Read 1 Samuel 12:13-15
“But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers” (v. 15).
Perhaps you have had the experience of following a mother with a small child through a grocery store. The experience begins in the produce section, where you first hear those words, “If you do that one more time, Mommy is going to have to spank you!” Of course, if you follow long enough, you will realize that the mother did not mean it at all.
Israel was not being warned by a doting parent. Israel was being warned by God through His prophet Samuel about the consequences of making poor choices. It is clear that Israel had a very short memory. Throughout their history, they failed and were judged. Fresh admonition came again, and they failed and were judged again. Their failure included wanting to be as other nations and have a monarchy instead of a theocracy, adopting pagan religions, and leaving off God’s commandments.
We are ripe for a harvest of penalties as we move farther and farther from the Judeo-Christian roots and God’s absolutes. We are faced with a truth crisis, and we can anticipate certain destruction of society as we move further from God’s pattern for an ordered society. (Lonnie Witt)
Help us, oh Lord, to intercede while yet we can! — Lonnie Witt
Remember a day of reckoning is just ahead!
Photo credit: "DeCA opens new commissary in Belgium with a little help from USACE" by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Europe District used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped, part of image blurred.