(INTEGRITY TEST)

Text:            1 Samuel 12:1-5

By:               Emmanuel Adeoye

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In asking for a king, the people had rejected the kingship of Jehovah and the leadership of Samuel, the last of the judges (7:6,15-17). It must have been painful for Samuel to conduct this last meeting as their leader and transfer the civil authority to Saul. No doubt he had hoped that one of his sons would succeed him, but they weren’t even considered (8:1-3).

The twelve tribes had been governed by judges for nearly 500 years, but times had changed and the people wanted a king. Before leaving office as judge, Samuel Had To Set The Record Straight And Bear Witness that his hands were clean and the people could find no fault in him.

• To many of the people at that assembly, Samuel had “always been there.” Some of them had known him when he was a child and youth at Shiloh, learning to serve as a priest, and others remembered when he had begun to proclaim the Word of the Lord (3:20).
• He had walked before them almost all of his life, and now he stood before them “Old And Gray-headed” and challenged them to accuse him of using his authority to benefit himself. “Here I am” (12:3) makes us think of Samuel’s responses the night the Lord called him (3:4-6,8,16).
• In the East, it was expected that civil officials would use their offices to make money, but Samuel hadn’t taken that route. He obeyed the Law of Moses and kept his hands clean (Ex 20:17; 22:1-4,9; 23:8; Lev 19:13; Deut 16:19; 24:14). With such a godly example before them, we wonder why his sons took bribes.
• Like Jesus, Samuel stood before the people and asked, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46, NKJV). The people heard what Samuel said and bore witness that he had spoken the truth. Samuel was a man of integrity; Saul would turn out to be a man of hypocrisy and duplicity.
• When the assembly gave their vote of confidence to Samuel, the prophet called the Lord and the new king to bear witness to what they had said. If the people ever changed their mind, they would have to deal with God and His appointed king!
• It’s a wonderful thing to get to the closing years of life and be able to review your life and ministry and not be afraid or ashamed. May we all be able to say with our Lord, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4, NKJV
• CONCLUSION
• Samuel clear himself of all suspicion of management while the administration was in his hands 1-5
• He encourage them that all will be well. This was the fare well sermon to the august assembly
• May we end Old and Gray-headed in Jesus name Amen

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