Israel asks for a King Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8 AMPC

Transcription

1 Israel asks for a King Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8 AMPC Objectives: 1. We are God s chosen people, chosen by God thus we cannot imitate the world. 2..For the children to have the wish of being a good example for everyone else, following Jesus Christ s example-our one and only Lord and Savior. Reflection:Let s follow God and not what the world has to offer us. Introduction: Samuel lived and served in the temple. God chose him as a prophet (3:19-21), and Samuel s first prophecy was a judgment over corrupt priests. As Samuel grew up, the people of Israel recognized him as a prophet sent by God. The Bible says that in the period before the war the word of Samuel continued to reach all of Israel, in which indicated that the prophet used to instruct the people continuously (1 Samuel 4:1). As time passed by, the Philistines warred against Israel. They took power of the Arch and killed Eli s sons. Eli dies when he became aware of his son s deaths, after having judged Israel for forty years (1 Samuel 4:18). Possessing the Arc results in a disaster for the Philistines, so they returned it back to the Israelites. Now Samuel is the judge of Israel, and there is peace within the people. the story revelas that 20 years later after Samuel kept doing the same thing, well we read that he was accustomed to visiting the same three cities: 15 Samuel continued as Israel s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17

2 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord(1 Sam. 7:15-17 (NIV). There s no doubt, then, that during those twenty years Samuel maintained serving the people with much strength, courage and with wisdom given from God. The elders when to Samuel s house in Rama. Whilst being in front of Samuel, they asked him to give them a king. But, the people had gotten exhausted of the judges and they wanted to imitate the villages nearby. They wanted a king like the rest of the villages. Key Terms: Imitate copy (a person's speech or mannerisms), take or follow as a model. Influence the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. Limit a point or level beyond which something does not or may not extend or pass. Moral Character is the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty and loyalty. Points to consider: 1. Is it bad to imitate? The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. What does this phrase mean? It is a human tendency to want, envy, what another person has, right? God s people were not an exception. Today, we see how the people, the society, try to follow and imitate what the world does and continue to act against the guidance and Word of God, they follow false ideas that the world has towards: education, politics, the music, the way of dressing, how to educate children, the family, etc. And they want to input new belief systems, worldly rules or way of living, and this occurs gradually, being guided into deteriorations, and finally, after a lot of suffering, of making a lot of mistakes, even after sufferings, we will 2

3 still see the love and mercy of God as the only means to obtain freedom, salvation and restoration. The problem with imitating comes depends on who and what you imitate. When an adult is the one imitating, it is assumed that they have good judgment to choose some who is wroth imitating. When it is a child or an adolescent, whose personality has yet to form and has less resources to evaluate what is good and bad, it can occur that they choose the wrong person to imitate. 2. What is the main cause that allows for children to allow themselves to be influence by someone else? There aremany factors to consider that can cause vulnerability in children, so much that they ca turn into people who get easily influenced by external factors. However, the influence becomes a danger when our kids and young adults take patterns and conducts and or thoughts that go against the moral principles, family values, or attempt to go against their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual integrity. 3. Pautas que DIOS Nos Traza: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this worldbut be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV) God s will is: Good:It does us good. Pleasant:It produces happiness. Perfect:It completes our reason to live. Nuestra forma de comportarnos y relacionarnos no debe parecerse a los sistemas de vida en los que habitualmente interactuamos día a 3

4 día, estamos llamados a ser originales y no copias, porque aunque estamos dentro de diversos sistemas no pertenecemos a los mismos. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity.[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile. Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV) Other important key points: Qué causó que Israel deseara un rey?. Samuel s children gave a bad example to the poeple, since they set themselves apart from the religious truth that they had learned in their youth. They used their positions as judges to obtain things, betraying the sacred trust by accepting bribes and issuing perverted judgments. Besides that, the Israelites as a nation had turned out to be weak and sinners and they envied the neighbors kings, though those people s government well idolatries and oppressive. So much that they used Samuel s children as an excuse to justify their wish to be governed by the same system that gentile nations had. The people of Israel attributed the cause of oppression and affliction that they had suffered due to the mandate of the judges and the defects of their own constitutionals policies. They wished to have a King, just like the pagan nations, to guide their wars and conquer their enemies. The people of Israel knew about this situation and the elders decided to go in front of Samuel to let him know and make the petition. The elders taught Samuel two things: 1. He had become old. Yes, he had become old, but with years come experience and knowledge, he also counted with God s support and with the preparation to keep governing. 2. His children did not walk in his father s way. They did what was wrong. Por qué al pedir un rey estaban rechazando a Jehová Dios como su líder? 4

5 The Israelites wish was to have a king 5 They said to him, You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[a] us, such as all the other nations have. (1 Samuel 8:5 (NIV),demonstrates that they were putting their trust in man instead of on God, Who was their true King. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.. Psalms 81:11 (NIV) We are just like that too, we who have received Christ, that are now children of God sometimes rebel and God s grace becomes not enough for us, and we want to be like the world, we want what everyone else had, maybe the fortunes, the fame, wanting to be recognized By doing this, we are rejecting God, because we are ambitious, God s love and being saved should be enough for us. What were the warnings that Samuel have them about having a King? 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[a] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. (1 Samuel 8:10-17) NIV Samuel explains to his people everything that was to happen if they had a king: they would return to being slaves just like they were in Egypt. This is what happens when we desire things if the world, we will return to being slaves of sin, we will return to serve the world, (v.11-17) and when we want to return to Christ, God might not respond (v18). That is why we must consult always to God about every decision that we are about to take, so that He can approve of it and then we can know what the correct decision is and also, we must ask God to grant us only what is in His Holy will and not what is in our selfish desires, because He does 5

6 everything perfect and He knows us, He knows what is best for us. We must listen to Him and not be hard-headed with what we ambition after. Nevertheless, the people denied listening to Samuel s warnings. What does Samuel warn them about? 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day. 1 Samuel 8:18 (NIV) How did the people respond? 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. No! they said. We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. 1 Samuel 8:19-20 (NIV) What was God s last words before his petition? Listen to them and give them a king. (1 Samuel 8:22 (NIV) Bible scripture: 1 Samuel 8 (AMPC) 8 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. Samuel lived in Ramah and was a judge of Israel for a long time. But in this time of his life, his sons Joel and Abijah lacked moral character. They were judges of Israel but they didn t follow their dad s steps being desobedient to God. 3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 4 All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations. Samuel s sons didn t follow his steps and they where in the same desobedient steps as Eli s sons. The elders of Israel knew the lack of moral character the sons of Samuel had and they questioned the autority given to them. As a concequence, the elders went to Samuel to ask for a King. 6

7 This is an important point because the elders saw the imperfection of their autorithy and they prefered to compare and looked to the world as a mean for a solution. In other words, the elders wanted what the world had at those times, and it was a King. The elders point of view probably was this: They saw Joel and Abijah as a bad influence to everyone, but instead of fixing the problem going to God, they decided that a new vision had to be imparted. They picked the vision of the world in having a King and selected to speak to Samuel and expected that a desicion be made quickly for they needed a King. 6 But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them. God didn t like the idea. He disliked that the Israelites where choosing a man instead of him as King and showed they trusted more in a man than God himself. ***We know God raises and deposes the autorithy and not men. Daniel 2:21 (NIV) 21 He changes times and seasons;he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wiseand knowledge to the discerning. 8 According to all the works which they have done since I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you. 9 So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. Dios le dio a Samuel la dirección de cómo llevar el asunto al hablar con los Israelitas y le recordó como los convirtió del viejo hombre y los llevo a donde están hoy (con todo y sus defectos). Pero aun así, ellos querían lo que tenía el mundo. God gave Samuel the guidance in how to handle the situation with being a messenger for the Lord. 7

8 God reminded the Israelites of everything He had done for them. But the elders wanted what the world offered. They wanted the vision of the world to be implemented as son as possible. 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king. 11 And he said, These will be the ways of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your men and women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his slaves. 18 In that day you will cry out because of your king you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you then. Samuel mentioned the consequences of what they where asking for. One more time, God s mercy was there. God s love is really in-mesurable. 1 John 3:1 (NIV) 3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us, 20 That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles. The elders had already changed their minds and the only thing they wanted was a response that was in the same line as their thoughts. There are times that our points of view differ with what God and our autorithy want from us (home/church/work/school) and we do whatever it takes to obtain 8

9 what we want and believe is good for us. Who knows if God had already plans for what they were thinking but, we need to understand that everything is at God s time and not ours. Usually the final results for a situation like this one are the ones that makes us reflect in what could have I do better or different. One important detail is that this situation has happened to Israel many times but they have not learned from it. That s why they are repeating history time to time making even worse desitions at the end. 21 Samuel heard all the people s words and repeated them in the Lord s ears. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city. Samuel s obedience towards God was unquestionable. His obedience was no cold nor mild and he had wisdom. Something to consider about the changed of his childhood to his adulthood. Verse to memorize: Sed imitadores de mí, así como yo de Cristo. 1 Corintios 11:1 (RVR1960) Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (AMP) Videos: 1 Samuel Samuel 7 Samuel a King for Israel 9