1 Samuel 12

The Lord Is Still King

In 1 Samuel 11, after the Israelites defeated their enemies, the people might have been tempted to say to Samuel, “We told you that a king would be good for us.” However, 1 Samuel 12 records what Samuel said to the Israelites to make sure they resisted this temptation. He reminded Israel that the Lord had delivered them from their enemies—no matter who their mortal leader was. Even though the Lord let them have a man for their king, He was still the real king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 12:12). Samuel promised the people that if they rebelled against the Lord, they would lose His helping hand—no matter how great their earthly king.