# 1 Samuel Chapter 12 --- ## Summary Samuel addresses all Israel pointing out his age and the recent appointment of the King. He stands to be judged by Israel before the Lord challenging anyone to clarify whom he has defrauded or sought to mislead. All Israel cannot find fault with Samuel. Samuel brings to memory the history of the Lords dealings with the Israelites from Abraham's calling, salvation from the Egyptians via Moses and Aaron, deliverance from the Moabites and the Philistines. Samuel notes that the Israelites have now added the evil of asking for a King when the Lord was their king to the list of shortcomings. The Lord makes it thunder and the people are afraid and appeal for Samuel to make amends on their behalf. Samuel tells the people to not be afraid but points out they can return to the right path; pointing out they will be swept away if they and their king to not keep to the righteous path. ## Meditatio Memory is an important recurrent theme thought out scripture. It seems to be the mechanism by which humans hold onto reality and at the same time are held in reality by the Lord; that as they grasp the transcendent the transcendent grasps them. Samuel within this chapters is reminding us again of the significance of memory and remembering and how the Israelites have once again failed to remember the Lord. But what does it mean to remember? Remembering in scripture is more than just the recollection of relevant information. Remembering is an embodied act. God's remembrance of Noah and all the wild animals ([Gen 8:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen+8%3A1&version=ESV)) was their material preservation. Gods remembrance of Rachel was the opening of her womb ([Gen 30:22](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen+30%3A22&version=ESV)). God's remembrance of his covenant with Abraham in Egypt was deliverance from slavery ([Exo 2:24](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exo+2%3A24&version=ESV)). It is far from just a cognitive exercise, it requires active engagement with the world. For the believer then *remembering* too is also an embodied act one in which the act of forgetting relates to the actions of the individuals concerned. The Israelites forgot the Lord their God when they served Baals and the Asherahs ([Judges 3:7](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+3%3A7&version=ESV)), through their unfaithfulness and idolatry ([Ezekiel 23:35](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ez+23%3A35&version=ESV)), or through simply becoming complaisant and content ([Hosea 13:6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea+13%3A6&version=ESV)). So what is required of us to *remember* the Lord? Jesus promises to send an advocate (the Holy Spirit) who will bring to our remembrance everything he has said ([John 14:26](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A26&version=ESV)), calls us to remember his body given for us ([Luke 22:19](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A19&version=ESV)), warns of the consequences of not remembering mercy ([Matthew 18:32-35](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A32-35&version=ESV)) or pursuing material wealth forgetting about God ([Luke 12:16-21](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A16-21&version=ESV)) So this journey begins where we left off yesterday. Jesus outlines the necessity to *abide* in his word as a prerequisite for (a) identity as a disciple, and (b) knowledge[^1]. To remember the Lord then is to inhabit his words, not paying merely lip service to them[^2]. To me then this makes verses such as `they forgot the Lord their God.` as particularly concerning. Will this ever be said of me? That I forgot the Lord God and failed to walk in his ways? It is pretty explicit within the mosaic code to take care not to *forget the Lord your God*[^3] in the good times. Indeed remembrance has such significance that it becomes incorporated into the daily life of the Israelites. Remembrance of the deliverance from slavery is the detail that accompanies the fourth commandment to observe the Sabbath ([Deut 5:15](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut+5%3A15&version=ESV)). Is incorporated into the grain offering outlines in Leviticus 2 with a *memorial portion* being burned to the Lord[^4]. Lord have mercy, lest we forget. [^1]: See [John8:31-32](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A31-32&version=ESV). [^2]: See [Matthew 15:1-9](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15%3A1-9&version=ESV) for an example. [^3]: See [Deut 8:11-14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut+8%3A11-14&version=ESV) specifically. [^4]: I explored this idea of memory in my treatment of [Leviticus 2](http://tilde.club/~chortle/log.php?type=faith&year=2023#leviticus-chapter-2) that may be of interest. I need to explore this topic in greater detail.