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| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) *Song of Adoration: Hymnal #147B: 1-4 “O Praise the Lord, for It Is Good” Song of Confession: Hymnal #5: 1, 3, 5 “Hear My Words, O Lord” *Song of Preparation: Hymnal #99B “The Lord God Reigns in Majesty” Scripture & Text: I Samuel 8 Message: Israel Desires a King *Song of Response: Hymnal #281 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King” *Doxology: Hymnal #254: 1 “Let All Things Now Living” |
Scripture Reading: I Samuel 8
Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Sometimes parents have to let their children make poor decisions. Children’s minds are developing. They often cannot see the unintended, but likely consequences about what they are going to decide. Whether this is how they are going to spend their money or their time, as long as the decision is not going to be too detrimental, it leaves open the opportunity for it to be a teaching moment.
The story of Israel’s desire for a king and God’s warning against it and Israel’s still saying, Okay, we will take our chances, reminds me of my self as a younger teenager having a conversation with my parents. Maybe the nation of Israel was slow to mature as well. They saw the nations around them with great warrior kings, a more centralized structure, and someone to look to and thought, we want that. In our text, God will reluctantly grant their request. Our theme is Israel desires a king like the nations around them.
1. A Valid Need
2. A Humbling Warning
3. A Compromised Solution
I. A Valid Need
Samuel had been a good judge over Israel. He had been faithful to the Lord. And, though his duties are not done, Samuel had the problem all men have, they are mortal. Verse 1 says Samuel became old.
When he became old, he made his sons to be judges over Israel. Samuel had high hopes for his boys. This can be seen in their names. Joel means Yahweh is God and Abijah means Yahweh is our Father. However, as is often the case with hereditary appointments, the sons did not walk in the ways of their father Samuel. This hearkens back to Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phineas, who abused their role as priests. Now, as judges, Samuel’s sons are going to do the two things that God had warned Israel against regarding this type of office, they took bribes and they perverted justice. You see, these were the sins that were easily accessed through this office. The same is true today.
If there is a judge who is paid off or is on the payroll for the mob, the public loses faith in the justice system. If a juror is bribed, a single juror can ruin an entire trial. The justice system can be such a blessing to punish the wicked and reward the righteous, but when this is thwarted, it becomes another arena of abuse. When politics and money dictate judicial decisions, the problem arises. Boys and girls, do you know who lady justice is? She is not a real person, but a statue of an idea. She has scales in one hand that will weigh truth from the lie, she has a sword in the other hand, to warn of punishment, and she is often blindfolded. This is so that she is not prejudiced by what she sees, but may rather seek justice with the truth. Samuel’s sons were doing the opposite, they were taking bribes and perverting justice. So, the people came to Samuel in Ramah, like they should have and they brought their complaint. They lay down their case in verse 5. Samuel is old, his sons are not godly, again, hereditary appointment is not working. So, they want a king, they say, to “judge us like the nations.” Let’s pause for a moment and try to think about this situation from a couple of different perspectives.
First, from the perspective of Samuel. Verse 6 says that the thing displeased Samuel. Samuel did what he was supposed to do by bringing it to the Lord. But, why did this thing so displease Samuel. The text gives us a couple of clues. Our text does mention that the people are rejecting Samuel’s plan of appointing his sons to take up his role in his old age. Verse 8 really is a Hebrew idiom which means that they have rejected Samuel, but not as much as they have rejected Yahweh.
In Samuel’s ministry, he has seen the people repent and turn to the Lord. Remember the Ebenezer stone that was set up just one chapter earlier. God defeated the Philistines on that day, why would they need a king to fight their battle when Yahweh could do that. Nevertheless, throughout this whole episode, Samuel stays faithful and listens to the Lord, prays to the Lord as he is the intercessor and priest, and he brings God’s message to the people as a prophet. Samuel would have been disappointed in his sons. He did not live very close to them, they were far in the South in Beersheba, but he knew what they were up to, just like Eli knew about his sons. Samuel was disappointed.
Second, think about the perspective of the people. They wanted a strong national leader. Samuel might have been something of that when he was in his prime, he would have been a military leader as well, but now he is old and his sons are not godly. Also, the idea of a king for Israel was not a crazy new idea. God had said it would happen and God even made provision for it. Turn to Deuteronomy 17:14. As God is making provision for a king, he simply is guiding the laws that should govern the king. He must not be a foreigner, he must not go down to Egypt to get horses, he must hand copy the law and read it his whole life, etc. There isn’t any argument there against a king. Now, Israel is settled in the land. They want a king. They aren’t arguing against God’s law. They are willing for God to choose the king. It’s not like they came with their own man they wanted on the throne. They don’t seem too wrong to want a king.
Third, from God’s perspective, we see something of a different story. And frankly, here is probably the most difficult interpretive question of the text. Sometimes God speaks very highly of the kingship, as he will later in I Samuel. However, here, it is negative. Why is God so negative about the king? The reason our text gives is because they have rejected God as their king. This is what God is saying in verses 7-9. Verse 7 ends by God saying, ‘they have rejected me from being king over them.” By rejecting God as king, Israel is going to fall into the trap that is also such a danger for us today. They admit it, they want to be like the nations around them.
Here is a Christian principle which is always a struggle for the church. The world looks so nice and shiny. The nations around them had powerful kings who would lead the kings into battle and then the king would shares the spoils of war, he would approve of great wickedness, he would appoint those faithful to him to live in luxury, he would be the head of a nation. In some places, like Egypt and later Rome, he even took on something of a divine status and role. Israel had a humble judge or prophet who didn’t live in luxurgy, had no palace or castle, and seemed so different than the surrounding nations.
There is a warning here for believers and for churches. People comment to me how beautiful our church building looks from the outside. They say, “it looks like a church.” Well, there is reason it looks like a church. There is also a reason why most modern churches do not look like churches. They look like office buildings and they remove nearly all of the ecclesiastical markings. This is because churches turn people off and they aren’t interested in them. A sermon is traded or a play, a movie, or an inspirational talk. Robust congregational singing, in a concert-like fashion is replaced by trained singers and the congregation goes mostly quiet. The modern church loves gimmicks and the examples are numerous. Let the church be the church, and act like the church, and look like the church.
The same goes for Christians. As a church looks different than a shopping mall, so a Christian will look different than an unbeliever, by what they think, say, and do. The whole purpose and focus of their lives are different. Their hearts are different, their worldview is different. They are going to raise their children differently, they are going to spend their time and money differently. To be sure, there is overlap, we have many things in common with our neighbors, but at the very core of our being, we are so very different. That is good and isn’t something we should be embarrassed about.
So, the need for change was valid, but the reasons behind it were not.
II. A Humbling Warning
God told Samuel that he could acquiesce to the people’s request with one condition. We see this explained in verse 9. So, what is the warning? The warning is that the king who will be crowned will take what is yours. We see that word take in verses 11-18 used 6 times. What is he going to take, he is going to take what is “yours.”
He will take your sons. They will be in enlisted in his army. They will make weapons, they will plant and harvest the kings crops, they will drive chariots and run before them. They will have to serve this king. They won’t remain in their hometown, but the sons will have to go off to war.
The daughters as well are not going to be around the family homestead. The king will need them for royal service in the kingdom. They will be cooks and bakers. Your fields, your flocks, your best and brightest employees and servant, a tenth of all that you have will be his…he will take from the people and give to those he puts in high positions of honor, his generals and commanders. This is the warning.
It reminds me of when I was a senior in high school. I decided I wanted to pursue the ministry. My mother told me I needed to talk to her childhood minister about it. I didn’t know Rev. Leestma well, but I called him up and he had me over for a coffee. He told me all the bad things about the ministry. It will take your time, you will have to deal with people’s problems, you might be faithful and people will complain, you will never be rich, you will not be able to drive around in a fancy car, you will have to move every so often, etc. After the long list of all the bad things about the ministry he said, well, do you still want to be a minister, and I said yes.
Samuel told the people all the bad things about a king and he said, so, do you still want a king. They said yes.
III. A Compromised Solution
After Samuel gave them the warning, the long list of things a king would take, the people confirmed the inevitable. They still want a king like the nations around them. Read 19-20. Samuel could have objected to the people’s reasoning. Maybe God could raise up a different judge. God can defeat your enemies as he had done before, etc. But, no defense is given here. Samuel brings the people’s message to the Lord and God responds in verse 22.
Now the stage is set for kingship in Israel. It’s not going to be the great centuries long golden age of Israelite power and prestige. There will be high points and times of reformation, but over all, it will be negative. They want a king, not Yahweh to rule over them. How often hasn’t that been the case through covenant history. God has given the people something good, but they don’t want it or they complain about it. In the Parable of the Ten Minas, our Lord spoke in Luke 19:14, the people of the kingdom said, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” Isn’t this the mantra of the world?
There is a king on the throne, but billions reject his reign. It is not because he is a ruthless or tyrannical king….his reign is one of mercy, love, and grace. But they don’t want that. They want to rule. They want to reign. Faith in Jesus Christ involves de-throning self, and coronating Jesus in your heart and life. You do this by confessing your sins and trusting that they are covered by the blood of Jesus. The Jews in Jesus day and so many today reject the Savior, though he certainly was what they needed.
Sometimes God gives us what we really want, even though it won’t necessarily be good for us. It’s gonna lead us down the wrong road if we let them or it. And on the other hand, God shows some of his tenderest mercies to us by not giving us what we want. He knows better than we do. The prominent southern theologian Garth Brooks gets at this in a song when he sings, “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” God’s refusal to give us what we ask might not be his indifference, but it might actually be his mercy. So trust him congregation. Trusting him will make you different than the world, it is going to involve looking to Christ and not to self. But hope, for no matter what God might bring to Israel or to us, it will be for his good purposes and he is always on the side of his people.
Israel desired a king, but it wasn’t the one they really needed. King Jesus reigns, let us serve him. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Steven Swets, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Steven Swets
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