Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / January 15 - 1 Samuel 12

Transcript

January 15 - 1 Samuel 12 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

• 0:12
  Hello friends, it's Sean here. Happy Monday to you.
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  It is the 15th of January and I hope you're doing well.
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  I don't know what this week holds for you.
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  It is a big week for me. But that is I guess it's part of
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  the new year, right? I don't know how it's going for
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  you. I really thought January would
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  be a nice slow settled start to the year, but it has been
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  anything but in my corner of the world and I hope that yours is
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  going alright as we we get back to the story.
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  And this is the beginning of the kings of Israel and it is a bit
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  of a hectic beginning as well. And we have heard Samuel, he has
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  come, he has grown up in God's service.
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  He has found this new king named Saul.
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  The people have welcomed him and this week we will see how Saul
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  goes on as king and well. Unfortunately by the end of this
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  week God will have already been a little bit fed up with him.
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  That is all to come. Let us see the ups and the downs
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  at the beginning of this time of the kings in Israel, and let us
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  invite the Holy Spirit in Holy Spirit as we read these
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  chapters. Reveal yourself to us so that we
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  can learn more about you and your kingship in our life here
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  today. All right, friends, let's do it,
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  shall we? Let us read together First
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  Samuel chapter 12. Then Samuel addressed all
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  Israel. I have done as you asked and
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  given you a king. Your king is now your leader.
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  I stand here before you, an old grey haired man and my sons
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  serve you. I have served you as your leader
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  from the time I was a boy to this very day.
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  Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before
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  his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I
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  stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you?
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  Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and
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  perverted justice? Tell me, and I will make right
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  whatever I have done wrong. No, they replied.
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  You have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never
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  taken even a single bribe. The Lord and his anointed one
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  are my witnesses today. Samuel declared that my hands
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  are clean. Yes, he is a witness, they
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  replied. It was the Lord who appointed
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  Moses and Aaron, Samuel continued.
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  He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.
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  Now stand here quietly before the Lord, as I remind you of all
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  the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.
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  When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord,
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  he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to
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  bring them into this land. But the people soon forgot about
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  the Lord their God, So he handed them over to Sisera, the
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  commander of Hazel's army, and also to the Philistines, and to
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  the king of Moab who fought against them.
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  Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed.
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  We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshipping
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  the images of Barlin Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you
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  alone, if you will rescue us from our enemies.
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  Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jaffa, and Samuel to save
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  you, and you lived in safety. But when you were afraid of
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  Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you
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  wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God
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  was already your king. All right, here is the king you
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  have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord
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  has granted your request. Now if you fear and worship the
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  Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against
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  the Lord's commands, then both you and your king will show that
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  you recognise the Lord as your God.
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  But if you rebel against the Lord's commands and refuse to
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  listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it
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  was upon your ancestors. Now stand here and see the great
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  thing the Lord is about to do. You know that it does not rain
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  at this time of the year during the wheat harvest.
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  I will ask the Lord to send Thunder and rain today.
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  Then you will realise how wicked you have been In asking the Lord
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  for a king. Sir Samuel called to the Lord,
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  and the Lord sent Thunder and rain that day, and all the
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  people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.
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  Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die, they all
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  said to Samuel. For now we have added to our
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  sins by asking for a king. Don't be afraid, Samuel
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  reassured them. You have certainly done wrong.
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  But make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your
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  heart and don't turn your back on him.
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  Don't go back to worshipping worthless idols that cannot help
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  or rescue you. They are totally useless.
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  The Lord will not abandon His people, because that would
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  dishonour his great name, for it has pleased the Lord to make you
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  His very own people. As for me, I will certainly not
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  sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you, and I will
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  continue to teach you what is good and right.
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  But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him.
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  Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you.
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  But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept
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  away. Lord, here we are at the
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  beginning of a new year, and there you are, our faithful God,
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  continuing to stand in readiness to journey with us, to uphold us
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  in your care, no matter what we do or don't do to honour you.
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  You are gracious and forgiving. Lot of pray that as this year
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  begins to open up and pan out, that you would continue to draw
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  us to you. That you would mould our hearts.
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  That you would shape our minds. That our plans would reflect
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  your priorities and then our hearts would continue to soften
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  with love for the vulnerable, with humility, and with
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  difference always to you. We love you, Lord, and we thank
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  you for the gift of Jesus, and in His name we pray all these
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  things. Amen.