Good Morning Friends,
“The elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramah
and said, ‘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.’ When they said, ‘Give us
a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 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. … Listen to them; but
warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them
will do.’" (1 Samuel 8:4-9)
The nations around Israel had a kings. Israel
relied on a judge appointed by God for to lead them. Samuel was growing old and
would soon be replaced by his sons, Israel grew tired of the kind of leadership
they had. They wanted to be like the nations around them.
They wanted a king because Samuel’s sons were
not honest men who served out of a desire to help. They served for what they
could get out of it. Israel didn’t want Samuel’s sons as judges. But it really
wasn’t about Samuel’s sons. It was about Israel’s unwillingness to trust God. They
did not trust the Lord to deal with Samuel’s sons. They did not trust the Lord
to raise other leaders who would follow Him.
God understood what was at the heart of
Israel’s request for a king. He understood that they were turning their backs
on Him.
Sometimes the grass looks greener on the other
side. Israel thought the kings around them looked better than the leaders God
provided. They wanted what the other nations had. God granted their request. Israel
didn’t realize the price they would pay for a king! There was a high price for
not following the Lord.
The same choice is set before us. We can trust
the Lord and His direction and follow it. Or, we can follow the ways of the
world, which may seem better. When we reject the Lord there is a high price to
be paid. That price will affect our lives, our children, and others around us.
God will allow us to make that choice, just as
He did Israel.
His, by Grace, Steve
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