Poor Samuel?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Read 1 Samuel 25:1 through 28:25.

(25:1) Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. (NASB)

Does it shock you to read about David and Abigail in chapter 25? Or to see how quickly David went from honorably preserving Saul to ferociously plotting against Nabal? I mean, he had his heart set on seeing not one of Nabal's men alive the next morning. Or did it shock you to see David living among the Philistines in chapter 27? Or to see Saul consulting a psychic in chapter 28? Actually that shouldn't have shocked you at all. By this time in his life Saul seemed completely incapable of anything resembling a godly perspective.

But here's what shocks me the most. Samuel dies and we read only one verse about it! There was a gathering and some mourning, and they buried him... that's it... nothing more, unless you count the references to him in chapter 28. Of all the stories told in this Old Testament place, his comes first. He had been such a prominent prophet... the prophet of the Lord, dedicated to Him from birth, having anointed Israel's first two kings. The book is named after him, for crying out loud. Doesn't he deserve a greater send-off than this? Doesn't he deserve a little recognition?

But that's just it, isn't it? There's not much recognition for those who faithfully proclaim the Word, oppose sin, and call for a walk of repentance... at least not much recognition in this world. Have you ever found yourself living for a little recognition? There's nothing wrong with being encouraged by recognition, I suppose. But have you ever caught yourself compromising the truth of God or what is Christ-centered to get that recognition?

There's no limit to what a man can achieve if he doesn't care who gets the credit.
Laing Burns, Jr.