King? 1 Samuel 8:4-9, Lesson for June 25-26, 2016

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1 King? 1 Samuel 8:4-9, Lesson for June 25-26, Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." 6But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 8"Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day-- in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods-- so they are doing to you also. 9"Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them." 19Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, 20that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 21Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing. 22The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voicintre and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." Introduction In the early 19 th Century, radical English columnist William Cobbett railed against the intellectual laziness of the London newspapers coverage of the British government. To add a little color to his rant, he made up a folksy story about how when he was a child he would draw hounds away from a hunt by trailing a red herring along the ground. The journalists in his time, he said, were just as easily misled. 1 References were made to using red herrings to throw hounds off the trail as early as the 1500s. But Cobbett s column introduced the popular use of the phrase red herring to the English lexicon. Today, we use red herring to describe something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important issue, and, ultimately, leads to a false conclusion. 2 A person who studies philosophy will be quick to add that a red herring is also a form of logical fallacy. Today s passage is easily distorted if simply viewed through the prism of political history. It is tempting but tantamount to a Biblical red herring to take this passage as God s instruction concerning His government among men. So let s dispense with that logical fallacy, first. In Luke 4, we read of Satan s temptation of the Lord: 5And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." 8Jesus answered him, "It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" (Luke 4:5-8) 1 Englis-Arkell, Esther Linguistic Mysteries: The Origin of "Red Herring" Was A Red Herring (May 11, 2014) available at 2

2 Notice what Satan did he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would just worship before a different god. Jesus responded by restating the first Commandment (see Exodus 20:3). The promise of this Earthly domain and all the kingdoms, republics, principalities, or simply a fenced-in backyard is nothing more than a red herring, i.e., something that diverts from the path. Let s not be diverted by the red herring of political controversy that a superficial read of this scripture might suggest we follow. While there is a lesson here about politics (which we will consider), we should start with the fundamental recognition that this passage is about God, not government. I. WHY DID ISRAEL WANT A KING? There was nothing wrong with Israel asking for a king which might be a controversial observation to make in the United States. But Deuteronomy 17:15 promises Israel that you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses. It s the premise on which Israel based its request (really, demand) for a king that offers our starting point. And this it where it all went wrong. Israel s demand for a king starts with the innocuous word now. The Hebrew word used is an adverb. It indicates that the action Samuel should take results from the conditions described before it. In other words, the sentence says these things have happened, which, inevitably and immediately, means this thing should happen. (Compare Genesis 4:10-11 The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11"Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. ) In this case, Israel noted two facts which the elders suggest support the immediate need for a king to be appointed: (1) Samuel was old, and (2) his sons were corrupt. 1. The Old Leaders were Old Behold, you have grown old We read in 1 Samuel 7:16-17 that Samuel used to go annually on circuit to judge Israel before returning to his home to judge there, as well. We also see from previous weeks study that Samuel had spent his life serving Israel and serving as their judge. There was really no denying Samuel s age. It was a fact. Scholars believe he was around years old at the time the elders made their demand. That said, the elders argument about age proves much about the premise of Israel s argument for a king. Abraham, had not yet left the nation of his birth and traveled to Canaan when he was the age of Samuel. (see Genesis 12:4). Moses taught Israel that honoring the aged was a way to revere God: You shall rise up before the gray headed and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:32) But to Israel, Samuel s age was a disqualifier and they doubted God s ability to protect them through Samuel. This is the first hint of the red herring the idea that God will not (or cannot) act on behalf of His people because of His people s limitations. In this case, we are talking about age. But this could easily be any physical infirmity or spiritual weakness Abraham s age, Moses s difficulty with speaking, Paul s lameness, Gideon s fear, Noah s drinking, Jonah s cowardice, Peter s denial of Christ, the Apostle s inability to stay awake while Jesus prayed in the garden, Jeremiah s youth, Rahab s prostitution, or each of our very real and personal struggles with financial, moral, physical, or any other debilitating disqualifiers from God s service. Israel was diverted from God by focusing on His leader s weaknesses. God qualifies. That s the beginning and the end of it.

3 2. The New Leaders were Corrupt Your sons do not walk in your ways To be fair, it might have appeared to Israel that Samuel was not up to the task. The elders complained to Samuel that his sons do not walk in your ways (1 Sam 8:4). This is not an idle observation Samuel s sons Joel and Abijah had proved themselves corrupt as judges at Beersheeba (1 Sam 8:2). As 1 Samuel 8:3 observes, Samuel s sons turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. With the use of turned aside, we learn that Samuel s sons were crooked politicians. But there is more to Israel s complaint to Samuel than political corruption. The Hebrew word being used for walk in your ways refers to a way, road, distance, journey, manner. 3 It also refers to a deliberate march in a specific direction (as opposed to a crooked path). 4 The same word is used in Joshua 1:3 as treads where God declares, "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. As with many Hebrew words, it also has a connotation based on its archaic usage. The word, rendered literally, means bending the bow (in preparation for shooting an arrow in a specific direction). 5 Today, the same Hebrew word means to go to war. Simply put, Israel was asking Samuel to provide them with someone to fight on their behalf, based on the premise that the next generation could not do it. Israel wanted someone to fight their battle because they were convinced that Samuel s sons (i.e., the next generation) were not up to the task. In sum: Israel wanted new leaders, but on its terms. 3. We are the Only Ones Without Someone to Fight for Us to judge us like all the nations that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. So if the old leaders were just too old and the new leaders were not up to it, the solution, Israel reasoned, was a king. But Israel s pleading for their king rested on one more principle: what, exactly, they expected the king to do. As we already noted, Israel expected a king to prepare them to fight and fight on their behalf. In the historical context, that might not have been unreasonable. Recall that Israel had fought many wars with the Philistines during Samuel s life. When he was around 30 years old, one of those battles had gone disastrously wrong and the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant (see 1 Sam 4:11). Further, the sons Eli, the previous judge, had led Israel to the brink of ruin (see 1 Sam 4). But, after leading Israel, Samuel taught, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines (1 Sam 7:3). The message of Samuel was turn your heart to God and trust Him. Ultimately, we read that the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. (1 Sam 7:13) In sum, Israel feared that the Lord would not protect Israel after he was gone, so Israel would fix the problem by having God appoint a king to succeed Samuel and not any king, but a king to judge like all the 3 Strong s Id. See also 5

4 nations. 6 Interestingly, Israel makes an appeal we might hear today: everyone else has an advocate, why can t I? Matthew Henry describes it this way: They had a prophet to judge them, that had immediate correspondence with heaven But this would not serve; they must have a king to judge them with external pomp and power, like all the nations. A poor prophet in a mantle, though conversant in the visions of the Almighty, looked mean in the eyes of those who judged by outward appearance; but a king in a purple robe, with his guards and officers of state, would look great: and such a one they must have. 7 To make the obvious observation, this would not be last time God s people missed His point on the nature of His kingship. II. WHAT S WRONG WITH WANTING A NEW KING? Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. There is a temptation here to judge Israel for its judgment about God. We understand, looking backward, that this was yet another example of Israel missing the point as to the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). But isn t this what we do? This is a very easy diversion. It is the temptation Satan put in front of Jesus I will give you all the kingdoms, if you will just focus on something other than God. In fact, before considering Samuel s warning, let s remember Jesus s words about the focus of our faith: 27"And who of you by being worried can add a [single] hour to his life? 28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is [alive] today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, [will He] not much more [clothe] you? You of little faith! 31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:27-33) Israel was worried about its safety and security (which is a fair point of concern for a people and its government), but Israel put its trust in their ideas instead of Him. Israel solved the problem of security of its nation when the actual problem was trust in God (or more precisely, trusting in something other than God. See Matthew 6:21: for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ). 1. Samuel s Response We read in verse 6 that the idea of a king was displeasing in the sight of Samuel (1 Sam 8:6). Samuel took it personally. He might have taken it as an affront to his leadership. God used this passage as both an opportunity to teach Samuel and an opportunity to teach His people. We have already noted that imperfect people are called to serve the perfect God. We now see 6 Strong s All the nations is a singular word describing a plural concept. It refers to all nations, taken as a whole. 7 Matthew Henry s Commentaries, available at

5 that leadership teaches humility. In saying to Samuel, they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me in verse 7, God is subtly teaching Samuel a precept of His leadership: humility. As Jesus taught His disciples, when James and John sought to sit at His right and His left in eternity: "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43"But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10: 42-45) Jesus s warning about rulers of the Gentiles came many years after the time of Samuel, but it is the same warning which God directed to Samuel to deliver in chapter God s Warning about Kings There is a warning in this passage. In 1 Samuel 8:9, we see that God directs Samuel to solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them. In 1 Samuel 8: Samuel tells the people that their king will take their sons for battle, for harvest, and to make weapons. He warned that the king will take their daughters to make perfume, to cook, and to bake. He warned that their king would take the best of their fields and their vineyards and give them to his servants. And, most of all, Samuel warned them that while the Lord would not forget them, the Lord will not answer you in that day."(1 Sam 8:18). A fair question might be why would God let this happen? Why would God let his people stumble? Why wouldn t He answer in that day? Isn t the whole point that God will allow us to overcome our weaknesses? After all, to go further, Jesus taught: 9" [W]hat man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10"Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7: 9-11) The explanation comes from the New Testament. Fundamentally, this is a teaching opportunity. The author of Hebrews refers to this education as discipline : 8 7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline? 11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. This righteousness did not result from Israel s suffering, but rather of Jesus suffering (see 1 Peter 3:18). But the education helps us recognize God and seek His righteousness (see Matthew 6:33). And, more importantly, recognize that He is already fighting for us. III. RECOGNIZING THE KING THE PROMISE ABOUT THE KING OF KINGS Contrast Samuel s dire warning to the people in chapter 8 with Jesus s promise to His people in Matthew 11: 29-30: 8 Strong s 3809, available at

6 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11: 29-30). The promise of God comes not as a result of our worship of Him or of anything else we might do, for that matter. The promise comes merely from recognizing Him. Jesus taught My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (John 10: 27-28). That is the trick recognizing that God is already fighting for us. There is a supreme irony to Israel s choice in chapter 8 and in this passage. At the end of 1 Samuel 7, Israel pleads with Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." (1 Samuel 7:8). In response, the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and they were routed (1 Samuel 7:10). In now asking Samuel to ask for a king to go out before us and fight our battles, Israel was asking for what they already had. In the words of David Blazer, Actually they want something LESS than they ve already got. Because the Philistine kings were all DEFEATED by God. 9 In letting God fight for us and recognizing that He is already in front of us (in contrast to 1 Samuel 8), we can turn to the powerful promise of the Book of Revelation is that Jesus has promised to win: 11And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. 13[He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. 15From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11) As the author of Hebrews wrote about God s promise: God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17-18) CLOSING APPLICATION: Warren Wiersbe states, The greatest judgment God can give us is to let us have our own way. [from Wiersbe s commentary on 1 Samuel, page 227] Or, to put it in a modern saying, Be careful what you wish for! 9 Balzer, David, 1 Samuel 8-12: A King Like the Rest, (May 16, 2016), available at