Word: I Samuel 8:1-9 (NLT)
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
After Moses and Joshua, God gave the nation strong national leaders to judge them and to deliver them from their enemies. Some of these judges were outstanding, but others were very flawed. As the nation entrenched itself in the land and grew more comfortable with itself, people began to look around at the really successful nations around them who all had kings—not judges. Judges began to seem like a relic from an earlier time when the nation’s leadership had a more spiritual tone. As a more mature nation, international security and posture seemed more important. God-appointed judges seemed a bit parochial or provincial, and besides, there was an immediate power vacuum since Judge Samuel’s sons were so corrupt.
What the nation had forgotten is that their judges were appointed by their King! Yes, they already had a king. Yahweh, the Sovereign Lord, was their king and had been since the moment they had become a nation (Numbers 23:21), so their desire for a king was in every way a rebellion against their current King.
So who is the King of our nation? Who is the Sovereign Lord of all nations? What would a nation do which was in rebellion and trying to overthrow their Sovereign King? Are we still—or were we ever—one nation, under God?
Prayer: Father, you are the King of all nations and the Lord of ours, whether we know it or not. Open our hearts to the reality of your sovereignty and let that guide us in our national and political activities. Keep us from either desiring to lead ourselves or looking around for godless leaders or leadership styles. You are our King. Amen
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