1 Samuel 12:1-5
1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice for all that you said to me, and I have appointed a king over you.
2 Now, here is the king walking before you, but as for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. And I have walked before you since my youth to this day.
3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to close my eyes with it? I will return it to you.”
4 And they said, “You have not exploited us or oppressed us, or taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 So he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
Samuel’s Blameless Life
Beginning of the farewell address
At the stage where Saul’s kingship was reaffirmed, Samuel’s role as a judge came to an end. Sensing this, Samuel begins to deliver his farewell address. The purpose of his address can be summarized in three points: (1) To point out the sins of the people and urge them to be loyal to King Saul henceforth. (2) To use his own journey as an example, teaching Saul the mindset of a leader. (3) And, as he concludes his role as a judge, to have the people acknowledge that his life was blameless and beyond reproach. Today’s passage is the beginning of the farewell address (12:1–25). Samuel starts by having the people acknowledge that he was blameless.
Honorable retirement
The content of Samuel’s speech was as follows: (1) He, though reluctantly, accepted the people’s demand and appointed a king (which, according to 8:7, was also an act of obedience to the Lord’s command). (2) Now that Saul has been established as king and as he has grown old, his own role was coming to an end. (3) If, in his long life as a judge, there was even a single instance where he unjustly used his position for wrongdoing, he asked that it be brought forward at that moment. If such a fact existed, he was willing to compensate the person harmed. The people assured that no such fact existed and responded that the Lord Himself and the anointed one (referring to King Saul) were witnesses to this. After having his innocence acknowledged by the people, Samuel then moved into the main theme of his farewell address. Samuel’s strength lay in the fact he lived a blameless life. It is just as it says, “One who walks blamelessly will receive help, but one who is crooked will fall all at once” (Prov. 28:18). Blessed is the person who finishes their earthly life without being slandered by others. What do you learn from the way Samuel lived?
Today's prayer
Holy God, please give me the strength to live a life that is not criticized by anyone. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.