Awareness of the Irreversible Error

Synopsis     1Sam 12:14-22     9/10/2018

Samuel spoke to the assembly. He had just finished establishing Saul as king. He explained to the people that neither Saul, nor any other king, could protect them if they persisted in unrighteousness.

And, he also pointed out to them that their demand for a king was wrong in the first place. And to demonstrate this, Samuel prayed that the Lord would bring thunder, lightning, and rain during the normally dry harvest season.

The Lord sent the rain out of season. And so, the people realized that they had erred. They returned to Samuel and confessed their sin. Samuel acknowledged the seriousness of the Israelite’s sin. Still, he encouraged them to follow the Lord closely. And he assured them that God would never forsake them.

Too Late to Get Rid of the King

A sign from heaven in the form of rain. It rained outside the normal rainy season. And, it rained in the harvest – the worst time for rain. And so, the people suddenly became aware of their guilt.

They had defied God. Now, they had their king. And this new king had already saved them in a great military victory. Despite this, the Israelites realized that they had made a serious mistake. So, they came back to Samuel humbled. What could they do? What could be done?

But Samuel reassured them. He acknowledged there was no undoing the act. Saul was king. Yet, Samuel told them that God would remain faithful to them – for His own namesake. And so, just as before, their hope was in remaining faithful to God.

Awareness of the Irreversible Error

Some mistakes can be reversed. When I sin, sometimes I can undo the damage of my sin. But sometimes it’s just not possible. Sometimes what has happened is irreversible. The effect of my sin remains despite acknowledging and even repenting of the sin.

You can hang on to your failures. It’s possible to regret poor decision made in the past. It’s possible to grieve the opportunity cost of my own recklessness.

But none of that is from God. Whatever has been is an undeniable fact. We have all failed. We have all fallen short of God’s plan for our lives. These are the facts.

But God’s not holding me down. God’s not looking to suffocate me with an awareness of my own sin. He wants me to move on. He wants me to overcome.

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” John 5:8