And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:21-25 NKJV)
Saul was just named King of Israel in this passage. Israel had begged for a king, despite the fact that this was a rejection of the leadership of God. Right before this passage, they admitted their sinfulness in this. Samuel’s response was simple: Yes, you have sinned, but from now on be faithful! In the verses under consideration Samuel made several important points.
Avoid Empty Things That
Cannot Profit or Deliver
Samuel warned them not to “turn aside.” Oh, how often we let ourselves be diverted and overwhelmed by things that cannot profit or deliver. In contrast, if we stay the course, walking in the light, we will reap those things that are profitable.
God Will Not Forsake His People
God has chosen us in Christ today. We can be fully assured that He will not forsake us. The only “forsaking” can come on our part, not His. What a marvelous blessing! We are not wasting our time, but instead we will be rewarded for staying faithful to Him. He wants us to be His; we need to express that same desire to belong to Him.
We Should Pray for Each Other While
Teaching the Good and the Right Way
Samuel said that it would violate God’s will if He did not pray for them. Therefore, of course, he prayed for them. However, he backed up his prayers for them with the teaching of pure, unadulterated truth. Praying for someone without presenting the truth of God to them is wrong and hypocritical.
We Must Fear (Respect) God, Serving
Him in Truth with Our Whole Hearts
We must recognize God’s superiority. We must serve Him in truth (i.e., according to His Word). Of great emphasis is the fact that it must be service from the heart. No service is true service if it does fully come from the heart.
We Must “Consider What Great
Things He Has Done for” Us
If we will examine our lives honestly, we will recognize the many great blessings that we have and have had. James says that all good gifts come down from God. When we lose our hope and find despair is when we forget the wonderful blessings God has given us.
The Warning Is that If We
Do Wickedness, We Will Be
Swept Away and Destroyed
The continued blessings of God are dependent upon our choices to serve Him and to avoid that which is evil. So many of God’s promises are conditional. When we fail to follow His ways, we will ultimately be separated from God. The Israelites refused to listen to God. As the centuries went by, they moved further into idolatry, more oppressive of the poor, and less and less connected with the Word of God. Late in the history of Judah, when Josiah was king, they “found the book of The Lord.” Because they had lost it, throughout their history, Israel was destroyed by Assyria, and Babylon carried away Judah and destroyed Jerusalem. The Israelites totally forgot God and paid the price.
For us, the chosen of God today, His people, His church, the lesson is clear. We have so many wonderful blessings from God and the promise that He will be with us. We, though, also have the same warning: If we follow evil or wickedness, if we leave His Word, if we turn aside from His path, we will be “swept away” and ultimately lost.
The words, “consider what great things He has done for you,” could not mean more to anyone than to us, because we are the recipient of the greatest thing ever done for humanity, pictured on that terrible tree on Calvary. Let us never forget, and let us forever be faithful!
