Why did Israel ask for a king?
26 May 2019 09:30 hrs
Reading from 1 Samuel chapter 8.
Introduction
Samuel failed to discipline his sons and to bring them up uprightly. His sons, Joel and Abijah, took bribes and lived corruptly. Yet he appointed them as judges over Beersheba.
As a result of these corrupt judges, the people of Israel came to see Samuel and demanded that a king be appointed over them.
1 Sam 8:4,5 KJV Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 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.
This was the first reason why Israel wanted a king.
However, this wasn't a good reason. For by demanding that a king be appointed over them, Israel forgot that they had rejected a much higher King who was already ruling over them.
That King was the Lord YeHoVaH himself!
1Sam 8:6,7KJV But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 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.
There was also a second, and perhaps a more pressing reason why Israel wanted a king. This reason can be seen in their reply to Samuel after he had cautioned them and warned them about the oppression that they would suffer from a human king.
1 Sam 8:19,20 KJV Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 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.
It is obvious from this passage today, that Israel's demand for a king was also because they wanted to "be like all the nations" around them. They were falling into a temptation, to be conformed to his world.
Instead of remaining steadfast as a people of the Lord YeHoVaH, they wanted to follow they ways of the gentile nations.
They have rejected YeHoVaH.
Today we continue to face the same temptation to be conformed to the world around us.
One of the most common temptation is the urge to adopt the "contemporary" practices of the world, from contemporary songs to contemporary styles of worships to contemporary sermons from the pulpit.
We must bear in mind that when we fall into unguarded adoption of contemporary practices, we are conforming to a temporary way of living.
Like Israel asking for a "contemporary" king, that they also may be like all the nations around them, the adoption of so called contemporary practices makes us fall into the error of forsaking YeHoVaH our eternal King.
