by David Scott Robertson
(1 Sam 12:1-5 NIV) “[1] Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. [2] Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. [3] Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”
[4] ‘You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied. ‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’ [5] Samuel said to them, ‘The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ ‘He is witness,’ they said.”
The prophet Samuel’s ministry was beginning to draw to a close.
To be sure there were a few more key assignments for Samuel on God’s task list –
There were prophecies to utter,
King Saul to rebuke,
King Agag to put to death before the Lord,
A shepherd boy to anoint as King over Israel –
Btu still, for the most part, Samuel was old and gary and winding down his career.
A lifetime ago,
Actually before Samuel’s life began,
His mother had cried out in anguish to Jehovah to end her barrenness.
Hannah prayed through
And Samuel was the result.
The boy was devoted to the Lord for a lifetime
And eventually entrusted to the care of Eli the priest to raise.
From a child Samuel had known the holy scriptures
Which had made him wise unto salvation.
Now he was old and gray
And surrounded by his sons.
Samuel had been a natural,
Or could we say – supernaturally – born leader.
Samuel lived a lifetime of ministry with integrity.
Now he stands and addresses the nation of Israel
At a gathering of the people and makes one of his most memorable speeches.
I sort of think of this occasion as Samuel’s Retirement Banquet.
The Bible doesn’t’ say there was a banquet.
But you know as well as I do that
Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord
There is usually food in the midst.
But what the man of God says
Moves me to awe, inspiration, admiration and wonder: -
“Whose ox have I taken?”
“Whose donkey have I taken?”
“Whom have I cheated?”
“Whom have I oppressed?”
“From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any one of these things I will make it right/” (1 Samuel 12:2-3).
I’d like to imagine that there was a period of silence in the crowd.
Time to let any accusers speak out against Samuel.
But there were none!
Nobody had any dirt no Samuel.
There were no skeletons to drag out of his closet.
No woman called out from the group to mention an affair.
No man challenged the prophet’s bold questions.
Instead, Israel’s response was,
“’You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied.
‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’” (1 Samuel 12-4)
There it is!
Ministry with integrity!
Year after year of integrity,
Decade after decade of integrity,
An entire lifetime of ministry with integrity.
O God my Father!
May this be my testimony
At my retirement banquet
Should Jesus tarry His coming.
May I be able to ask bold questions:
“What office supplies did I steal?”
“Whose character did I assassinate?”
“Can you find one dollar that I embezzled?”
“Whom have I misrepresented?”
“If I have one any of these, I shall make it right.”
Incidentally,
Before you leave any office, church, neighborhood or relationship,
Make it right!
Make what right?
Your heart, conscience, and the Holy Spirit will tell you.
At the time of writing,
I am nearly forty years old.
As far as the prophetic time-clock is concerned,
I believe I’ve lived too long to die now.;
However, should Father God postpone for many years picking up the kids
And I go the way of the grave,
My earnest, fervent, heartfelt prayer to God is
That I might have a testimony at my
Retirement banquet
Like Samuel had at his.
DSR
2/1/00