The cry of Wisdom warns us to heed God’s Word. If we will not turn at its reproofs, we will reap the wickedness that we sow. And for the unrepentant Lost, the wages of sin is eternal death.

In this sermon, Samuel preaches to the recently victorious armies of Israel. He is now an old man, having served the LORD blamelessly through the whole of his life. He warns the people that they have done a great wickedness in seeking a king for themselves and rejecting the LORD’s rule over their lives. His sermon is witnessed by a great miracle of rain from heaven, provoking great fear among the nation.

In this sermon, the catastrophic judgment of Bethshemesh provokes national revival. Heeding the preaching of Samuel, the whole house of Israel repents, confessing their sin and turning back to God. This leads to a miraculous victory over the Philistines and the establishment of Samuel as judge over Israel.