A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance

The Lord set up judges and officers to judge His people with “just judgment” (Deut. 16:18). Samuel was one of those judges, and he had judged Israel all of his life (I Sam. 7:15). When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel (8:1). The elders approached Samuel and said, “Samuel, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. We want a king like all of the other nations have to judge us” (8:5). How painful this must have been for Samuel. He was called of God to serve. He had been faithful to God and to these elders and their people. Now, they no longer want him because he is old. They do not want his sons because they are sinful. Samuel knew Eli’s pain as he watched him with his own sons as they acted in rebellion against God. He now experiences this same pain first hand. But what really hurts Samuel is that they do not want God’s will but their own. They want a king. What does Samuel do -- yell, scream, rebuke, become depressed, or reason? No, he runs to God in prayer. God instructs Samuel to tell the people that a king would require their sons and daughters to serve him, he would take their fields, vineyards, and olive yards, and require a tenth of their possessions. Yet, they still want a king and God sends Samuel to anoint Saul as their king.

Saul sins against God and the Lord tells Samuel. Samuel cries unto the Lord for Saul all night. Surely, Samuel was an intercessor. Early the next morning, Samuel went to Saul confronting him in his sin. Saul made excuses for his disobedience. Samuel said, “Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king” (15:23). Saul confesses his sin, but adds that he transgressed the Word of God because he feared the people and obeyed their voice (15:24). Samuel once again mourns over Saul. The Lord says to Samuel, “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons” (16:1).

Ecclesiastes 3:1&4 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Obviously, Samuel had mourned for Saul long enough. The Lord had a mission for Samuel. As long as he sat mourning, he could not take the anointing to God’s new king, King David. There is a time to mourn but it should be only a “time.” We as children of God carry His anointing. He is calling us for His purpose. Could it be that we sit mourning over what could have been; circumstances that were out of our control; family problems; disappointments; etc? How long will we mourn? Is it time to carry God’s anointing to the lost, the sick, the brokenhearted,…? “I take my pain, my fear, my worry, my grief, and my shame and give to you Jesus in exchange for your healing, your peace, and your comfort. Now, I ‘go’ in your anointing. Amen!”