1 Samuel 10:17-21 – Samuel’s Speech (v17-19)
Saul has been introduced to us and marked privately as the new king (9:1-10:16). Now it is time for his unveiling and Samuel calls a national assembly. However, it is not quite the joy-filled celebration we might anticipate. Samuel begins with a prophetic thunder: “Thus says the LORD” (v18). Prophets don’t tend to begin happy messages like that; it is often a portent of judgement. He tells them, again, that their request for a king was wicked, underlining that it has been God who rescued them again and again. God rescued them, they rejected him. Laying bare the root of the problem he declares that this has been a royal coup, the throne being snatched by revolt and rebellion against God.
We’ve heard this before. Samuel is again hammering them with God’s rebuke. This message is so important, Samuel is willing to spoil the party; reminding them of the true nature of the event.
So I make the point again: the root of our problems in society and personally is sin – rejecting God’s rule. Sin is self-serving, self-pleasing, self-rule. Every problem in our world can be traced back to this, directly or indirectly. But the fact that sin is rejecting God’s rule is what makes it so serious. His rule is gracious, good, and great. The great goal of his rule is love. We are to love him and love others, as he is love and shares his love between Father, Son, and Spirit. And sin is us saying to a God who is nothing but good and loving, “I know best and I choose better.” It’s the child saying to the Father after eighteen years of provision and protection, “I hate you, I hate what you’ve done for me, I hate who you are.” It’s rejecting the one who gave us life, who gave us everything. This is the wickedness of the people’s request, and this is the wickedness of our sin.
Questions
- Why does God keep repeating this message?
- Think through the different parts of this scene – rejection of a good and loving God by people who think they know better. How do we see this first played out in the garden of Eden?
Prayer Points
- Ask God to give you an increasing sense of the wickedness and un-loveliness of sin.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.