Why Kings and not the True King

Recap:

Geneaology

Today:

1 Samuel 16:1 CSB

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”

SO we come into the 16th chapter of the book of Samuel and in the very first verse we are told that God has rejected Saul. Saul was the 1st human king of Israel.

Which brings up an interesting thing to pay attention to: notice how far we are into the Old Testament, and we have the 1st King. And it didn’t go so well.

So let’s look at the anatomy of the Bible and see if we can discover something today:

What do we know?

Genesis - Creation, Sin, Fall, Punishment, God Chooses a people

Exodus - Israel’s enslavement, 10 plagues,PASSOVER, miraculous deliverance, crossing the red sea, 10 commandments at Mt Sinai - of course the Golden Calf, and the establishment of the Tabernacle

Leviticus - detailed laws, rituals, rules for the people of Israel, and specifically the Priests; how to live in holiness in the presence of the Lord.

Numbers - an account of the journey through the wilderness, israeI’s repeated rebellion against God and God’s faithfullness to provide for His chosen people. SPies sent into Canaan -

Deuteronomy - Kind of a review book. Moses’ fairwelfair well address, covenant renewal - THe WORD Deuteronomy literally means “Second Law” and we do find a complete reminder of the law that was given.

Joshua - Entering the promised land, Moses dies, Joshua takes over - famous verse - As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord - Fall of Jericho, promised land divided amongst the 12 Tribes.

Judges - narrates Israel's repeated cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance after Joshua's death and before the monarchy. The Israelites abandoned God, leading to oppression by foreign nations. God would then raise a deliverer, a "judge," to save them. After the Judge’s death, the people return to sin.

Ruth -

1 &2 Samuel - where we are today

SO we go through 8 books of the Bible without an earthly King.

But we do have leaders -

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua - NOT Kings

So where did this idea of Kings come from?

1 Samuel 8:1 CSB

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

Samuel was a judge. One who was appointed by God to SAVE His people.

Judges

Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson, totaling twelve in the book itself. 

Other figures, such as Abimelech (Gideon's son), and the later judges Eli and Samuel (mentioned in the book of 1 Samuel), are also considered judges. 

Samuel - Priest and Judge

Perhaps you know the Story of his conception. His father was a married to 2 women. One could have children, one could not have children. Her name was Hannah. His father would offer appropriate sacrifices for everything, and always offered DOUBLE for Hannah, because he loved her so very much.

SHe was taunted by the wife that could have children - seems to be the way.

She went to the temple to pray, and the Priest Eli thought she was drunk. But she was praying and the Priest Eli blessed her. SHe then had a son and we get the famous:

For this child I have prayed.

1 Samuel 1:26–28 CSB

“Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah was a woman who had her priorities right! She may not have known everything, but we should be so bold as to remember this as an example.

Samuel grew and became a Priest. and eventually Israel’s last Judge.

1 Samuel 8:1–5 CSB

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

So Samuel grew old. His children did not walk in his ways, the ways of the Lord. THe people knew this: and what did they do - they requested a king.

1 Samuel 8:5 CSB

They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

We want to be the same as ALL THE OTHER NATIONS.

1 Samuel 8:6–9 CSB

When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

Of course Sam feels rejected, knows what they are doing is wrong - but GOd says they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me - like they have always rejected Him.

God says - do what they have asked, but tell them how it is going to go down.

See God said all the way back in Numbers that the nation of Israel was not to be like all the other nations, they were to have a KING - but that the King was the TRUE King - YAHWAH!

The people learn that YAHWAH is not only their God, but that through the leading of His people, He is the True King.

THat HE is always near, always watching, protecting and delivering, providing and paving the way.

But the People of Israel abandoned God. Like they always have - GOd would tell Samuel.

SO Samuel did what God commanded. If you continue through the 8th chapter, you will dicovediscover that Samuel indeed tells the people what earthly kings do.

Samuel says:

You may put a King over you.

Interestingly enough - God actually did permit kings. Some would say that GOd was prohibited kings, but in Genesis - the 1st Book, God told Abraham that kings would come from him. And in Deuteronomy God gave specific requitrements for kings over Israel.

So Samuel says - you can have a king

BUT KNOW THIS

the king is going to take your sons and put them in his army

put them in his chariots

on his horses

or even running in front of the chariots

the king will take your daughters

to become bakers, perfumers, and cooks

the king will take your BEST FIELDS

vineyards, olive orchards

and give them to his officials and servants

the king will take your best servants

your best donkeys

your best cattle

for his own uses

the king will take a 10th of your flocks

and you yourselves will become his servants

1 Samuel 8:18 CSB

When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”

1 Samuel 8:19–20 CSB

The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.”

They want an earthly king to Judge them

to go before them

and to fight their battles

All of which God was doing.

So God allowed samuel to appoint a king.

Saul

1 Samuel 9:1–2 CSB

There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

There was a prominent man - and he had a handsome and tall son. the son was Saul.

We come to find Saul was looking for his families lost donkeys. That is when Saul is found by Samuel - who annoints him as king. PRivatley.

because later he would be made public.

but at that time, Saul’s character started showing.

1 Samuel 10:20–22 CSB

Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. They again inquired of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” The Lord replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”

Saul knew he was anointed King, but he is hiding amongst the supplies!

Saul was anointed King. And shortly after, the Ammonites became a problem. They threatened Israel and Saul led an army to destroy them. THe Lord provided that victory.

But Saul’s way was through terror. He cut up oxen, sent out the pieces by messenger throughout Israel and said that the same would be done to anyone’s oxen who doesn’t marcMarch into battle with Saul. So a couple hundred thousand men showed up.

Massive victory.

Samuel says the Lord provided said victory.

The people rejoice - and threaten to kill anyone who was against Saul.

1 Samuel 13:1–2 CSB

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

Saul had alona long reign. He started doing everything Samuel warned the people against.

The Philistins show up and there is going to be a massive battle.

Philistine has an army that vastly outnumbers Israel. Everyone is scared. Most of Israel soldiers are hiding in caves. Saul is terrified.

Samuel says go here, wait for me 7 days , and I will come, I will perform the appropriate sacrifices and the Lord will grant us victory.

Saul’s failures get large and God rejects Saul.

Saul get’s tired of waiting and on the 7th day:

1 Samuel 13:9 CSB

So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

The Bible says that JUST as Saul finished, Samuel arrives. Samuel asks, what have you done, and instead of taking ownership, Saul makes excuses.

The reality is that the King Saul just violated and invaded the Priesthood.

and God’s response THROUGH the Priest Samuel

1 Samuel 13:13–14 CSB

Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.”

Saul - you are rejected.

You did not trust the Lord

your reigh will end.

The Lord has found a man after his own heart and has appointed him

because you have not done what the Lord commanded.

Saul’s reign has been rejected

Saul would later, in his own panic, force the men to take an oath to not eat until vicotry - so his soldiers would fight weak.

His own son, Jonathan, was not with him when the oath was set, unknowingly breaks the oath. THe oath was that if anyone ate before victory, that person would be put to death.

Praise the Lord victory comes, and the soldiers get to eat finally, but they are so hungry that they eat meat with blood in it. Which is a sin against God.

So now Saul has to kill his son, thankfully the people of Israel interceeintercede for JOnathan.

As we move forward into 1 saSam 15, God commands that Saul go and completely destroy everything that is the Amalekytes.

to slaghteslaughter all the people and destordestroy all their livestock.

1 Samuel 15:9 CSB

Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.

Saul disobeys.

1 Samuel 15:10–11 CSB

Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night.

1 Samuel 15:22–23 CSB

Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.