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Noble Spirit of David
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tred rekindles and they return to the same actions that they repented
of. Satan can use such souls with far greater power than before,
because they have sinned against greater light.
The People Are Sorry They Asked for a King
“Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and
lamented for him, and buried him in his home at Ramah.” A great
and good prophet and an outstanding judge had died. Ever since he
was very young, Samuel had lived his life in the sight of all Israel
with the integrity of his heart. Although Saul had been king, Samuel
had wielded a more powerful influence than he, because his record
was one of faithfulness and devotion.
The people saw what a mistake they had made in wanting a king
so that they would not be different from the nations around them.
Many of them looked with fear at the condition of society, which
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was quickly becoming corrupted with godlessness. There were good
reasons for Israel to mourn that Samuel, the prophet of the Lord,
was dead.
The nation had lost the one to whom the people had been used
to going to with their great troubles; they had lost one who had
constantly plead with God for the best interests of the people. His
prayers had given them a sense of security, for “The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (
James 5:16
). The king
seemed almost like a madman. Justice was perverted, and order was
turned to confusion.
The people’s thoughts were bitter as they looked on Samuel’s
quiet resting place and remembered their foolishness in rejecting
him as their ruler. He had had so close a connection with Heaven
that he seemed to hold all Israel together to God’s throne. Samuel
had taught them to love and obey God, but now he was dead. The
people felt that they were left to the mercies of a king who was
joined to Satan and who would divorce the people from God and
heaven.
David knew that Samuel’s death had broken another link of
control on the actions of Saul, and he felt less secure than when
the prophet lived, so he fled to the wilderness of Paran. In these