14. We see that the nation of Israel was afraid. Do you trust God when you are afraid? Do you trust God's Word concerning His very promises in truth and spirit? Have you backslided in your life? Have you taken proper measures to amend your life before God and man according to His written Word? Do you find yourself complaining of your providential ordering of your circumstances? Remember everything is ordained for our good according to His good will. Are you in despair or buckle under distress? Remember the trust and courage of David in the Old Testament. We are threatened by sin and death and pain. What should we do? We ought to trust God alone and His Word.
15. The spiritual test is placed before us just like it was placed before the nation of Israel during Samuel's time. Do you observe a life of faith and trust in the promises of Christ? Do you instead walk by sight and ignorant human wisdom and worldly advise? Do you realize that if you forsake certain sin you will be happier? Do you know the Bible present's the only way to discipline our children? Will good works here on earth grant me a better place in heaven as a reward? Have you been persecuted? Do you know you are blessed? Have you understood that God blesses prayers? Is it true that it is better to give than to receive? Will people without the gospel suffer in eternal hell? If so, what have you done to fix it? Do you use your spiritual gifts? God promises deliverance for the nation of Israel if they simply repent. The question remains, did the nation of Israel believe God could grant deliverance through their trust of Him alone?
16. The nation of Israel passed the spiritual test. They sought the favor of God. I suggest to you that God moved their hearts to respond. They prayed, fasted and made public confession. It was a test or question of sheer faith. It was their trust that saw the evidence of a God who keeps His promises and delivers them. They were a desperate people. We saw that king Saul was desperate and consulted a medium. Sometimes when sinners are desperate they do wrong things before God and man. Sometimes they turn to the occult. No one should ever turn to the occult. We ought instead be armed with the weapon of prayer and always turn to the Lord alone. The Israelites were living a Godward way of life and this was the time they were threatened. I suggest to you that in the Christian life we can become more like Satan by sinning in rebellious idolatry or become more like Christ through the Spirit and Word imparting His divine grace to be obedient in all good works. We cannot earn our salvation in any sense. Satan meant to destroy the nation of Israel, but God had meant it for their good. God fought for them and went ahead of them regarding fighting for His ultimate cause. The people asked Samuel to cry out to the Lord their God for them. He offered a burnt offering for the people and cried to the Lord alone. God fulfilled His promise and His Word, helped the people and encouraged them and fulfilled His ultimate promise to them in a direct fashion. The Lord helped the nation of Israel.
17. The result of repentance is God confirming His Word. It is about His Word being kept and the complete and divine encouragement for us. It is a fulfillment of His great salvational promise. God blesses His people with forgiveness, mercy and pardon when they repent. He surely delivers His people when they repent. Through the all-sufficient and all-exclusive atonement of our Lord Jesus, He remits all our sins because the blood of Jesus is enough to take us to heaven without anything else. We ought to continue to repent and believe the gospel. Never give up! No matter what. Never give up! The result of repentance is eternal joy and gladness and rejoicing. It is a furtherance of a greater obedience to God. Repentance is not some kind of self-torment but it is confession to God in a contrite manner. The result of repentance is forgiveness because it is through the once-and-for-all atonement of Jesus. Amen.
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
