Is Today Not the Wheat Harvest?

When the Old Testament Prophet Samuel grew old, the people of Israel asked for a king to rule over them “like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). The people grew tired of being set apart and different from the world. They no longer wanted God to lead them. What they wanted was to be like all the nations around, to be just like everyone else. So God gave them Saul, a man who was “taller” and “more handsome” than anyone else in all Israel, to be their king (1 Sam. 9:2).

Basically, God gave the people what they wanted. Sometimes He does that to teach us the folly of not following Him. Sometimes what we ask for is not what we need. That was the case here. In fact, the people of Israel had chosen not to follow God. So God gave them what they asked for, a king who would put himself first and not follow God.

Samuel explained to the people the type of person Saul would be as king, yet the people still chose to follow him and not God. So Samuel warned the people, “If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. However, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers” (1 Sam. 12:14-15). Samuel said it is not too late. Follow the Lord and he will take care of you.

So Samuel asked the Lord for a miracle, a sign that would convince the people of the error of their ways and bring them back again to follow God. He said, “Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for a king for yourselves” (v. 17).

Remember that asking for a king to be like everyone else was a sign that they had decided not to follow God anymore. God immediately “sent thunder and rain that day” and “all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel” (v. 18). The people saw the error of their ways and asked Samuel to pray for them (v. 19).

Samuel would later tell Saul and the people that God did not “delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices“ (1 Sam. 15:22a). Rather, “obeying the voice of the Lord” (v. 22b) is what He prefers. To that he added, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (v. 23).

For us, sacrifice would refer to anything we might do in an attempt to replace obedience to God. God is not interested in any such things. What God is interested in is you. He wants you. That is Samuel’s message to you. “To obey is better that sacrifice“ (v. 23). Obey God. Follow Christ in everything you do. That is what God desires of you.  As Samuel says, do this and God will take care of all your needs. Amen.