Israel Demands a King
Notes
Transcript
1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.
8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king.
11 He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.
12 “He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 “He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 “He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.
15 “He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants.
16 “He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.
17 “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.
18 “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing.
22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Introduction
Introduction
So last tune we looked at Ecclesiastes in the Poetic section of the Old Testament, and this month we will be moving back to the Historical section.
The passage we are looking at today is right at the transition from the period of the Judges to the period of the monarches in the history of Israel.
We have been steady building on our understanding of the way the history of God’s people has worked out up until the time of the New Testament.
We have seen how God called Abraham and gave him a covenant that resulted in a new nation.
We haven’t talked about it yet, but after a couple generations of Abraham’s children, they end up in Egypt and growing in number.
Eventually they become enslaved to the Egyptians, and are rescued by God through the leadership of Moses.
As they are moving from Egypt to the land that God promised Abraham, God uses Moses to give them the law.
This law would describe how they were to be governed.
We looked at the book of Joshua and how the Hebrew people, once they conquered the land, promised to follow these laws that Moses had provided for them.
We also looked at the book of Judges and saw that they had lied!
But I want us to think about how they are governed up until this point.
Many people say that during this time they are governed by theocracy, and that is true, but God had set up a system for them through the Law that they would live under.
It really was a system of federated tribes.
In other words, the one nation of Israel was made up of 12 tribes of families, and those tribes were divided into clans, then into separate families.
At each level there were wise and godly men that were to be leaders to the clans and tribes, which were called elders.
These elders were to make decisions and judge cases brought to them by those under their leadership.
And at different times, what the Bible calls a judge would preside over the major decisions and lead all of the tribes.
At the time of our passage today, Samuel is that judge.
We see this in the previous chapter.
15 Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 He used to go annually on circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.
17 Then his return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to the Lord.
God had called Samuel from an early age to be his prophet, and Samuel would lead God’s people through battles and through hard times, always pointing them to their Supreme Authority, God Himself.
And in this he was a great leader to His people.
He loved God and he loved those he was called for.
So that made it hard for him when the people came to him and asked for something that he knew would hurt them.
5 …Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
And the reason that they asked will be the basis for our study today.
Twice it is mentioned in our passage, that they wanted a king
20 that we also may be like all the nations…
If you have children, you may recognize the sentiment…
So one of the lessons we are to learn here is that…
Every believer must seek to conform to the will of God, not the world around them.
Every believer must seek to conform to the will of God, not the world around them.
Because the wisdom of the world is foolish. v. 1-5
Because the wisdom of the world is foolish. v. 1-5
1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”
As we saw in chapter 7, Samuel would ride an annual circuit through the nation so that the people would come to him and he would hear their cases and judge for them.
Because of His faithfulness to God and his love for the people, he judged wisely and righteously.
But he began to age, and the work became harder to do.
So he had 2 sons that he left in the south, in a city named Beersheba, to help him.
I’m sure this was also a part of his succession plan, so that when he died, they would have experience, and would be able to take over for him.
But they acted foolishly.
They abused their position, and took bribes.
This was directly against the law of God when it came to judges.
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.
20 “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
The people saw this and it gave them flashbacks.
The high priest that Samuel grew up under also had 2 sons, and they were bad apples as well.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord
They would steal the meat that the people brought for the sacrifices and use it for themselves.
Even worse…
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
So when the people saw what Samuel’s sons were doing, they feared that when he was gone, they would take over.
So they came to him, but they came to him with the wrong solution.
The proper thing would be to come and bring their problem to Samuel and have him go before the Lord for a solution.
But really, this was just an excuse to get what they really wanted, to be like all of the other nations.
They looked at the wisdom of the world through the lenses of their own rationale and their rebellious hearts.
We must never forget this.
12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
There are so many things that to the mind of the rebellious man or woman seems right, but are just foolishness.
Drugs, fornication, theft.
False religion, government worship, on the left and on the right.
The idolization of so called science, molecules to man evolution, 2 weeks to flatten the curve.
Feminism, racism, communism.
All ideas that seem to pervade our culture and world, but are full of the foolishness of the fallen mind.
And the Hebrew people were no different.
Over and over again, given the benefit of having God Himself as their ultimate ruler, but they looked to the other nations and foolishly decided they wanted that instead.
And their excuse wasn’t plausible, Samuel’s sons could be replaced, but the king’s son who would be next in line, had leadership by birth.
Let us not be like the rebellious Hebrew people, who choose the world’s wisdom over God’s will!
Especially…
Because sometimes God gives what the people want. v. 6-9
Because sometimes God gives what the people want. v. 6-9
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.
8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”
What they were asking broke Samuel’s heart.
He loved God’s people, because he loved God.
He felt they were rejecting his leadership, but he did his duty faithfully.
He prayed to God.
And God made it clear that they were not rejecting Samuel’s leadership, but they were rejecting God as king.
This has been the struggle with man since the very beginning, when Adam and Eve chose to listen to the false wisdom of the serpent instead of obeying God.
And how many times did the people eject God on the way to the promised land from Egypt!
8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
The golden calf, complaining about no water, complaining about no food, when God gave them manna because they complained about having no food, they complained about that!
How patient was God with His people!
Then came the leadership of Joshua, and the people rebelled against God throughout the conquest.
Then came the Judges, and their rebellion reached new lows, even to the point of sinning in the way that Sodom and Gomorrah had!
But God was patient.
And now we come again to their rebellion against God, and He’s going to let them have their way, but they’re not going to like it!
He tells Samuel to listen to them, but make sure to warn them of how the king will treat them when he sits on the throne.
Another sign of the patience and grace of God is that He let’s us know the end of our rebellion.
It wasn’t a surprise to Adam and Eve what happened to them after the fall.
And it wasn’t going to be a surprise to the Israelites when their kings abused their power, because God had Samuel warn them about it…
Because God has revealed warnings to us. v.10-18
Because God has revealed warnings to us. v.10-18
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king.
11 He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.
12 “He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 “He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 “He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.
15 “He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants.
16 “He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.
17 “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.
18 “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
Is this what you really want, Israel?
Is being looked at by your neighbors as a modern monarchy and with the political times this important to you?
You will be conscripted into the army for the whims of one man, and your children will be forced to work for his benefit.
And the taxes! Do you know anyone who is pleased that their taxes will be going up?
Seems like a lot of people in Livingston do…
And it turned out exactly as God had warned them.
From Saul to David to Solomon, the people were forced to do the will of the king, whether it was the will of God or not.
Solomon put them under heavy burdens to build his kingdom.
So much so when it came time for his son, Rehoboam to reign the people told them they would accept him if…
4 “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
He consulted the wise elders who served with Solomon and they told him to agree.
But then he went to his young friends and they told him to tell the people…
10 …’My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!
11 ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”
Just as God said!
Then the people rebelled, the kingdom was spit in two, and this would eventually lead to the exile of the people to foreign lands and the destruction of the land.
How much wisdom is given to us in God’s word?
It is full from front to back with warnings to God’s people!
How often do we heed those warnings?
God would give the people a king in a man named Saul.
All things seem to go well.
Saul has a great start, he even prophecies with the prophets and leads Israel in successful battle.
But eventually, he becomes proud, and God takes him off of the throne.
And when that happens, Saul and his heirs are killed in battle, and God makes David the new king.
The warnings that God in His grace gave to the people were stark.
They were looking at the nations around them and were envious of them, wanting to keep up with the times.
But this desire would lead to much pain and heartache for them.
All of us should seek to adjust our hearts and desires to line up with the will of God, and He helps us by telling us plainly what the results of rebellion will be for us.
So let’s look at the last part of our passage, and see the people’s response to the warnings that God gives them.
Conclusion
Conclusion
19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing.
22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
God instructs Samuel to listen to the will of the people, even though it comes from a rebellious and sinful place in their hearts and minds.
But as is the usual way with God, He is going to work this sinful decision of His people for their good.
This transition to a monarchy was done for all of the wrong reasons, but God is going to work in His wisdom and through His providence to bring David to the throne.
And through David’s line, He is going to bring the ultimate and final King, God the Son, Jesus Christ.
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
So what does this have to do with us now?
We know that these things were written down as examples to us to live our lives as Christians and I’m not looking for a king!
But do we have the same rebellious inclination that God’s people had in the past?
Do we cringe when we hear the word of God explained and it goes against our modern American sensibilities?
What about when we get through the rest of Ephesians 5?
There is another application we can get from this passage.
Maybe someone we love has chosen another king over Christ?
Let us never forget how God works, that in time He can turn hearts.
How in time and through His great power He can turn the rebellious desires of a people into the way He brings the last and final King of all things into this world.
This is a sure reason for hope.
Hope in ultimate salvation for ourselves, and reason for us to keep praying and seeking to evangelize our loved ones.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
