When Israel Demanded For A King

1 Samuel 8:1-22
1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king.
11 And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
12 He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, 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 repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.
22 So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.”
And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

Why did the people of Israel demanded God for an earthly king to rule over them? Simply because they had observed corruption and evil doings in their own spiritual leaders.

When Samuel retired in his old age as the judge of Israel, he appointed his sons as judges to take over his place.

Joel and Abijah, his first and second sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father. They were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and were very corrupt in the administration of justice.

The leaders of Israel had enough of their evil deeds, and finally met in Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. They told him that since his retirement, things had not been the same, for his sons were not good men.

“Give us a king like all the other nations have,” they pleaded to Samuel.

Samuel was terribly upset and went to seek the LORD for His advice.

“Do as they say,” the LORD replied, “for I am the One they are rejecting, not you—they don’t want Me to be their King any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt, they have continually forsaken Me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but warn them about what it will be like to have a king!”

So Samuel told the people what the LORD had said: “If you insist on having a king, he will enlist your sons and make them run before his chariots. Some will be made to lead his troops into battle, while others will become slave laborers. They will be forced to plow in the royal fields and harvest his crops without pay, and make his weapons and chariot equipment. He will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his friends. He will take a tenth of your harvest and distribute it to his favorite attendants. He will demand your slaves and the finest of your youth and will use your animals for his personal gain. He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. You will shed bitter tears because of this king you are demanding, but the LORD will not help you.”

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warnings. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said, “for we want to be like the nations around us. Our king will govern us and lead us to battle.”

So Samuel told the LORD what the people had said, and the LORD replied again, “Then do as they say and give them a king." Samuel agreed and sent the men home again.

God gave His people a king according to what they had asked for. The kingdom of Israel began with Saul as their first king! The people of God had rejected Him unashamedly as their King, and asked for an earthly king! The LORD was the One they were rejecting, for they didn’t want Him to be their King any longer. Ever since He brought them out of Egypt, they had continually forsaken Him and followed other gods.

The kingdom of God is not the same as the kingdom of Israel! The kingdom of Israel had an earthly king, could be divided and shaken, and became chaotic with great disorder!

The kingdom of God has a heavenly King! His name is Jesus!

The kingdom of God has kingdom rules and regulations as written in His Word - the Holy Bible!

The kingdom of God will have citizens who will acknowledge their King and obey His commandments!

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

The kingdom of God is unshakeable!

Hebrews 12:25-29
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

We are now living in times where great trials, temptations, tribulations and shakings await us!

Our blessed hope does not come from a nation, a prime minister, a president, a pastor, a prophet or an apostle! Our help comes from the Lord. He and He alone!

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

How often have we behaved like the ancient Israelites! How we deliberately choose our own ways to run and conduct our daily, business and church life! Many of us have displaced our hopes and are greatly shaken! We cannot even discern, distinguish or differentiate what is right or wrong in the sight of the Lord! Many of us don't even read our Bibles and know the Lord in a personal way. Many of us don't acknowledge Him as our King! Many of us have even rejected His commandments without even reading or knowing them! We have placed our trust and hopes on men instead of God! But God forbids!

Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.

We should pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem. But our hope is in the LORD and not Israel! We should never assume that whatever Israel does is right in the sight of God!  Israel will go through tough times that are ahead! Only when the King returns will true peace reign! Before then, people will still look here and there for some solutions which may not last! False prophets and apostles will arise and deceive many through prophetic insights and utterances not founded in the Word of God!

Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May we turn our eyes back to our King and Lord, and stop looking elsewhere or at someone else! May we wise up and know His ways! May we trust and obey Him according to His Written Word! May we know Him more each day and make Him known as He has commissioned us to do so!

Written on: 3 June 2019