Artwork by Douglas Kallerson
1 Samuel 12:1-12
Behold the King, Part I
(Typed 18 August 2025 ) Studying the verses in a given passage to form a sermon is only the beginning of the work. Once the information is accumulated and laid out, figuring out what it all means is the next, and most difficult, step.
God paints pictures of portions of redemptive history with the stories He selects from Israel’s history. Each story has to match what the Bible says about the concept being pictured. Just because something may appear correct doesn’t mean it is.
The sermons from 1 Samuel 10 presented pictures of things. I made notes to myself that if the pictures elicited from the verses didn’t match what would continue to be seen in subsequent sermons, I would have to reconsider my conclusions and admit that I was unsure of the typology.
However, when evaluating Chapter 11 and the story of Nahash, the earlier sermons fit seamlessly. What I thought was correct was. That was a big relief. Otherwise, instead of going forward, I would have had to spend quite a bit of time going back to figure out where the disconnect was.
Text Verse: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11
In this verse from Acts, we see that when Paul and Silas made claims about Jesus, the Bereans went to Scripture, meaning the Hebrew Scriptures, to see if they were true.
The implication is that the Hebrew writings were speaking about Jesus and what He would accomplish. This is true of the law, the prophets, and the writings. Paul confirms this in verses found in his epistles, such as in 1 Corinthians 10, Galatians 4, etc.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, this is seen as well, such as Jesus’ words to the two who were with Him on the road to Emmaus. In John 5:39, He notes that the Scriptures testify of Him. Therefore, we are to look for Jesus in them.
Everything we evaluate must be logical, orderly, and consistent. If we follow this method and these rules, we will be properly and responsibly evaluating the word. Let us endeavor to do so. God is revealing His mind to us. We should respectfully keep this in mind.
Jesus! He is the One to be revealed in this superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. Not a Speck (verses 1-6)
Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
vayomer shemuel el kal Yisrael hineh shamati veqolekhem lekhol asher amartem li vaamlikh alekhem melekh – “And he said, Samuel, unto all Israel, ‘Behold! I heard in your voice to all which you said to me, and I caused to reign upon you king.” This refers to 1 Samuel 8 –
“Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’” 1 Samuel 8:1-5
This request for a king signified a rejection of the Lord as their King –
“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.’” 1 Samuel 8:6, 7
Their request led to the selection of Saul as detailed in Chapter 9 and his anointing and acceptance as king in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 detailed Saul’s victory over Nahash, which led to the assembly being called together now in Gilgal.
2 And now here is the king, walking before you;
veatah hineh ha’melekh mithhalekh liphnekhem – “And now, behold the king, walking himself to your faces.” The people asked for a king, the Lord agreed to give them one, and Saul now stood before them, presented by the final judge of Israel, who confirms the selection and the process of appointment.
The idea of the king walking before them signifies a leader. Samuel walked with the people more than before them. The king, however, was to walk before them, and his subjects were to follow, being obedient to his authority.
At the same time, there is the expectation that a king would be like a shepherd to his people, keeping them safe from the enemies round about. Next, Samuel says…
2 (con’t) and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you.
His words are emphatic: vaani zaqanti vasavti u-vanay hinam itekhem – “And I, I aged and I grayed. And my sons, behold, with you.” The emphasis is given as a response to their accusations in verse 8:5 – “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.”
The agreement with their words could be paraphrased, “Indeed, I am old, and yes, my sons are with you.” As Samuel is the God-appointed judge, his words will address that fact. The sons’ conduct was never the issue. Instead, it was used as a pretext, along with his age, to be like the other nations and have a king.
That should be evident because Samuel’s predecessor, Eli, had his sons taken from him in battle. If the Lord felt it necessary for Samuel’s sons to punch their proverbial tickets, He could have taken care of it. To openly rebuke them for this, Samuel continues…
2 (con’t) I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.
Again, the words are emphatic: vaani hithhalakhti liphnekhem mineuray ad ha’yom ha’zeh – “And I, I walked myself to your faces from my youth until the day, the this.” The reflexive verb, “I walked myself to your faces,” is a way of highlighting his personal conduct. It is like saying, “I wasn’t forced to conduct myself as I did. Rather, I set my walk and walked it before you.”
Because of this, he wants the people to inspect themselves and their reason for petitioning a king…
3 Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed:
The emphatic nature of the words is highlighted with an interjection followed by an imperative verb: hineni anu vi neged Yehovah veneged meshikho – “Behold me! You must heed in me – afront Yehovah and afront His anointed.” He stands before the people, asking them to raise any accusation they may have against him. The intent of his words is, “This is your big chance to justify your request for a king, so let’s hear it…”
This is the first time the word mashiakh, anointed (also Messiah, or Christ), is used concerning a king. It signifies one who is anointed, literally or spiritually, for a given position. The high priest already bears this title. It was used in the Song of Hannah and again by the man of God who spoke to Eli, both in Chapter 2, and both prophetically speaking of the Messiah of God.
Saul is now an anointed king. As such, he is also a witness to the words that follow…
3 (con’t) Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes?
eth shor mi laqakhti vakhamor mi laqakhti veeth mi ashaqti eth mi ratsothi u-miyad mi laqakhti kopher veaelim enay bo – “Bullock whose I took, and jack whose I took, and whom I oppressed, whom I crushed, and from hand whom I took cover and I will cause to conceal my eyes in him?”
Each question, based on the one asking, demands a negative answer. Samuel would not implicate himself to make his point. The question concerning the ox and donkey implies covetousness leading to theft through the abuse of his position.
Oppression and crushing imply abuse of his authority to obtain something at the expense of others’ labor, or even a person of a sadistic spirit, who revels in harming others for pleasure. Both words are used in Deuteronomy to indicate the rough treatment by others towards Israel as a curse of the law –
“A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually.” Deuteronomy 28:33
To take a cover signifies closing one’s eyes, as in covering them, to either punish someone unjustly or not punish someone who should be punished (as a ransom) based on a bribe. The bribe thus covers the eyes –
“For I know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
Afflicting the just and taking bribes [kopher: cover];
Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.” Amos 5:12
To further highlight his conduct before them, Samuel says…
3 (con’t) I will restore it to you.”
veashiv lekhem – “And I will cause to return to you.” It is a proposal to restore any wrongs committed against them. The unstated meaning is, “Here is your big chance to get what I owe you. Everyone is watching, so speak up!”
4 And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
vayomeru lo ashaqtanu velo ratsothanu velo laqakhta miyad ish meumah – “And they said, ‘Not you oppressed us, and not you crushed us, and not you took from hand man speck.’” With this response, Samuel is entirely acquitted of any possible charge against him, even of taking a single speck that was not rightfully his.
As such, the people cannot say it is because of his judgeship that they asked for a king. His age is irrelevant because kings also age, but the people will still have to serve under them. His sons’ conduct is irrelevant because he, not they, is the nation’s judge. There was no hint of succession suggested or insinuated.
Further, with the appointment of Saul as king, whatever the king decided concerning Samuel’s sons was his responsibility. Samuel had left their fate in his hands for judging any wrongdoing. Therefore, the reason the people have asked for a king cannot be what they implied were the reasons.
5 Then he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day,
vayomer alehem ed Yehovah bakhem veed meshikho ha’yom hazeh – “And he said unto them, ‘Witness, Yehovah, in you. And witness His anointed the day, the this.’” Samuel calls for a double witness. The first is “in you,” meaning “against you.” The Lord has seen all that has taken place and has a valid cause to level charges against them.
Further, the new king, the Lord’s anointed, stands as a witness to Samuel’s integrity, having heard the people’s admission that he has done nothing wrong. If the Lord decides to judge the people, Saul must testify that His judgments are just. This is because…
5 (con’t) that you have not found anything in my hand.”
ki lo metsatem beyadi meumah – “For not you found in my hand speck.” Even to the slightest speck, Samuel stood blameless before the Lord and now also His anointed. The word, repeated from the previous verse, is meumah, a speck or point. It is from mum, a spot or blemish. Samuel’s integrity testifies that he has not been found with a spot or blemish in his hand before the Lord or the king.
5 (con’t) And they answered, “He is witness.”
Rather: vayomer ed – “And they said, ‘Witness!’” The witness is the fact of innocence concerning Samuel. It is not “He is a witness,” but that there is a standing witness. Yehovah is the principal witness, but this extends to His anointed who will henceforth represent Him as their king.
They have unwittingly acknowledged their guilt, revealing there was no valid reason for having asked for a king. Samuel has set them up, like Moses did, having Korah present unauthorized incense before the Lord. Now that they have revealed their guilt, Samuel will next witness against them as Yehovah’s representative…
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
vayomer shemuel el ha’am Yehovah asher asah eth mosheh veeth Aharon vaasher heelah eth avotekhem meerets mitsrayim – “And he said, Samuel, unto the people, ‘Yehovah – whom He made Moses and Aaron, and whom He caused to ascend your fathers from land Egypt.’”
The name, Yehovah, is placed absolutely. Only then is what He did given as an explanation. This can be seen without the intervening words –
“And they said, ‘Witness!’” … “Yehovah – whom He made Moses and Aaron, and whom He caused to ascend your fathers from land Egypt.” It is the Lord who sees what transpired. But it was He who made, directed the lives of, selected, and commissioned Moses as the lawgiver and Aaron the administrator and mediator of the Law.
It is also He who led Israel out of Egypt, bringing them through the wilderness and into the land of Canaan. The people could not dispute this, nor would they think of doing so. This is a truth that permeated their society and culture.
To deny this would mean that Israel was established on a lie and there would be no reason for their national identity. To this day, Israel celebrates the Passover, practices circumcision, and observes the Sabbath. These bind them as a people.
If they denied Moses and Aaron, they would, by extension, deny the Lord. In doing so, the entire fabric of their existence as Israel would have no merit. This doesn’t mean they actually believe in Yehovah, Moses, or Aaron, but logic alone means they could not openly deny any of them.
As Yehovah made these two men, and as they formed the established basis for Israel’s lives, conduct, and existence within Canaan, what did they lack as a people? And more, judges were raised up by Him. To substantiate that they had done wrong, Samuel will next present them with historical proofs to remind them and to accuse them…
Who is the Lord that He should reign over us?
Israel sounds like Pharoah, king of Egypt
They rejected Yehovah, and they rejected Jesus
Of His glory, the Lord has been stripped
And yet, the Lord has been faithful and true
He has kept them, thus keeping His word
Israel doesn’t know Him, sad but true
Someday, they will call on Him as Lord
Are they really any different than us?
One day, we are proclaiming His name
But in no time, we have forgotten Jesus
And off we go, seeking our own fame
II. They Forgot Yehovah Their God (verses 7-12)
7 Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord
Rather: veatah hithyatsevu veishapetah itekhem liphne Yehovah – “And now, you must station yourselves, and let me judge with you to faces Yehovah.” Samuel is not reasoning with them. He is judging them. First, he offered the people the chance to bring charges against him, giving them a chance to explain why they wanted a king. No valid reason was given.
Telling them to station themselves means that they are now the ones on trial. They have been arraigned for their actions, and the evidence will next be submitted. This evidence is…
7 (con’t) concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers:
eth kal tsidqoth Yehovah asher asah itekhem veeth avothekhem – “all righteousnesses Yehovah, which He did with you and with your fathers.” The word tsedaqah, righteousness, is used in the sense of covenant faithfulness.
Even before Moses and Aaron, there was already a covenant between the Lord and Abraham. That covenant extended to Isaac and then Jacob. At the time of Abraham, the Lord explained what would occur so that when it did, the people would remember His words –
“Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.’” Genesis 15:13, 14
These were words associated with the covenant. Therefore, the people could not say their time in Egypt was because the Lord didn’t care or that He was faithless. Rather, just the opposite was the case. He explained this to Abraham –
“Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Genesis 15:15, 16
The Lord’s words include two specificities that should be carefully explained. They are the period of four hundred years (Genesis 15:13) and that of the fourth generation (Genesis 15:16).
The movement of Jacob and his family to Egypt occurred in the year 2299 Anno Mundi. It was 215 years after the initial promise of the land that was made to Abraham in Genesis 12. That occurred in the year 2084AM.
After that, it would be another 215 years before Israel would be brought out of Egypt in the year 2514AM. One might say that the Lord’s words to Abraham in Genesis 15 are not true. If Israel were afflicted for 400 years and yet they were only in Egypt for 215 years, then there is an error.
But this is incorrect. It says, “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” Isaac was born in the year 2109AM.
He would have been weaned between two and four years old. That would be 2011-2013AM. As Israel departed from Egypt in 2514AM, and as Ishmael afflicted Abraham’s descendants at the weaning of Isaac in a land that was not yet theirs, it is 400 years from Ishmael afflicting Isaac to the exodus from Egypt.
Also, one might argue that the words “the fourth generation” are wrong because the people were in Egypt for more than four generations. Again, this would be incorrect. Only the line of Levi, out of all of those who went to Egypt, has the specific years of their lives recorded.
The timing is understood based on the naming of Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, in the ongoing narrative of Exodus and Numbers. Those two mentions are –
“Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.” Exodus 6:20
&
“The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.” Numbers 26:59
Jochebed is noted as Amram’s wife and also “his father’s sister,” but she is also called “the daughter of Levi who was born to Levi in Egypt.”
In Exodus 6:16, it said that Levi lived to the age of 137. The only other son of Jacob whose age at death was recorded was Joseph, because it was necessary to know. After Levi, of his three sons, only the age of Kohath is given at his death, 133.
And then, for all the sons of Kohath, only the age of Amram is given at his death, 137. As the Israelites dwelt in Egypt for 215 years, these ages were recorded to show the reliability and covenant faithfulness of the Lord’s promise to Abraham. This is evidenced by the words, “and to Amram she [Jochebed] bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.”
Jochebed is Levi’s natural daughter, and Kohath is Levi’s natural son. Amram was Levi’s grandson who married his aunt, Levi’s daughter. From that union, Aaron, Moses, and Miriam, Levi’s great-grandchildren, were born.
The specific record of this line was given to establish a direct line from Abraham to Moses and Aaron through Isaac and Jacob. That is clearly evident when compared with the other sets of genealogies already given in the Bible.
But more, the special record of the years of these people’s lives, along with the special note of Jochebed being both the daughter of Levi and sister of Kohath, is given to show that the Lord’s words were both true and fulfilled.
Jacob went to Egypt with his family, which included his son Levi and Levi’s three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. In Egypt, Kohath had a son named Amram, and Amram had a son named Moses.
Thus, Moses is the fourth generation from Jacob, who went to Egypt (Jacob: Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses). And the sons of Aaron and Moses are the fourth generation from Kohath, Levi’s son, who also went to Egypt. As it is this generation that entered Canaan, the prophecy concerning the fourth generation was exactingly fulfilled.
That information needed to be explained because Samuel next specifically addresses it…
8 When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the Lord,
kaasher ba yaaqov mitsrayim vayizaqu avothekhem el Yehovah –“According to which he came, Jacob – Egypt. And you shrieked, your fathers, unto Yehovah.” This is recorded in Exodus 3 –
“And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.’” Exodus 3:7
Because of this, and because of His covenant faithfulness, meaning His righteousnesses…
8 (con’t) then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
vayishlakh Yehovah eth mosheh veeth Aharon vayotsiu eth avothekhem mimitsrayim vayoshivum bamaqom ha’zeh – “And He sent, Yehovah, Moses and Aaron, and they caused to bring your fathers from Egypt, and they caused to sit them in the place, the this.” Joshua made essentially this same appeal during his farewell address to the people –
“Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.” Joshua 24:5
The exodus from Egypt was the defining act to prepare Israel’s existence as a nation set apart to God. Giving them the law and bringing them into Canaan then confirmed what the exodus anticipated, establishing them as a nation and providing a homeland for them.
Saying that Moses and Aaron were the ones who caused them to “sit in this place” signifies the giving of and subsequent adherence to the law, typified by Moses and Aaron. This is evident because in the future, they would be ejected from Canaan, going into exile in Babylon for their disobedience.
The Lord had been faithful to them in every detail. None of what transpired in Egypt could be held against Him because He had informed them in advance of what would happen. It was a set part of His plan, and His words were fulfilled to the letter.
Further, despite Israel’s continued rebellion against Him in the wilderness and as they entered Canaan, He remained faithful to the covenant He made. This covenant faithfulness even includes His chastisement upon them…
9 And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,
vayishkehu eth Yehovah elohehem vayimkor otham beyad Sisera sar tseva khatsor – “And they forgot Yehovah their God, and He sold them in hand Sisera, commander host Hazor.” This is recorded in Judges 4 –
“When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.” Judges 4:1, 2
The account is recorded in Judges 4, and is memorialized in the Song of Deborah in Judges 5. However, Israel failed to listen. Therefore, the Lord sold them again…
9 (con’t) into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
u-veyad pelishtim u-beyad melekh moav vayilakhamu bam – and in hand Philistines, and in hand king Moab. And they were consumed in them.” In Judges 10, it says –
“Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.” Judges 10:6, 7
In Judges 3, it says –
“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.” Judges 3:12-14
The three foes, Sisera, the Philistines, and Moab, are named to identify enemies within Canaan (Sisera led the armies of Jabin, king of Canaan), to their west (Philistines), and to their east (Moab). With each instance of rebellion and chastisement, the same response followed…
10 Then they cried out to the Lord, and said,
vayizaqu el Yehovah vayomer – “And they shrieked unto Yehovah, and he said…” The written and oral Hebrew do not match. The written says, “and he said.” The oral says, “and they said.” There is no need for the change. The people cried out to the Lord. Samuel then refers to them as one people in the singular. They next acknowledge their universal guilt…
10 (con’t) ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’
khatanu ki azavnu eth Yehovah vanaavod eth ha’bealim veeth haashtaroth veatah hatsilenu miyad oyevenu venaavdekha – “We sinned, for we relinquished Yehovah, and we served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. And now, you must cause to deliver us from hand our hatings, and let us serve you.” The people cried out, acknowledged their sin, and begged for deliverance. In place of serving other gods, they petitioned the Lord to allow them to serve Him again.
This is the repeated theme of the Book of Judges, and it is then followed up with the Lord relenting and bringing deliverance through someone selected by Him. To substantiate this, Samuel next says…
11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah,
vayishlakh Yehovah eth yerubaal veeth bedan veeth yiphtakh – “And He sent, Yehovah, Jerubbaal, and Bedan [In Dan], and Jephthah.” Each of these was selected by the Lord as a judge to deliver the people. Jerubbaal’s judgeship is recorded in Judges 6 & 7. He was selected to fight Midian.
Bedan appears to be an unnamed judge, but this is not the case. The usual excuse of most scholars is that it is a copyist’s error, which should have said Barak. That would assume that the name, which is not as close as scholars claim based on the last letter, was not only copied wrong but was also ignored from the very first read through –
ברק
בדן
More to the point, Barak was not a judge of Israel, nor was the credit for the victory in the battle given to him. Rather, it was given to Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.
As for Bedan, the name is an appellative for Samson. He was from Dan, and Samuel calls him bedan, In Dan. The spelling is identical between this name and the words “in Dan” in 1 Kings 12:29 –
בדן
בדן
The general (but incorrect) argument, summed up by Lange, is that “a name resting on a word-play would by no means suit this serious discourse; against the first (apart from the form) is the fact that Samson is never so-called, as must have been the case if the people were here to understand the name.”
This is nonsense. It is a speculative opinion combined with an argument from silence. It is incorrect because Jerubbaal was not called Jerubbaal until he received the name based on what he did at the time of his appointment as judge.
His name was Gideon, and yet, Samuel called him Jerubbaal based on that event. Thus, it was a name based on… wordplay. Further, it is an argument from silence to assume that Samson would not be known as Bedan, In Dan, simply because the name is not recorded in Judges.
There are abundant times where names and titles are seen as understood without ever having been recorded at some prior time. A good example of this was the word ro’eh, seer, in Judges 9:9. It was never used before in Scripture, and yet it notes that the word was common in the past but was no longer used.
This is what Samuel now does with Samson, who was from the same tribe as those who went north to Laish in Judges 18, apostatizing from the Lord. Unlike his wayward family members, Samson was a judge from the tribe of “Judge,” thus he is In Dan.
Samson’s judgeship is found in Judges 14 & 15, detailing his interactions with the Philistines. He judged Israel 20 years.
Jephthah’s judgeship is recorded in Judges 11 & 12. He was selected to fight the people of Ammon. Finally, Samuel refers to himself as a judge and deliverer as well…
11 (con’t) and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety.
veeth shemuel vayatsel ethkhem miyad oyevekhem misaviv vateshevu betakh – “and Samuel, and He caused to deliver you from hand your hatings from surrounding, and you sat in security.” Various scholars have a problem with Samuel including himself in the list as if it were bragging or complaining about his loss of authority to Saul.
However, Samuel is making a point about what was said in verse 10 and here in verse 11. Israel cried out to the Lord and then He sent a deliverer to turn them back to the Lord. Samuel was appointed to do just that. It is the reason for the specific timeline that was highlighted in Chapter 4 and resumed in Chapter 7, along with the particular timeline that was seen in Chapter 11, but which began in Chapter 8.
Events occurred that necessitated a judge to tend to a matter. The matter is resolved because the Lord faithfully tended to His covenant promises, even when Israel was faithfully unfaithful to Him. It was the case with the Philistines in Chapter 7 and with Nahash the Ammonite in Chapter 11, whose story actually fits into the narrative beginning in Chapter 8.
Despite the Lord having been faithful every step of the way, from Moses and Aaron until Samuel, Israel had never been faithful. This included the events that just took place and which have led to their gathering in Gilgal…
12 And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’
vatiru ki nakhash melekh bene amon ba alekhem vatomeru li lo ki melekh yimlokh alenu – “And you saw for Nahash, king sons Ammon, came upon you, and you said to me, ‘No! For king, he will reign upon us.’” It is these words that necessitate the unusual but precise timeline I laid out in verse 5 of the last sermon.
Nahash came against Jabesh Gilead. When he demanded the right eyes of the people of the city, it was considered a disgrace upon the entire nation. Thus, Samuel rightly says that he came against the nation.
Feeling that Samuel, and thus the Lord whom he represented, was incapable of handling the matter, they asked for a king, wanting one to reign over them like all the other nations. In the same manner that they had treated the Lord since the exodus, Samuel next says…
*12 (fin) when the Lord your God was your king.
Rather: veYehovah elohekhem malkekhem – “And Yehovah your God – your King!” Again and again over the years, Israel cried out to Yehovah and He delivered them. He had been faithful to a T every step of the way. He was their King, and He remained their King. They just failed to see it and acknowledge Him as such.
In fact, they had tried to appoint Gideon as ruler over them in Judges 8, but he refused, telling them that the Lord would rule over them. Not heeding that, the people of Shechem proclaimed Gideon’s son Abimelech king, something that didn’t go over so well for them.
The pattern of Israel’s failures seems almost endless because of their inability to acknowledge the Lord for who He is. Unfortunately, that has continued to this day.
Despite paying constant lip service to Him in synagogues, discussions, and homes around the world, they have rejected their King because they have rejected Jesus. Until they correct this and acknowledge Jesus for who He is, they will continue to face insurmountable troubles and woes.
And yet, just as during the time of the judges and now the kings, the Lord has remained faithful to them. His heavy hand upon them has not been an indication of His rejection of them. Rather, it is an indication of His continued correction of them.
Correction from the Lord is intended for exactly that purpose. If they were no longer on His radar in regard to redemptive history, they would have disappeared like all their enemies around them have, being swallowed up by the forces of time and human movement.
And yet, just as prophesied, they have remained a separate and distinct island among the nations of the world, even in their dispersion. And just as the ancient oracles have prophesied, they have been returned to their land to bring about the fulfillment of God’s word, including the return of Jesus to them.
The disobedient and stubborn nature of Israel exists in each of us unless we purposefully and actively quash it. Churches founded on Jesus Christ, which are grounded in God’s word, are often seen to apostatize in the course of a single lifetime, leaving nothing but a worthless shell of congregants fighting against God and maligning Him through their actions.
When we look at Israel, we are observing the human condition. This is why the Bible is relevant in every society it is introduced into. Therefore, let us consider what we read, determine to obey it, and actively direct our thoughts and hearts to the Lord, even until the day He calls us home.
Closing Verse: “A voice was heard on the desolate heights,
Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel.
For they have perverted their way;
They have forgotten the Lord their God.” Jeremiah 3:21
Next Week: 1 Samuel 12:13-25 What kind of leadership will he bring? I wonder and so do you… (Behold the King, Part II) (22nd 1 Samuel Sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.
1 Samuel 12:1-12 (CG)
12 And he said, Samuel, unto all Israel, “Behold! I heard in your voice to all which you said to me, and I caused to reign upon you king. 2 And now, behold the king, walking himself to your faces. And I, I aged and I grayed. And my sons, behold, with you. And I, I walked myself to your faces from my youth until the day, the this.
3 Behold me! You must heed in me – afront Yehovah and afront His anointed. Bullock whose I took, and jack whose I took, and whom I oppressed, whom I crushed, and from hand whom I took cover and I will cause to conceal my eyes in him? And I will cause to return to you.” 4 And they said, “Not you oppressed us, and not you crushed us, and not you took from hand man speck.”
5 And he said unto them, “Witness, Yehovah, in you. And witness His anointed the day, the this. For not you found in my hand speck.”
And they said, “Witness!”
6 And he said, Samuel, unto the people, “Yehovah – whom He made Moses and Aaron, and whom He caused to ascend your fathers from land Egypt. 7 And now, you must station yourselves, and let me judge with you to faces Yehovah all righteousnesses Yehovah, which He did with you and with your fathers. 8 According to which he came, Jacob – Egypt. And you shrieked, your fathers, unto Yehovah. And He sent, Yehovah, Moses and Aaron, and they caused to bring your fathers from Egypt, and they caused to sit them in the place, the this. 9 And they forgot Yehovah their God, and He sold them in hand Sisera, commander host Hazor, and in hand Philistines, and in hand king Moab. And they were consumed in them. 10 And they shrieked unto Yehovah, and he said, ‘We sinned, for we relinquished Yehovah, and we served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. And now, you must cause to deliver us from hand our hatings, and let us serve you.’ 11 And He sent, Yehovah, Jerubbaal, and Bedan [In Dan], and Jephthah, and Samuel, and He caused to deliver you from hand your hatings from surrounding, and you sat in security. 12 And you saw for Nahash, king sons Ammon, came upon you, and you said to me, “No! For king, he will reign upon us.” And Yehovah your God – your King!”
1 Samuel 12:1-12 (NKJV)
Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
4 And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
5 Then he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”
And they answered, “He is witness.”
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers: 8 When Jacob had gone 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 made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.