A New Era Begins In Israel Series

December 27, 2025

Samuel was unique. He was judge, prophet and priest and under his wise control the nation prospered. Eventually, however, he was forced to share the responsibilities of government and he chose his 2 sons – Joel and Abijah – to assist him. He appointed them judges and sent them to Beersheba - near the southern border.

They were not like their father……..

They were dishonest, took bribes and perverted justice.

The people were not happy with the leadership of these 2 men, so the elders of Israel went to Samuel:

"You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

The truth is Israel did not want to live under the authority of God – probably never had wanted to live under his authority (see Exodus-Judges). They wanted a human king, “like the other nations” and were looking for any excuse to get rid of the “old” system and they found it ---- Samuel was old and his sons were corrupt.

Clear back in Deuteronomy, while Israel was still on the east side of the Jordan, Moses had predicted such an eventuality and gave instructions accordingly:

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 – “When you enter the land Yahweh your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, ‘Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,’ be sure to appoint over you the king Yahweh chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for Yahweh has told you, ‘You are not to go back that way again.’ He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere Yahweh his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.”

Samuel felt rejected, but he did not argue with the demands of the elders. Instead, he took the matter to God.

I find God’s response heartbreaking.

"Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

• He’ll take your sons to fight his battles and work in his fields

• He’ll take your daughters to work in his household

• He’ll take your best fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his favorite servants

• He’ll take a 10th of your seeds and vineyards and give those to his favorite servants too.

• He’ll take your male/female servants, your best young men and your donkeys and use them for HIS service.

• He’ll take a 10th of your flocks and herds and you, yourselves will become his servants

• When that days comes and you cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, I will not answer you.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 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."

In the past, God had performed mighty acts of deliverance on behalf of Israel and had given them many victories.

Exodus 14:19-28 - Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night Yahweh drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night Yahweh looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt." Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and Yahweh swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.