Whom Will You Serve?

12:1-25
Sermon by Rodney Tan
Melaka Gospel Chapel
Sunday 30 September 2018
 Outline
• Introduction
• 1) Samuel Testifies to the People of His Integrity (v1-5)
• 2) Samuel Reprimands the People of Their Ingratitude (v6-15)
• 3) Samuel Terrifies the People with Thunder & Rain (v16-18)
• 4) Samuel Comforts the People in God’s Mercy (v19-25)
• Application
Introduction
Four-Question Quiz (with only One Answer!)
• 1. Who was the last judge in Israel?
• 2. Who was the first prophet in Israel?
• 3. Who anointed the first two kings of
Israel?
• 4. Who was the only man in the Old
Testament to have two books in the Bible
named after Him?
 1) Samuel Testifies to the People of His Integrity
(v1-5)
• Samuel talks about his leadership over Israel (v1-3)
• Transition from Samuel’s leadership to Saul’s leadership (v1)
• But Samuel is not stepping down as Israel’s judge
• His 2 sons out of priestly leadership- not godly men (v2)
• His humble beginnings – dedicated to the Lord & serving Israel
• A godly leader “walking before his flock” (v2)
• Samuel has passed on a good legacy to the new king Saul (v3)
 1) Samuel Testifies to the People of His
Integrity (v1-5)
• Israel affirms the blameless leadership of Samuel (v4-5)
• The people knew Samuel was a good, godly leader (v4)
• God and King Saul were witnesses against them should any blaming
happens (v5)
 2) Samuel Reprimands the People of Their
Ingratitude (v6-15)
• Samuel gives a brief lesson in history (v6-12)
• He mentions God’s work from Exodus until his present day
• Not the history of Israel
• But the history of the “righteous acts of God” (v7)
• List of deliverers show that Israel constantly needed help (v11)
• Repeated cycles of rebellion-retribution-repentance-restoration
(v9-11)
 3) Samuel Terrifies the People with Thunder
& Rain (v16-18)
• Samuel remembers the most recent example of God’s deliverance
(v12)
• Israel must remember examples of God’s “righteous acts”
• Israel’s fault : Their disobedient desire for a king (v12)
• God has been a good king
 3) Samuel Terrifies the People with Thunder
& Rain (v16-18)
• A choice for Israel (v13-15)
• Samuel presented the king that the people desired (v13)
• Important choice: God still gave them a king.
• If they fear the Lord and serve Him, God will bless (v14)
• If they disobeyed, God will not bless them (v15)
• Reminded them that the people were no different from their fathers
(v15)
 3) Samuel Terrifies the People with Thunder &
Rain (v16-18)
• God confirms Samuel’s word with a sign (v16-18)
• Samuel prayed to God for a sign to impress the wicked hearts (v16)
• God had a reason in allowing the “people’s king” to come first.
• Samuel does not want to be accused of scolding people because of
his seeming hurt.
• God sent thunder and rain (v18)
• NB: Baal was god of thunder and rain
• Heavy rain during wheat harvest shows God’s power and judgement
• The people greatly feared God and Samuel (v18)
 3) Samuel Terrifies the People with Thunder
& Rain (v16-18)
• Israel realizes their sin of desiring a human king (v19)
• Samuel was a man of prayer (Psa 99:6; Jer 15:1)
• Asked Samuel to pray for them (v19)
• Too late – people are stuck with a king
• Yet God will still turn it for good if the Israelites will repent (v20)
 4) Samuel Comforts the People in God’s Mercy
(v19-25)
• Samuel exhorts Israel to walk right with the Lord (v19-25)
• At present moment, serve God with all our heart (v20)
• Rejecting God will not work (v21)
• Samuel tells that God loves the Israelites (v22)
• Israelites favour from God is not due to their good works but God’s
love.
• Samuels continues to pray for them. (v23)
• But there’s a place for teaching (v23)
• Samuel will continue to lead & serve them (v23)
 4) Samuel Comforts the People in God’s
Mercy (v19-25)
• We serve Him because of the great things He has done for us. (v24)
• A warning that will become the sad legacy of Israel (v25)
• They were conquered and taken as captives.
 Application
1) Joshua 24:14-15
(14) "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in
sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your
fathers served on the other side of the River and in
Egypt. Serve the LORD!
(15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on
the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD."
 Application
• 2) God doesn’t act out of character
• He promised that He will “not
forsake His people for His great
name’s sake”. (12:22)
• To abandon Israel would have been
-a violation of His covenant
-a contradiction of His character
• God’s work done in God’s way will
never lack God’s supply.
– Hudson Taylor
 Application
• 3) Leaders & teachers –
• teach and
• pray for our people/students