1 Samuel 8 -- The 5-Year-Olds Pitch A Fit

Despite being a man of God, wise and prayerful, Samuel unfortunately had two sons who did not follow his morals.  They’d become judges in Israel,  but they were corrupt.  Somewhere along the line they had departed from his path.  The older leaders realized this and used it as a further excuse to demand a king.  His sons probably thought nothing of their sin and would have probably denied that they’d been used by Satan to lead their nation further away from God!

 

God told Samuel, “They have not rejected you.  They have rejected Me from being their king.  They are doing as they have always done.”

 

Samuel then told the people what God had said would happen to them under a king’s reign, and amazingly they weren’t fazed by it (not even by the new 10% tax rate)!

 

They sounded like 5-year-olds saying, “No!  We want a king to rule over us.  Then we will be the same as all the other nations (in other words, not holy and set apart to God).  Our king will judge for us and go with us and fight our battles.”  How clouded their minds had become!  That’s exactly what God had been doing for them!

 

Samuel told the Lord what they’d said, and God said simply, “Give them a king.” 

 

(Be careful what you wish for.  You might just get it!)

 

Father, it’s so sad that humanity seems to naturally gravitate away from You because of sin.  Rather than accepting Your best for us all, the vast majority settle for selfish and childish whims and deny Your goodness and Your care.  Sin does that, and it isn’t pretty.  I hate it that we are all subject to it at times, and the last thing I want is to disappoint You.  Please guide us in spite of ourselves – in spite of our sin.  Be the king of reluctant and often unwilling subjects, for our OWN good.

 

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford