Lesson 206 - Junior

Memory Verse

"Thou hast proved mine heart;... thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing" (Psalm 17:3).

Notes

Great Joy in Israel

There was great rejoicing among the Israelites. Their king had been anointed; and in his first test he had proved himself brave in battle and able to organise and lead a great army. God had given him victory over the Ammonites; and the Israelites could imagine a bright future with Saul as their leader. Surely Saul was everything they had desired in a king.

However, that joy was not of God. They were happy because they were having their own way. In the days to come they were going to have cause to repent of their willfulness.

The Coronation

It was now time for Saul's reign to begin, and Samuel called all the people to Gilgal for the coronation. There before the Lord, amid sacrifices and offerings, Saul was crowned king of Israel. "And all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly."

After the coronation, Samuel made a very important speech. He reminded the Israelites that they now had a king because they had begged for one, and not because it was the will of God, and that any evil that might come to them through the monarchy would be their own fault. In contrast, he told them that he had governed them in obedience to the will of God. All the days of his life he had walked among them and had hidden nothing from them that he had done. From the time he was a child he had devoted his life to pleasing God and helping the people.

Now that his life was nearing its end, he asked the people to judge him. Had he ever taken anything of theirs as might a ruler who had the power to do so? Had he ever taken a bribe to make a decision in their favour? Never had he wanted anything they had, nor had he oppressed them in any way. Would the Israelites witness that he had always been just and righteous? The people agreed that Samuel had been just as he had said. They had no complaint against the way he had governed them.

Samuel asked not only the people to judge his works, but he also asked God, who sees the thoughts and intents of the heart, to be a witness that he had always done the right thing. Samuel's first thought had been to please God. In the Word we read: "There is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts" (II Chronicles 19:7): and God wants His children to be like Him here, while we live on this earth. If we ask Him, God will give us the power to live just as Samuel did, so that no one will be able justly to find fault with what we do.

God's Leading

Samuel next asked the Israelites to consider their history. It had been God who had raised up Moses and Aaron to lead their forefathers out of Egyptian bondage. It has been the Lord who had clothed them and given them food to eat during their forty-years' wandering in the wilderness. And when Israel had sinned, God had justly let punishment come upon them to show them they had sinned. He had fought their battles, and led them into a good land.

Samuel now asked the Israelites if they could not see that there was but one Almighty God, only one God who loved righteousness, and who had mercy and pity upon His people. What other god could have led a band of people as God had led the Israelites?

God had raised up judges to govern the Israelites when they had been in need. Military leaders had been appointed by God to lead their armies into certain victory. All this, God had done for His people because he loved them and because of His covenant with Abraham.

Ungratefulness

Were the Israelites grateful? No, they had turned their back on their heavenly Leader and had demanded a king. "Now therefore," said Samuel, "behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired!" He wanted them to know that he had had no part in asking for a king.

Moses, too, had had to deal with such ungratefulness among the Israelites. He once asked, "Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?" (Deuteronomy 32:6).

We feel sorry for parents who, in their old age, are forsaken by their children, children for whom they have worked hard and made sacrifices and devoted their love. But what about forsaking our heavenly Father, who does everything for us that we will allow Him to do? He once called the Israelites His vineyard, and asked: "Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?" (Isaiah 5:3, 4). What more could God have done for us to make us ready for Heaven? He sent His only Son to die for us; and Jesus gave all that He had, and bore our sins on Calvary, that we might be saved. He has sent the Spirit into the world to woo us into the Kingdom of God, and to guide us into all truth. What more can He do? Do we appreciate His love and sacrifice?

The King's Duty

Samuel did give the Israelites a little hope. If the people and their king would obey the commandments of God, he would still bless them and prosper them. If the king would fear God, he would receive wisdom to rule well and be good to his subjects.

God had known that Israel would want a king, and had asked Moses to write down the duties of such a king. This is what Moses wrote: "And is shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandments, to the right hand, or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

Rain in Summer

Samuel had given ample proof to the people that the God of Heaven was the only God, but he offered one more sign. It was the time of the wheat harvest, when it never rained in Palestine. But now Samuel said, "I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain." This was to prove to the Israelites how foolish they had been to reject the Almighty God who ruled even the elements, and to ask for a mere man to rule over them. God answered the prayer of Samuel and sent thunder and rain. The people were so frightened that they thought they were going to die. Their conscience hurt them for their disobedience when it seemed as if judgement was falling.

The Israelites cried unto Samuel: "Pray for thy servants." They admitted they had been wrong in asking for a king, and they wanted Samuel to stand between them and an offended God. Samuel assured them that God was not going to destroy them.

God had indeed been displeased with their request for a king; but now that their king had been crowned, God would again be good to them if they would obey Him in the future. All the world was looking on the progress of the Israelites, knowing they wee God's chosen people; so, for His own honour and glory, He would prosper Israel whenever possible. But woe unto them if they disobeyed again!

Questions

1. How did Israel receive their king?

2. How had Samuel governed Israel?

3. What did the people say about Samuel's leadership?

4. Why did the Israelites want a king instead of a leader like Samuel?

5. What did Samuel say to the Israelites to prove that God had been with them in the past?

6. What sign did Samuel give to prove that God was listening to their requests?

7. What were some of the rules which God told Moses that the king should write in a book, for kings to follow?

8. Why was God going to bless Israel even though she had a king?