Give Us A King

As we look at this chapter of 1 Samuel today, there unfolds a scene that can be applied to discussing the goal of churches today. What is the vision of some churches? Do churches think in a Christ-centered manner, or do they think in a worldly manner? What I mean is this: Are churches today preaching God’s word accurately, are they witnessing faithfully, are they attracting people to the church by showing the love of Christ, and are they patiently seeking and awaiting God’s direction for the church? If not, then a congregation can easily become concerned with what the church down the road is doing; and might be compromising the gospel in some form or another for the sake of publicity.

1 Samuel chapter 8 shares the story of a church that is overly concerned with what the church down the road is doing. The pastor (which is Samuel) tries to lead this church (which is Israel) according to God’s will, but the congregation won’t listen and heed his counsel. The people only see what the other churches (or other nations) are doing; and therefore, they end up usurping the leadership from Samuel, and doing what is right in their own eyes. As we will see, they wind up going against God’s will, resulting in strife and hardship for many generations.

Wanting to Be Like Others (vv. 1-5)

1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

As Samuel became old, he made his sons to judge Israel, but they turned out to be dishonest. In verses 4-5, we learn how the elders came to Samuel and complained about the corruptness of his sons. Yes, it was true that Samuel’s sons did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the Israelites used this excuse as an opportunity to reject the notion of having a spiritual leader. Something that clues us in to the fact that they were making excuses is how they also informed Samuel that he was “old.” They were saying that he was just too old to lead them anymore.

Back in chapters 4-5, when Samuel was young, we see an example of how the Israelites refused to consult Samuel’s advice, thinking they knew better. The people and the elders “reasoned” among themselves that they should take the Ark of the Covenant into battle; and therefore, that’s what they did, trying to defeat the Philistines without the Lord’s sanction. What happened was that the Israelites were the ones who were defeated, and the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant.

Commentator Matthew Henry says about this scene, in chapters 4-5, that “had they consulted [Samuel] . . . his counsel might have stood them in more stead than the presence of the ark did; but perhaps the princes of Israel despised his youth.”(1) So, earlier, the Israelites refused to listen to Samuel because they thought he was too young to lead. Now, they were using the excuse that he was too old to lead; he was just too senile. The Israelites said that Samuel was unqualified to lead them because of his age, young or old; however, his age was always an excuse to do their own thing.

Referring to age, especially to youth, Paul said in 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, [and] in purity.” Let no one despise whatever age a spiritual leader may be; young or old.

The heart of the matter is that the Israelites didn’t really want a spiritual leader. They wanted to put their trust in the ways and methods of man. Verse 5 reveals how they desired a king. The Israelites wanted a king to reign over them, because they felt that a king was capable of leading them in great military victories, and was more capable in protecting their nation than a prophet or judge.

The Israelites assumed that Samuel was not well-aquatinted with the ways of the world, like military leadership, battle, or combat. He was their spiritual leader, but he wasn’t politically known or popular among the people. To the Israelites, his spiritual leadership was not enough to protect them. They didn’t see Samuel standing firm over their enemies. To them he was useless, because he did not strike fear in the hearts of men; he was just a wimpy old prophet.