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19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.”
20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
21 Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless.
22 For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
23 Furthermore, as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
24 Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
25 But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
When Samuel prayed, out-of-season rain with thunder fell, and the people feared greatly. They realized their sin of rejecting the Lord and demanding a king, in addition to the many sins they had committed, and they were led to repentance. They feared death and immediately sought Samuel’s intercession. Following are Samuel’s response to them: (1) Do not be afraid. From now on, abandon idol worship and serve only the Lord. (2) The grace and election of the Lord do not change. This is God’s unchanging love based on the Abrahamic Covenant. (3) As for myself, I will continue to pray and teach the truth. (4) Therefore, even after the establishment of the monarchy, fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully. If you continue to do evil, both the people and the king will be utterly destroyed. The love of God poured upon us is unchanging, but this does not mean we can live however we please. For God’s love is unchanging and our salvation is certain, we should fear the Lord and serve Him with all our heart and soul.
This concludes Samuel’s farewell address. (1) Samuel had finished his role as a judge, but his roles as a priest and a prophet continued. He prayed for the people as a priest and conveyed God’s message to them as a prophet. (2) Samuel was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. There were people called prophets before him, but Samuel was the first to be a prophet as an established office. (3) Chapter 12 signifies the official end of the time of the Judges. From Chapter 13 onwards, the narrative transitions to the monarchy. Samuel fulfilled his role in unifying the people of Israel during a turbulent time. Blessed are those who live with unwavering values and convictions, regardless of the time. Are you aware of the mission entrusted to you, and are you faithfully fulfilling it? Let’s learn from the way Samuel lived.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please allow me to go out into the world today, anchored to Jesus Christ, who is unchanging. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.