1 Samuel 8:1-22 & 12:12-15: Be Careful What You Ask For

 1 Samuel 8:1-22 & 12:12-15: Be Careful What You Ask For

The Israelites demand a king in place of the judges God had been appointing partly because Samuel's own sons did not follow the way of the Lord but became greedy men who loved money and accepted bribes to influence how they judged.  Although Samuel had always been a righteous man, his children became rebellious.

God tells a (probably) frustrated and heart-broken Samuel that the people are not rejecting Samuel, but God.  This is important for us to remember - not to take human rebellion as an attack against us, but against God, which is actually much more serious than our ego being wounded.  

When God decides to answer their cries, he tells them what kind of king they can expect: one that will take from them all that is precious. God says He will not answer them when they complain about their king who will become a cruel dictator.  However, the people stubbornly refuse to listen to Samuel when he tells them what God has said about their future King Saul.

When we ask God to go against His will just to appease our own selfish wants and do not care if what we want is right or wrong, be very careful that God may answer you!  Then He just may give you the evil desires of your heart and may not hear you when you cry for help!  This is a stern warning for today!  

But here is the good news:  In 1 Samuel 12:14-15, Samuel tells them if all of them (including King Saul) fear the Lord and obey Him, then they will be in the Lord's favor.  But if they continue to rebel against the Lord, His hand will stay against them.

God gives them a chance to choose His ways but also warns them what will happen if they dishonor Him.  We have the same choice every day we draw breath:  choose the Lord and His ways, or reject Him and suffer the consequences, if not in this life, then certainly in the next. 

(Lamentations 3:21-23) This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Make no mistake, however, the Lord is very kind and gracious and will always forgive us of our sins when we ask Him to.  He will always take us back if we backslide when we come to Him with repentant hearts. But why waste time living in rebellion and misery when you can choose Jesus Christ today and live in His strength and joy!   

 (1 Samuel 8:1-22) And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel... And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre [money], and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel... 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."

But the thing displeased Samuel... 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. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself... to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters... And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards... and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants... He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

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."

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. "

And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

(1 Samuel 12:12-15) [Samuel said], ..."ye said unto me, 'Nay; but a king shall reign over us:' when the Lord your God was your king. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you. If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers."