YEAR 2, WEEK 30, Day 6, Saturday, 26 July 2025

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=1+samuel+12

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 26 July 2025:

1 Samuel 12:3, 4 — “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 me and I will restore it to you.” They said, ”You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

Samuel begins his farewell speech with a public examination of his integrity. He puts his character on trial before God and the people. Unlike many corrupt leaders in Israel’s history, Samuel’s conscience is clean. He has not abused power or taken from the people. Spiritual leadership begins and ends with integrity. Samuel is not perfect, but he is blameless in his dealings with the people—a reminder that leaders must be above reproach (Titus 1:6–7). He models Paul’s later appeal in Acts 20:33–35, where Paul declares he coveted no one’s silver or gold, but served with humility and transparency.

Too many spiritual leaders have disqualified themselves through moral compromise or secret greed. Samuel’s challenge to the people — “Call me out if I’ve wronged anyone” — shows the kind of accountability every believer, especially those in leadership, should seek. Can you say, “Here I am—evaluate my example”? Is there any area of hidden compromise?

Samuel lived a blameless life with no debts and no secrets, always willing to confess his sins publicly and always willing to make full restitution. This is the sort of person God uses mightily. Samuel understood that the way he lived his life before others reflected his relationship with God and affected his ability to perform his primary mission as God’s messenger. Samuel lived with such integrity, that he could confidently stand before everyone and challenge them to name any wrongs he might have committed. Do you live confidently with such personal integrity?

- Psalm 25:21 -- May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.  

- Psalm 26:1 -- Of David.  Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

- Psalm 101:2 -- I will ponder the way that is blameless.  Oh when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart within my house….

- Proverbs 10:9 -- Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

- Proverbs 11:3 -- The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

- Proverbs 19:1 -- Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

- Proverbs 20:7 -- The righteous who walks in his integrity -- blessed are his children after him!

- Proverbs 28:6 -- Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

- Proverbs 28:18 -- Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

- Titus 2:7 -- Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity….

Integrity, living true, requires complete humility, striving to live a life which honors the Sovereign Lord and which places the benefit of others above our own selfish desires, while continually admitting and correcting our errors (sins) to the best of our abilities; using private, prayerful confession as our opportunity to reset our hearts to the Lord and to rest in the efficiency of His grace, while also using public confession as a way to remain humble, seek reconciliation, restitution, and restoration, and to proclaim our dependence on grace and our hope in the Gospel.

“Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” Samuel also adhered to God’s command to make restitution to anyone you have wronged (see Exodus 22, Leviticus 5, Numbers 5). The principle of restitution is something that has largely been forgotten in the modern church, but Proverbs 14:9 says only “fools mock at making restitution.” To whom do you need to make restitution today?

1 Samuel 12:6–11 – “The Lord sent Moses and Aaron… He sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel…. But they forgot the Lord their God….”

Samuel includes himself in the list of judges (v.11), not to boast but to remind them of God’s provision through imperfect people. Yet even with those rescues, they turned away. This prepares the people to understand the true problem: not leadership, but the heart.

Samuel recounts Israel’s pattern of rebellion, repentance, rescue, and recidivism. He reminds them that though God consistently raised up deliverers, the people consistently forgot Him. He connects their request for a king to this same cycle of spiritual forgetfulness. We forget God far more easily than we think. Despite God’s faithfulness, His people constantly turn away. Psalm 106:13–14 says, “But they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.” Forgetting doesn’t mean mental amnesia—it means spiritual drift, a loss of awe and dependence. The heart forgets before the mind does.

1 Samuel 12:12–13 – “You said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.”

Here, Samuel reveals the root issue: they wanted a human king because they rejected God as King. Their desire for visible leadership was actually a vote of no-confidence in God. Fear of Nahash (1 Samuel 11:1–2) was the trigger, but unbelief was the disease. Idolatry often disguises itself as practical solutions. We ask for security, structure, or strategy — when what we really need is surrender to God’s kingship. Like Israel, we may replace faith with visible strength: a government, a relationship, a paycheck, or a plan. But if God is not King in our hearts, we are vulnerable.

1 Samuel 12:14–15 – “If you will fear the Lord… then it will be well. But if you do not obey… then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.”

God does not reject them for asking for a king — but He does warn them. Even now, they can still walk in blessing if they choose to fear and obey the Lord. This conditional covenant echoes the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28. Even after failure, obedience is still possible—and blessing is still promised. God gives Israel a choice: follow Me, and you will flourish. Reject Me, and both you and your king will fall. The consequences of sin are not erased by grace, but grace still offers a new start (Lamentations 3:22–23; 1 John 1:9).

This is also a warning to modern Christians: salvation is by grace, not works — but the path of blessing is marked by obedience. Faithfulness still matters.

1 Samuel 12:16–18 – “Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain…”

Samuel calls down a miraculous storm to show the seriousness of their sin. Rain during wheat harvest was rare and destructive. This sign affirms God’s displeasure and awakens conviction. The people immediately respond with repentance (v.19). Sometimes, God allows disruption to expose our need for repentance. Thunder and rain during harvest would destroy the crop — but God would rather disrupt our comfort than leave us in rebellion. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us, “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.”

1 Samuel 12:19–22 – “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside…. For the Lord will not forsake His people.”

Samuel offers comfort in the middle of their fear. Yes, they’ve sinned, but no, God hasn’t given up on them. This is one of the most beautiful pictures of gospel grace in the Old Testament: “You have done all this evil… Yet do not be afraid…. The Lord will not forsake you.” Conviction is meant to lead us to hope, not despair. Samuel doesn’t downplay their sin, but he also doesn’t let them wallow in shame. God’s grace is greater than their rebellion. Even now, God still wants them. Romans 5:8 comes to mind: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 Samuel 12:23-24 — 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…. Only fear the Lord… serve Him faithfully with all your heart.

Also, Samuel prayed for sinful people and was willing to go through the difficult process of instructing them for their benefit and reconciliation, but he prioritized prayer first. Many are ready to instruct, but few are willing to pray. When we instruct, we are tempted to think that our abilities will make the difference. Prayer acknowledges that it is the Spirit which must affect the change in a person. Prayer also reminds us that it is never about us; we are merely instruments used by God for His glory to bring others closer to Him. Prayer gets the heart right before engaging the mouth. Careless words are never helpful. Guaranteed, when you earnestly pray first for the person you feel compelled to confront, it will not only change how you see them and how you engage them, it will keep you receptive to the counsel and movement of the Holy Spirit. Remember, only God can convict and change a person’s heart, not you.

Samuel commits to ongoing intercession. He sees prayerlessness as sin. Though the people rejected his leadership, he refuses to reject them. His leadership continues—not through political authority, but through spiritual service. True spiritual leaders don’t stop caring just because they’re no longer in charge. Like Jesus, Samuel loves, prays, and serves even after being rejected. He points us to Christ, the ultimate intercessor who prays for us even now (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

Samuel also charges the people to “consider what great things He has done for you.” Gratitude is fuel for worship and obedience. When we forget God’s faithfulness, we drift. But when we meditate on His grace, we are drawn to deeper surrender (Romans 12:1).

1 Samuel 12:25 – “But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

The final word is sober. God offers grace, but not indulgence. Mercy does not cancel justice — it invites repentance. The people now have both a king and a warning. The choice is theirs.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 26 July 2025: Take responsibility for your actions and renew your allegiance to Christ as King. Like Samuel, examine your integrity before others and God. Like Israel, own your sin honestly but don’t let it paralyze you; respond to conviction with obedience and gratitude. Like Samuel, commit to praying for those under your influence. And like God, offer others hope even after failure. Today, ask God to show you one area of misplaced trust, where you’ve asked for a “king” because you feared instead of trusted. Then intentionally recommit that area to Christ’s Lordship. Consider writing a short “farewell speech” like Samuel’s, an honest inventory of your example, and ask: Would I follow someone who lived like me?

Pray: “Lord, You are my true King. Forgive me for the times I have trusted in people, plans, or power more than in You. Thank You for not forsaking me even when I’ve sinned. Help me to walk in integrity, to lead with love, and to pray with perseverance. Let me live each day with deep gratitude for Your faithfulness, and may my obedience flow from the joy of knowing You. Strengthen me to turn away from all false kings and to serve You with all my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”