The God Who Does Not Walk Away
What Israel's Failure Reveals About God's Unfailing Grace
Israel had God as her King—yet demanded a king “like all the other nations.”
In effect, Israel said:
“Thank You, God… but no thanks.”
If you were God, how would you respond?
Would you obliterate Israel? You surely would be justified in doing so.
But with God, there is always a divine surprise. ✨
God did not obliterate Israel.
Instead, He gave Israel the king she demanded.
His name was Saul.
A King Like the Nations… and the Consequences
Saul got off to a promising start, but he could never provide for Israel as God would have. As a result, Israel fell prey to the predators around her—Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, and others.
Eventually, Israel cried out to God for help.
Again, imagine yourself in God’s place.
How would you respond?
Would you say:
“Tough luck.”
That response would certainly be understandable.
But once again, we encounter the surprising grace of God. 💡
Here is what we read in 1 Samuel 12:22 (NASB 1995):
“For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.”
Wow!
Grace greater than all their sin. 🙌
God’s faithfulness to Israel persisted in spite of her unfaithfulness.
Why?
What was so special about Israel?
What good thing was in her?
Nothing.
No good thing.
She sinned.
She rejected God as her King.
And yet—
on account of His great name—
He did not, He would not, He never will reject Israel, His people.
The Real Point: God’s Character
Those who believe Israel’s sin exceeded God’s grace—that He had enough of Israel and rejected and replaced her—are missing the point.
The point is not Israel.
The point is the character of God.
In spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God would not reject her—
on account of His great name.
Listen to what we read in 2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB 1995):
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Too Good to Be True?
This sounds almost too good to be true.
How can I believe that God’s faithfulness exceeds my unfaithfulness?
The answer is simple:
Look at how God responded to unfaithful Israel.
That is exactly how He responds to all those who, by faith, have been adopted into His family. 👑
And just when you think God’s gracious response to Israel is beyond reason, we read the final phrase of 1 Samuel 12:22:
“…because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.”
God is not pleased with sin.
And He will allow His people to experience the natural consequences of sin.
But God will never abandon His people because of their sin.
Why not?
Because:
1️⃣ His Name
His character. His faithfulness to His promises.
2️⃣ His Pleasure
He has been pleased to make Israel a people for Himself.
As With Israel… So With You
So what’s the point?
Simple.
As with Israel, so too with you who are in Christ. ✝️
Though you and I may sin, our Savior will never abandon us,
on account of His great name.
And not only that—
our Savior has been pleased to make us a people for Himself.
The Right Response to Sin
I do not want to encourage sin.
But I do want to encourage the right response to sin:
✔️ Confess it
✔️ Repent of it
✔️ Run back to the Savior’s loving embrace
There is no need to run from Him.
Run to Him.
He will never abandon you—
even when you have sinned against Him.
Why?
Because He is pleased to have made you His. ❤️
Grace Greater Than All Our Sin 🎶
In 1911, Julia H. Johnston wrote the beloved hymn:
“Grace Greater Than All Our Sin.”
Its refrain beautifully captures this truth:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
The Final Word
Saved by grace.
Sanctified by grace.
Sustained by grace.
God’s grace.
As with Israel,
so too with all who have accepted Messiah Jesus as Savior.
Grace that is greater than all our sin. ✝️✨
—Stuart