It's because we make it about us

In my men’s bible study group, we studied is 1 Samuel. And as much as this lesson is about me and you personally rejecting God as king, I also saw another parallel.

Israel Demands a King (1 Samuel 8:4-22)

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “… [M]ake us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. 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. 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. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. 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. 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. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 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.”

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, 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.”

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.”


God predicted that there would be kings over Israel ~ (Gen. 35:11; 36:31; 49:10; Num. 24:7–9, 17; Deut. 17:14; 28:36).

Israel rejected God in favor of and earthly king

Samuel knew what having an earthly king would mean. Samuel obeyed the Lord by describing the behavior of a human king. A king would:
1) draft young men and women for his service
2) tax the people’s crops and flocks
3) appropriate the best of their animals and servants
4) place limitations on their personal freedom

And yet the people STILL wanted a king so they could be like the other nations around them who had a king.

AND THEY GOT ONE.


Does any of that seem familiar?

America has forsaken God in favor of idols. And most recently, for an idol who has proclaimed “hope and change.”

But more specifically, look at the four points Samuel used to describe what a king would do:

1) draft young men and women for his service – National Civilian Security Force
2) tax the people’s crops and flocks – Raising of taxes
3) appropriate the best of their animals and servants – Socialism
4) place limitations on their personal freedom – Religion, speech, et al

Why don’t we just listen to God anymore?