1 Samuel 12:19 Komentář

We left the general assembly of the states together, in the close of the foregoing chapter; in this chapter we have Samuel's speech to them, when he resigned the government into the hands of Saul, in which, I. He clears himself from all suspicion or imputation of mismanagement, while the administration was in his hands (Sa1 12:1-5). II. He reminds them of the great things God had done for them and for their fathers (Sa1 12:6-13). III. He sets before them good and evil, the blessing and the curse (Sa1 12:14, Sa1 12:15). IV. He awakens them to regard what he said to them, by calling to God for thunder (Sa1 12:16-19). V. He encourages them with hopes that all should be well (Sa1 12:20-25). This is his farewell sermon to that august assembly and Saul's coronation sermon.

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 12 In this chapter Samuel, resigning the government to Saul, asserts the integrity with which he had performed his office, and calls upon the people of Israel to attest it, who did, Sa1 12:1, he then reminds them of the great and good things the Lord had done for them in times past, Sa1 12:6 and whereas they had desired a king, and one was given them, it was their interest to fear and serve the Lord; if not, his hand would be against them, Sa1 12:10 he terrifies them by calling for thunder in an unusual time, Sa1 12:16 and then comforts and encourages them, that in doing their duty God would be with them, and not forsake them, otherwise they might expect nothing but ruin and destruction, Sa1 12:20.

And all the people said unto Samuel, During the tempest, and in the midst of it; it was the general cry of the people, they were unanimous in it: pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not; though they had rejected him as their judge and supreme governor in desiring a king, now they were his humble servants, at least feignedly; and knowing what interest he had with God in prayer, they entreat him to make use of it on their behalf, who having sinned so greatly, had not the assurance to call the Lord their God, though they had no doubt of his being the God of Samuel, whose prayers he had heard, of which this tempest was a full proof; and was so violent, that if it continued, they were afraid they should be destroyed by the thunder and lightning, or they and their cattle, with the fruits of the earth, be washed away with the prodigious rain: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king; though Samuel had laid before them the evils and inconveniences of having a king, and had in the name of the Lord charged them with rejecting God as their king; yet nothing convinced them of their evil till this storm came, and then all their sins came fresh to their minds; and this added to the weight of them, and lay heaviest on them, that they had rejected the Lord, and slighted his prophets, and, notwithstanding all remonstrances, resolved on having a king.

And it is well added subsequently: "Samuel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain on that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die. For we have added to all our sins this evil, that we should ask for ourselves a king." 10. If we bring this down to our own times, in order that the people may come to the knowledge of their sins, preachers cry out to God on their behalf, because they seek the salvation of the faithful with great desires. For preachers to cry out is to petition for the salvation of the elect with great devotion. At their cry the Lord gives His voice, because He stirs the hearts of sinners so that they may recognize the wickedness of their depravity. He gives rains, because He aids their stirred hearts through the infusion of heavenly grace, so that each one may not only abandon the evil deeds he has committed, but also courageously perform the good works he desires. But this is said to happen on the day of the wheat harvest, so that the power of the miracle may be indicated. The transformation of the heart is indeed no less a miracle than the disturbance of the air. It is no less a miracle for parched hearts to come back to life than for rains to flood down in an unusual manner during the heat of summer. It is surely a greater miracle to shake an insensible mind with an inward thunder than for thunder to resound when clouds collide in the wind. But the right order of conversion is shown in the ordered arrangement of the words. For he says: "The Lord gave thunder and rain, and all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly." In the most orderly conversion, when evil is abandoned, good is propagated in the mind; when the converted mind nourishes good seed as if through rain, it submits itself to God and to men through the virtue of obedience. Rightly, therefore, it is said: "All the people feared the Lord and Samuel," because whoever receives the coming of the Supreme Spirit both abandons evil and lays hold of good, and is so subjected to God that for God's sake he also submits himself to men. And because they have no presumption in this very virtue of obedience, they say: "Pray for your servants to the Lord, that we may not die." When the spirit of life pours itself into the mind, it immediately raises it to the dread of death, because the teaching of that same spirit is that the mind should act in fear so as not to encounter what it fears. But holy men praying for them can be heard, who also reveal the hidden sins of the heart through the humility of confession. Hence it is also added: "For we have added to all our sins this evil, that we should ask for ourselves a king." But since these matters have already been sufficiently discussed in our exposition, let us look at what follows.

Samuel, grown old, testifies his integrity before the people, which they confirm, Sa1 12:1-5. He reproves them for their ingratitude and disobedience; and gives a summary of the history of their fathers, Sa1 12:6-12. He exhorts them to future obedience, and calls for a sign from heaven to confirm his authority, and to show them their disobedience: God sends an extraordinary thunder and rain, Sa1 12:13-19. He warns them against idolatry, and exhorts to obedience, and promises to intercede for them, Sa1 12:20-23. Sums up their duty, and concludes with a solemn warning, Sa1 12:24, Sa1 12:25.

Pray for thy servants - that we die not - As they knew they had rebelled against God, they saw that they had every thing to fear from his justice and power. We have added unto all our sins this evil - It is no sin to have a king; a good king is one of the greatest blessings of God's providence; but it is a sin to put a man in the place of God. Is it not strange that they did not now attempt to repair their fault? They might have done it, but they did not; they acknowledged their sin, but did not put it away. This is the general way of mankind. "God help us, we are all sinners!" is the general language of all people: but though to be a sinner is to be in the most solemn and awful circumstances, yet they are contented to bear the character, heedless of the consequences!

SAMUEL TESTIFIES HIS INTEGRITY. (Sa1 12:1-5) Samuel said unto all Israel--This public address was made after the solemn re-instalment of Saul, and before the convention at Gilgal separated. Samuel, having challenged a review of his public life, received a unanimous testimony to the unsullied honor of his personal character, as well as the justice and integrity of his public administration.

Samuel's Address at the Renewal of the Monarchy - 1 Samuel 12 Samuel closed this solemn confirmation of Saul as king with an address to all Israel, in which he handed over the office of judge, which he had hitherto filled, to the king, who had been appointed by God and joyfully recognised by the people. The good, however, which Israel expected from the king depended entirely upon both the people and their king maintaining that proper attitude towards the Lord with which the prosperity of Israel was ever connected. This truth the prophet felt impelled to impress most earnestly upon the hearts of all the people on this occasion. To this end he reminded them, that neither he himself, in the administration of his office, nor the Lord in His guidance of Israel thus far, had given the people any reason for asking a king when the Ammonites invaded the land (Sa1 12:1-12). Nevertheless the Lord had given them a king, and would not withdraw His hand from them, if they would only fear Him and confess their sin (Sa1 12:13-15). This address was then confirmed by the Lord at Samuel's desire, through a miraculous sign (Sa1 12:16-18); whereupon Samuel gave to the people, who were terrified by the miracle and acknowledged their sin, the comforting promise that the Lord would not forsake His people for His great name's sake, and then closed his address with the assurance of his continued intercession, and a renewed appeal to them to serve the Lord with faithfulness (Sa1 12:19-25). With this address Samuel laid down his office as judge, but without therefore ceasing as prophet to represent the people before God, and to maintain the rights of God in relation to the king. In this capacity he continued to support the king with his advice, until he was compelled to announce his rejection on account of his repeated rebellion against the commands of the Lord, and to anoint David as his successor.