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What gracious words God gave to Samuel to answer these faithless and stupid
children of His! His patience and mercy are almost unbelievable. Read verses 20-25,
especially verse 22 which gives us the reason for God's pardon:
"For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord
was pleased to make you His own" (N.I.V.).
Surely these words echo down the ages and bring joy and hope to all His children in
all dispensations and callings.
In the latter half of this verse the A.V. reads: "because it hath pleased the Lord to
make you His people", or "a people for Himself". All the Prophets in the O.T. confirm
this, as for example in Mal. 3: 16 and 17:
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened,
and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the
Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,
in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own
son that serveth him."
The word "jewels" is translated elsewhere in the O.T. Scriptures "peculiar treasure".
These words appear seven times in Scripture, and in every case refer to the future
blessings God has reserved for His earthly people Israel.
In I Sam. 12: there is only one condition attached to God's blessings at this time, and
that was that as a nation they feared the Lord and sought to serve Him in truth with all
their heart. If however they forsook Him and continued to do wickedly, then they would
be consumed, both the people and the king.
How can we ever fathom God's love and grace towards sinful men and women? The
reason behind Israel's desire for a king was that they wanted to be like all the idolatrous
nations around them, people who worshipped idols of wood and stone, and which
included rites of unbridled lust and outrageous customs.
How true, and up to date, are the words of Prov. 29: 18 where we read: "Where
there is no vision, the people perish". We might add to these words the last verse of the
book of Judges:
"... every man did that which was right in his own eyes."