#422 Which System This Week?

And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me[a] and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness,[b] who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,[c] then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,[d] and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak[e] and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.[f] 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 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, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” 1 Samuel 12 ESV

How many men can give the testimony of such a life? From the time of his youth he has walked with the Lord and here he does not wish to defraud or withhold, but let it be brought out and into the light. I am 45 years old and there are men and women older than myself whose words I echo when I say, "I have never voted for one to govern me that I did not feel that I was only choosing the lesser of the two evils." There are those who will strongly disagree with me, and have much hope riding on party or candidate, but my hope now rest in the Lord, and my wickedness then was not that I made a choice but that I did not after pray for them daily. There is no one, no thing, no party, no human system that replaces God. And the thick of it, the tranquilizer dart in the cheek as you shake your fist and run, is you well may convince the king, but God will have the final say. Men may be swayed and looking at them as a substitute or separation from the oracles of God, refer to the previous sentence. 

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

² Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³ Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Job 38: 1-4

It all belongs to the Creator, and men try foolishly with fig leaves first to cover themselves, then make idols that are more after their image, petty, foolish, greedy and depraved. When it is pointed out to them, some put away those idols for a time, but when they set their eyes on things fading, they put the corruptible once more upon the throne of their heart. They grow angry over God's judgment and take His mercy ever fore granted. If only we had a king, then God could leave us, but someone would still be there to fight our wars, to promote our own watered down religion or answer for us that we not answer for ourselves. If they feel that they are sinners, that they cannot answer for themselves, then they are partly right, but no less accountable. Putting a sinner on the throne of your heart does not protect you or him from God, the king is only the worse for it, if he is not humble before the Lord. Nothing brings out corruption like the supposed power and authority of men. It is supposed because they take for granted the higher authority whereby it is allowed. Men now think that power comes of themselves, that creation was an accident, and that lying is a necessary strategy to their gain. Pride is revered.

The realm of the dead below is all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms cover you.
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; Isaiah 14: 9-13

Samuel recounts their history, the history of them leaving God, crying out to God and then God rescuing them. They see by a show of power from God that this is not Samuel's grievance about himself. There is probably even more awe from his person as to men and marveling as to why God is mindful at all of them when there are much more powerful created beings, as angels, who God has already cast down in judgment. Why have you chosen this people? They will need a King, but they will despise and reject Him. They will prefer outward show, but inwardly they will cling to pride and salvation by works. They will think themselves wise, always hoping for yet another king, another man to save them, even falling back to a system that was designed to show them that they were sinners, and incapable both by merit and by birth. They were under a curse. Could anyone stand before this Holy God? What must I do to be saved? Samuel, please don't quit praying for us, and he assures them that not only will he continue to pray, but he will teach them. Only do this, don't be afraid, don't turn aside from following the Lord, serve him with all your heart. But if we still do wickedly we will be swept away, with our king. The king cannot take away the rightful rule and justice of a Holy and Righteous God, the Author and the Finisher. God, please help me as an individual to follow you, to hold You above all things, let nothing stand so high upon my heart as the desire to bring honor and glory to You. Give me the wisdom and courage to tear down the idols in my mind, preserve me till you return or until I can come home, that I no longer bring dishonor to your body, that I walk the narrow path, that I stand for what is right, that their be no arrogance found in me. Let me lift up my brother, sisters, neighbors and friends, bringing them to your throne daily. Thank you for King Jesus, ruler of all, the spotless lamb, the power of God, the Word among us. 

Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!” 7How lovely on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, together they shout for joy, for every eye will see when the LORD returns to Zion.…Isaiah 52:6-8