Stand and See

Samuel has essentially completed his discourse to the people of Israel on the occasion of Saul’s formal installation as king. He has striven to show them that their request for a king was a faithless rejection of their faithful God, and that even though Yahweh has granted their request, nothing really has changed, for He still is reigning over people and king, and His covenant remains in force. But Samuel knows the hearts of these people. He knows they are still infatuated with Saul, and that they therefore have not fully heeded his prophetic word. He sees that the people need not just words but a sign from God to demonstrate that he has been speaking on behalf of Yahweh. “He had before told them to stand and hear (v. 7); but, because he did not see that his reasoning with them affected them (so stupid were they and unthinking), now he bids them stand and see,” Matthew Henry writes in his commentary.

So Samuel announces that God is about to do a ” ‘great thing’ ” before the people’s eyes. He points out that it is the time of the wheat harvest, probably around May or June, which traditionally is a dry period in Israel. But this day will not be dry. Samuel declares that he is going to call upon God to send a storm and that God will do just that, to the end that the people ” ‘may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves.’ ” They have heard Samuel’s testimony as to their guilt, but they need to see that he is speaking for God. They need to believe the truth of what he has said.

God does indeed send a powerful thunderstorm that day in response to Samuel’s call. And this supernatural event inspires the desired reaction: The people ” ‘greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.’ ” Now, at last, they clearly understand their sin and what an affront they have given to their gracious God. Now, at last, they are ready to treat their God with the reverence and obedience that is His due. Samuel has called them to live in such reverential fear of God (v. 14), as did earlier leaders such as Moses (Deut. 6:2, 24) and Joshua (Josh. 4:24; 24:14). Now they are ready to do so. As we will see in tomorrow’s study, God’s demonstration of power has inspired in them “holy” fear, fear that will drive them to Him, not away.