Sermon – The Cost Of Having Your Way - Do You Really Want A King?

Sermon – Do You Really Want A King?

Scripture Lesson - 1Samuel 8:1-21 “As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “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.”

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “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. 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. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle[b] and donkeys for his own use. He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.”

Introduction: Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel. After being childless for many years, this wife of Elkanah, she prayed for a son and promised to dedicate him to God. Her prayers were answered, and she brought forth Samuel and took the child to Shiloh for religious training under the Priest Eli. Samuel is an important figure in the Bible who served as a priest and became the first prophet and last judge in Israel. The name Samuel’s name means "name of God" or "God has heard." For four hundred years, God led Israel as their king and used Judges to guide and order their everyday life. God had removed Eli and his sons for blatant disobedience and sin. Eli failed to correct his sons in their abuse. Ironically, it seems as if Samuel made a similar mistake. Samuel was an upright and godly judge, but his son failed to follow his example. The people became so displeased with their leadership, Israel instead demanded a king who would judge them, go before them, and fight their battles (1 Samuel 8:20).

1.God Knows What’s Best Even in Our Present Discomfort. “Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “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.”

In their discomfort they rejected God ordained leadership. In his mercy, God granted their request. God had already been their Judge. In Deuteronomy 32:36 God promise, “The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.” Not only would God vindicate his people, but He would also go out before them. In Exodus 13:21 He said, “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” God also promised to fight their battles in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” But they wanted a king “the same as all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). So they rejected their true King, the God of heaven and earth. God granted their request and gave them over to their desires, but not without a warning.