Israel Rejects God As Her King 1 Samuel 12:1-25 Message by Michael J. Barnard May 27, 2018 Teaching Aim: To understand it wasn t Samuel the Israelites were rejecting, it was God they were rejecting as King. To recognize, any time we choose man over God, there will be consequences to pay. To realize how often we take the blessings of God for granted in our own lives without giving Him the honor and glory due His name. To understand we sin against the LORD when we fail to pray for His people! DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD S WORD (BIBLE STUDY) Part I: Samuel s final address as Judge to Israel (1 Sam. 12:1-12) 1. As we come to 1 Samuel chapter 12, Samuel has come to the end of his tenure as Israel s last and most godly Judge. Although Samuel continued on as Israel s prophet and priest; we find him giving his farewell speech as Judge in chapter 12. What led to the rejection of the period of the Judges and establishment of the monarchy? (See 1 Sam. 8:19-22) 2. On what basis did Israel choose her king? (See 1 Sam. 9:1-2) Do we use similar standards in choosing our political leaders today? Is this a good standard to use? Why or why not? Why would it be a challenge for someone like Abraham Lincoln to become President of the United States today? 3. According to verse 1, how did Samuel respond to the request of the people in 1 Sam. 8:19-22? Was this a wise request on the part of the Israelites? Why or why not? (See 1 Sam. 8:6-7) Whom had Samuel appointed to be his successor? (See 1 Sam. 8:1-3) Was there a problem with this selection? Did the behavior of Samuel s sons play a part in the elder s request for a human king? (See 1 Sam. 8:4-5) 4. Do you see any fault in Samuel s actions in 1 Sam. 8:1-5? If so, what did he do wrong? In examining 1 Sam. 12:3-4, does it appear that Samuel saw any wrong in what he did? How did the people respond to Samuel s challenge in verse 4? Had Samuel cheated or oppressed the Israelites in any way while he was their Judge? Who did Samuel call to be witness of the people s own testimony about him (vs. 5)? 1
5. Starting in verse 6, Samuel reminded the people to remember God s faithfulness in the past during their times of need. Can you remember a time when God was there for you to help deliver you through a difficult time in your life? What did you learn from the experience? 6. In verse 7, Samuel begins his sermon by using the terminology of a prosecuting attorney bringing accusation against the defendants, in this case, the people of Israel. How is the language that Samuel uses in verse 7 similar to that of Moses in Exod. 14:13-14a? What great event in Israel s history was about to take place following Moses comment in Exod. 14:13-14a? What change in Israel s history was about to take place here? 7. Who is the name Jacob used to represent in verse 8? Whom did the LORD use to help deliver the Israelites during the Exodus (vs. 8)? 8. According to verse 9, what did the Israelites do after God had faithfully delivered them to the Promised Land? What did God do as a result of this? During what era of Israel s history did these events take place? 9. What did the Israelites realize and do in verse 10? How did God respond to their repentance and persistent cries for help? Who was Jerubbaal and what is another name used for him in Scripture (vs. 11)? Who was Bedan? (See Commentaries) Does God still deliver us today when we repent of our sin and cry out to Him for help? 10. God had always delivered the Israelites when He was their King. What major change is described in verse 11 when Nahash, king of the Ammonites, attacked Israel (vs. 12)? 2
Part II: Samuel presents Israel with the king she so desired (1 Sam. 12:13-17) 1. What do we learn about King Saul from verse 13? By what standard did the people of Israel use to choose Saul as their king? (See 1 Sam. 9:1-3) What does God look for in a leader? (See 1 Sam. 16:7) Why should this be especially true with leaders in the church today? 2. In spite of their sinful choices, God still offered the people a chance to repent in verse 14. What conditional promise did God offer the people in this verse? What were the four conditions of this promise? 3. What is meant by the phrase the fear of the LORD (vs. 14)? What truths can we learn about this from Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10? How do these truths apply to us today? 4. According to verse 15, what would happen to the people of Israel if they did not keep the conditions given in this conditional promise? Are these principles still true for us today? 5. What sign did Samuel ask the LORD to send in verses 16-17? During what season of the year did the wheat harvest fall in Israel (vs. 16)? (See Commentaries) Why is this information important? According to verse 17, what was the purpose behind this sign? Part III: One final warning to repent and return to God (1 Sam. 12:18-25) 1. What heavenly event took place following the prayers of Samuel (vs. 18)? What effect did the unexpected storm have on the people of Israel? 2. What request did the fearful people make to Samuel (vs. 19)? How severe of a threat did the people see this powerful thunder and lightning storm as? What did the power of this storm lead them to do in verse 19b? 3
3. How did the prophet Samuel respond to the desperate pleas of the people (vs. 20)? What did he advise them to do? Can you say that you are following the LORD with all of your heart? (See Matt. 22:37-40) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank yourself? What are some steps you can take to improve your walk with God? 4. What warning did Samuel give to the people of Israel in verse 21? Was idol worship a problem for Israel? (See Psa. 135:15-18) Is it still a problem for us today? What are some examples of modern day idols? 5. What tremendous truth do we learn in verse 22? Why did God choose the Hebrew people? (See Deut. 7:7-8; Gen. 12:2-3) How has part of that mission been transferred to us today? (See 1 Pet. 2:9-10) 6. Verse 22 says, the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name s sake. Is the same true of Christians today? (See Heb. 13:5) 7. What truth can we learn about prayer from verse 23? Who did Samuel have as a personal example in prayer? (See 1 Sam. 1:9-11) John MacArthur says, Prayer is the spontaneous response of the believing heart to God. If so, what can we learn about Samuel s heart from verse 23? How powerful were Samuel s prayers? (See Jer. 15:1) Is prayer a priority in your life? On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your prayer life? What steps can you take to improve your prayer life? 8. What words of wisdom did Samuel give to the Israelites in verse 24? Should we do the same today? What are some blessings from God that many of us take for granted today? 4
9. According to verse 25, what consequence would there be in the people if Israel rejected Samuel s advice? What similar warning did Moses give to the people in Deut. 28:36-37? Did the people heed the warnings from Moses and Samuel? What would eventually happen to the nation as a result? (See Commentaries) 10. What, if any way, does Samuel s warning relate to the United States of America today? How is the United States different from Israel? (See Deut. 7:7-8) MINER S CORNER ~ Manna to live by! Sometimes we need to be careful what we ask for, God might just let us have it! Samuel was the last and most righteous of Israel s Judges! We often don t see God s hand at work in our lives and tend to take Him for granted! In choosing a human king, the nation of Israel rejected God as King! In the midst of Israel s sin, God offered the people mercy and a fresh start if they would only repent and turn back to Him! Obedience is better than sacrifice; God doesn t want our phony religion! We sin against the LORD when we fail to pray for His people! Each of us should consider the great things God has done for us and remember in the challenges of life that He is faithful! 5