1 Samuel #12; an exposition of 1 Samuel 12:1-25. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, February 26, 2012.
Intro:
There are two popular misunderstandings about the character of God common in the church. I say misunderstandings because both are a distortion in that they present one aspect of the truth to the exclusion of other aspects. I say they are common because I know a great number of folks who hold to these views. Few hold to them as their doctrinal conviction but hold them nevertheless in practice. One is to view God as the overindulgent grandfather. This is the God who thunders from Sinai and yet winks at our sin. Sure sin is wrong, it is bad, we ought not to do it but we are under grace and God always forgives our sin. To often these folks presume upon the grace of God rather than rest in God’s grace. Their approach to the confession of sin is to say, “Oh, my bad. Sorry about that.” Then go merrily on their way not expecting there to be any consequence to their actions. On the other hand there are those who tremble before the God of the great big stick! These folks take the thunder from Sinai seriously. Often these believers know little or nothing of the joy of salvation. They constantly fear they’ve not done enough. They worry that perhaps they sinned unknowingly or have failed to account for and confess every wrong. Both views are a distortion and both fail to present the God of Scripture. Your doctrine of God, your understanding of God’s character and nature are critical to your Christian living. How you understand God and His dealings with His creation have a profound affect on how you live daily. We are all prone to excess. We all tend to emphasize one truth above another. Balance is not our strong suit but balance is the goal. God is love. Yet love is not the sum total of who God is. God is also holy, transcendant, set apart, distinct and different. God loves us and thus is merciful, kind and gracious. Yet God is holy and thus righteous standards are maintained and justice will be upheld. God loves us and thus lowers himself to be in relationship with us and yet unrighteousness cannot stand in His presence. So how does God deal with us and our sin? How does He love and yet maintain righteousness? In seeking to better understand, we turn to the Old Testament and see how God responded to Israel in the face of their rebellion.
Text: 1 Samuel 12:1-25
The people of Israel demanded a king like the nations around them.
Samuel privately anointed Saul as king and then later declared him king publicly.
Yet Saul didn’t do anything “kingly” for quite awhile.
In fact he just went home and picked up his farming duties until the imminent threat from the Ammonites called for action (11).
Chapter 11 ends with a brief description of a renewal ceremony in Gilgal
So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. (11:15)
Chapter 12 is a more detailed account of that gathering. We are given some insight into what was said on that occasion and what it meant to renew the kingdom.
The ESV has a title over chapter 12 that says, “Samuel’s Farewell Address.”
It is true Samuel takes a backseat and the kings move front and center but Samuel isn’t gone.
He continues his ministry as is made plan in the text and the fact he’s seen later in the story.
For our purpose this evening, here is what I want you to see…
Thesis: The gathering of the people of God at Gilgal for renewal and repentance reminds us of our need to bring the whole counsel of God to bear on our understanding of God’s response to our sin and rebellion.
There are 3 things I want to point out.
- God graciously confronts our sin. (12:1-15)
- God graciously reminds us of His power and His intent to hold us accountable. (12:16-19)
- Our God lovingly offers the Gospel when we become convinced of the righteousness of His divine judgment. (12:20-25)
Conclusion:
Is God loving?
Yes but not the exclusion of His holiness.
Is God holy?
Yes but not the exclusion of His love.
Because He is gracious God confronts our sin.
Because He is gracious He reminds us of His power and His intent to hold us accountable.
Because He is loving He offers the Gospel when we become convinced of the righteousness of His divine judgment.
The gathering of the people of God at Gilgal for renewal and repentance reminds us of our need to bring the whole counsel of God to bear on our understanding of God’s response to our sin and rebellion.