Intro/Recap

Last week, introduced to the king that Israel had asked for. His name was Saul—“asked for”.

When God told Samuel about him, he said…

“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people, for their cry has come to me.”

1 Samuel 9:16

From the beginning, Saul’s a bit of a mixed bag, a combination of judgment and mercy.

Chapter 11

Nahash “The Snake”.

Jabesh-gilead, 40 miles of Saul’s hometown. They were a weak people because of some terrible stuff that happened in Judges 21. So when The Snake lays seige to their town, they say, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” Look at Nahash’s reply:

Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.”

1 Samuel 11:2

No wonder he was called The Snake! Combined torture and humilation. Imagine walking down the street and every man you meet is missing an eye. Constant reminder of who you serve.

Not only that, they’d be useless as soldiers, because the shield covered left eye. No chance of rising up against him.

“Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

1 Samuel 11:3

How desperate do you have to be?

The Snake agrees, it seems. It’s a joke to him, makes it even better. “Sure, you go right ahead, see if you can find someone to rescue you!”

Assuming they knew about newly anointed King Saul, that’s a giant vote of no confidence in the new regime. They either (a) don’t know, or (b) don’t believe that Saul will save God’s people.

Speaking of King Saul, where is he, anyway?

When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud. Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

1 Samuel 11:4–5

At the end of Chapter 10, after the coronation, Samuel told everybody to go home… and Saul did the same! When this is going on, he’s out behind the oxen, back to farming.

When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him, and his anger burned furiously.

1 Samuel 11:6

This happened before, by the Philistine garrison. Now it’s like he gets a booster shot of the Holy Spirit, and this time it takes.

So Saul says, “Uh-huh. You’re kidding me?! Not on my watch. Can you hand me that knife over there? Thanks.” Then he walks back over to his team, takes the yoke off their backs, and says, “Sorry, Daisy, ol’ girl…”.

He chops his team of oxen up into pieces and told the messengers to take it throughout Israel (a replay of what happened in Judges 21, except that time it was a woman, not cows.)

That got people’s attention, 330,000 Israeli soldiers showed up ready to go.

Then they sent word to the people of Jabesh, “Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.” That’s good news!

They send word to The Snake, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.” What’s funny is that “we will come out” is a phrase that is often used when an army’s going to come out and fight, but that ambiguity of the message was lost on Nahash in his pride.

Saul divides the troops into three divisions, and they attack the Ammonite army in the wee hours of the morning, between 2-6 AM. Coming from three sides, they didn’t have a chance.

During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

1 Samuel 11:11

At the end of chapter 10, after Saul’s coronation, there were some wicked men who said, “How can this guy save us?” After the way he led them in battle, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that he shouldn’t be king? Let’s find them and execute them right now!”

Saul actually steps in and says,

“No one will be executed this day, for today
the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.”

1 Samuel 11:13

Great thing to say! Samuel says to the people,

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us
go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.”

1 Samuel 11:14, ESV

The question is, which kingdom is he talking about?

Chapter 12 is Samuel’s sermon to the people on this day. The heading in your Bible might say something like “Samuel’s Farewell Address”. Which is a little misleading, because Samuel’s not dying right now, he lives at least a couple more decades, doesn’t die until chapter 25. This is more of his final address to the people as their judge, their leader.

Four things I want us to see in Samuel’s sermon, and especially how it relates to us on this day in particular.

Samuel’s been Israel’s judge since he was a youngster, and now he’s setting up what he knows is his final day of courtroom drama.

I’ve been on a kick watching Law & Order!

First up, docket #4598: Israel vs Samuel. The charge is corruption and extortion in the first degree.

He doesn’t give a plea, he lets them be the judge:

Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. 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 now. Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”

“You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded.

1 Samuel 12:1–5

It’s a reference to what he told them a king would do: take, take, take. Have I ever done that?