The Prophet at the Celebration

The old man breathed in the scent of roasting meat. The fire roared before him on the altar. Dry kindling had been easy to find this season. It shouldn’t rain for a long time yet. He closed his eyes and raised his hands in prayer.

And then he turned to look at the people. They’d gathered so they could proclaim Saul king again, to reaffirm his monarchy. They’d come to sacrifice to the Lord in thanksgiving. And now they would listen to Samuel.

“I’ve listened to everything you said,” he told them as the fire crackled. “I set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader.”

The people roared. Someone slapped Saul on the back. The king grinned. He soaked in the adulation.

Samuel snapped, “As for me, I’m old now. My sons are here with you. I’ve been your leader from my youth until this day.” The people forgot so quickly, didn’t they? “Here I stand. Testify against me. Have I ever taken anything from you? Have I cheated any of you? Did I accept a bribe when I judged any of you? Go ahead. Tell me. I’ll make it right.”

The people looked at each other. They hadn’t expected this. Saul had led them to victory at Jabesh Gilead. They’d expected something about following the king, or about how good their king was. Not this! They answered, “You haven’t cheated or oppressed us. You didn’t take anything from anyone.”

Samuel said, “The Lord is witness against you!”

Saul’s smile faded. What was happening?

The people answered, confused, “He is witness.”

But Samuel wasn’t done. “Let me remind you. The Lord has been a good king, hasn’t he? He freed you from slavery in Egypt. And he brought you here to the Promised Land. And invaders kept coming. And what did the Lord do? He protected you every time. Every time! He raised up leaders to bring you victory.

“But no, the Lord wasn’t a good enough king for you, was he? You wanted to be like the other nations.”

The prophet stood in front of the altar. The people shifted their weight from foot to foot. Saul’s eyebrows met as he tried to figure out what Samuel was doing.

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The prophet gestured to the king. “Now here is the king you have chosen. This is the one you have asked for.”

A few people tried cheering. The sounds died under Samuel’s scowl.

“If you serve the Lord, if your king serves the Lord, good! But if you do not obey the Lord, he will turn against you.”

Samuel lifted his eyes to the dark sky full of stars. The air was dry. The winter rains were long, long past. “Now, it’s the wheat harvest. I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. You will realize what an evil thing you did when you called for a king!”

And the prophet called on the Lord. Thunder called from the sky. Rain fell. It pounded on them. Cold, cold water soaked their clothes and pelted their faces. The fire behind Samuel, though, kept burning on the altar.

The people called out, “Pray to the Lord for us so we don’t die! We’ve sinned! We never should have asked for a king!”

And Saul heard their words.

Samuel laughed. “Do not be afraid!”

Thunder boomed.

“Do not be afraid! The Lord won’t reject his people.
The Lord was pleased to make you his own. Fear the Lord! Serve him faithfully! Consider what great things he has done for you!”

The rain ceased. Water dripped from Saul’s beard. All the people watched Samuel.

The prophet spoke again. “Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

This story is based on I Samuel 12.