Bible Study - 1 Samuel Chapter 12
Bible Study - 1 Samuel Chapter 12
| 1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. | This message is for all Israel. While that phrase often refers to a representative group, such as the elders of Israel, the context indicates the intended audience was everyone in the nation. There is no time or place specified for this speech. While it is possible that this could have occurred during the renewal of the kingdom at Gilgal, but this seems unlikely. The opening with a vav consecutive qal verb indicates a new and separate episode. |
| 2 "Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. |
Walking before you is an expression that means to do something on behalf of someone else. The meaning is this is contrasting Samuel's leadership as judge and prophet against Saul's position as king. The kingship was new, whereas Samuel had been serving since he was a youth decades ago. Implied is there is a difference in the character of the two types of leadership. The mention of his sons being with them is relevant to the next verse. |
| 3 "Here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord and 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? I will restore it to you." |
What follows is a court procedure. But Samuel isn't judge even though he is directing the trial as the judge would. It gets complicated. Yahweh is the judge with the King as observer. The accused are the people, including Samuel. And Samuel is also the prosecutor. This makes for a very unusual court. King Saul is just watching. The next trial he will be judge. The king's office replaces the Judge of Israel, and one of his main duties is to uphold the law. Samuel opens with legal phrases. I am here declares the court has begun. Bear witness calls upon the one being questioned to give testimony answering the questions. This was serious. If someone gives false testimony at trial Mosaic law calls for the liar to receive the punishment that would have been given to the falsely accused, even up to the death penalty. I wish that was in our constitution. We'd have a lot less corruption in our judicial system if prosecutors and witnesses knew they'd receive the punishment they were trying to put on an innocent person. At this point in Saul's story he is worthy and is a paragon of justice. Some commentators point out the irony in Samuel's use of laqach for "to take" as that is the same word used for Samuel's warning that a king would take from them. However, this is a stretch since none of the other warnings were mentioned. Scripture indicates that Samuel expected genuine justice from Saul in the future. As prosecutor, of himself at this point, Samuel poses a series of questions. These are all crimes his sons have been accused of. These are stealing, defrauding, oppressing, (literally crushing,) and taking a bribe to pervert justice. The phrase is the opposite of the cliché in modern western society. We say justice should be blind to be fair. In Samuel's time and culture, being blind in this context means to be purposefully blind to actual truth and justice. Then Samuel finishes with a conditional statement. If he is guilty of any of these crimes then he will restore those that were wronged. |
| 4 They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." | Using the same verbs but in the negative, the people declare Samuel is innocent of all of these crimes. It seems they do not hold his sons' crimes against him even though he put them into office. Or if they do, they will not risk a false accusation with no proof in court. |
| 5 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." | This verse is very awkward in Hebrew to render into English. What is in the Hebrew text is that Yahweh is the witness and His anointed, (the king,) is the witness that they have no accusation against Samuel, to which the people agree. The NASB choice of "against" is acceptable in translation, although it is not literally there. There is an implication that if they are holding some unfounded resentment towards Samuel that they would be on the wrong side of God in his role as judge of this testimony. It's complicated to translate. |
| 6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. |
Now Samuel includes all of Israel with himself as the accused. Samuel is comparing himself to Moses and Aaron. And he stops referring to the king, God's anointed. What is significant is that he is reminding them that God's plan was for a judge and priest to lead the nation representing the true king, Yahweh. Moses was high priest and judge in one person, just like Samuel. These offices were normally in two people. |
| In verses 7-12 Samuel takes them through a brief history of Israel, paralleling the final speech of Moses documented in Deuteronomy. Thankfully, he is much more brief than Moses was. As he is conducting a court case, brevity is called for. | |
| 7 "So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and your fathers. | Take your stand is a judicial statement for a participant to take their place. This makes it clear that they are on the hot seat as witness, accused, or both. That Samuel is pleading doesn't mean he is advocating for the people. It is a legal term that he is operating in the capacity that today we would call a lawyer. However, in this instance he is the prosecutor against all Israel, including himself. |
| 8 "When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. |
Jacob's name was changed to Israel. However, it was common to refer to him by his previous name to differentiate between the man and the nation. This is a brief summary of the Exodus. What is being emphasized here is Jacob and his whole family willingly went to Egypt because Joseph was in charge of the nation and would take care of them during the terrible famine. But the later Pharaohs didn't remember Joseph's service and over time enslaved Israel. The most significant part is Moses and Aaron together were God's representatives and brought Israel out of Egypt and brought them to the promised land. |
| 9 "But they forgot the Lord their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 "They cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.' 11 "Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. |
These verses cover the time of the Judges in a little more detail, but it is still a summary using a few examples to represent the many events that occurred. Jabin was the king of Hazor, a Canaanite king. These examples illustrate the cycle of rebellion against Yahweh. They would turn to foreign false gods and goddesses. (Baals and Ashtaroth are used here as generic terms for these pagan idols and despicable worship practices.) Yahweh would withdraw His protection. Then Israel would get their butts kicked by one pagan nation or another. Israel would turn back to Yahweh. He would raise a judge to rescue them, including Samuel. After a short period of prosperity and security Israel would turn away again and end up under the boot of another pagan nation. When things are good, it is easy to coast and not worry about God. And that makes us vulnerable to going down sinful rabbit holes that lead to destruction. It is interesting that Samuel included both Godly judges, like himself, and total pigs like Jephthah in the examples of judges that rescued Israel. |
| 12 "When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king. | Now Samuel turns the subject of them demanding a king and reminds them that they already had one because Yahweh was their king. Nahash is cited as a motivation for their demand for a king. One of the reasons they gave for wanting a king in 8:20 was that he would go before them and fight their battles. And it may be that Nahash had been a threat at that point. Nahash had taken other Jewish cities and gouged out the right eye of the conquered before he besieged Jabesh-gilead in chapter 11. Alternately, Nahash may just be cited as an example because his defeat led to Saul being formally placed on the throne. |
| 13 "Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. | The people didn't choose Saul, God did. What is meant is that the people chose an earthly king to replace the heavenly one. In essence Samuel is saying, "You got what you asked for." Implied is that they will regret it. A writer today would add something like, "and may God have mercy on your soul", which in itself is a literary device implying doom as that is what is said after a death sentence. |
| 14 "If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. |
In terms of the court case, this begins the sentencing phase. In parallel to Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Samuel issues a warning and a call to choose life. Samuel cites three aspects to maintaining a good relationship with God. The first is to fear the Lord. This is reverence and respect, like when one is in the presence of an earthly king. Even if he is a good king, one always has in the back of their mind that the king can have them killed should he choose. The second is the serve Him. And the third is to listen to Yahweh, and not rebel against His commands. Literally in Hebrew it says to not rebel against his mouth. Then Samuel lets them know the biggest pitfall of choosing a king. They thought a king would bring them greater prosperity and peace. Samuel lets them know that since they have chosen a king over Yahweh they have doubled the chances for them to get it wrong. Both they and the king must do this. If either gets it wrong, they all get their butts kicked. Before it had to be a majority, or at least a significant portion of Israel rebelling before Yahweh would withdraw His protection. Now one guy, the king, can mess it up for all of them. We fall into this same situation today. We need to take responsibility for our own salvation instead of putting our trust in some guy on the stage of a church. While we owe them respect and attention, they are just as messed up as the rest of us. Except there is a strong tendency for them to surround themselves with an echo-chamber of yes-men and push away any who would challenge them when they are wrong. For someone in that situation, not even scripture will correct them as they will alter the meaning of scripture to justify their wrong beliefs and actions. Again, we still should respect and listen to them. (If they are violating the basic and indisputable gospel then find another church. But if it's just disputable matters let it go.) Take what is biblical and good, and set the wrong stuff aside. Remember, after Jesus called the Pharisees vipers and sons of Hell, he turned to his disciples and told them to be sure to do everything the Pharisees tell them to do. Clearly we shouldn't get too worked up because our pastors aren't perfect. Just be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. They eagerly accepted the word from Paul, but checked it against scripture every day to make sure it was true. No one else will stand with us before the Bema seat, (the judgement seat.) We need to take responsibility for our own salvation, Christian walk, and righteousness. No one can do it for us. |
| 15 "If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. |
If either they or the king will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, then they all will suffer the consequences just like in the time of judges. "As it was" is an addition by the translators. The Hebrew literally says the hand of Yahweh will be against you and your fathers. As their fathers are dead, this seems strange. The addition of "as it was" is a valid choice that most translators make. Alternatively, it could also be an emphasis that if they, the people or the king, do not listen the entire nation will pay the price of that disobedience. That seems to be the emphasis that Samuel is making in these verses, that if either the king or the people rebel, all will face the consequences regardless of whether they themselves are obedient. |
| 16 "Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 "Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king." |
Now Samuel calls on Yahweh to pronounce that the verdict is correct and just. Again, the phrase take your stand is a judicial court statement, this time calling the accused to face the verdict. The nation has been judged guilty, including Samuel. The wheat harvest in Israel is in May to June. During this time even a little rain was very rare. A thunderstorm was unheard of. What is particularly significant is the method chosen for Yahweh to pronounce the verdict is correct. As issue is their choosing a man for king instead of God. And now if either the people or the king rebel against God by serving the pagan gods and goddesses they will all suffer the consequences. This is emphasized by the use of an unseasonable thunderstorm as God's sign because the worshipers of Baal, the example given in this chapter to represent all the pagan false gods, refer to thunder as the voice of Baal. Thus this is a double whammy contradicting that pagan belief as well as confirming by miraculous means that Yahweh affirms the verdict. |
| 18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. | Samuel called, and Yahweh showed up. This was a huge miracle. That this was in contradiction of Baal worship was not lost on them. |
| 19 Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king." |
They finally realized and accepted that asking for a king was an evil thing. Now convinced of their guilt, they realize that they are due for punishment from God who is all-powerful. A person will not accept treatment from a doctor unless they accept that they are sick. Without that they will go to their death thinking all is well. In like manner, we have to be convinced of our sin before we can realize we need Jesus. Our pagan culture teaches us that whatever makes us "happy" is good and right for us to pursue. But a wise person sees through that deception from Satan and his minions and sees Jesus as the way and the life. |
| 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. |
Samuel confirms their sin, but is comforting. Essentially, he is saying this was not God's design, and they have made a bad but irrevocable choice. Despite that, it will be okay if they are faithful to Yahweh and serve Him with all their heart. Turn away from Yahweh means to serve the pagan idols. The opposite is also the case. To turn away from the pagan idols means to turn to Yahweh. |
| 21 "You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. | This is why turning away from Yahweh is so bad. They would be after futile (emptiness, an empty desert,) things, which are the pagan idols and practices. There is no benefit to them. |
| 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. | This verse is a statement of God's grace and His nature. He cannot contradict Himself. He cannot violate his promise. In Exodus 32:7-10 God contemplated killing off the rest of the Israelites and starting over with just Moses. This still would have fulfilled His vow to Abraham. Also, God's grace is such that even if we sin, God does not abandon us. He does discipline us, like any caring parent. But His mercy is in His nature. |
| 23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. |
Even though they have rejected Samuel as judge, choosing a king to be their judge, Samuel states it would be a sin against Yahweh for him to not pray for Israel, interceding for them with God. In addition, as prophet it is his responsibility to continue to instruct them in the good and right way. Literally the right way is the straight way, yesharah in Hebrew. This is what is meant in Proverbs 3:5-6 by He will make your paths straight. |
| 24 "Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. | Only have reverent fear and awe for Yahweh. Really serve him with all your heart. And to help with that, remember all the great things he has done for you. |
| 25 "But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away." | Samuel is foot-stomping the warning. Keep being wicked and you'll all be swept away. That is exactly what happened later when the Babylonians carried them away, and also was why that happened. |
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation.