Don’t Quit God

When it comes to quitting there is an endless list. Some people quit their jobs, quit spending too much, quit eating too much, quit wasting time, and some quit exercising. There are many things that as a Christian we should quit such as sexual immorality, worshiping things, drinking alcohol, slander, cheating people, etc (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Christians, there are some things that God’s children should never quit and the most important is don’t quit God. That is exactly what the people Israel did and the consequences were terrible. In 1 Samuel 8 the elders of Israel told the prophet Samuel he was old, and his sons did not walk in his ways so, “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (v.5). That was the beginning of the end for Israel, the day they turned from the “King” to the king.

Reading on in the 12^th chapter of Samuel we read Samuel’s appeal to Israel that they continue following the Lord their God. He said, “¹⁴ If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. ¹⁵ However, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers” (1 Samuel 12:14-15). This was a list of things that the people of God should never quit.

First in the list is “fear the Lord” (v.14) and again at verse 24 Saul said, “Only fear the Lord…”. Moses said, “fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments”, “fear the Lord your God and serve Him” (v. 13), and “fear the Lord our God, for our good always” (v. 24). In fact this was required by the Lord, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your ^[a]good?” (Deut. 10:12-13). Notice that fearing the Lord your God is “for our good always” (12:24), and “for your good” (10:13). Fear of the Lord must be a part of us and must be done according to righteousness and the study of the scripture is always the key to success. How should we fear the Lord? We learn from the reading of scripture, “it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God” (Deut. 17:19). Or, “Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, ¹³ and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess” (Duet. 31:12-13). After the people completely crossed over the Jordan the Lord commanded Joshua to have 1 man from each tribe take a stone from the midst of the Jordan river. Those 12 stones were eventually setup in Gilgal, as a reminder of the day “Israel crossed over the Jordan on dry land”, just as in the exodus from bondage they crossed the Red Sea. At verse 24 we read, “that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God ^[c]forever” (Josh. 4:8-9, 19-24). Those stones, like the scriptures, serve to remind us of the mighty hand of God, that we might correctly fear Him to our own good.

The text also warns us don’t quit obeying Him, “do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord” (v.14). Verse 15 teaches that you have a choice to obey or not to obey, but know that if you quit obeying, “then the hand of the Lord will be against you”. To obey God is to serve Him, and there is only one acceptable way to serve God, “serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you” (v. 24;), “…to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 11:13). Joshua exhorted, “…serve him in sincerity and in truth” (Josh. 24:14). We must not make the fatal mistake of Pharaoh who said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice…?” (Exo. 5:2). When you obey the Lord, He said you become a “a special treasure to Me above all people” (Exo. 19:5), and “blessing, if you obey” Deut. 11:27). When we serve the Lord in the church Peter said, “…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Samuel pleaded, “and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord” (v.14). This cry was spoken by many to the people of Israel, of Aaron and Moses for their rebellion (Num. 20:24, 27:14), the children of Israel refusal to enter the land (Deut.1:26, 43), they were disobedient and rebelled (Neh. 9:26). Judah also rebelled (Isa. 1:2; Jer. 5:23). The result of rebellion will always be the same, “Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound^[prisoners] in affliction and irons—¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of God, and ^[scorned]despised the counsel of the Most High” (Psa. 107:10-11).

Every member of the Lord’s church must continue following the Lord fearing Him, serving Him, obeying His voice and keeping all the commandments of Christ as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus said to believers, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Paul and Barnabas exhorts the disciples, “continue in the faith” (Acts 14:22). Paul said, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, ^[a]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22), and he told the church at Colossi through Jesus you have been, “reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven” (Col. 1:21-23). Paul told Timothy concerning the doctrine, “Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16)

Therefore, beloved brethren, let us continue, and don’t quit God! You can’t quit something you haven’t started, so you can start today, if you believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 8:24), then repent of your sins (Luke 13:3), Confess Him before men (Matt. 10:32) and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and the Lord will add you to His church (Acts 2:47).

In Love

David Scarpino

Our faithful Creator is worthy to be praised in this assembly. All praise to Him who reigns above in majesty supreme! He gave His Son to die, for all mankind, that He might redeem all. Our blessed Redeemer suffered and died for our sins and is now risen and sitting at the right hand of God as Head of the church. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, knowing that He is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:8-9) “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)