Repentance Precedes Revival

Repentance always precedes revival. It’s God’s way. In the book of I Samuel Chapter 8, God had provided Israel with a righteous judge and prophet, Samuel. But the people rebelled, and demanded a king. Despite God’s warnings that a king would exact taxes from them, put their men into work camps and hijack their women for his own purposes, they still wanted a king. So God gave them Saul as their king.

Saul had every outward appearance of a great king—but inwardly, he lacked righteous character. And this lack led him to make risky, selfish decisions. God repented of putting him on the throne, and together with Samuel, they anointed David as the next king of Israel.

David was so important to be the next king because he had a righteous, repentant heart. And, he was also of the bloodline from which Jesus, the Messiah of the world would descend. Jesus was not only David’s divine creator and human descendent, but also his eternal Savior.