SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 8
ISRAEL ASK FOR A KING (vs. 1-22)
When Samuel grew old, his first son Joel and second son Abijah served at Bersheba. But his sons were dishonest. They accepted bribes and perverted justices. So, the elders of Israel gathered together to come to Samuel at Ramah. They demanded to have a king to rule over them like what all other nations had. Samuel was displeased and prayed to God. Tod told him to listen to them but gave them theses warnings.
WHAT A KING WILL DO:
- He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. (v. 11)
- He will assign some to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. (v. 12)
- He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. (v. 13)
- He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. (v. 14)
- He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. (v. 15)
- Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. (v. 16)
- He will take a tenth of your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. (v. 17)
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you. (v. 18)/ But the people refused to listen and inssting of having a king. The Lord permitted them to have a king.\
THOUGHTS:
Samuel had many disappointments. He was disappointed of his own sons because they were not able to carry on his ministry. He was disappointed in the nation for they wanted a king. They used his sons as their excuse but the real reason was their lack of faith in God. They wanted to be like other nations and have a king lead them out for battle.
WHY GOD CONSIDERED THEM HAVING A KING MEANS REJECTING HIM:
- The people were rejecting God as their leader.
- The Israelites created laws, an army and human monarch in place of God.
- They wanted to run the nations through human strength.
- They wanted a uniform rule and not a unified faith.
- They asked for a king to be like all nations around them.
Samuel explained to the Israelites all the negative consequences of having a king but they refused to listen. When you have an important decision to make, weight the positives and negatives and carefully consider all the consequences of your choice.
The motive of the Israelites in asking for a king was to be like other nations. Have you ever made a wrong choice because you want to be like anyone else? Do not let other values and actions dictate your attitude and behavior Be careful that the influence of your friends do not pull you away from what God says is right. When God’s people want to be like unbelievers, they are heading for spiritual disasters.