1 Samuel 12:6-11: a reflection

6Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8“When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. 9But they forgot the LORD their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10They cried to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11The LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

As Samuel recounts Israel's history, he traces a repeated pattern of God's faithfulness meeting the people's failure. Again and again, he says, the people forgot the LORD and fell into the hand of their enemies; and again and again, when they cried to the LORD and confessed their sin, he sent deliverers and rescued them. But they forgot the LORD their God, and he sold them into the hand of their enemies; then they cried to the LORD, and the LORD sent deliverers. Despite their forgetting him, God faithfully delivered them again whenever they turned back and cried out. His mercy met their failure with fresh deliverance, time after time.

Notice the pattern: the people forgot God and fell into trouble, cried out, and God delivered them again. Their forgetting was real, and it brought them into the hand of their enemies; but when they turned back and cried to God, he did not refuse them for their forgetting. He sent deliverers and rescued them, again and again, answering their cry with fresh mercy. God's faithfulness was not exhausted by their repeated forgetting; each time they turned back, he delivered them anew. The cycle of their failure was met, over and over, by the faithfulness of God's mercy, which delivered them again whenever they cried out, despite how many times they had forgotten him.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's mercy is faithful to deliver us again even after we have forgotten him. We fail, forget God, drift from him, and fall into trouble; and we can fear that our repeated forgetting has exhausted his mercy, that he will not deliver us again. But God delivered Israel again and again whenever they turned back and cried out, despite their forgetting. His mercy is faithful to deliver the returning even after repeated failure. When you have forgotten God and fallen into trouble, do not fear that his mercy is exhausted; turn back and cry to him, for he is faithful to deliver again. Turn back to God and cry out when you have forgotten him and fallen into trouble, trusting that his mercy is faithful to deliver you again, as he delivered Israel repeatedly whenever they cried out despite their forgetting; for God's faithfulness is not exhausted by our failures, and he is ready to deliver again those who turn back and cry to him, however many times they have forgotten him.

Lord, as Samuel recounts Israel's history, he traces a repeated pattern of your faithfulness meeting the people's failure. Again and again, he says, the people forgot the LORD and fell into the hand of their enemies; and again and again, when they cried to the LORD and confessed their sin, he sent deliverers and rescued them. Despite their forgetting you, you faithfully delivered them again whenever they turned back and cried out. Your mercy met their failure with fresh deliverance, time after time. Show me the pattern: the people forgot you and fell into trouble, cried out, and you delivered them again. Their forgetting was real, and it brought them into the hand of their enemies; but when they turned back and cried to you, you did not refuse them for their forgetting. You sent deliverers and rescued them, again and again. Your faithfulness was not exhausted by their repeated forgetting. The cycle of their failure was met, over and over, by the faithfulness of your mercy. Take that to my heart, for your mercy is faithful to deliver me again even after I have forgotten you. I fail, forget you, drift from you, and fall into trouble; and I can fear that my repeated forgetting has exhausted your mercy, that you will not deliver me again. But you delivered Israel again and again whenever they turned back and cried out. When I have forgotten you and fallen into trouble, keep me from fearing that your mercy is exhausted; help me turn back and cry to you, Lord, for you are faithful to deliver again.