Yet


1 Samuel 12:20-25
20And 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. 21And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

My son-in-law is in the midst of a career change. He is/was a professor at a university and has recently taken on a new position. As part of his leaving from the university, he was given the opportunity to present his “last lecture” to the student body. In his time as a professor, he has become well loved and respected. This was his chance to leave the audience with some parting thoughts about life and how to move forward with integrity and faithfulness. As a mother-in-law, let me just say, I was proud. But as I read these words from Samuel this morning, I couldn’t help but make comparisons. Here we find Samuel making his last comments to the Children of Israel as he takes his leave of the position as their leader. That role now lies in the hands of the newly crowned King Saul. So he presents, if you will, his “last sermon”.  His words are recorded in the whole of chapter 12. Now we come to the final thoughts of this address.

Samuel pulls no punches. He puts his finger on the pulse of a people who are quick to walk away from God and calls it as he sees it. … you have all done evil. I wouldn’t have wanted to hear those words spoken so publicly. But they know he’s right. He also tells them not to be afraid. Out of these verses, I was shocked to find that the word that stuck out to me the most was “Yet”. Yes, you’ve done evil, “yet”.   

Yet à אַךְ ak  surely, howbeit:—however, nevertheless, only, rather

Yes you’ve done wrong, yet God is still faithful. He will still forgive and restore if you will be return to Him. This is the song of the entire Old Testament. Every prophet (beginning with Samuel) will utter these words in one form or another. And they ring through our heart in 2019 with just as much truth as they did for the ancient Hebrews. Yet –

The prophet Isaiah articulates the same message, as he too begs the people to turn not to their idols, but to the Lord who has rescued them time and again.

Isaiah 45:21-22
21Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 22“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Samuel calls those idols “empty” and that is indeed the perfect words. Anything we choose over God will only disappoint, for He is the only source of power and forgiveness in the world – the only one. Our antidote to those sin-filled yearning after other gods will only lead us to despair and destruction. But Samuel presents the answer for that as well.

24Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

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