BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY from David Guzik (blueletterbible.org): "(In verses 20-25) Samuel exhorts Israel to walk right with the LORD today. Samuel will not minimize Israel's sin. Yet, he does not want them to dwell on the sin of the past, but to get on walking with the LORD today. The Living Bible puts the thought well: Make sure now that you worship the Lord with true enthusiasm, and that you don't turn your back on Him in any way. We can't do anything about yesterday, and at the present moment we can't serve God tomorrow. At the present moment, all we can do is not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Satan would love for us to live in the past or in the future; to do anything but serve the LORD with all we have right now! Samuel wants Israel to know that rejecting the LORD, and turning aside from Him, just doesn't work. If they will not serve God out of spiritual reasons, then let them do it for pragmatic reasons: nothing else can profit or deliver! It is precious place in our walk with God when we realize this. It isn't easy to come to this place; we usually learn by bitter experience that nothing else can profit or deliver. But how wonderful to say with Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). What a gift to know that as tough as it might be serving God, it is only worse to turn aside from Him!
PERSONAL APPLICATION: Why doesn't God give up on Israel? Because He
loves them. Why is God willing to put away the sin of the past? Because
He loves them. Why is God willing to give them a new start? Because He
loves them. Only God's love makes any sense of this!
God's love for Israel is the same love that He shows to us, His children. May we NEVER forget that!!
God's love for Israel is the same love that He shows to us, His children. May we NEVER forget that!!
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