The seventy deaths at Beth-shemesh, because they looked inside the Ark of the Covenant, caused the Israelites to have men from Kiriath-jearim to come get the Ark. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. There it remained for the next twenty years and Israel mourned because the LORD abandoned them.
Then Samuel told the people, “If you are serious about wanting the LORD in your lives, then repent and destroy all of the foreign gods from the entire county and worship the LORD only!” And so they did. Then Samuel told all of Israel to gather at Mizpah and to fast and repent, and they did. Samuel sacrificed a young lamb and cried out to the LORD of Israel and the LORD answered. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines prepared to attack Israel. The LORD thundered out such a sound that it sent all of the Philistines into confusion and the men of Israel pursued them as they fled. They left Israel and did not enter the land of Israel for the rest of Samuel’s life. All of the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored, and Samuel judged Israel all of his life.
1 Samuel 7:13-15 ESV So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. (14) The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. (15) Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Unfortunately, Samuel’s sons had gone the way of Eli’s sons and they were greedy for money and allowed brides to pervert justice. Finally the elders came to Samuel and told him that because his sons were not men of God like him, they wanted a king to judge them just like all of the other nations. Samuel felt rejected and went to the LORD for guidance. And the LORD told him to do as they wished and not to take it personally, “They have not rejected you Samuel, they have reject me!”
1 Samuel 8:7 ESV And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
The LORD did tell Samuel to warn Israel about what they were going to get with a human king instead of allowing the LORD to be king over them, and that when Israel wishes that they didn’t have a king any more, the LORD will not answer their cry. So Samuel warned them; but they demanded a king.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 ESV So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. (11) He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. (12) And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. (13) He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. (14) He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. (15) He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. (16) He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. (17) He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. (18) And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."
Prayer: LORD God, my Heavenly Father, keep me close to you and in your WORD. Give me the faith that I need to always trust you and obey you in everything, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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