King Of My Life

Judge: 5

King: 9

The Debate:

No policies were mentioned, HOW such & such would be done

No communication, I THINK THIS or THAT

Context:

Deuteronomy 17:8–13 NASB95

8 “If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 9 “So you shall come to the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case. 10 “You shall do according to the terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be careful to observe according to all that they teach you. 11 “According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. 12 “The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. 13 “Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again.

1. A Foolish Request (1-5)

A Foolish Request

1-3

Samuel was one of the Godliest men in the entire Bible

Old… becoming incapable to judge

Appoints 2 sons (Joel & Abiah)

Deuteronomy 16:18 “18 “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.”

No doubt a high & responsible office

Samuel likely would have trained them & believed they would prove to be faithful & impartial in the judicial office

Unfortunately, they became a 2nd picture of Eli & sons

Great men often have mediocre sons

Jacob (sons exc. Joseph)

Eli

Samuel

“His sons, however, did not walk in his ways”

Samuel was faithful to the Lord.. no doubt taught/rebuked/loved/exhorted/encouraged his sons!

But they did not walk in his ways. Samuel didn’t concede… Joel & Abiah conceded, and followed the passion of their heart rather than the passion of their father & their God

Why is that?

HERE… bc they desired to prosper, financially

Exodus 23:8 “8 “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.”

Leviticus 19:15 “15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”

Deuteronomy 16:19 “19 “You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.”

4-5

Elders gathered:

This is GOOD!

Why accept the leadership of Samuel’s sons, when they are ungodly and corrupt!!

But look at their proposal: “Appoint us a king”… is that inherently bad? Well lets think about it.

The people wanted a ruler.

Deuteronomy 17:15 “15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves;”

The people wanted to replace the wicked sons.

The people despised all the failed judgeships in the previous decades that just left more people oppressed & killed

Soooo, why is it bad?

Israel, was designed to be distinct from the other nations

Leviticus 20:26 “26 ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”

Numbers 23:9 “9 “As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.”

THIS, would be a move towards paganism

THIS, would be a move against a full submission unto God

THIS, was MOTIVATED by the human desire to go capture & defeat all their oppressing enemies

A political act should not supplant their spiritual responsibility

2. A Fervent Prayer (6)

A Favorable Response

6-9

Displeased Samuel (EVIL)

Hurt by his sons

Hurt by their motives

Samuel prayed

We should never carry our burdens alone

Is not trusting in God a greater comfort than constant worry?

3. A Firm Response (7-9)

Heed the voice of the people

Were they right in this?? No

God sought to teach them… as He does with us today

God knew that Israel would have a king… but bc they sought it in the carnality of their mind, they would inherit a carnal king

Instead of a godly trust in the Lord, they had an ungodly trust in a king`

& with their rejection of God as king… oh how it foreshadows John 19:15 “15 The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.””

4. A Fearsome Warning (10-18)

10-18

In reality, slavery

The true king

Matthew 20:28 “28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””

The church as the true kingdom.

5. A Refusing People (19-22)

19-22

They had forgotten Ebenezer

It is easy to see ourself in this narrative

How many of us would feel safer with a good balance in our chrcking account than with God’s promises

How many of us live as though men & women are better recipients of our TRUST?

How many of us TRULY, walk by faith, not by sight?