1 Samuel 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
The Israelites wanted a king, and they got one—a good-looking, tall man who led them in victory over the Ammonites, a nation that was taking over Jabesh Gilead [locate]. When the Lord gave victory to Israel, the people were very excited about that victory and about their new king. Samuel directed them, saying, “Let us all go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom.” Saul had already been crowned at Mizpeh. Now, however, they sacrificed “peace offerings before the Lord, and there in Gilgal Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly” (1 Samuel 11:15).
The meaning of the name Gilgal is “rolling.” Gilgal was a place of memorial. There are different places named Gilgal in the Bible. Gilgal is significant in the Bible as serving as a place of memorial for the Israelites, to remind them of what God had done. After miraculously crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites set up twelve stones taken from the river, representing the twelve tribes, to serve as a reminder to the children of Israel (Joshua 4:19–20). The stones at Gilgal would remind the Israelites and their descendants of the power of God and how He had dried up the Jordan River so they could walk through it, just as He had done to the Red Sea
Samuel’s speech
Samuel got up to speak; he said “I listened to you and have made a king over you. He’s walking before you here. “I am old and gray-haired, and my sons are here. I have walked before you since childhood.. “Tell me. Have I taken an ox? a donkey? Have I cheated anyone? Have I made trouble for anyone? Have I received any bribes? If I have, I will give them all back.” The people answered, “No, you haven’t done any of these things.” Samuel verified their answer, “Do you call the Lord to witness what you say?” The people said, “He is witness.”
The prophet did his own defence before the people and then passed God's judgement because they ignored the Lord and made Saul a king.
Samuel’s challenge
“Now,” said Samuel, “you are about to see what shall be done because of your great wickedness in asking for a king. It is wheat harvest. You know it never rains during this season. If it did, it would spoil the crop. However, I call upon the Lord to send thunder.”
How had God defeated the Philistines earlier when Samuel had prayed? With thunder. Now Samuel said, “God will send thunder and rain so that you may understand and see that your wickedness is great in God’s sight by asking for a king.”
Samuel’s prayer
1 Samuel 12:1 19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Then Samuel prayed, and God sent thunder and rain that day. The Bible states, “All the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.” In fact, the people cried, “Pray for us that we don’t die! We have added to all our sins by asking for a king.”
Samuel told the people not to fear. Jesus tells His people many times in the Gospels not to fear. Here is one example: ”
Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Sometimes we do mistakes and without thinking we do radical decisions without consulting God. Though we may pay the consequences we should trust in God's grace and forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
No one is perfect. No one is without sin. No one can possibly obey all of God’s commandments (or any set of rules for that matter) perfectly, not even devout Christians. Inevitably we will sin, and as long as we have faith in Him and we ask for forgiveness, honestly repenting, we will be forgiven unconditionally.
Ephesians 1:7 in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
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