Prophet Samuel

Deliverance

Beginning with their deliverance from Egypt, Samuel reminds them of God’s continued help till this time, and what happened when they forgot God. He sold them into the hand of Sisera, and the Philistines, and the king of Moab. When they cried out to God, confessed their sin of idolatry, begged for His mercy and promised to serve Him, God sent men like Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel who delivered them to a place of safety.

Desire for a King

But they wanted a king. When Nahash King of the Ammonites came against them, it was no longer enough to have God over them; they wanted a king. Samuel took it as a personal rejection, but God told him they were rejecting Him. Even though Samuel told them how their lives would change having a king, they still desired a king to rule over them. God heard and gave them Saul to be their king.

Consider the Future

Here is the king you have chosen and have desired. Take note, God has set a king over you. But look to your future. It isn’t your king who will decide your future. It will be how you deal with God. If you fear the Lord, serve Him and obey His commands, then you and your king will continue to follow Him. But if you do not listen and choose to go your own way, the Lord will be against you just as he was you fathers. Such were Samuel’s words to the people.

Samuel, God’s representative, summarized God’s deliverance, talked of their desire for a king, and caused them to consider their future.

The cacophony of the world makes finding the voice to trust increasingly difficult. Whether wanting a reliable news station or a pastor who does more than tickle the ears. The man or woman behind the message gives it credence. Samuel knew this, as did the apostle Paul. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel addressed the nation of Israel at King’s Saul’s coronation. His message began with his credentials. In his letters to new Christians, the apostle Paul also gave his credentials. Why was it necessary?

Samuel’s Credentials

Samuel lived before the nation of Israel as a prophet, and they experienced hearing and then seeing his words come to fruition as with Eli and his two sons. “I listened to you,” he said, “and have found you a king.” Then he asked the people, “Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey? Have I defrauded any of you?” They knew this man, an honourable man of God, living among them. “No, we have nothing against you.” And God was their witness.

Paul’s Credentials

In like manner, Paul, writer of the Book of Romans writes of himself, “a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.” To the Corinthians, he writes, “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God.” To the Galatians, Paul wrote “an apostle (not from man nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” Paul recounts his spiritual journey. “I did not receive this message from man. It came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” He had stern words for the new church. They needed to know he knew who was speaking.

Why Necessary?

In both cases, these were men of God. They were His representatives, who spoke forth His truth. What we know of these men makes their message credible. Their message lined up with the lives that they lived. It is called integrity, the state of being whole, not divided. Even in difficult times, they shared the message of God and backed it up by the lives they lived before him. To this day, people of God trust the message passed down from these men.

Samuel’s coronation message began with his credentials. The apostle Paul also gave his credentials, and we understand how the messenger affects the message.

God Sets A King In Place