a. The righteous acts of the LORD: In this remembrance of God’s work from the time of the Exodus until his day Samuel focused not on the history of Israel, but on the history of the righteous acts of the LORD.
b. Who brought your fathers up out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place: Israel should remember their salvation from slavery and the new life God gave them in the Promised Land. This was one of the righteous acts of the LORD.
c. He sold them into the hand of Sisera: Israel should remember how God allowed a disobedient Israel to be dominated by their enemies, as a chastisement intended to bring them to repentance. This was one of the righteous acts of the LORD.
i. We should recognize chastisement as one of the righteous acts of the LORD. His discipline is just as righteous as His deliverance.
d. They cried out to the LORD…now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You. And the LORD sent…and delivered you: Israel should remember when they cried out to God, confessed their sin and humbled themselves in repentance before Him, that He delivered them. This was one of the righteous acts of the LORD.
i. Jerubbaal was another name for Gideon (Judges 6:32). There is no mention of Bedan in the book of Judges. Perhaps he was a deliverer known in their history, but not recorded in the book of Judges. Or, Bedan may be a variant spelling or name for Barak, mentioned in Judges 4:6. The Septuagint, an ancient translation of the Old Testament, translates the name as Barak. Other ancient translations have Samson, and some commentators believe Jair is intended.
e. Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you: Samuel remembered the most recent example of God’s deliverance for Israel (recorded in 1 Samuel 11). Samuel linked together the story of God’s deliverance for Israel from the time of the Exodus to the present day. Each of these was an example of the righteous acts of the LORD.
i. As Israel made the transition into a monarchy, they must remember the righteous acts of the LORD. Everything the LORD will do is in the setting of what He has already done in our lives.
f. You said to me, “No, but a king shall reign over us,” when the LORD your God was your king: As they began to live under the king, Samuel reminded the nation of their disobedient desire for a king. The LORD was a good king for Israel, but they wanted a king for carnal and fleshly reasons. (Guzik)
Righteous Acts of the Lord
When you meet Jesus face to face you’ll understand “all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you” and how many times He intervened and carried you!
Reminds me of a poem.
The Footprints Prayer
One night I had a dream…
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life
This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way;
But I have noticed that during the
most troublesome times in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in times when I
needed you the most, you should leave me.
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious
child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of
trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.
During your times of trial and suffering, do you allow Jesus to carry you?
Blessings
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