Permai Snapshot Issue 39

Permai Snapshot

Issue 39 March 2021

NEVER CEASES. Written by: Ps.Liew Chai Yen Translated by: Esther Hii

[1 Samuel 8:1-22 ; 1 Samuel 12: 1-25] Samuel has been a faithful servant of God since young, he spent his entire life being a devoted judge to bring the Israelites to be God-fearing. However, he faced a tremendous double whammy in his old age.

Samuel is old, he would need successors to take over his serving, he then anointed both of his sons to be judges in Beersheba. Sadly, his two sons refused to follow in their father’s footsteps, and they received dishonest gain, accepted bribes and perverted justice. The elders of Israel went to Samuel and requested Samuel to appoint a King to govern Israel. Samuel was not pleased by the petition, however, God commanded Samuel to listen to the Israelites and give them a King, for it was not Samuel that they have rejected, but they have rejected God as their King.

However, God told Samuel to warn the Israelites solemnly and let them know that the King who will reign over them will claim his rights to govern them. The Israelites have heard Samuel’s warning but they ignored it and insisted on establishing a King for themselves, so God led Samuel to anoint Saul as King of the Israelites. After this matter was over, Samuel gathered the Israelites and made it clear to them that by demanding a King for themselves is in fact sinful and evil in the sight of God. God sent thunder and rain on that day, and the Israelites were terrified and they asked Samuel to pray for them immediately.

Let’s pause for a moment and ponder about this. If you were Samuel and that you saw your sons were turning away from the right path, would you blame God for not keeping them right? And if you were Samuel, would you still pray for the benefit of this group of ungrateful Israelites?

Secondly, Samuel dedicated his whole life Let’s try to put ourselves in pastoring the Israelites, but they ended up Samuel’s position on the double renouncing God as their King. For a Godwhammies that he faced. Firstly, his two fearing leader, this is indeed a tremendous sons did not only pervert justice, but double whammy to him. Samuel pastored were both delinquent judges. Being a the Israelites for decades but how could God-fearing father himself, seeing his this bunch of ungrateful Israelites choose own sons rebelling against God, no one to renounce God as their King? His efforts could imagine how disappointed he was. in pastoring them over the decades has been in vain, further, is this group of Israelites worth the care anymore?

Can Samuel bear the whammies that he was facing? Now, the Israelites requested Samuel to pray for them, how does Samuel respond?

This faithful old servant is in awe of God and his love towards the Israelites is evident. Thus, Samuel responded to the Israelites’ prayer request with two main points. First, he exhorted them not to be afraid, for they have done evil but do not deviate from God. As long as the Israelites serve God with all their heart, God will not abandon His people for His name is great, and God is pleased with the Israelites as His people.

Second, Samuel said, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you; And I will teach you the way that is good and right“ (1 Samuel 12:23). And apparently, such hardships did not defeat Samuel instead he showed his awe to God and his love toward the Israelites. In the past few decades, Samuel has been praying for them and taught them to do what is right, now despite the hardships that he faced, he still persisted in his serving and he will never stop pastoring the Israelites unless God told him so.

How could Samuel remain faithful?

The calling received by Samuel came from God, and Samuel’s serving was to bring the people back to God and Samuel’s good works were to please God. Therefore, when hardship came, Samuel insisted on obeying God’s call, he prayed for the Israelites, taught them the right way. As Samuel did not want to offend God, for he is in awe of God and a servant that focuses his eyes on God. Truthfully, this is a fallen world, and this is a church in the process of transformation, and this is a “me” being moulded.

Problems exist, be it caused by external environment, living in a group or our own lives, and such problems will inevitably hit us and hinder us from worshiping and serving our God.

However, the key to remain faithful is not to focus on other people nor the surrounding environment, instead we should concentrate and focus on God, be God-fearing, listen to His voice and instructions and focus on doing the right things in the right way. Then we all can be like Samuel, whenever we face any hardship or dilemma, we can be bold and say, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you; And I will teach you the way that is good and right”.

May the Holy Spirit use Samuel’s devoted life to encourage every child of God to fear and serve the King of kings wholeheartedly.

Editor: Ocean Chan ▪ Proofreader: Deborah Chow ▪ Designer: Ally Cheah Ming

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