10

"For them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed."(1 Samuel 2: 30).

Those words were spoken by a prophet of the Lord to Eli, a priest of the Lord who honored his sons over the Lord.

Hannah may have never heard this principle expressed in those actual words. Yet she knew the principle and lived by it. By word and example she so effectively taught this principle to her young son, Samuel. Her son whom she had dedicated to the service of the Lord.

The study of the life of Samuel reveals that in him we have the most dramatic and dynamic example of this principle to be found in the Old Testament. His entire life, from birth to death, was lived with this compelling motivation: he gladly gave himself continually to honor the Lord.

It was at the time when his life was drawing to a close that we are given some of the most powerful demonstrations of this. So decisively revealing all that it meant to live to honor the Lord at all times.

The Lord had so pointedly used the life and leadership of Samuel to demonstrate how gloriously He did bless those who honored Him. Yet, in spite of this irrefutable evidence, the leaders of the people approached Samuel to express their strong dissatisfaction!

It is not surprising that Samuel believed that their attitude and emphasis involved their rejection of him

They wanted a king! So that they would be like the nations around them. They insisted on having a king, even though they were made aware of the fact that in doing so they rejected the Lord from being King over them! They got what they asked for! At such great cost!

Israel had her king: Saul. His leadership of the nation had come through the first real test: the attack of the Ammonites on Jabesh Gilead. Saul had led Israel to victory.

At that point, Samuel summoned all of the people to Gilgal, to "renew the kingdom there!"

While there, "They made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal." This was a time of worship and rejoicing.

"And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you."

With these words this saintly man of God was laying a vital foundation. The foundation from which he was about to compel the Israelites to carefully review this central principle by which he had always lived.

As he proceeded with this, there was unmistakable evidence that he had only one objective. It was to enable the people to come to the realization of just how vital it was for them to honor the Lord.

Even when it appeared as though he was focusing on himself, it was with this goal in view. In the final analysis it mattered little what they thought of him. It mattered much that they learn to honor the Lord.

"And, now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and gray headed; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day."

You have your king. He appears to have been able to come through his first real test successfully.

Now: focus on this old man! Consider and evaluate his life. His influence! His leadership!

Samuel reminded the Israelites of something they already knew. His life was an open book. He had nothing to hide from anyone. They all knew him. They all were aware of how he had lived. The values and standards which he had consistently applied. All of his attitudes, motivations, and priorities.

What a statement! Very, very few of the men who have ever lived would be able to be that honest and transparent. The majority of us have so many things we are thankful we can keep well hidden.

Samuel was totally sincere. There was no boasting in this. No pride. It was the expression of a man who had always been utterly committed to live for the Lord.

If it is true that the past cannot stand too close an examination, this fact should motivate every Christian to so desire to live, that from this moment on our lives will be able to welcome the closest scrutiny.

When we are genuinely committed to honor the Lord, this will always be the case.

This was a most poignant, and a most powerful, moment! The old man of God stood there before all of the people of Israel. There was a strength and dignity of character in him which is awe-inspiring! Such a vital courage! As well as the consummate conviction of the reality of his walk with the Lord which stirs and searches the heart.

"Witness against me!" The Israelites were confronted with the challenge: Now is the time for you to speak up! If you feel that you have any accusation or criticism to make: speak up now!

Samuel could so confidently issue such a challenge because he knew that his life was above reproach! No one could bring a valid charge against him.

A coward may want to insinuate or invent something behind his back. A gossip may be willing to spread an unsubstantiated rumor when Samuel was not present.

But, when it came to the actual truth, Samuel knew that he had no reason to fear anything any man may say.

He had always lived to honor the Lord. To fault him was to attack his loyalty to the Lord!

Samuel had no doubt about the presence of the Lord with them at that moment. None! Nor that the Lord knew him perfectly. So, whatever was said, had to be said in the personal presence of the One who knew the truth perfectly! Samuel did not fear the truth!

Samuel willingly stood within the searching scrutiny of the perfect light of the Lord. He knew that the truth concerning his life would bring honor to the Lord! He welcomed any and every revelation for this reason!

What a life! Samuel had lived his life by the enabling of the Lord for the glory of the Lord. If he did so, so can we today!

"Before the LORD!" The Lord is present! Make sure that whatever you say you know that it is the truth. There are far too many of us who forget that the Lord is present. He does witness and evaluate every word!

"Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded, whom have I oppressed? or, of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith?"

Samuel stated actual specifics. When had he ever abused his sacred office and responsibility for personal gain? When had he ever taken anything which did not belong to him? Eli's sons had been guilty of such conduct. But, what of Samuel?

When had he ever used his position and power to oppress anyone else? This was such a common practice with many others. What of Samuel? Who could justly accuse him of such conduct?

Who could provide proof that he had accepted any inducements which had corrupted his leadership? Where was the evidence that he had ever taken any bribe? Again, that kind of conduct was, and is, quite common. But, when was Samuel guilty of it?

Specifics! Not unsubstantiated generalizations. The Israelites were presented with this opportunity to speak up and bring their charges against him. Samuel deliberately insisted that they do so!

If they refused to speak up, any accusation they attempted to make afterwards would be rejected as false and foolish.

The man who honored God demanded that his life and conduct be thoroughly scrutinized. He did so, so that the result would bring honor to the Lord!

This is the way in which the people of God should always live. Being completely open. Permitting life and conduct, attitudes and priorities, motives and standards, to be scrutinized and evaluated. With but one desire: The Lord will be honored by the result.

Anyone who could justly indicate anything in which he was not all that he should have been was given that guarantee! Samuel would make full restitution.

This guarantee is also an integral part of his commitment to honor the Lord. It is a vital Biblical principle. One which many Christians today fail to take seriously.

There are those who know that they have not been as honest as they should have been. Including things that belong to others. This could come about in a variety of ways. Yet, they dismiss what they have done without attempting to restore to others whatever it was that was taken, or kept.

To fail to attempt to make restitution always dishonors the Lord. Always.

Some attempt to get around the requirement to make restitution by false reasoning. If I ask the Lord to forgive me, and I believe that He does forgive me, that is all I need to do. God is not honored by such a cheap view of His forgiveness!

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament clearly teach: Restitution! A well known example of this is the greedy little tax-collector: Zacchaeus.

As soon as he personally met the Lord Jesus he was totally transformed. His response included: "If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" (Luke 19: 8).

"Restore!" To attempt to pretend that we do not have to do our best to attempt to restore it - is to openly and defiantly dishonor the Lord. Even as it cheapens and debases His forgiveness.

"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5: 23, 24).

"And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand."

There was no hesitation. They knew the caliber of the man and the quality of his character. They had personally witnessed his complete integrity in every area of his life and in every relationship.

There had never been the slightest suggestion of any wrong doing. This resulted in the fact that their testimony was very simple and direct. They knew that Samuel had always lived the life of a true servant of the Lord. He had always honored the Lord.

Surely that is the way it should always be with those who profess to know and serve the Lord. "Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation (your good way of life) in Christ" (1 Peter 3: 16).

The quality of the life and character which honors the Lord always silences the false charges, even as it shames the gossip! In this fact is the vindication of the one who lives to honor the Lord.

"And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness!"

Samuel's reminder is so significant. The Lord Himself had witnessed their response that there was nothing in Samuel's life or service which they could fault! If they went back on this verdict, the Lord would still be witness against them!

This statement proves to be of the greatest importance to the events which were to follow.

The man of God had been fully cleared of any and all wrongdoing. No one in the entire nation could justly bring any accusation against him.

He knew it! They had admitted it. In everything, he had always faithfully honored the Lord. In every aspect of his leadership. In every area of his life. In every word and every action.

But, what about the people themselves? Could the same statements be made about them?

The man who honored the Lord was about to compel the people to examine this very question with him, and with the Lord.

In verses six through twelve Samuel briefly reviewed the history of the people of Israel from the time of Moses until that day.

First, he reminded the people of the gracious and mighty acts of the Lord. Acts in which the Lord had intervened to liberate His people from the bondage of Egypt. Of all the Lord did as He patiently, graciously led them to and into the promised land.

By contrast, the conduct of the Israelites during that same period demonstrated a complete lack of any gratitude to the Lord. In spite of everything He had done for them, more often than not they forgot the Lord and turned away from Him in disobedient rebellion.

They embraced the vile idolatry of the nations around them. In love, the Lord had chastised them. He used the very nations they copied to correct them.

Over and over again the Lord had intervened in grace and power. Only to see these same people He had saved all too quickly turn back to sin and idolatry.

Samuel reminded them: they had sinned against the Lord who had done so much for them. They had openly dishonored and shamed Him by the vileness of the sin they so readily embraced. By the degraded heathen practices they willingly became enslaved to.

Then, when another nation threatened them once more, they decided that they should be able to follow their own answers! But their answers were not their own, rather they had adopted the answers of the pagan nations around them!

They dared to say to the Lord, "Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king!"

Notice this stark contrast which Samuel portrayed so graphically. The man who unfailingly honored the Lord so effectively exposed the shameful unfaithfulness of these very people. Revealing their attitudes and motives which consistently dishonored the Lord.

This Word of the Lord concerning their true spiritual condition was spoken in the power of the Spirit of God. They were guilty of openly rejecting the Lord and His Word. So consistently. So shamefully!

This is true conviction of sin! Very often the Holy Spirit knows that the only answer to the pressing need of the day is to be merciless in conviction! Thoroughly exposing the true condition of depravity as He sees it in the hearts of the people.

His goal: to bring them to repentance, confession, renunciation of the sin, and submission to the Word of the Lord.

Unless the vile disease which lies at the root of the problem is exposed and radically removed, the problem inevitably will grow worse. This is spiritual reality. No one knows this better than the Lord!

"Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired."

Israel, you have a choice! The Lord has granted your desire. This fact places you at a most crucial crossroad in the life of the nation.

You have a choice! Are you now ready to take the Lord and His Word seriously?

From this moment on, you can obey and honor the Lord. If you do, He will bless you.

Or, you can choose to do what you have chosen to do so often before; You can disregard and dishonor the Lord, His Word and His will.

If that is your choice: "Then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers."

This is still the reality. God continues to remind us today: It is your choice.

The Lord was watching to see which choice they would make. Even as He is watching today. As He watched, and watches, it is with the desire that He will be able to bless, and not forced to chastise.

"Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes!"

For many long years the Israelites had a most positive witness to the truth: "Them that honor Me I will honor!" That witness was Samuel and his faithful walk with the Lord. The Lord had used Samuel's commitment to bring great and continued blessing to the nation.

Now, at that particular, critical moment, they were about to be given a very powerful, dramatic demonstration of: "They that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed!"

"This great thing which the Lord shall do!" - was to be a most dramatic act of judgement! The Lord was about to act in power to effectively chastise His people: "Before your eyes!"

The Israelites had refused to learn from the positive example. Had they been willing to do so they would not have been subjected to this act of very severe correction.

They had brought this on themselves. They had insisted on being like the nations, instead of being God's special, and different, people!

These truths are so powerfully revealed in the Scriptures; for our example! For our benefit! Remember, if we will be willing to humbly learn from the positive teaching and example, we will not bring on ourselves the severe negative correction.

"Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the LORD, and He shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king."

This was not to be an insignificant act of correction and chastisement. The harvest of the nation's wheat was about to begin. Yet Samuel said, I am going to ask the Lord to send such a storm that the wheat harvest will be destroyed!

This was to be a most severe act of correction. For the Israelites to lose their wheat harvest meant losing a very large part of their food supplies for the coming year.

Why was it to be so severe? Because the Lord knew that it would take that severity to really get the attention of the people. To convince them of the great seriousness of their sin against the Lord. The Lord knew exactly what it would take to achieve His goals.

There are two aspects of our lives which many Christians treat far too lightly. The first is: their own sin. The second: the Lord's correction.

There are far too many who insist on repeating the foolish mistakes which were made by the Israelites.

Could it be that we no longer believe that our sin is of any consequence? Nor, that the Lord will be severe in His correction of us? Underlying all this is a callous and insensitive attitude to all the Lord is attempting to accomplish for us and in us.

Sooner or later we will be faced with this inescapable fact: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6: 7).

The day of severe correction and chastisement is inevitably coming. Count on it!

"So Samuel called unto the LORD!" He did exactly what he said he was going to do. He prayed that the Lord would send the devastating storm!

He did not pray that the Lord would be lenient. He had spoken the Word of God. He knew the intention of God. The only way he could continue to faithfully honor the Lord was to pray the prayer which the Lord had laid on his heart.

Sadly, there are times when our prayers are more concerned with the comfort of man than they are with the glory of God. We insist on pleading that the Lord will be lenient, when the Lord has already made it clear that He must chastise.

The Lord knows that many times being lenient confirms people in their wrong attitudes and actions. This would inevitably dishonor the Lord.

Prayer must always focus on: honoring the Lord as the first consideration. This must always be our highest priority!

"And the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel!"

The Lord sent the devastating storm. The people had no grounds to complain or protest. They knew that they had brought it all on themselves.

They "greatly feared the Lord and Samuel!" Notice, first: the Lord! They knew that only the Lord had the power to bring that great storm on them in correction and judgement. They feared! They honored the Lord!

They feared and honored the man of God who always sought the honor of the Lord as his first priority. They respected him because of all that his close walk with the Lord meant.

There are not very many people today who fear the Lord. The main reason: there are so few who are utterly committed to honor the Lord. Therefore, so very few whom the Lord can use effectively to make His Word and His will known.

"And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God!"

They had dramatic evidence of this incredible reality: the man who honored the Lord was the man who had power with the Lord through prayer!

They begged that man to be their intercessor. To stand in the gap before the Lord for them!

Today, there should be the same evidence, with the same result! Those who actually do live to honor the Lord do have power with the Lord in the place of prayer! When this is the reality, others will see it, and will look to such people to be their intercessors!

This is our privilege! Entrusted to us by the Lord Himself. What a privilege! What a responsibility!

Many people today would ignore the spiritual reality and criticize the Lord's messenger. Blaming anyone but themselves for the intervention of the Lord in correction and chastisement.

The Israelites recognized that they were at fault. Their position was most precarious. They knew, if the Lord chose to, He could quite justly require the ultimate judgement and punishment.

When people attempt to evade their responsibility by suggesting that the chastising they are experiencing is not really deserved, they close the door to: Mercy!

The Lord insists on dealing with His people in the light of eternal reality as He sees it! He knows us perfectly. He knows all it will take to bring us to the point He wants us to reach.

We have a choice. We can fully honor Him by accepting all he brings into our lives in a spirit of humility and devoted submission.

Or, we can leave Him with no other choice than to make the chastisement increasingly severe! Or, leaving us to the eternal consequences of our foolishness.

"For we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king."

This was the only appropriate response. This humble, sincere attitude which honored the Lord by confessing the sin!

The problem: "All our sins!" They accepted full responsibility! They acknowledged the justice of the Lord in bringing them to account!

They were specific in their confession. "We have added" this sin: "to ask us a king!" This was not an attempt at evasion. They had specifically sinned against the Lord in their request for a king.

Such confession is so very essential. Honest, humble, sincere, specific confession! We can never be restored to the blessing of the Lord until we accept that this is the only way to go.

"And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart!"

In their humble repentance and confession, they had given the Lord the opportunity to do all that He wanted to do. He did not want to punish. He wanted to forgive! To restore! To be able to work: for them, in them, and through them, in power.

Repentance. Confession. Faith in the Lord's grace and mercy. All this was the key! It still is! Let the Lord have His way. He can and He will meet the need. In abundant grace.

Yes, you were, are, guilty! The Lord is offering another opportunity. Grasp it! Do not turn aside from following the Lord. Serve Him in obedient devotion.

Are we listening? The Lord still says, Honor Me! Meet the conditions I require. Then you will be able to follow! Serve faithfully and effectively.

"And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver!"

If you do go back from following the Lord now, to what can you go? The only alternative is so utterly worthless and useless. Vain! Empty!

Honor the Lord! "For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great Name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people."

Notice that! Do not quit on the Lord! Realize that the Lord is not about to quit on you! This was Samuel's answer to the Israelites. It is still true today.

The key: "His great Name's sake!" By honoring the Lord, you are putting your hope and trust in all that the great Name of the Lord represents! He is absolutely committed: the glory of His great Name is at stake!

By honoring Him, we give to Him the opportunity He seeks to glorify His great Name in and through us! He is committed to this as His eternal plan.

He chose Israel as His people, to glorify His Name. He would bring to glorious culmination all He willed to do when He made that choice: for His great name's sake!

He has chosen us to be His people: to glorify His Name! Chosen us in His Son: the Lord Jesus Christ.

He seeks to use every opportunity to bring to the most exciting climax His perfect will and plan for us: for His great Name's sake!

Recognizing all that was involved in the Lord's perfect will and purpose, Samuel proceeds to press on in his commitment to honor the Lord: in prayer! He prayed that the Lord's will would be done in the people.

"Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you!"

To fail to pray for them, when he knew the Lord's will, was to "sin against the Lord!" Samuel was committed to honor the Lord. He fully identified with the plan of the Lord. So, he prayed, in faith!

He honored the Lord by believing for the mighty work of the Lord in His people!

This is still the only way we can honor the Lord. We must make sure that we understand this spiritual principle. Then faithfully apply it in believing prayer.

"I will pray for you!" "I will teach you!" The two always go together! First, looking to the Lord to do all that He is committed to do. Then, teaching those we pray for how they can honor the Lord in their own lives and conduct.

Teach - all we can! Learn - all we can! Helping one another to understand all the Lord is seeking to do so that we can all give ourselves fully to do His will.

"Only, fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you!"

Make sure you: "Fear the LORD!" Honor the Lord! Always give Him the place of highest honor and greatest preeminence. Genuinely respect His authority and power. Let everything you say and do reveal attitudes and motives which keep His Word first in all things.

"Serve Him in truth with all your heart." Let all aspects of your service for Him reflect the personal integrity which is the outflow of a heart filled with deepest devotion to Him.

Let nothing ever challenge the right of the Lord to be Lord of all. In all you are! In all you say! In all you do!

Remember all the amazingly great and glorious things which He has already done for you. The Israelites had every reason to take this challenge to heart.

So do we! Remember: Calvary! Remember: the eternal Son, the Lord Jesus, Crucified - specifically for you! Remember: cleansing! Forgiveness! Reconciliation! New, eternal life! This wonderfully thrilling relationship we have with Him.

Surely all this is more than enough to inspire us to always honor the Lord at all times and in every circumstance.

"But if ye still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king!"

Surely this was not a possibility! Surely they would not do anything to dishonor the Lord!

Surely it is not possible for anyone who has come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord could possible do anything to dishonor Him!

The Lord issued this warning for one reason: He does know us far better than we know ourselves! He knows all we are capable of doing!

Will we listen to Him? As we listen, will we maintain an attitude of humble, constant vigilance?

Honor the Lord! The Lord had provided Israel with the most dramatic example of all this meant.

A most negative example: the Lord's judgement on them as the result of their sin.

The Lord continually seeks to inspire us to choose positively. To daily renew our commitment to Honor Him in all things.