1 Samuel 12
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 12
Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" Stevenson summarizes Samuels actions in this chapter - Samuel’s Call to Commitment. - This call is presented in the legal terms of a covenant. Samuel begins by calling for witnesses against himself. Having shown that he is a qualified judge, he then places the nation of Israel "in the dock." The witnesses are from Israel’s past. Moses and Aaron. Jerubbaal (Gideon). Bedan (Barak). Jephthah. All are men who were used by God to deliver His people. Behold (02009) hinneh is an interjection meaning behold, look, now; if. "It is used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation, certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context." (Baker) Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! And so hinneh is used as an exclamation of vivid immediacy (e.g., read Ge 6:13)! Hinneh is a marker used to enliven a narrative, to express a change a scene, to emphasize an idea, to call attention to a detail or an important fact or action that follows (Isa 65:17, Ge 17:20, 41:17). The first use of hinneh in Ge 1:29 and second in Ge 1:31 - "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." Hinneh is often used in the idiom "Here I am" in Ge 22:1, 7,11 Ge 27:1,18, Ge 31:11, Ge 46:2 Ex 3:4 1Sa 3:4, 3:16, 12:3, 2Sa 1:7, Isa 52:6, Isa 58:9. Hinneh is used most often to point out people but also to point out things (Ge 31:41, 17:4). God uses hinneh to grab man's attention before He brings destruction (Ge 6:13, 17). God uses hinneh when He establishes covenants (Ge 9:9, 15:12, 17 [when Jehovah cut the Abrahamic covenant], Ge 17:4, cp Ge 28:13, 15), when He provided a sacrificial substitute for Isaac (foreshadowing His giving us His only Son!) (Ge 22:13). Hinneh marks the "chance (The Providence of God)" arrival of Boaz at the field where Ruth was gleaning (Ru 2:4-read about this "chance romance" - Indeed, "Behold!"). Hinneh is used to announce the Lord’s sending of a child as a sign and a prophecy of Immanuel-Emmanuel, the Messiah (Isa. 7:14-note). In fact W E Vine says that it is notable that when behold (hinneh) is used in Isaiah, it always introduces something relating to future circumstances. Listened (obeyed, understood)(08085) shama means to hear (Adam and Eve hearing God = Ge 3:8, 10, Ge 18:10 = "overheard"), to listen (Ge 3:17, Ge 16:2 [= this was a big mistake and was the origin of Jews and Arabs!] Ex 6:9,16:20, 18:19, Webster's 1828 on "listen" = to hearken; to give ear; to attend closely with a view to hear. To obey; to yield to advice; to follow admonition) and since hearing/listening are often closely linked to obedience, shama is translated obey (1 Sa 15:22, Ge 22:18, 26:5, 39:10, Ex 19:5, disobedience = Lev 26:14, 18, 21, 27) or to understand. KJV translates shama "hearken" (196x) a word which means to give respectful attention. Of God's hearing in general or hearing our prayers (Hab 1:2, Ps 66:18, click here for more in the Psalms, cf God's hearing in Zeph 2:8, Ge 16:11, 17:20, 30:17, 22, Ge 21:17, 29:33, 30:6, 17, 22; Ex 2:24, Ex 16:8, 9, 12, Nu 11:1, 12:2). Shama means “to hear intelligently and attentively and respond appropriately." In other words to hear does not convey the idea of "in one ear and out the other!" The most famous use is the so-called "Shema" in Dt 6:4 "Hear (a command, in Greek Lxx = present imperative - habitually, continually - ultimately continually keeping this command would call for dependence on the Holy Spirit to obey) O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." While the Holy Spirit did not indwell believers permanently in the OT, He was still "alive and well," and only believing Israelites could truly fulfill all the all's in this charge! Remember that God never gives frail humans a command to obey that He does not also provide the power or ability to obey! The greatest significance of the use of shama is that of relation of man to God, especially where the context speaks of obedience. Obedience is the supreme test of faith and reverence for God. The Old Testament conception of obedience was vital. It was the one important relationship which must not be broken. While sometimes this relation may have been formal and cold, it nevertheless was the one strong tie which held the people close to God. The significant spiritual relation is expressed by Samuel when he asks the question, “Hath Yahweh as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying (shama) the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey (shama) is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sa 15:22). It was the condition without which no right relation might be sustained to Yahweh. This is most clearly stated in the relation between Abraham and Yahweh when he is assured “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed (shama) my voice” (Ge 22:18). In prophetic utterances, future blessing and prosperity were conditioned upon obedience: “If ye be willing and obedient (shama), ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isa 1:19). After surveying the glories of the Messianic kingdom, the prophet assures the people that “this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey (shama) the voice of Yahweh your God” (Zec 6:15). On the other hand misfortune, calamity, distress and famine are due to their disobedience and distrust of Yahweh. 1 Samuel 12:2 "Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. BGT 1 Samuel 12:2 καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς διαπορεύεται ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν κἀγὼ γεγήρακα καὶ καθήσομαι καὶ οἱ υἱοί μου ἰδοὺ ἐν ὑμῖν κἀγὼ ἰδοὺ διελήλυθα ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἐκ νεότητός μου καὶ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης KJV 1 Samuel 12:2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. NET 1 Samuel 12:2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. CSB 1 Samuel 12:2 Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today. ESV 1 Samuel 12:2 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. NIV 1 Samuel 12:2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. NLT 1 Samuel 12:2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you-- an old, gray-haired man-- and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. NRS 1 Samuel 12:2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. YLT 1 Samuel 12:2 and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they are with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day. Now, here is the king walking before you: 1Sa 8:20 Nu 27:17 I am old: 1Sa 8:1,5 Ps 71:18 Isa 46:3,4 2Ti 4:6 2Pe 1:14 my sons: 1Sa 2:22,29 3:13,16 8:3 I have walked: 1Sa 3:19,20 Related Passages: Joshua 23:1-2+ Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, 2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. SAMUEL AFFIRMS HIS LIFELONG INTEGRITY Now - This will mark the end of Samuel's long tenure as Israel's judge and prophet and the beginning of Israel's monarchy. Robert Bergen sets the stage nicely - Holding court one last time with the people of Israel, Samuel’s final act as judge was to put himself on trial. In this case Samuel was the defendant, the people were prosecutors, and “the Lord and his anointed” (v. 3) were the enforcing authorities. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) Warren
1 Samuel 12
Spurgeon - Oh that our prayers would be like lightening rods that pierce the clouds & bring down the mighty & mysterious power from on high! but I will instruct you in the good and right way - Samuel was a prophet in the foretelling sense, but here he describes his role as a prophet in FORTH telling sense. Our hearts gravitate away from the good and right way and we are continually in need of (and heed of) instruction. THOUGHT - I think of the Psalmist in Ps 119:10 who says "With all my heart I have sought You. Do not let me wander from Your commandments." Why does he pray that prayer? Because this man of God knew that he was ever in danger of wandering from God's perfect law! Thank God for the "Samuel's" in our lives who instruct us in the good and right way! Bob
1 Samuel 12
Spurgeon - preface of his sermon on 1 Samuel 12:23 Samuel, An Example Of Intercession - IT is a very great privilege to be permitted to pray for our fellow-men. Prayer in each man’s case must necessarily begin with personal petitions, for until the man is himself accepted with God he cannot act as an intercessor for others; and herein lies part of the excellence of intercessory prayer, for it is to the man who exercises it aright a mark of inward grace, and a token for good from the Lord. Thou mayest be sure that thy King loves thee when he will permit thee to speak a word to him on behalf of thy friend. When the heart is enlarged in believing supplication for others, all doubts about personal acceptance with God may cease; he who prompts us to love has certainly given us that love, and what better proof of his favour do we desire? It is a great advance upon anxiety for our own salvation when we have risen out of the narrowness of dread about ourselves into the broader region of care for a brother’s soul. He who in answer to his intercession has seen others blessed and saved may take it as a pledge of divine love, and rejoice in the condescending grace of God. Such prayer rises higher than any petition for ourselves, for only he who is in favour with the Lord can venture upon pleading for others. Moreover, it shows an enlarged heart, a participation in the spirit of love, and a growing likeness to Christ. Earnest longings for the good of those around us show that we are beginning to take our right position towards our fellow men, and are no longer living as if we were ourselves the sole end and aim of our own existence. Intercessory prayer is an act of communion with Christ, for Jesus pleads for the sons of men. It is a part of his priestly office to make intercession for his people. He hath ascended up on high to this end, and exercises this office continually within the veil. When we pray for our fellow-sinners we are in sympathy with our divine Saviour, who made intercession for the transgressors. It is well to remember that wondrous text from which we preached the other Sunday morning, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance”: when we beg for conversions we are asking for Christ, and with Christ, and herein we have fellowship with him. Such prayers are often of unspeakable value to those for whom they are offered. Many of us trace our conversion, if we go to the root of it, to the prayers of certain godly persons. In innumerable instances the prayers of parents have availed to bring young people to Christ. Many more will have to bless God for praying teachers, praying friends, praying pastors. Obscure persons confined to their beds are often the means of saving hundreds by their continual pleadings with God. The book of remembrance will reveal the value of these hidden ones, of whom so little is thought by the mass of Christians. As the body is knit together by bands, and sinews, and interlacing nerves and veins, so is the whole body of Christ converted into a living unity by mutual prayers; we were prayed for, and now in turn we pray for others. Not only the conversion of sinners, but the welfare, preservation, growth, comfort and usefulness of saints are abundantly promoted by the prayers of their brethren; hence apostolic men cried, “Brethren, pray for us”; he who was the personification of love said, “Pray one for another that ye may be healed,” and our great Lord and Head ended his earthly career by a matchless prayer for those whom the Father had given him. Intercessory prayer is a benefit to the man who exercises it, and is often a better channel of comfort than any other means of grace. The Lord turned again the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Even where such prayer does not avail for its precise object it has its results. David tells us that he prayed for his enemies: he says, in Psalm 35:13, “As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting.” And he adds, “my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” He sent forth his intercession, like Noah’s dove, but as it found no rest for the sole of its foot, and no blessing came of it, it returned to him who sent it, and brought back with it an olive-leaf plucked off, a sense of peace to his own spirit; for nothing is more restful to the heart than to have prayed for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. Prayers for others are pleasing to God and profitable to ourselves; they are no waste of breath, but have a result guaranteed by the faithful Promiser. I commend, therefore, to you, my brethren and sisters in Christ, the abundant resources of intercessory prayer: use them without stint. My friend, hast thou nothing to ask for for thyself? Then thou art indeed very rich; but if thou hast ever come to such a height of happiness as that, now use thy power in prayer for the church and for the world. Art thou, like Elias, perfectly content with the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil, which thy God so marvellously multiplies for thy support? Then pray him to send a sound of abundance of rain for the sake of the multitudes that are perishing with famine. What if, like Abraham, thou art thyself secure, yet pray for the cities of the plain which are soon to be overwhelmed with destruction. If, like Esther, thou dwellest in the king’s palace, art thou not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Therefore, seek an audience of his royal Majesty, and pray for those of thy race who are in jeopardy. If like Nehemiah you hold a high position in the royal courts, turn it to account for the banished ones, and when you next wait upon the King, present to him a petition for your brethren. It is to incite you to earnest intercession that I have selected this text. I would have you stirred up to diligent supplication by the example of Samuel, who is worthy to be placed in the very forefront of intercessors. F B