Before the Throne

What would it be like to live under a monarchy? For most of us living in the United States, we will never experience being ruled by a king. The United States is a representative democracy, where our government is elected by its people. The British Monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. While the king or queen is the Sovereign Head of State, a Parliament is elected to make and pass legislation. A change in each country’s system of government is very unlikely. The children of Israel, however, demanded a change – they wanted a king.

Before the Israelite monarchy was established, the people were ruled by judges and received God’s messages through prophets. Samuel was appointed by God to be both judge and prophet over Israel. Israel, however, had come to the place of rejecting this system and desired to be ruled by a king. In choosing a king, they were rejecting the true King. With their desire to be like other nations, God selected Saul as Israel’s first king, and Israel strayed from God’s plan.

With the start of his reign, King Saul led the people in glorious victory. Unsure if the people would see God’s blessing or their achievement, Samuel came before them. While his time as judge had come to an end, he still provided spiritual leadership, guiding the people toward God. They had sinned against God in demanding a king and judgment came in the form of a great thunderstorm. Storms during the wheat harvest were unexpected, unheard of, and clearly pointed to God’s wrath. With this judgment, the Israelites saw their sin and came to Samuel asking for prayers of mercy to be offered up to God.

So many years, so many cycles of sin, judgment and repentance had been experienced by Samuel with God’s people. They not only rejected God’s plan but also Samuel as judge. Yet his response to them came as the result of his time with God, for Samuel was a great man of prayer. He spent time with God.

He responded, “Moreover, 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. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23-24)

Samuel set aside any feelings of rejection and hurt, knowing it would be sin if he stopped praying for repentant people. The Israelites had acknowledged their sin before the Lord and returned to Him. This had been Samuel’s constant instruction to them. If they would serve God faithfully and be obedient to Him, God would bless them. If they turned away from God in sin, His holiness would demand judgment. But even in their times of sin, Samuel would pray for them.

It was not that Samuel was a great man, but he was a great man of prayer. He went before God with his needs, the needs of God’s people, in times of praise and worship, in times of repentance. Samuel knew the importance of communion with God. He knew the importance of taking others before the Throne. His time with the Lord helped him see the children of Israel as God did, and he had a deep love for God’s people. He found that faithfulness and obedience to God was the only way, and he wanted them to see that too. Time with God had changed him, and he wanted change for them too. So, he prayed.

Situations can leave you at a loss to know what to do, and sometimes it doesn’t seem enough to just say “I will pray.” Prayer is the best thing you can do. When you are at odds with others, when life choices are not the best, when life is continual difficulty, when help cannot be found, when there is nothing you can do, just pray.

Time spent with God changes you, changes people around you, really, changes you for the people around you. When you bring those around you before the Throne, God helps you to see yourself, others, and their needs as He does. Often, He will then use you to instruct and encourage them toward Him, and it’s all because you took them before the Lord in prayer. So, who do you need to take before the Throne of God today?

In His Love,

Susan