 11:8-15

⁸ (Saul) counted (the number of) Israel’s descendants in Bezek[1].  (There were) three hundred thousand (including) thirty thousand men from Judah. ⁹ They said to the messengers, “Say this to the men in Jabesh-Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, when the sun is hot you’ll be saved[2].’”

(So) they went and told the men in Jabesh, and they were happy.

¹⁰ The men at Jabesh said (to Nahash), “Tomorrow we’ll come out to you and you can do everything (that seems) good to you.”

¹¹ (But) the next day Saul put the people into three divisions[3], they came into the middle of the (Ammonite) camp in the morning watch and killed[4] the Ammonites until the day (became) hot.  (Anyone who) was left was scattered and no two were left together.

¹² The people said to Samuel, “Who said Saul shouldn’t be king over us?  Bring the men and put them to death.”

¹³ But Saul said, “Not a man is to be put to death today (because) the Lord[5] has acted to save[6] Israel.”

¹⁴ (Then) Samuel said to the people, “Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”

¹⁵ (So) all the people went to Gilgal and there they (made) Saul king in front of the Lord[7] at Gilgal.  They offered[8] sacrifices there in front of the Lord[9] and Saul and all the men of Israel were very happy.

 

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[1] “lightning” [2] “have/become deliverance/salvation” [3] “heads” [4] “strike/smite/beat/slay/kill/clap/applaud/destroy/conquer” [5] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [6] “done/made/acted deliverance/salvation” [7] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One” [8] “Sacrificed/slaughtered” [9] This is “Yahweh” the unpronounceable name of God which means “the existing One”

Application

Somehow, I think God just waits for me to cry out to him so that he can send a message back and say, “Don’t worry about a thing!  Tomorrow you will be saved!”   He doesn’t necessarily save me today, but he will save me.  God doesn’t only save me for eternal life, but he saves me from sickness, from trouble of every kind, from oppression and from myself, the latter being the biggest one, I think.

joy should overflow my life due to the fact that God has promised to save me from whatever it is I need to be saved from.  Thankfulness should be the trademark of my existence, recognising that I have God on my side and everything is going to work together for good.  What have I got to worry about?  Why should I ever be stressed?  The answer is that I shouldn’t!

When God strikes the enemy, they scatter.  There can be no unified rally from the enemy when God’s authority is exercised over them.  Not even two demon spirits can hang around together.  They are powerless against the living God.

Recognising God’s power and God victory, I am to renew his kingship and his kingdom over my life.  It seems a shame that he isn’t given the control he rightfully deserves in the earth and certainly in my life.  However, like Saul on this day I say “The Lord has acted to save” me.

Prayer

Father, I need your help.  I need you to save me from myself and to give me wisdom and discernment.  I need you to save me from the enemy and to scatter his forces so that they have no more power over me or my family.  Help us to stand in your authority and to see your victory.  Come and reign in every area of my life.  Please have complete control and be renewed as my King.  Reign in this nation!

IJN Amen

© & (P) IJN Publishing & Production 2010 – All rights reserved – This material may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher

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