Like Everyone Else
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we stopped at the end of chapter 7 verses 15-17.
Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.
When you come to verse 1 of chapter 8, we have a time marker for us. If you have your Bible, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 1 Samuel 8, and we’ll begin with verse 1.
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
Notice, the phrase, “When Samuel grew old. . .” The last story in chapter 7, happened towards the beginning of Samuel’s ministry, while the story in chapter 8 happened towards the end of his life.
But there is a problem. Let’s continue reading.
The Problem
The Problem
The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
Samuel’s first born—Joel.
His second son—Abijah.
They both served at Beersheba.
The problem, “his sons did not walk in his ways.”
“They,” Samuel’s sons,
turned aside after dishonest gain
accepted bribes
perverted justice
Somehow, all of Samuel’s righteousness, all of Samuel’s godliness, all of Samuel’s leadership did not pass on to his sons. How sad.
QUESTION: How do you pass on your beliefs to those who come after you.
To me this is an incredibly sad statement. Samuel—one of the greatest judges of Israel—was not able to pass on his love for God to his sons. And because of that, the did things that God could never accept! Chasing after dishonest gain is never okay with God. Accepting bribes is never okay with God. And perverting justice is definitely never okay!
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “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.”
Like Everyone Else
Like Everyone Else
The people come to Samuel and say we want a king—such as all the other nations have. Israel wants to be like all of the other nations!
Samuel is hurt! He sees it as a rejection of his leadership. Look at verse 6
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.
The word translated “displeased” could have been translated “hurt.” Samuel was hurt because he believed they were rejecting him, and rejecting his leadership. But God saw things differently. Look at verse 7.
And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
Israel is not rejecting Samuel, they are rejecting Yahweh. They are rejecting the King! You see Israel was supposed to be a theocracy—a God ruled nation. Yahweh was supposed to be their ruler, leader, their king, and their God!
Now they are rejecting God’s role as their King—so God tells Samuel to listen to them, and give them a king!
But God also tells Samuel to tell Israel what a king will do to the people that they rule over.
What Kings Do!
What Kings Do!
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you 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.
This is what a king will do:
Reign over you!
Take your sons make them serve with his chariots and horses.
A king will make your boys run before the chariots.
Some he will assign 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.
A king will assign some to commanders of thousands.
A king will assign some to commanders of fifties.
Others the king will assign to plow his ground, and reap his harvest.
He will conscribe some to make weapons of war.
Others will make equipment for his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
A king will take your daughters to make perfumes.
He will make them into cooks to cook for him.
And make them bakers to bake for him.
If that is not bad enough, keep reading!
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
A king will confiscate your best fields.
And he will confiscate your best vineyards .
And he will take over your best olive groves.
Plus, he will take a 10th of all your grain.
He will take a 10th of what comes out of your vineyards.
And he will give all of this stuff to his officials and attendants.
And he will give them to his attendants.
Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
A king will take your servants, both your men servants and women servants.
A king will take the best of your cattle,
The best of your donkeys.
And the king will take them for his own use.
Then a king will take a 10th of all your flocks.
And worst of all, you will become his slaves!
Then Samuel gives them a final warning.
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
At some point the people will call out to God because of their king’s unfair treatment, and Yahweh says he will NOT answer them!
Israel’s Response
Israel’s Response
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.”
Israel refused to listen to Samuel’s warning.
They said, “No!”
And then they told him they want a king!
Once again, they tell Samuel, that they want to be like all the other nations!
—They want a king to lead them.
—They want a king to go out before the people.
—And they want a king to fight their battles for them!
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord.
So Samuel goes before the Lord and tells Yahweh all that the people said!
God’s Response!
God’s Response!
The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”
God says, “Give them a king.” Give them what they want!
Then Samuel sent everyone home.
SO WHAT!
SO WHAT!
It seems like today’s followers of Jesus have the same problem of Israel, they want to look like everyone else!
So many times we want to walk, talk and look like everyone else. But God has called us to be different! Jesus told His disciples that the world hated him, and they should not be surprised if the world hates them.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
I wonder if we, as a people—as a church, have decided that we really don’t want God to our King.
I can’t help but wonder if many in the church have rejected God as our king.
This morning, I want to challenge you to think about what it means for God to be your King.
What would your life look like if Jesus was Master of your life, Lord of your life, King of your life?
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.