Year 7, Day 298: 1 Samuel 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There is a really neat theme in this chapter.  Before we get to that theme, though, I want to recap what I hear all throughout the chapter.  Samuel comes to the people and warns them about their history with respect to their rebellion.  The people rebelled in Egypt.  The people rebelled in the wilderness.  The people rebelled under the judges.  There is a message here: human beings rebel.  We are more reliable to rebel as the size of the population grows beyond the individual to the group and to the nation.

In fact, notice that Samuel mentions their most recent rebellion.  The people have asked for a king.  Do you hear what Samuel says when the people acknowledge that their request was an error?  Samuel doesn’t console them.  Samuel agrees with them and affirms their error!  He tells them that it was indeed rebellion to ask for a king!

Now we are ready to get to the great theme in this chapter.  Samuel runs the theme of repentance all throughout this chapter.  When the people repent, God saves them.  This happens again and again.  The people repent.  They cry out. God saves them.

So it is again with this request to be king.  Samuel tells them to repent.  Samuel tells them that God will continue to protect them and be their God so long as their hearts are right and striving after Him.

For me, that’s really the capstone idea in this chapter.  God will work with us.  He will work through our mistakes.  God can overcome our poor decisions.  He can work His will through our mistakes – even in spite of them.  God doesn’t need our perfection.  God desires our repentant hearts.  That’s the key that Samuel puts forth as he speaks to the people.

<><