The prophet Samuel was a pivotal figure in Israel’s history. He, more than any other person, helped Israel through the transition from the era of the judges into the monarchy.
His retirement speech, or retirement ceremony, is recorded in 1 Samual 12. It seems to come a little early in the story, because he still has a lot to do after this. But here he is retiring from public ministry.
He is concerned that he be remembered accurately. He says, according to the New International Version, in verse 2, “I have been your leader from my youth until this day.” But this is not a very good translation from the Hebrew. The King James Version has it better, “I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.”
But even that doesn’t give the full meaning. The key word here is “walk”, but it is more than just walking. It means the entire way he lived his life. The verb is in the Hebrew form hitpael, which indicates reflexive or reciprocal action. It’s more like: “I have walked back and forth before you from my childhood until this day.”
The same hitpael verbal form is used in a more famous passage, in Genesis 3:24. It speaks of the ‘flashing’ or ‘turning’ of the cherubim’s flaming sword that will keep Adam and Eve from getting back into the Garden of Eden. It’s not just a moving sword that is keeping them out, but a sword that is moving all over the place. It is thorough action.
The same idea is used for Samuel’s walking before the people. They could see all sides of him. He is saying, “I’ve lived before you as an open book. You’ve observed me, you know me, you’ve known me for a long time.”
And then he does something surprising, something that seems risky. He says (vs. 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?”
He is inviting scrutiny! How often do people do that?
Alice and I are fans of the Law and Order (original series) TV show. In the storylines it seems that the suspects’ lawyers are always trying to disallow evidence against their clients. “That was an illegal search, you can’t use evidence at trial,” or “You can’t use that testimony, that was privileged communication between my client and his psychiatrist.” The clients are probably guilty, but the lawyers don’t want them to look that way to a jury, so they try to hide things.
No one likes scrutiny. We wonder might turn up.
But here is Samuel asking for it.
The Apostle Paul did the same thing (I wonder if he had Samuel’s example in mind). In Acts 20:26 he tells the Ephesians elders–knowing he will not see them again–“I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God… I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.”
Both Samuel and Paul invited scrutiny of their lives and in both cases the people couldn’t find anything against them. These men were true blue, the same on the inside as they were on the outside. They had nothing to hide.
Could we pass the test like Samuel and Paul?
Now some people try to get a good reputation by faking it. They put on a good front. They compartmentalize, having a good public self and a bad private self. They know about public relations and damage control.
Jesus had some harsh words for those who did this: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean,” (Matthew 23:25-26).
This compartmentalizing is wrong in the eyes of God. Plus, it takes maintenance. You always have to keep the cover up going. If you lie, you always have to remember what the lie was and to whom you told it. I would imagine that living like that would be stressful, even exhausting. You never know when you’re going to make a mistake and then everyone will know what’s been going on.
But God knows, and we know. If we are right with God, we will have peace within ourselves. And if we are right with God and have peace within ourselves, that third thing (what others think of us) will take care of itself.
God’s goodness works on us from the inside out. Jesus likened God’s Word to a seed that grows within, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop,” (Luke 8:15).
Samuel and Paul had the idea. They were God’s men, and their good hearts worked itself out into their public lives.
So, the way to end the sin and stress of living two lives is to let God change you from the inside out.
Until next week,
Dean Coonradt