But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 1 Samuel 8:19-20 NLT
Read 1 Samuel 8.
When I was in high school, the hottest fashion statement was designer jeans, Jordache to be exact. In 1984, these jeans were $40 and over. I’m not sure how that would translate into today’s dollar, but even now, that is much more than I am willing to pay for a pair of jeans. At 17 years old, however, it had to be more than just dark blue denim, they had to have the name on them. Why? Because that was what everyone else was wearing.
My mother could have bought me a pair of identical looking off-brand jeans from Walmart, but that would never do! Even if they served the same purpose, and were within our household budget, it wasn’t good enough for me. I was more concerned about my image and what others thought than the wisdom of my parents. They loved me and made sure all my needs were met, but in my greed, I wasn’t just rejecting the generic jeans, I was rejecting my parents’ choice.
I will add, however, that they did give in and kept me stocked up with designer jeans, but it seems so silly to me now.
There were many other instances when I thought I knew better than my parents as well. I didn’t want to listen to their advice, I wanted to do things my way. I wanted what I wanted! I didn’t take into consideration the consequences of what I wanted, and I didn’t trust that they understood. Again, as I rejected their wisdom, it was also a form of rejecting them.
That may seem harsh, and I never intended disrespect, but my attitude was similar to Israel in Samuel’s time. After years of peace and prosperity under the leadership of Samuel as judge, and as God as their King, they became discontented. God’s provision was not good enough for them anymore. They wanted what all the nations around them had, a real king.
As Samuel grew older, he had given his sons more responsibility in leadership. However, they were not like their father. They were greedy and took bribes and perverted justice. The people met with Samuel at Ramah and demanded he do something about it. However, instead of asking for correction to his sons, they insisted that they be ruled by a king from now on instead of a judge under God’s rule.
This greatly upset Samuel, and he felt rejected. He cried out to God and asked what to do.
Have you ever been in such a situation? You did the very best you could, but it was not appreciated. Your finest effort was rejected, and you were left with your hands up wondering what to do. That can really hurt, but you know where to turn. It’s on our knees before the Lord that we find our answers. We can cry out to Him in our deepest anguish and seek Him for what we need. God will see us through!
In response to Samuel, God directed him to go ahead and do all that the people of Israel had demanded. Go ahead and give them a king, but warn them of the negative consequences. Let them know what the king will demand of them, and how their lives will be changed.
Most importantly, God reassured Samuel that the people were not rejecting him at all. They were rejecting God Himself.
Samuel did as God asked and explained to the people what it will cost them to become a monarchy. But, they wouldn’t listen! They continued to demand a king.
God told Samuel to go ahed, “Do as they say, and give them a king.”
Instead of listening to the warning of the Lord, they chose to learn the hard way!
What is so awesome about the Bible is that even the most ancient of stories have personal application in modern times. As Israel proceeds to reap the penalties for their rejection of God’s leadership, may we learn a practical lesson about trusting and obeying God’s plan and purpose for our lives instead of stubbornly demanding our own way. His ways are always best!
See you tomorrow night! God bless!
