Give Us a King:Communion

The Dangers of Desiring a King

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Text: 1 Samuel 8 Big Idea: Desiring worldly leadership over God’s rule leads to spiritual decline; therefore, we must trust and submit to Christ as our true King.

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Introduction: What Do We Want Most?

Every one of us knows what it is like to live with uncertainty.

When life feels unstable, we want something we can see.

When we feel vulnerable, we want something we can control.

When the future is unclear, we want a plan, a person, a system, or a solution that promises to make us safe.

We may not ask for a literal king, but we often look for things to rule our fears. We may trust money, political leaders, work, relationships, health, our own abilities, or the approval of others. We may quietly tell ourselves, “If I can just get this one thing under control, then I will be okay.”

Leadership, planning, work, and wise preparation are not evil. God can work through human leaders and institutions. The problem comes when we ask created things to do what only our Creator can do. The problem comes when we place our ultimate trust in something other than God.

That is the heart of 1 Samuel 8.

Israel was facing a real problem. Samuel was old. His sons were corrupt. The future felt uncertain. The people wanted protection, justice, and stability. But rather than bringing their fears to God and trusting His leadership, they demanded a king “like all the nations.”

This chapter warns us that what we believe will save us can become the very thing that enslaves us. Yet it also points us to the King we truly need: Jesus Christ. Israel wanted a king who would fight their battles. God ultimately gave the world a King who defeats sin, death, and the grave.

Let us see four warnings from 1 Samuel 8.

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I. Dissatisfaction Drives Desire

1 Samuel 8:1–5

1 Samuel 8:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

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1 Samuel 8:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Samuel had faithfully served Israel, but he was growing old. His sons, Joel and Abijah, did not follow his example. Verse 3 says that they “turned aside after gain.” They took bribes and perverted justice. Similar to Hophni and Phineas

So the elders came to Samuel and said in verse 5:

“Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” —1 Samuel 8:5

Their concern about corrupt leadership was legitimate. Injustice matters to God. Bribery matters to God. The abuse of power matters to God.

But their solution revealed a deeper issue.

They did not ask Samuel to pray for faithful leaders.

They did not ask God to raise up judges who would walk in His ways.

They said, “Give us a king like all the nations.”

That phrase reveals their heart: “like all the nations.”

God had called Israel to be different. He had delivered them from Egypt, made a covenant with them, given them His law, and provided for them again and again. Israel’s identity was never supposed to be found in looking like the people around them. Their identity was found in belonging to the Lord.

But when dissatisfaction and fear took hold, Israel began to compare.

We do the same thing.

When we become dissatisfied, we begin comparing our lives, our finances, our families, our churches, our influence, and our opportunities with those around us.

We begin to think, “If I had their success, their money, their security, or their reputation, then I would have peace.”

But the world cannot give what God gives.

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John 14:27 KJV 1900

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The world can offer temporary comfort, but not lasting peace.

It can offer power, but not salvation.

It can offer control, but not eternal life.

Israel had recently seen God work. In 1 Samuel 7, the people repented, Samuel prayed, and God defeated the Philistines. Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).

Yet only one chapter later, their fear of the future became greater than their memory of God’s faithfulness.

How often do we do that?

We remember what God did yesterday, but panic about tomorrow.

We testify that God has carried us through past trials, but act as if the next trial will be too great for Him.

The Israelites dissatisfaction did not lead them to prayer. It led them to fear.

Application

What is your “king”?

What do you believe you must have in order to feel safe?

What do you turn to when fear rises?

It may be money, political power, a relationship, a job, your own ability to manage life, or the approval of others.

A good gift becomes a false king when it takes God’s place in our trust.

A false king is anything that takes God’s rightful place in our lives—something we rely on, obey, or fear losing more than we trust, honor, and follow the Lord.

Israel’s problem was not that they wanted leadership. Their problem was that they no longer wanted God’s leadership to be enough.

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II. God Sees the Heart Behind the Request

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1 Samuel 8:6–9

1 Samuel 8:6–9 KJV 1900

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

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1 Samuel 8:6–9 KJV 1900

8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

When the elders ask Samuel for a king, verse 6 says, “The thing displeased Samuel.”

But Samuel responded rightly:

“And Samuel prayed to the Lord.” —1 Samuel 8:6

Samuel did not immediately argue. He did not lash out. He did not protect his reputation. He prayed.

Prayer should be the first thing we do in difficult moments. When we feel hurt, confused, disappointed, afraid, or unsure what to do, we should pause and pray rather than react quickly or make fear-driven decisions.

God answered Samuel:

“Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” —1 Samuel 8:7

This is one of the saddest statements in the Old Testament.

Israel’s request was not merely a political preference. It was a spiritual rejection. They were rejecting God’s kingship.

In effect, they were saying, “God, we want Your blessings, but we want a kingdom, but we want it on our terms.”

Before we judge Israel, we must examine ourselves. How often do we want Jesus as Savior but resist Him as Lord?

We want forgiveness, but not surrender.

We want heaven, but not holiness.

We want Jesus to comfort us, but we resist when He corrects us.

We want God to bless our plans, but we do not always seek His plan.

Jesus is not our consultant, or emergency contact. He is King.

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Romans 10:9 tells us

Romans 10:9 KJV 1900

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

God tells Samuel that Israel’s demand is part of a larger pattern:

“According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.” —1 Samuel 8:8

Their demand for a king was another expression of an old problem: their hearts wandered from God.

That is why sin is more than bad behavior. Sin is a worship problem. We sin when we believe something else will satisfy us more than God.

Still, even here, we see God’s patience. He calls their rejection what it is, but He does not leave them without warning.

God warns because He loves. Sometimes His “no” is love. Sometimes His delay is love. Sometimes a closed door is mercy.

Application

We ought to ask better questions in prayer.

Instead of praying, “Lord, will You give me what I want?” ask, “Lord, is what I want pleasing to You?”

Instead of praying, “God, bless my plan,” pray, “God, reveal Your plan.”

Instead of praying, “Remove every difficulty,” pray, “Use this difficulty to make me more like Christ.”

Our King sees what we cannot see. He knows the end from the beginning.

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III. Earthly Kings Take What They Promise to Give

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1 Samuel 8:10–18

1 Samuel 8:10–18 KJV 1900

10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you:

God commands Samuel to warn Israel about the kind of king they are asking for. Samuel’s warning has a repeated phrase: “He will take.”

“He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen…” —1 Samuel 8:11

“He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.” —1 Samuel 8:13

“He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards…” —1 Samuel 8:14

“He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.” —1 Samuel 8:17

Israel wanted a king because they thought he would give them security, strength, identity, and stability. But Samuel warned that this king would take their sons, daughters, land, labor, livestock, and freedom.

They wanted security, but they were walking toward bondage.

This is what worldly power often does when it is separated from the fear of God. It consumes. It becomes self-serving. It makes promises it cannot keep. It takes what belongs to others in order to build itself up.

Israel’s history would prove Samuel right.

Saul began with promise but became consumed with protecting his own throne.

David loved God but was still a flawed and sinful man.

Solomon received great wisdom, but later used his power in ways that brought heavy burdens upon the people.

And eventually, under Rehoboam, the kingdom divided.

No merely human king could save God’s people.

God had given standards for a faithful king in Deuteronomy 17, so the presence of monarchy itself was not necessarily the issue. The problem in 1 Samuel 8 was that Israel demanded a king “like all the nations” and rejected God’s rule over them. Human authority must remain under God’s authority; it must never replace Him.

And this warning points us directly to Jesus Christ.

Earthly kings take. Jesus gives.

Earthly kings take sons for their armies. Jesus gave His life to save His people.

Earthly kings take the best for themselves. Jesus gave His body and blood for sinners.

Earthly kings use people to build their kingdoms. Jesus serves people and brings them into His kingdom.

Earthly kings demand sacrifice from others to preserve their power. Jesus sacrificed Himself to bring others into eternal life.

Jesus said:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:45

Jesus is the Servant King who gives.

He calls us to repent, deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

But His commands are not the demands of a selfish ruler who wants to use us.

His commands are the loving words of a holy King who gave Himself to rescue us from sin, death, and judgment.

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IV. Defiance Refuses God’s Warning

1 Samuel 8:19–22

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1 Samuel 8:19–22 KJV 1900

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

After Samuel explains the consequences, the people refuse to listen:

they heard the warning.

They understood the cost.

They knew God’s perspective.

but still said, “No.”

They were defiant.

They wanted a king to “go out before us and fight our battles.” But the Lord had already fought their battles.

Who brought them out of Egypt? The Lord.

Who parted the Red Sea? The Lord.

Who fed them in the wilderness? The Lord.

Who brought down Jericho’s walls? The Lord.

Who defeated the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7? The Lord.

Israel already had a King, a Defender, a Deliverer, and a Shepherd. But because God’s leadership was not visible in the way they wanted, they demanded something they could see.

We must be careful not to do the same thing.

Faith is trusting God when we cannot see the whole plan. Obedience is proven in uncertainty. Peace does not come from having guarantees about every circumstance. Peace comes from knowing the character of our King.

Israel wanted to be like the nations, but God had called them to be different. Christians are also called to be different.

We do not have to chase power as the world chases power.

We do not have to make fear our counselor.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

God eventually permits Israel to have what they demand.

There are times when God warns us through His Word, conviction, and wise counsel, but when people persist in rebellion, He may allow them to experience the consequences of their desires.

God can redeem our failures, but that does not make rebellion wise.

God’s grace is never permission to reject His authority.

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The King We Need

Israel did not ultimately need a better political system. They needed a perfect King.

Saul was not enough.

David was not enough.

Solomon was not enough.

Even the best human leaders were sinners, limited, temporary, and unable to save the human heart.

But Jesus is the King Israel needed, and He is the King we need.

Jesus is the Son of David, but He is greater than David. He is the King who defeats not only enemies around us, but the enemies within us: sin, guilt, condemnation, and death.

He wore a crown of thorns before He received the crown of glory. He conquered not by destroying His enemies, but by dying for sinners.

Revelation 19:16 calls Him “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

The question is not whether Jesus is King. He is King.

The question is: Who is on the throne of your life?

Will you trust Him when life is uncertain?

Will you submit to His wisdom when His way is not your preferred way?

Will you stop looking to false kings for what only Christ can provide?

The Lord’s Supper

We observe the Lord’s Supper because Christ commanded it as a living picture and memorial of His death for us—the gospel made visible. In the bread and the cup, we remember His body given and His blood shed, proclaiming that our hope rests in His sacrifice alone.

As we partake, we also express our unity as one body in Christ, come in worship, and examine our hearts so that we receive it in a worthy manner. And we do this with expectation—looking back to the cross, rejoicing in the New Covenant, and looking forward to the day when He comes again.