Good Tuesday morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I‘m sure you know there are MANY different governmental systems of leadership among the people groups of our world, and in those systems are various types of nation leaders... Tribal Chiefs; Dictators; Monarchs; Presidents and more. In some countries, Government and Religion are kept very separate, in other countries they are united. So which system of governing the people is best in your estimation?
As you may know God has allowed the human race full freedom to experiment and develop our social structures and governance systems, while at the same time God designed one nation of people who He hoped would show the world what it would be like to be a “people of God” living under the leadership and authority of God.
As you know that nation, Israel, began with Abraham and his descendants, and their story begins in Genesis 12 and continues through the Old Testament. God’s design was contingent on one major factor… that the hearts of this people of God would always be rooted in this statement: “Hear O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:4,5) The love of God’s people for God was in response to God’s love for them and His statement: “If you will obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all the nations you will be My treasured possession…a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:4-6)
If you know the story of Israel, as recorded in the Old Testament, then you know this God designed relationship between God and the people of Israel, ebbed and flowed, rose and fell over the centuries, until suddenly one day the elders of Israel came to meet with Samuel, the God appointed leader of Israel in their generation.
I left you yesterday contemplating the stunning statement these elders made to old Samuel in their demand for a new society and a new governance system for them, the people of God. The record tells us these elders said: “Samuel, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a KING to lead us, such as all the other nations have!” (1 Samuel 8:5) We hear three powerful statements in this, don’t we? May I paraphrase?
1. ‘Samuel, your sons are not at all like you, and we don’t trust them or want them in leadership after you.’
2. ‘Samuel, we’ve thought about it long and hard, and we think it’s time for a KING rather than a prophet or judge to lead us.’
3. ‘Samuel, we conclude that a human king would be best for us, based upon what we see in the other nations around us. They have human kings, and we want to be more like them.’
Do you think those are fair paraphrased statements? Is that what those elders were really saying to Samuel in their demand for social and governance change?
Now, of course there are one or two other statements that are INFERRED by what the elders said. You and I both know that very often what is NOT said outright but inferred is just as important as what is said outright. Here is what I think the elders were inferring with Samuel…
1. ‘Samuel, we’ve grown weary of being a nation dependent upon God as our ultimate leader. While that works fairly well when our human leader knows God well and can lead us well in following God, as Moses or Joshua or you have done. But Samuel, too often in our history our human leaders did not know God well, and didn’t know how to lead us in following God. In those times it was disastrous for us! Therefore, we want a change!’
2. ‘Samuel, the world is getting too big and complex for that old system of God-governance to work very well. We need a human king and some system of producing good kings so we can have consistently good leadership for many generations to come.’
Now my friends, since our world has seen so many changes of national leaders in recent years and America is in an election year right now, may I ask you… do you think the elders of Israel were wise in what they asked of Samuel? Can you understand WHY these men asked for a change in governance and wanted a human king, like the other nations had? What is God’s role or influence in the governance of the nation in which you live? What about in your family?
Samuel, of course, went directly to meet with God, as he had so many times before when facing a challenging situation. God’s response was shocking: “Listen to what the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected ME as their king…. warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” (1 Samuel 8:7-9)
Does that surprise you, my friends? Did you expect God would either ignore the request of the elders or overrule them and place a strong leader over them? Have you learned that sometimes God allows us to have what we ask for, even if our request of God will be disastrous for us? Has that ever happened to you, and if it did, what lessons did you learn?
In the verses which follow Samuel explained the harsh reality of what a human king would be like for Israel. It’s a long list of very bad news predictions. The result? It appears the people didn’t flinch, perhaps didn’t even wait for Samuel to finish, and their response to Samuel is recorded as this: “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said, ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19,20)
Look at them, it’s almost a riot. Fists rising into the air, loud shouts of determination. One man, Samuel, stands in the middle of the crowd overwhelmed, dismayed, his heart breaking by what he is seeing and hearing.
When he was young the elders of that day had made a terrible mistake by taking the Ark of the Covenant of God out of the Tabernacle and sending it to the frontlines of the battle. It had been captured by the Philistines and taken to Ashdod, one of their great cities and placed in the temple of their god Dagon. Old Samuel I’m sure remembered the darkness of those days as the word “Ichabod“ came to describe the dark hopelessness in Israel.
Now, perhaps 70 years later, once again this generation of Israelite elders is making a terrible decision which would affect the nation of Israel for generations to come. Samuel again turned to God seeking His guidance. What should Samuel do in response to this unwavering demand for a new leader? The people were unaffected by Samuel’s warnings of what a kingship would be like for them. “The LORD said, ‘Listen to them and give them a king.’ Then Samuel said to the elders of Israel, ‘Everyone go back to his town.” (1 Samuel 8:21)
The decision was made. God had agreed with their demand for a new governance, a new leader. God knew they would deeply regret this decision and pay a very heavy price in every future generation, but God would not force Himself upon His people. Samuel sent the elders home and awaited further instructions from God on where and how to find this new king. Samuel must have been heartbroken, for it now appeared his final act, as the judicial and spiritual leader of Israel after all these years, would be to anoint the first human king of Israel!
Let’s pause and ponder this dramatic moment in Israel’s history. In truth the events occurring in modern day Israel are in part directly related to what happened that day about 3100 years ago! Is it possible you and I have made significant requests of God even recently, without making sure we submit our requests to God’s Sovereignty over our lives?
Let’s reflect on that, my friends, with this worship song…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Samuel 8.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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