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1 Samuel 12:16-25

The LORD Sends Thunder and Rain

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16Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.

17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”

18So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”

20“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

21Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

22Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

24Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

25But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

Samuel tells Israel to stand still and see the great thing the LORD will do. Although it is the time of wheat harvest, he calls on the LORD, and the LORD sends thunder and rain. The people are overcome with fear of the LORD and of Samuel.

They confess that they have added to their sins by asking for a king. Samuel tells them not to be afraid, but he does not minimize what they have done. He promises that he will not stop praying for them and will continue to teach them the good and right way.

Samuel gives them a reason to hope: the LORD will not abandon His people, for the sake of His great name, because He was pleased to make them His own. Their failure has not made God forget His commitment. They can turn toward Him instead of fleeing to the worthless things Samuel says cannot save them.

That assurance makes faithful service possible; it does not make disobedience harmless. Samuel calls them to consider the great things God has already done and serve Him with all their hearts. If they persist in evil, both they and their king will be swept away. Their new king cannot protect them from the LORD's judgment. God's mercy gives them reason to return, and His warning gives them reason to take that return seriously.

Questions

1 What sign does Samuel call for to show Israel's wickedness in asking for a king?

AnswerSamuel calls on the LORD, and the LORD sends thunder and rain during the wheat harvest. The sign shows Israel that asking for a king was a great wickedness.

2 How do thunder and rain affect the people's response?

AnswerThe people greatly fear the LORD and Samuel when they see the thunder and rain. They confess that they have added the evil of asking for a king to all their other sins.

3 What does Samuel promise to keep doing even while warning Israel not to turn aside?

AnswerSamuel promises to pray for Israel and teach them the good and right way. He tells them to fear the LORD, serve Him faithfully, and remember the great things He has done.

4 How can our household respond to conviction with repentance rather than panic?

AnswerRemember that Samuel calls guilty people to keep following the God who made them His own. Admit a wrong without excuses, ask for mercy, and take a concrete step to turn from it rather than giving up in fear.

What This Means for Us

Samuel refuses two easy responses to sin. He does not call the people's guilt harmless, and he does not tell them that failure makes prayer or obedience pointless. He promises to keep praying and teaching them.

The assurance that God has not abandoned His people gives them somewhere to turn. When we become aware of our own sin, we can seek His mercy and accept correction. Shame need not drive us into hiding or make us believe obedience is now pointless.

Let confession lead somewhere concrete. Name what needs to change, ask for help if necessary, and take the first step while remembering the LORD's mercy.

Prayer

LORD, make us honest about our sin without driving us into despair. Keep teaching us the good and right way, and give our household courage to confess, repair, and serve you faithfully. Amen.

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