Today we will look at the priest, the prophet, the judge and the king. 
Moses was a prophet and priest and judge. 
Samuel was a priest and prophet and judge. 
Aaron was the High Priest. 

We will see two kings who crossed the line and paid the price for not recognizing the form and function of these different job descriptions. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Psalms 99
1 The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He.
4 The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the Lord and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them.
8 O Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the Lord our God.

The Lord reigns. 

God is in control.  That is the theme from the Torah. 

Let the peoples tremble . . . this is the correct response from man.  Man is to fear God not because God is scary, but because He is awesome.  Today, we will be looking at Moses, Aaron and Samuel from a perspective of form and function.  How does their job form and function relate to their responsibilities. 

Notice in verse 8 where the Psalm says God is forgiving to them, and yet an avenger of their evil deeds.  These three guys were not superman, but regular guys called by God for a specific responsibility.  As a Christian, you are not required to be superman, but respond to the calling God has placed on your life as a man, as a husband, and as a father. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Acts 7:20-23
20 It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father's home.
21 And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 
22 Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 
23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 

We will start with Moses.  Notice that he was educated and a man of action. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 3:10-11
10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

Exodus 3:14-15
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 
15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.'  This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 

Exodus 4:1
Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The Lord has not appeared to you.'" 

Exodus 4:10-12
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 
11 The Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind?  Is it not I, the Lord? 
12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." 

Moses said 'who am I' and 'what if' to the Angel of the Lord who was speaking to him from a burning bush?  If you ever see a burning bush and a voice tells you to take off your sandals, do not question His instructions.  WOW. When God talks to you, you just say yes sir and no sir.  Moses is described as an educated man of action, but he actually questions God. 

Moses might be a Hebrew and an Israelite, but he does not have a clue about who God is or what He is about to do using him.  Notice the three objections from Moses in 3:11 'who am I', in 4:1 'what if', and 4:10 'please Lord'. Strike one, strike two and strike three, you are out.  But God even gives him strike 4 in verse 4:13. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 4:13-16
13 But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will." 
14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 
15 You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 
16 Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

Did you know you can make God mad? 

In a few weeks we will discuss anger management and this will be one of our passages to evaluate the right things that are worth getting angry about.  We will distinguish those from the wrong things unworthy of our emotions.  Think about this; Moses is on a mountain outside of Midian.  Aaron was in captivity in Egypt, but along comes Aaron walking down the road.  God is in control.  Always remember that even when life seems to be spinning out of control, God is in control. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 4:23-24
23 So I said to you, 'Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn."'" 
24 Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 

We have covered this story a few times so it should be familiar with you.  Moses recognized that he was a Hebrew, but he did not understand the purpose of the Jewish race.  Moses had not been obedient to institute God's covenant of circumcision with his sons.  We know that this rite relates to the seed promised to Adam and promised to Abraham.

Abram is described as a Hebrew in Genesis 14:13 before his name was changed to Abraham and before he had any children.  See in Genesis 15:2 where he says he does not have children.  Ishmael comes along in Genesis 16.  Ishmael could be described as a Hebrew because his father was a Hebrew.  Ishmael was circumcised, but he is not a Jew.  Using that logic, Abraham is not a Jew.  As a matter of fact, Isaac was not a Jew.  You could even say that Jacob was not a Jew until after God changed his name to Israel.  That was only done after Jacob put away the idols from his family and God dealt with his spiritual life.  The man Israel, who is a Jew, did not have any children.  God adopted the twelve sons of Jacob as His possession.  God adopts man today if they will just cling to Jesus as the Messiah.

The Jewish people are a creation from God for His purposes.  This people was called out of the barren womb of Sarah.  This people was called out of the barren womb of Rebekah.  This people was called out of slavery from Egypt.  The primary reason for the Jewish people was to bring the Messiah into this world.  The covenant of circumcision is God's covenant to mankind that He will deal with sin.  Notice that I did not say a covenant with the Jew, but with mankind.  This is God's covenant, not just a Jewish covenant.  Remember that Ismael and all the servants of Abraham were circumcised.  The tradition of circumcision was passed down to generations to follow.  The key is to recognize the importance of what circumcision is all about.  It is about the Messiah discussed in Genesis 3:15 as the seed of woman to bruise (crush) the serpent's head.  Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 5:22-23
22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people?  Why did You ever send me? 
23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all." 

Moses does not realize that he is talking to the Living God who created all things from nothing.  Wow, an educated man of action who is questioning the Creator.  That behavior sounds a lot like me (and you) when I was a young believer.  As Christians, we must grow in our understanding of who God is, so that we can walk with Him in the right way.  That is what discipleship is all about. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 6:1-5
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land." 
2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the Lord;
3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. 
4 I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. 
5 Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 

God is so kind and so patient with us.  Thank you Lord.  Moses was given a gift to know the name of God.  I do not think Moses understood what a great gift that he had been given.  I do not think Moses understand the wonderful opportunity God was providing.  Again, this sounds a lot like me (and you) as a young believer. 

We have been given a name Moses did not know, Jesus.  We have been given an opportunity to walk in this life in victory, but too many of us do not realize who we are in Christ.  Well, Moses did meet with Jesus at the transfiguration and discussed the things that He was about to accomplish.  God tells Moses, I have heard and I remember.  God is telling Moses that He is in charge.  God in in control. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 6:6-8
6 Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 
7 Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 
8 I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.'" 

As Christians, say to your sons that Jesus is Lord, He will redeem, He will deliver, and He will make you His people, forever, if you submit to His will in your life.  Notice the 'I am' statements and the 'I will' statements above.  This is God's plan.
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 7:5-7
5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst." 
6 So Moses and Aaron did it; as the Lord commanded them, thus they did. 
7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

God also wanted to save the Egyptians.  That was the reason for all the plagues.  A few Egyptians accepted the invitation and left with Israel, but the majority did not.  If the people would have just been obedient to God and entered the land, then these two old guys (Moses and Aaron) could have gone into the promised land.  Life sometimes takes a different direction and then we must just deal with life.  This life is not heaven.  This world is a fallen place with a very short time frame of existence.  Moses died on the mountain and Aaron died during the wandering, but both are in heaven with Jesus today. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 9:13-17
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 
14 For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 
15 For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 
16 But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. 
17 Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go. 

God uses that phrase 'God of the Hebrews' often when describing His discussions with Egypt.  The plagues were a sign to show the Egyptians that they were dealing with the Living God and He was making Himself known to mankind through these Israelites. 
Open your bibles to . . .

John 10:17-28
17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This commandment I received from My Father." 
19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 
20 Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane.  Why do you listen to Him?" 
21 Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed.  A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?" 

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 
23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 
24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." 
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe;the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.
26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

The miracles from Jesus was a sign to show the Israelites and Gentiles that the Living God was among mankind. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 12:40-41
40 Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 
41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 

Genesis 15:13-14
13 God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 
14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.

Just like Aaron walking down the road in Midian, God is in control.  Notice that the bible says 'to the very day' the sons of Israel lived in Egypt.  God is in control. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 12:48
But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. Butno uncircumcised person may eat of it.

God tells Moses again that man must approach Him in the way He prescribes and that man must recognize God's solution to our problem of sin.  So, first you must admit that you can not go to God on your own righteousness.  You must admit that you are a sinner and that you are not God.  Every cult is wrapped in self-righteousness.
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 14:15
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 

I love this verse. Your belief must produce action.  That is what James talks about when he says I will show you my faith by my works in 2:18.  John 3:16 says God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.  Ephesisans 5:25 tells a man to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.  Action follows belief.  Go forward. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 14:31
When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses. 

Exodus 9:29-30
29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. 
30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God."

Fear is not like being scared of monsters, but recognizing the power and awesome nature of our God. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 24:9-11
9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 
10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 
11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. 

Who saw God?  Who ate and drank with God?  The bible says a man can not see the face of God and live.  So Who did these men see?  Remember the form and function of God.  God reveals Himself to mankind via the Angel of the Lord.  This is one area of scripture where it does not break it down to that level, but just refers to Him as God.  Moses later asked to see God's face in Exodus 33 and he was denied. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Exodus 32:3-4
3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 
4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." 

Leviticus 10:1-3
1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 
2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the Lord spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'"  So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. 

Aaron and two of his sons were on the mountain with the seventy and ate and drank with God.  You and I are not called because we are so spiritual, but because God is gracious.  We are not holy, but God is holy.  We are not righteous, but God imparts righteousness to us via Jesus as our Messiah.  We are no better than Aaron, Nabab and Abihu, but we have access to the Holy Spirit because of our relationship with Jesus which is totally different than Aaron and his sons.  Go forward and walk with God. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Leviticus 16:1-5
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died. 
2 The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 
3 Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 
4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments).  Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. 
5 He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 

God says man must approach Him in the way he prescribes.  Remember that fact when some cult comes knocking on your door and says you can come to God in a wide variety of ways.  Really?  That is not what God says. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Numbers 3:10-12
10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death." 
11 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 
12 "Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 

The layman shall be put to death.  Leviticus 10:1-3 above says fire from God consumed two of Aaron sons because they did not treat Him as holy.  In Deuteronomy 32:50-51, God describes why Moses will not see the promised land because he broke faith with God and did not treat Him as holy in the midst of Israel.  It is our job today to honor God before man and that includes your wife and kids.  Treat God as holy in your worship and in your daily lives.  Fear the awesome power of God and appreciate His extensive love and forgiveness.
Open your bibles to . . .

Numbers 6:22-27
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 
23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: 
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you; 
25 The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 
26 TheLord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' 
27 So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."

Form and function . . .the Lord said to Moses to tell Aaron and his sons who would go and tell the people what God says.  First they shall invoke His name and then God will bless them.  First the name and then the blessing.  First comes Jesus and then true life in Christ. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Numbers 12:1-8
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 
2 and they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?  Has He not spoken through us as well?"  And the Lord heard it. 
3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 
4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting."  So the three of them came out. 
5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam.  When they had both come forward, 
6 He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I,the Lord,shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 
7 "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household;
8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the Lord.  Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant,against Moses?"

Moses was more than a prophet.  His relationship with God was as close as any old testament saint to God, but Jesus said the least in the kingdom is greater than any old testament saint.  You need to know who you are in Christ to properly function in this world.  You are the adopted child of the Living God.  Moses was never given that close of a relationship with God, but we have that because of the form and function of Jesus as our Messiah because He redeems us and conveys His righteousness unto us. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Numbers 14:22-23
22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 
23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

Did you know the nation tested God ten times?  God is so patient.  Thank you Jesus. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Numbers 25:10-13
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 
11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. 
12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; 
13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'" 

Are you jealous for God?  Get jealous for God! 
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Chronicles 6:48-49
48 Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 
49 But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 

Aaron and his family were Levites, but they had a specific function which they performed which was different than the other Levites.  A High Priest had to come from Aaron's offspring.  John the Baptist's dad was working near the alter of incense when an angel appeared and announced that Elizabeth was going to have a baby.  That would mean that he was a Levitical priest from the family of Aaron.  John the Baptist could have been part of this group and had a chance to serve as the High Priest to Israel, but he choose the desert instead as led by God in fulfillment of prophecy.
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Chronicles 12:23-27
23 Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord. 
24 The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war. 
25 Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. 
26 Of the sons of Levi 4,600. 
27 Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, . . . 

I wanted to include this passage to show that Aaron's family took on a position just like a tribe.  Aaron lost two sons, but the other two sons were fruitful.  The number who came out to support David are close in number to the tribe of Levi. 
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Chronicles 27:16-22
16 Now in charge of the tribes of Israel: chief officer for the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; 
17 for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; 
18 for Judah, Elihu, one of David's brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; 
19 for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; 
20 for the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; 
21 for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; 
22 for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham.  These were the princes of the tribes of Israel. 

Now this is an interesting passage.  Aaron's family is referenced as a tribe and given the title of prince.  Who is not listed?  All six kids from Leah are included.  Both kids from Rachel are represented with Ephraim and Manasseh taking Joseph's spot.  Rachel's handmaiden, Bilhah, have her two kids respesented.  The ones that are missing are from Leah's handmaiden, Zilpah, which are Gad and Asher.  I am not sure why they are not listed?
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 3:19-21
19 Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail. 
20 All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 
21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 

Luke 24:44-49
44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you,that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 
46 and He said to them, "Thus it is written,that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 
48 You are witnesses of these things. 
49 And behold,I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

Grace is a gift from God.  Jesus is often described as the Word.  To know the Word of God is a gift.  To have a personal relationship with Jesus is nothing short of God opening up your mind to understand His Scriptures. 
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 7:3-4
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 
4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone.

Jesus preached 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'.  That is basicly what Samuel is telling the nation of Israel; repent. 
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 8:1-5
1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 
3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. 
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 
5 and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.  Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

We saw two of Aaron's boys go down the wrong path.  Here are two of Samuel's boys going down the wrong path.  A few weeks ago we looked at Eli when he was the High Priest of Israel and his two sons went down the wrong path.
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 13:11-14
11 But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 
12 therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.'  So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering." 
13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 
14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." 

2 Chronicles 26:16-19
16 But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 
17 Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men.
18 They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense.  Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God." 
19 But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense.

Above are two examples of two different kings that both made a serious mistake in approaching God.  Is it self righteousness that make some people think they have special privileges toward God?  I have often wondered about a preacher's kids.  Is it because of the position of their father as a preacher that makes the children think that they have some special path to God which leads them off on the wrong path. 
Open your bibles to . . .

1 Samuel 19:19-24
19 It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah." 
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied. 
21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied.  So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 
22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?"  And someone said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah." 
23 He proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 
24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night.  Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 

This is one of my all time favorite stories in the bible.  The Spirit of the Living God is God just as Jesus is God and just as the Father is God.  Here is an example of God as the Holy Spirit interacting with man in a way that is off the wall.  It is like a special spirit zone.  When a person enters the zone he loves God.  If he leaves the zone, he goes back to normal man.
Open your bibles to . . .

2 Chronicles 34:1-5
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 
2 He did right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 
3 For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. 
4 They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 
5 Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem.

Eight years old when he became King, sixteen when he began to seek the God, and at twenty Josiah was cleaning house.  When Josiah was twenty-six, he started a remodeling campaign for the temple.  Below in verse fourteen, God allows the nation to find His Word.  Think about the sequence of events of King Josiah as they might relate to your life. 

First, seek God.  Second, clean house.  Third, establish Jesus' presence in your life.  God will respond by letting you find Him.  Mankind is born lost in the depravity of sin.  God allows mankind to find freedom if that person will seek Him.  Think about the situation when King Josiah started tearing down images and alters.  Do you think he would have won a popularity contest?  King Josiah was more concerned about what God thought of him than the people.  What about you? 

Consider what was involved in the remodeling campaign of the temple.  This was a very expensive task because this was a structure of great value.  People will spend their time and money on what they value.  Do you spend time in God's Word?  Are you involved in helping out either in church or in ministry?  Where do you spend your time and money?  Do your family members think of Jesus when they talk about you?  Have you established an identify for yourself as a follower of the Living God? 
Open your bibles to . . .

2 Chronicles 34:14
14 When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.

2 Chronicles 34:30-33
30 The king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. 
31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. 
32 Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him.  So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 
33 Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God.  Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers. 

2 Chronicles 35:18
There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

Josiah took over the kingdom as a child and grew up seeking the face of the Living God.  He threw a Passover celebration which compared to those thrown by Samuel the prophet.  When a baseball hitter is compared to the greatest of all time, Babe Ruth's name will come up in the conversation.  Samuel is the Babe Ruth of spiritual leaders for Israel.