Scripture: First Samuel 16:4
Verse 4 of First Samuel 16 says, “So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to
Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, ‘Do you come
peaceably?’” Samuel, by this time, had such a reputation for being a judge in Israel,
proclaiming the mish-pawt of the Lord and not one of his words falling to the ground that the
fear of the Lord was established in the land. When he came to a city, such as Bethlehem, and
the elders saw him coming, they trembled under the hand of God and had to find out if he
was coming peaceably, because if not they were out of town in a heartbeat. This is a far cry
from what we have in the church today and yet the New Testament makes it very clear that in
the book of Acts the fear of the Lord was established in the church. How can we ever take to
rulers what we don’t have ourselves?