The Way of the Cross (11)

Having settled in the land of promise, the children of Israel soon became like the previous generations, in turning from the LORD to go their own way. Enemies would arise, leading the people to call out to God to save them - which God did, through the hand of the judges. When we hear that word, we think of a wee man or woman sitting in a court with a funny wig, but the judge restores justice, and acts to save God's people.

The book of Judges shows how God saved his people using these judges, people like Gideon, Ehud, Deborah, and Samson. Rather than wanting to be like these people - because they were as flawed as the rest of us - the book of Judges flags up clearly that we need a Saviour who will save perfectly; we need a king who will rule over us; we need a guide who will help us live for God.

Yet even in the stories of the judges there are glimpses of what that ultimate salvation will look like. Here, we think of just one - right at the end of Samson's life. When I think of Samson, I think of one of those pro wrestlers - WWF (if you're as old as me), WCW, WWE or whatever it is these days. Muscleman, ladies' man, long hair, and a bit surprising in lots of different ways.

Eventually (why, why, why) Delilah traps him, having uncovered the secret of his strength - his Nazirite vow to the LORD - and the shorn Samson is quickly captured. Imprisoned and blinded, he becomes a bit of a freak show, brought along to a big feast and taunted. In that moment, he remembers the LORD, and prays for one last burst of strength:

Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O LORD GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, htat I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes." And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. (Judges 16:28-30)

What has this got to do with the way of the cross? In Samson's death, he destroyed his enemies, and gained his greatest victory. In a similar way, in Jesus' death, he destroyed our greatest enemy - death, and won the great victory.

Samson only achieved a small, temporary victory. By the time Saul has been chosen as king, the Philistines are back, attacking God's people again. But the victory Jesus won will never be reversed; death will never have the final say on God's people.

Dying, you destroyed our death,
Rising, you restored our life,
Lord Jesus, come in glory!

Dundonald Dodgems

This morning, it was like the dodgems in Dundonald village. The traffic lights at the junction of the Upper Newtownards Road / Church Road / Ballyregan Road weren't working. Most seemed to think it was an adult high-speed version of dodgems, only in your own car.

It was interesting to see the various reactions to the absence of red/amber/green lights moderating the traffic flow. For once, there was no restraint, no legal obligation to stop and give way to others, so most carried on regardless. Those on the Newtownards Road thought that they were on the major road and so didn't have to slow down at all, keeping going at the regular speed or maybe even a bit faster then normal. Scary stuff, especially if you were trying to emerge from Church Road or Ballyregan Road. We were at a disadvantage, so had to sit and wait for quite a while, until quite sure the road was clear both ways. Nevertheless, even cars coming from the minor roads edged out farther than they should, trying to push the boundaries and get on with their journey.

No traffic lights, no restraints, total chaos. Thankfully the lights are working again now, but it was a reminder of how we all are or were. If we think we can get away with something, we will. So if you can't see a police car / speed camera, it doesn't matter what speed you do. Or you abandon your car where you like if you know the traffic wardens are on holiday. You push the boundaries and do as much as you think you can get away with. You behave differently in private from your public persona/appearance.

Ultimately, we reject any notion of outside authority and install ourselves as functional king, sovereign over our own life and destiny. A dangerous state of being, because if each of us are doing what WE want, then we'll be horribly frustrated and conflicted when everyone else does what they want as well.

At the end of the book of Judges, there are three gruesome chapters as things in Israel go from bad to worse to worser. There's no authority, no rules, they're just making it up as they go along. The very last verse of Judges says this:

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (21:25)

Total chaos, with no rules, no order, and tribal violence. No wonder that the writer of Judges is yearning for God's king to be anointed and revealed. David brings order to the chaos of Israel, conquering enemies and securing borders, establishing the city of the Lord at Jerusalem and preparing to build the Temple. Yet even David messed up. We need a better king than David - great David's greater Son.

To drive through an untraffic-lighted junction is dangerous enough. To go through life disregarding rules and making it ul as you go along - that's fatal. Life without Jesus is fatal, but living under King Jesus is life and peace.

Waiting for God

Are you good at waiting? I don't mean serving tables, but rather in waiting for something. You know it's going to happen, but there's a delay. Waiting.

It might be hard enough to wait for a birthday or Christmas, with the expectation of nice things in store. How much harder, then, to wait for God to act. We sometimes wonder why God appears to be slow to fulfill his promise. Why he appears slow to act. It may even appear that we just want to plough on ahead and let God catch us up.

Especially when we're in trouble. You know, we can handle this God, we don't really need you.

I've been reading through Isaiah, and in the days leading up to my ordination as a Presbyter, I've reached one of the verses that helped kick off the whole journey way back when.

28Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40: 28-31)

If we seek to serve the Lord in our own strength, we will quickly fail. Even youths and young men grow weary. We can't do it on our own. I am not able for the task in my own power, because I don't have any power of my own.

It is in waiting for the Lord, for his timing, for his power, for his strength, that we can do all things through him who strengthens us.

I can remember thinking through these verses - which in the context of the chapter are an essential element of the good news which is heralded to Jerusalem for her comfort - when I was still a student at Queens, all those years ago. Ten, to be precise.

There was a song by Petra which had the following line:

Good things come to those who wait,
Not to those who hesitate,
So hurry up and wait upon the Lord.

I was hesitating, and putting off responding to the call of God. Last night I was listening to an mp3 sermon from St Helen's. They're preaching through Judges in the evenings, and I was listening to the sermon on Judges 4 and 5, the episode of Deborah. Except, Deborah wasn't the judge, the mini-messiah, the saviour that God had called in Israel. Barak was the one God had called (no, not Barack Obama), but he had failed to respond to the call. When Deborah goes to challenge him, he'll only go if she goes with him.

Hesitant, fearful, comfortable.

It is in responding to the Lord that we grow in faith, as we know his strength, and see him at work. To respond, we must wait for the Lord, spending time with him.

Our lives are so busy that we can think, oh, I haven't got time for the Quiet Time, or for reading my Bible or praying. Ironically, that is what will be most useful to us when we're busy. Our strength or God's? Our timing or God's? Will we blarge on ahead, or will we wait for the Lord?

The one who does not grow weary strengthens his servants so that they also will not be weary. Hurry up and wait upon the Lord!

Amazing Grace

Last night we were continuing our Fellowship Group in the Book of Ruth. After the devastation of chapter 1, in which Naomi loses virtually everything - home, husband, sons, food, land - yet vitally gains a faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, and clings to her flickering faith, chapter 2 provides some relief, in the over-abundance of favour shown by their worthy relative, Boaz.

That word favour is the same as 'grace' - the unmerited, undeserved blessing and pleasure of God. In 2:2, Ruth goes out to glean 'after him in whose sight I find favour.' She finds this favour in the eyes of Boaz, who provides for her, protects her, ensures she prospers, and cares for her. Twice, she remarks on the amazingness of this favour: 'Why have I found such favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?' (2:10); 'I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.' (2:13)

The favour or grace that Ruth finds from Boaz is a small picture of the abundant, amazing grace that God showers on those He loves. You see, often we have this false picture of God which states that the God of the Old Testament is wrathful and angry and loves to smite people, but that Jesus in the New Testament is a much more likeable character, full of love and mercy and grace.

The Bible simply will not allow us to hold this false picture. On the one hand, Jesus speaks more about hell and eternal punishment than anyone else. And, as we see when we survey the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, that Yahweh, Jehovah, the capital letters LORD is gracious and merciful.

But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8)

Behold, your servant has found favour in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. - Lot (Genesis 19:19)

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:21)

And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name." (Exodus 33:17)

And (Gideon) said to him, "If now I have found favour in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me." (Judges 6:17)

Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favour with the LORD and also with man. (1 Samuel 2:26)

Then Jehoahaz sought the favour of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. (2 Kings 13:4)

Truly, amazing grace!

Hallelujah

So the X-Factor's Alexandra Burke has made it to Number One with her over-the-top version of 'Hallelujah'. For the first time in ages, I've actually been mildly interested in what the UK's top song was. But mostly because I wanted the top spot to go to the Jeff Buckley version. I didn't think it was possible, as I've been watching I-Tunes during the week, and Alexandra was up there.

But you might be wondering what the song is all about. Leonard Cohen's own version of the 'Hallelujah Chorus' might seem straightforward enough, but what about the rest? Well, we actually have some biblical events sneaking into the chart-topper. David's secret chord refers to his lyre, which he played for King Saul (when Saul was still the king of Israel), when Saul was afflicted by an evil spirit. 'And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.' (1 Samuel 16:23).

David also features in part of the second verse, where he sees Bathsheba bathing on the roof. That is, when David should have been off leading his troops into battle (2 Samuel 11:2). One thing leads to another, in a slippery slope of sin, from seeing her bathing, to having her in his bed (adultery), to making her pregnant, to trying deception by recalling Bathsheba's husband Uriah the Hittite from the battle in the hope he would have sex with his wife. Uriah, however was more noble than David, and refused to enjoy conjugal rights when his brother-soldiers were still encamped in the fields around Rabbah. And so David turned to murder - albeit by the hands of the Ammonites. (And they allow this stuff to be in the Bible! It's like a Christmas special episode of Coronation Street or Eastenders...)

Cohen mixed his biblical allusions, though, because I don't think that Bathsheba was known as a hairdresser. She didn't cut any hair, but over in Judges we find a famous chop. Delilah was a Philistine, and she seduced Samson, who was one of the Judges of Israel - the God-empowered leaders who delivered God's people from their enemies. He had long hair, which was the secret of his strength - it being a visible sign of the vow he was under as a Nazirite, and eventually after a lot of nagging, Samson told Delilah his secret. So she cut his hair, and he lost a lot more than his flowing locks - his freedom, and his eyes.

So there we are - it's a cold and a broken Hallelujah - the cost of love, it appears. Something which is overwhelmed by Alexandra's powerful voice, and so the song isn't presented as it should. Buckley all the way, even if it's just Number 2 this Christmas time!

A Promising Start! 1 Samuel 11:1-15 Sermon in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday evening 10th August 2008

He’ll not be any good. What can he do for us? With a new leader, all eyes are on them for the first few weeks. Indeed, a year into Gordon Brown being Prime Minister, people are still trying to get rid of him. Trying to size them up. Trying to work out what they’re really like. If they’ll be up to the job at hand.

Tonight, we’re thinking about Saul’s kingship, and specifically his first battle. Initially, we’ll see that Saul starts well. What a contrast to his downward pattern in the weeks to come. So what was it that makes Saul’s start a promising one? And as we look at the passage, let’s also be looking for the marks of a good leader of God’s people. What should we be looking for in leaders, and what should we be praying for them?

As we approach the passage tonight, it’s good to have the key question before us. In some ways, it is the challenge that this chapter answers. Look with me at chapter 10:27. ‘But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.’

Saul had just been crowned as the first king over Israel. Yet some of his new subjects weren’t pleased with him. After all, rather than being bold, he had hidden himself among the baggage. Despite him being head and shoulders bigger than the rest of the men, he didn’t seem much of a leader.

Yet here again, the men are falling into the same sin of rebellion against God – looking to the man, as if he was their hope and their security, while all the time forgetting about God.

Perhaps we do the same, don’t we, when we have new colleagues at work, or a new curate! Indeed, it was the same for some in the early church, when they encountered the Apostle Paul. People thought he wasn’t good for much. His opponents in Corinth – ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is of no account.’ (2 Cor 10:10). Or think of his own testimony in 1 Corinthians 2:3 ‘And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom…’

As we’ll see, though, we continue in sin if we place our trust in our leaders – even God-given leaders. Rather, our trust should be in God.

1. Who can save?

Saul’s first test, therefore, came about when a town in Israel was besieged. Jabesh-Gilead was a town on the east of the Jordan river, separated by the water from the rest of Israel, part of the original conquest before Israel crossed the river into the promised land. In order to help us see what’s going on at Jabesh-Gilead, it’s necessary to understand the recent history.

Saul was the first king of Israel, as I’ve said. Before him, Israel was led by judges, one-off leaders who were appointed by God to lead the nation in a time of difficulty. The pattern seemed to be that Israel would be comfortable, then would slip into sin. God would send an enemy against them to call them back, Israel would repent and call on God to save them, and the judge would be sent to lead and save the people. Then it would start all over again.

During this period, as the writer of Judges says, ‘ In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ (Judges 21:25). We can see this in the events unfolded in Judges 19-21. A Levite and his concubine had been travelling from Bethlehem to Ephraim, when they stopped over in Gibeah (the home town of Saul). But then worthless fellows come to the house they are staying in and assault and abuse the woman, so that she dies.

In order to summon Israel to right this injustice, the Levite gruesomely hacks his concubine’s body into twelve pieces and sends them to the tribes of Israel. Israel then goes to war against Benjamin, and defeats it. In sorrow, the other tribes then seek to devise a way of allowing the remaining men of Benjamin to have wives. It turns out that the men of Jabesh-Gilead hadn’t appeared at the assembly, so Israel attacks them, and takes their daughters to provide wives for the men of Benjamin.

In many ways it seems to have been independent, so that in Judges 21 when all Israel was called together to judge the tribe of Benjamin for its shameful treatment of the Levite and his concubine, the men of Jabesh-Gilead hadn’t turned up.

Maybe it was this independent attitude again, or maybe they thought that no one would help them – having previously been attacked by the other tribes. Whatever it was, whenever the Ammonites came and besieged them, they quickly wanted to surrender. They were ready to compromise straight away. No thought of their fellow countrymen, nor of their God.

It’s interesting to note, therefore, that it’s their enemy who reminds them of who they are. Look at verse 2. ‘”On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.”’ The terms of surrender would be their right eyes – a way of disfiguring them, and making them less than whole. To lose an eye would make them useless in battle, with their left eye behind their shield. But more than that, it would cause shame and disgrace on Israel if this were to happen to the people of one of its towns.

Note also, that Nahash reminds them that they are part of the people of Israel. As if the people of Jabesh could have forgotten. It’s only now that they remember their fellow Israelites, and a possible way of rescue. But look even at what they say in verse 3. ‘”Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.’”

The people of God are in a terrible situation. Besieged by enemies. Threatened with violence. Yet still they refuse to turn to God. Instead they look for some one else to save them. At least the people of Jabesh knew they needed a saviour, even if they were looking in the wrong places. Many in our own land tonight don’t even realise their need of the Saviour.

2. Saul the saviour?

News spreads throughout Israel, bringing the terror home to the towns and villages, as the messengers travel. In every place, it is met by tears and sorrow. Not much action though. As one commentator notes, Saul has a habit of making a dramatic entrance. Again, he’s missing from the scene – not hiding among the baggage this time, but out ploughing with his oxen. On hearing the news and seeing the sadness, Saul is stirred to action.

We’re told in verse 6 that ‘the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.’ There’s the repeat of his previous experience – the Spirit of God rushing upon him (c.f. 10:10). Let us never forget that God is passionate, firstly for his own glory, but also for his people. We’re reminded so often about God’s love, but it’s also important to recall God’s anger and hatred of sin and injustice, which is just as much a part of the Gospel as God’s love.

Notice also that the Spirit of God moves Saul into action. Far too many Christians imagine that God gives us his Holy Spirit to give us a warm fuzzy feeling in our hearts. But the Spirit is given to move us to action, to mission, to service in the world.

As we read of Saul’s actions today, they may seem a bit gruesome. See how he takes the oxen he had been ploughing with, and hacks them into pieces, and sends off his amateur butchery to the tribes of Israel. (Here again we have echoes of the episode in Judges – only this time it’s the oxen that are butchered). This was a costly action for Saul, investing his own possessions in the struggle. But it was also the summons for Israel to come and follow him to war. If anyone didn’t come along, then their livelihood would similarly suffer.

The recruiting campaign seems to have been successful, with three hundred thousand from Israel, and another thirty thousand from Judah. Could Saul be the saviour after all? Things are looking up for Israel, and they’re also looking up for Jabesh-Gilead, with the message that they will have deliverance by the time the sun is hot tomorrow.

In order to throw the besiegers off course, and to relax them, the men of Jabesh-Gilead tell their attackers that they will surrender tomorrow. Obviously the Ammonites weren’t expecting a battle, and were unprepared when Saul and his three companies come to attack. The result? Complete success. The Ammonites are defeated, and either slaughtered or scattered, and Jabesh-Gilead has been saved.

3. God the Saviour

For most Israelites that day, it seemed that Saul had vindicated himself. Obviously Saul was able to reign, given that he was the one who had saved Jabesh-Gilead from the Ammonites. After all, he was able to answer the challenge of Jabesh – if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you. More than that, he was able to answer the challenge we thought of at the very start – ‘How can this man save us?’

In verse twelve, then, in the aftermath of the battle, as the dust settles, we see Israel embracing Saul as its saviour, its hope. So much so that it now seeks to defend his honour by putting to death the men who opposed his kingship.

But look at what Saul says in verse 13. He steps into the debate and reminds the people of where their true focus should be. Rather than focusing on Saul as their rescuer and deliverer, he points them back to the LORD, the true saviour.

When the men of Jabesh-Gilead had been in trouble, they looked for some one to rescue them. When Saul’s opponents had sized him up, they thought he would be unable to save them. They were quite right, from the human perspective.

But the secret of Saul’s promising start was that he was God’s man, doing the work of the Lord, in full trust of him. After all, wasn’t it the Spirit of God who had come upon Saul, inspiring him and calling him to action? Wasn’t it God who had brought out the huge army after Saul, when the dread of the LORD fell upon the people? Wasn’t it God who had guided the battle, and won the victory?

As Saul states clearly in verse 13: ‘Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.’ Today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel. In recognition of this, the people of Israel return to Gilgal and renew the kingdom, making Saul king again, and sacrificing to the LORD in that place.

Once again, geography has something important to share here. Sometimes when we’re reading through the Bible, we just read the place names and maybe vaguely recognise them, but they don’t mean very much to us. Earlier, I said that Jabesh-Gilead was on the east of the Jordan. This was the land that had been conquered before the people passed over the river into the Promised Land. So most of Israel had to cross the Jordan to go and fight for Jabesh. When Samuel calls the people to go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom, it’s back across on the other side (western shore). In fact, Gilgal was the place where Joshua had built the twelve memorial stones from the river bed as a reminder of crossing the Jordan on dry land. It was also the place where the first Passover in the land was celebrated. Can you see how significant for Israel Gilgal was? It’s back where they first set foot in the land, and again, they renew the kingdom here. It’s as if they are starting afresh under God, back in the promised land.

Saul had a promising start in leadership because he obeyed the command of God, through the Spirit’s prompting, and because he gave all the glory to God, in pointing to the God who saves. We see his humility, his willingness to serve and his commitment.

These are the qualities, the characteristics that we should be looking for in our leadership. Will you join with me in praying for these very things? Oh how we need them. But more than that – in the passage we also see the benefits to God’s people when the leaders are obeying God’s command and pointing to the God who saves.

First, we see a unity among the people – ‘they came out as one man’. We also see gladness, joy – ‘Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.’ We have already thought of how the people return to the LORD through this period as well. Aren’t these the things we want to see in our church family as well?

I have to admit that this was a daunting passage to preach for my first sermon here, and yet, it stands as a good pointer for us all of good leadership. Like Saul, some of you may say of me, well, what can he do? How can he save us?

The answer, my friends, is that I cannot. You will quickly spot my weaknesses and failings. But just like Saul, I will always be pointing you to God, the Saviour, the one who can save, the Lord Jesus.

So long as we seek to put our trust in our leaders, we will be frustrated. Instead, my focus, and I pray your focus, will always and only be on the Lord Jesus, the Saviour, because he has done all that is needed for our salvation. We just need to call out to him.

Earlier I read from what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and I want to expand the quotation to ask you again to look to the Saviour.

‘And I, when I came to you brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.’ (1 Cor 2:1-5).

May we all have a promising start, and also a faithful ending!

Glasses of Grace: Judges 6:1-18

I have a lot of sympathy with Gideon. He had a down to earth, grounded in reality view of himself. God shows up and says "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valour" and Gideon's reaction is who, me?

I've been reading through the book of Judges, and have come to the time of Gideon. The Midianites have swamped the country, destroying crops and lives, and the people of Israel have taken to living in caves. Into the midst of the problem, the angel of the LORD appears to Gideon, greeting him with those words - "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valour."

Gideon, however, launches into a historical, political, theological diatribe. What are you talking about - how can God be with us if the Midianites have taken over? He has heard the stories of how God acted in the past to rescue Israel from Egypt, but where is God now?

The answer? Right in front of you, Gideon! So again, the angel of the LORD sends him. "Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?"

Gideon still knows his own weakness and says in effect: Don't you realise that I'm the lowest and the least - in terms of tribe and clan and family? If our tribe were picking teams in the playground, my family would be last picked.

The amazing thing is that while Gideon trembles, God looks on him through the eyes of grace, seeing what he will be. Not so much rose-tinted spectacles, but maybe 'glasses of grace'. By God's great grace, he will be the mighty man of valour. When the call is given, it's as if the battle has already been won. He just has to go in God's power.

Do you know what? Just as God saw Gideon through the 'glasses of grace', so he also sees us already perfected in Christ, through his grace. This is the heart of our justification - counted righteous in Christ, as God looks on us and sees Christ.

Who is the King? - A Sermon preached in Holy Trinity Church, Dromore (Tyrone) on 5th August 2007. 1 Samuel 12:1-25

If God was in the dock, what would you accuse him of? If you had your day in court, how would things turn out?

In our reading this morning, we find Samuel convening a court case, as it were, between the people of Israel, and God. But as we’ll see, when we have God in the dock, it is actually us who are the accused.

Picture the scene. The Israelites have confirmed Saul as king at Gilgal, and they’re having a party to celebrate. Then Samuel stands up for, what the NIV heading calls ‘Samuel’s farewell speech’ (even though he is far from finished).

Samuel had been the leader of the people of Israel from his youth. He was the boy who had heard God’s voice in the temple at Shiloh, and had grown to be the leader of the people. In many ways, he was God’s representative, God’s spokesman.

So into the middle of the celebrations, he gathers the people together for what goes on in this chapter. The opening verses might seem a bit strange, as he asks if he has taken anyone’s ox or donkey, or if he has cheated or been bribed. But if you look at verse 3, he is establishing his credentials as a witness.

If you’re called to court to give your witness, they will make sure you’re going to tell the truth – by making you swear on the Bible, perhaps. But here, Samuel gives his record as a leader as the basis for the truth of what he is going to say. Because he hasn’t lied or cheated or stolen in the past, then they are going to have to listen to his testimony now!

(But there’s more going on here. Verse 3 tells how he led the people – with justice and fairness. It is in contrast to the warning he gave the people in 1 Samuel 8 about what the future king would be like – ‘he will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses… he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your field and vineyards and olive groves … He will take a tenth of your grain … He will take a tenth of your flocks’ (1 Sam 8:11-18).)

Can you see the language of the court there – testify (3), witness (5), evidence (7). But rather than God being in the dock, accused; it is the people who are the accused. Samuel is going to (verse 7) ‘confront you with evidence … as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers.’ Why are they the accused? Well, because of how they have acted under God’s kingship.

Samuel launches into the familiar story of the people of Israel, reminding them (and us) of their past. Of how in Egypt, the people cried out for help to the LORD, and he rescued them by sending Moses and Aaron. The people of Israel were saved from Egypt and brought into the promised land.

Surely now they would obey God? Surely not – verse 9 shows how they forgot God when they were in the promised land. God had warned them before they entered the land of the consequences of forgetting him, yet they turned around and forgot him! So they came under attack from Sisera, and the Philistines, and the Moabites.

These enemies didn’t all attack at once, though. If you’ve read the book of Judges, you’ll know there was a familiar pattern – Israel would forget God, Israel would come under attack, Israel would remember God and cry out for help, God would send a judge (a deliverer / rescuer), there would be a time of peace, and then Israel would forget God and the cycle started again!

Verse 10 shows us part of that pattern. When they were under threat, then the people would cry out to God – ‘we have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ (1 Sam 12:10) In response to their cry, God sent the judges – Jerub-baal (whom you might know better as Gideon), Barak, Jephthah and Samuel.

But then there came one threat too many – the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Ammonites were coming to attack, and the people decided they would rather have a king to rule over them. Look at verse 13. ‘You said to me, “No, we want a king to rule over us” – even though the LORD your God was your king.’

Do you see what Samuel is accusing them of here? It wasn’t that they wanted a king – they already had one – God was their king. Rather than trusting in God as their king, they wanted a king with skin – a human leader who they could see and follow.

Are there times when we do the same? We’re more loyal to the people around us than to God. We would rather do what we want than what God wants us to. We reject God and God’s ways in favour of doing our own thing, or following the people around us (1 Sam 8:5 tells us that they wanted a king like the other nations).

The people hadn’t rejected Samuel as their ruler (although, of course, this is why it is seen as his farewell speech, as he hands over leadership of the nation to the king). They had done much worse, in rejecting God as their king.

Samuel goes on to show just how foolish they had been in wanting the king with skin, compared with having God as king. Look at verses 16-18. While it might have been good to have a human king to lead them into battle, the king couldn’t do what God now does – in sending thunder and rain (during the dry season). Not only does the sign confirm that Samuel is speaking for God, but it also brings conviction of sin in the hearts of the people. Look at verse 19 – ‘Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.’

Samuel confirms that they have sinned – in verse 20 he says ‘You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.’ You see, the people have been in the dock, and the evidence has been presented. Both they and their fathers have sinned against God by forgetting him, by turning their back on him, and seeking to go their own way – especially in wanting a king to rule over them.

We don’t fare much better. We too have forgotten God, as we live comfortably with all that we have. We have turned our backs on God. And we have sought to go our own way. We might not have wanted to crown someone else as king over us, but we have done something as bad – in wanting to be king or queen of our own lives – seeking to sit on the throne of our hearts – the place of God. And that, my friends, is the oldest sin in the creation – wanting to take the place of God. Satan tried it and was cast down for it. The punishment is still the same.

So is that the end of the matter? Have the people of Israel been convicted, as we are too, by the word of God? Yes and no. Yes, they have been convicted – there’s no doubt about it, they are guilty as charged. But there is hope in the court that day, just as there is yet hope for us. Their sin can be cleared, just as if they had never sinned, through God’s grace and mercy. Standing on this side of Calvary, we know that it is through Jesus that we are made right with God and justified before him.

For the people of Israel, verse 20 was their hope – ‘Do not be afraid’ (isn’t that marvellous – that even when confronted with their sin, and confronted by the thunder and rain as a sign of God’s power, the next words of Samuel are words of grace – do not be afraid – which appears in the Bible 65 times) – You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.’

Their sin has been cancelled, the past is behind them. The focus is immediately turned to the present and future – don’t turn away, serve the LORD. Even though their request was evil, God has given them a king, and Samuel now lays out the two ways to live from here on. Look at verse 14. ‘If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God – good! But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.’

They can go from here by serving the Lord, and obeying him; or they can make the same mistakes their fathers made before them, by rebelling. In essence, we have the same choice. As we confessed our sins at the beginning of the service, we have the choice now – will we continue to live in sin, making ourselves the rulers of our lives, or will we serve God, recognising the rightful king of our lives?

But we can’t do it on our own. Look at verses 22 and 23. ‘For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.’

As we honour God, so he honours us, and will not let go of us – even when we mess things up. That is the covenant love of God, that he will not reject us, because we are his. But more than that, he doesn’t leave us on our own. For the people of Israel, Samuel promised to pray for the people, and also to instruct them. For us, we have a great high priest who prays for us, Jesus Christ, and the teacher who is the Holy Spirit. God has not left us on our own as we seek to please him. God is with us as we recognise his rule in our hearts.

And so, as we come to a close, you are left with two ways to live. Will you ignore the evidence from the court, and maintain your innocence, by claiming that you have the right to go your own way, the right to take charge of your own life? The warning is stark – ‘If you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.’ (1 Sam 12:25)

Or will you, convicted by the evidence of God’s righteous acts and your rebellion, confess your sins, turn and serve God? The testimony of God surely commands you to serve God, because of what he has done for you.

‘Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.’ (1 Samuel 12:24)