How to Find Your Role Through prayer (1 Sam 12.8, 10, 17, 18, 19, 23)

“…the Egyptians oppressed them, then your ancestors cried to the LORD…”

Then they cried to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

“I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain…”

So Samuel called upon the LORD…

“Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves.”

“…far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you;”

Background

After Samuel had anointed Saul as king, the people returned to their homes. In a bit of literary foreshadowing, the writer tells us that some people were already questioning the king’s ability to protect them.

It did not take long for a test to arrive. A nearby people, the Ammonites, attacked an area called Jabesh. They announced that thy would accept a treaty if the Jabeshites would agree to have the right eye of each male gouged out. This act would show the weakness of the men of Jabesh and the authority of the Ammonites. They gave them a week to decide.

In response, Saul assembled 370,000 men, who confronted and defeated the Ammonite army. (Note that there was no mention of prayer before or after the battle.)

Despite the victory and the joy of some, there are still some who complain about the king. Perhaps they were jealous of his victory; maybe they took to heart the warnings God had given them about a king. The prophet Samuel calls all the people together and holds a ceremony is an affirmation of the kingship of Saul: they asked for a king, and God provided one. They must now obey him.

The words of Samuel also sound like a farewell speech. This is a crucial moment in the history of Israel because the old role of judge, prophet, and priest of Israel is over. Now, God’s prophets will be mere advisors to the king, without any political, judicial, or military authority.

Samuel’s speech contains six references to prayer. The first two are prayers from the past. Samuel recounts the work he had done among the Israelites in the past—he was faithful and true. He then recalls God’s actions and reminds the people that when their ancestors were slaves in Egypt, they “cried out” to God, and He rescued them. He brought them to the Promised Land and made them victorious. Despite this, the people became complacent in their faith, the Philistines conquered them and took the Ark. Once again, they “cried out” to God and confessed; God delivered them once more. Finally, when the surrounding nations had kings to lead them into battle, they asked Samuel to give them a king. Pointing to Saul, Samuel announces, “this is he!” He urges them to follow him as God’s chosen leader—but tells them it is more important to follow God.