BaptistWay Bible Series for July 3: Samuel: Being faithful to the highest allegiance

Funerals are unique and challenging for any pastor. No training can prepare you for all the emotions you feel when ministering to a family during their time of loss.

One thing I try to do is help the family recall some good memories of their loved one. Many times this gets people laughing through their tears. I also will ask the family to describe their loved one to me in one word. Of course, one word rarely is used, but this helps me to understand the family’s loved one more fully, and the family is able to remember the good qualities of their loved one.

About a year ago, Dr. Al passed away. Dr. Al was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Sweetwater, and truly was beloved. When I talked to the family about Dr. Al, the stories filled the room. As soon as one family member finished a story, another would jump in. We could have spent hours upon hours retelling stories about Dr. Al that would bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye.

The unique thing about preparing for Dr. Al’s service was how many people outside of his family wanted to share their experiences of Dr. Al with me. I never have had so many people go out of their way to speak so respectively and highly of an individual. Dr. Al lived his life in service to God and to others.

Some of the words I heard about Dr. Al were loving, faithful, integrity, humble, funny, laughing, devoted, gracious and selfless. I think all of us would like to live our lives in a manner that encompasses these words. Dr. Al was able to do this because he lived his life devoted to God, and as a result of that relationship flowed an amazing love for people and life.
    
When I read this passage about Samuel’s farewell address, I thought about Dr. Al. Samuel was well respected among the people, and none of them had anything negative to say about him. Samuel had dedicated his entire life to God, but now his position of leadership was coming to an end.

I feel like Samuel knew the importance of this moment and wanted to make sure the people were listening to what he said. The people would have been glued to his words, because for all they knew, this could be the last thing he would say to them.
   
Clearly, Samuel had an important message for the people, and he was going to deliver that message in a powerful way. The people of Israel had asked for a king, God granted their request and Samuel had anointed Saul. However, Samuel is in no way happy about this turn of events. The people wanted to be like the other nations and have someone to protect and lead them. The problem is, the people of Israel already had a king, the Almighty God, and there was no need for them to have an earthly king. Samuel wanted to make sure they knew who their true king was. All preachers try to use illustrations to bring home a key point, but Samuel took the prize. His illustration was to ask God to bring rain and God did—right in front of everyone.

Samuel wanted the people to realize nothing compares to the power and greatness of God. He was reminding them they had chosen an earthly king over the one who had the power to control the weather. Nothing their king could do would compare to God. Understandably, the people thought they were going to die as a result of their sinful decision to elevate human authority above God.

1 Samuel 12:20 has Samuel’s reply to their fear: “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.”

God still loved the people of Israel, but he needed them to understand he was their ultimate authority. Even though they now had an earthly king, they still needed to seek to follow God and serve him. The people needed to recognize their true king. We also need to recognize our true king.