When A Nation Divorces God

Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:1-22

Title: “When A Nation Divorces God”

Introduction: Here in 1 Sam. 8 we see a great change taking place.

Because of the aging of Samuel and the failure of Samuel’s sons in their positions of leadership the leaders of the people request a king, not a judge, to rule over them.

Three reasons are given for the elders’ request: (1) the corruption of Samuel’s sons, (2) the desire to conform to the pattern of others, (3) the need for a military commander (8:20).

Interesting Note: God had made provision in the law for the appointment of a king (Deut. 17:14-15), but the error of the elders was in their attitude and in their failure to recognize God as their true King. / They were well within their rights to request a king.

· Samuel’s heart sank when the elders made their requests for a king. / It wasn’t because he was old or that his sons had failed to do the right things. / Samuel knew their motive was wrong. - (The nation already had a sad history of rebellion and idolatry, and it was now only doing to Samuel as it had done to the Lord)

· Samuel was very upset with their request and went to the LORD for advice.

· And the LORD said unto Samuel, “Do as they say, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, They don’t want Me to be their king any longer.”

MAIN POINT – “When God Gives You What You Want!” / “Be careful what you ask for!”

· One of the failures we make is that God gave us a “Free Will” to make choices.

· They wanted a ‘human king’ so God didn’t stop them!

· If you fail to follow the plan God has for your life, God will not stop you!

· A king was not God’s First Choice for His people / He even told them how difficult it would be for them / But they insisted on having “Less than the Best!”

· David made this statement concerning God’s people, “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels” (Psalms 81:11-12).

MAIN POINT – “The Inevitability of Divorce” / Signs Leading Up To Divorce!

· Broken promises / Forsaking the Relationship / Verse 8 “Ever since I (God) brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken Me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.”

· Loving another / Disagreeing / Breakdown of Communication / Lack of Intimacy / Boredom.

· Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness, but it was not what God had originally intended.” NLT

MAIN POINT – “Getting Caught Up In It!”

· 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce.

· Is it any surprise God gets divorced from our society?

· “We want things, lots of things!”

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MAIN POINT – “Why Is Our Country Going Away From God?”

· A divorce doesn’t happen overnight / Most of the time it takes a pretty good while for things to come apart.

· It has been nationally stated, “Whatever we once were, we’re no longer a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, and a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers,”

· Jesus said, “Consider Lot’s Wife.” / Let’s consider Lot’s Example.

· Lot’s decision to go to Sodom was due to Lust for things.

· Lot had lived so long fitting in with those around him that he was no longer a believable witness for God.

· Lot allowed his environment to shape him instead of shaping his environment / We have failed to shape our environment.

· When Lot finally made a stand, no one listened!

· Very poor examples have been set by the church until people have looked elsewhere for role models.

· Looking over the fence has caused an untold number of causalities.

· We want to be like others / The desire to conform to others in defiance of godly distinctive has been a source of trouble to God’s people in every age.

· How have our values changed over the last couple of decades?

· We want to be like others. (Too much)

· Failures in the ranks of Christianity have caused people to make wrong decisions about the change they desire. / “Let’s do things the way the world is doing things.”

· We don’t care what it costs, we still want an king!

· You have left your first love / Rev. 2:4