Pastors Blog

"...for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven..." I Cor 5:7b,8a

On Good Friday we celebrated with a Jewish Seder dinner. CMJ led us through an eye opening celebration as we saw Christ in a fresh way. It really reminded me to cast out the old leaven and serve Jesus with a fresh sincerity and energy because of His great sacrifice for me.

1 Samuel 12:20
"Then Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart."

Nahash ("serpent"), the king of the Ammonites, was flexing his muscles on Israel's Eastern border. Israel, with her tribal militias and farming implements used as weapons didn't have a chance against Nahash's battle hardened army with their swords and armour, or so they presumed. So the nation rejected God's order of a theocracy (God ruling) and asked for a monarchy. They wanted a king they could see, who to lead them out into battle. Instead of trusting God and remaining a "special people", they wanted to be like the other nations. Israel didn't realise their weakness and vulnerability came not from their lack of a human ruler, but because they weren't trusting in their God.

An all too common story. We are afraid to trust God when we see the "serpent" rising against us. We look around and see others living life differently and seemingly happy, so we desire the same things despite the Bible's warnings. A Christian chooses to have sex outside of marriage and becomes pregnant, or decides to marry a non-believer against God's design. A Believer can't believe God will provide so they cheat on their taxes or take a compromising job. Someone else can't wait for God to work so they birth an "Ishmael" into their ministry which causes innumerable problems. The list can go on and on as we bite at the way of the world to create our own safety, happiness, or satisfaction, but soon find we are hooked and we can't escape.

In our text, Samuel doesn't excuse this kind of sin, but calls it what it is, "wickedness". We have chosen our own way over God's perfect plan. We need to realise that when we turn from trusting God, we sin. When that happens we may find ourselves dealing with difficult consequences, so what do we do?! That is when the amazing truth hits home. We can ask God for forgiveness and know He will be with us in that very situation of our own making! Yes, you may find yourself in a difficult place where temptation or trouble will be harder to resist, BUT God still gives you a chance to follow Him in the very situation you find yourself. When Israel doubted God's ability to give them the promised land, yes they spent 40 years in the wilderness, but their shoes didn't wear out, bread rained down from heaven, and water flowed from rocks. He was always with them, never forsaking them no matter what. Yes, it will be harder to follow God in that situation, but it is still possible, as we trust Him on a daily basis and allow Him to straighten out our way. We just need to trust Him!

"Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation." 1 Samuel 3:1

When Samuel began to serve the Lord, there was no widespread revelation. The word "widespread" means "to break through". The Word of the Lord did not break through. My question is, "break through what?" Why wasn't there widespread revelation? One the hardest materials to break is man's heart of pride. The people were a stiff necked people who wanted to do their own things. That went for the priests as well as the people, because the priests were using their privileged position to eat the fat of the land that belonged to the LORD. No wonder when prophet, priest, and people are set to do their own thing that God's voice wasn't heard openly. People were listening!
What made Samuel different? No doubt there was the calling of God upon Samuel's life as evidenced by the rest of the book. But, would God have used Samuel as much as He did if Samuel wouldn't have had the character to match? I think not. Samuel followed Samson in judging Israel. Samson was used by God, but not to His full potential as he only began to deliver the nation from the Philistines, but because of his character flaws, didn't finish. I think the secret to Samuel's success was the first sentence of chapter 3, "...the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli." Samuel served Eli the high priests, but his true master was the LORD. He would open the Temple and perform other "minor" tasks at Eli's request. He had "the keys" and would arrive before everyone else to make things ready for others to worship the Lord. Is that really a minor task for the LORD? I think not. Too many believe that these kinds of "small things" are beneath them, they want to be the one who gives the "widespread revelation". Yet, God proves a person first, because if someone doesn't see that opening the doors of the house of God is serving the Lord, than they won't see that giving the Word is an act of service as well.
Yet, having said all that, it is also true that God is looking to and fro for someone whose heart is perfect before Him. When He finds that person, He will use them to the uttermost to accomplish His will, which is illustrated by 3:21- "..For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. After that people began to listen to Samuel as the one who had God's revelation. What a testimony to what God will do with a person who is faithful in the small things.