Call Upon The Lord

Samuel was a great man of God. Before he was even born, his mother had already committed him into the service of the Lord. The Bible records that as soon as he was weaned, he was sent to the house of Eli (the judge and High Priest of the day) to live. Even when he was a child, the Lord spoke to him and he prophesied. As the last judge of Israel, he was the shining example of obedience to a wayward people.

As Samuel grew older, the people rejected his rule along with the sovereignty of God. The people demanded to have a king placed over them. Because the people had rejected God, God allowed them to have king of their choosing. This man was taller and more handsome than any other. By any human standard, he was the clear choice. Yet, the choices of man rarely meet the standard of God, and this case was no exception. The new king’s name was Saul.

The Lord told Saul and the people that if they would only follow His commandments that he would be with them. Yet, as the cycle of disbelief continued in Israel, Saul disobeyed the Lord two distinct times. First, he performed sacrifices that were forbidden for him because he failed to wait on Samuel. Then he spared the king of the Amalekites and let the livestock live when he was told to destroy everything. These two offenses were enough for God to reject Saul as the king, but Saul’s downward spiral was just beginning.

God always has plan. When we lose our faith and try to do things on our own, things very often turn out badly. Trust in the Lord and He will direct your paths. Saul would have benefitted greatly, if only he had listened to the Lord.

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Joshua was a man of faith. When he was sent as a spy, only he and Caleb kept their faith in God and encouraged the people to move take the land that God had given them. Because of his faith, Joshua was spared death in the wilderness and allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Joshua was the appointed leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He was a great general and lead the armies of Israel to many military victories. In Joshua 24:15, he declared, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The success and prosperity that Israel enjoyed under the guidance of Joshua was a tribute to his faith and obedience to God.

If only Israel had continued to honor God and worship Him as the one and true God, they would have continued to prosper. This prosperity was not to last though. When Joshua died, the faith of the people went with it.

Week 07 of the Great Story describes how powerfully God’s power can be demonstrated when He is revered and worshipped in the way that He commands. When the people keep the Commandments of God, God is faithful to them.

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At the time when the Ten Commandments were given, the Israelites were living a time of great miracles. They witnessed the plagues of Egypt, they saw the Red Sea part and Pharaoh destroyed by God, but yet their faith still wavered. When God spoke, they did not obey. They quickly forgot about all that they had seen and regressed to their ways that were practiced in Egypt. Through much of Israel’s history, they struggled with idols and foreign gods. Had they only listened to God from the beginning of their journey from Egypt, how much better and stronger would their nation had been?

A Relationship…that’s what God desired to have with the nation of Israel. He delivered His people from captivity in Egypt as a fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. Then, God told the people of Israel that if they would obey His commandments that He would establish them as a holy nation, a nation of priests. God gave His Commandments as a basis for a relationship with Him. Israel declared that they would do all that the Lord had commanded, but they failed. Knowing that man could not keep the Commandments perfectly, God allowed for sacrifices and offerings to temporarily make a covering for their sins. Only in Jesus do we have permanent forgiveness.

Romans 3:19 tells us that the Law was intended as a way to hold man accountable to God. As Christians, we are not saved by our adherence to the Law, but rather in our belief that Jesus died for the remission of our sins. We therefore are not saved by works, but by the grace of God. Yet, understanding that we are saved by grace, because we love the Lord, we strive to obey His commands. Even when we fail, the love of the Lord will always be sufficient.

Visit “The Great Story” page to download your weekly study guide or listen to the audio version of the study: The Great Story

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