Tuesday: Given What You Asked For
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 22nd of April 2025
As originally established, Israel was not to have a human monarch, the way that other nations did. In time, however, the people’s faith faltered, and they found themselves pining for the things that “the nations,” the Gentiles, had.
Read 1 Samuel 8:4-18. Why do you suppose the elders found the idea of a king appealing? In what ways do we fall prey to similar temptations?
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
It is important to notice that the request for a king was a rejection of God’s reign over His people. As established, the nation was to answer directly to the Creator, and their relationship to Him was put on display through the sanctuary and its services, among other things. By requesting a king, they would bring the same kinds of suffering on themselves that the Gentile kingdoms experienced: military conscription in the king’s wars, confiscation, taxation, and other ills. They would discover that human potentates tend to rule in their own favor instead of benevolently, as God does.
Also, the new arrangement would be permanent: Israel would be given what they asked for, but when they realized that it was a downgrade, they would be stuck with it. “ ‘And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day’ ” (1 Samuel 8:18, NKJV).
God knows the weakness of His people, and He predicted early on that Israel would request a human king. They did, and so much of sacred history is the story of the consequences of that choice.
Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Notice that God does not say, “I will give them a king,” but rather, His people decide that they want one. God put safeguards in place to protect His people from some of the evils of human government—though, as the history of the nation and its kings showed, the safeguards often were ignored.
One simply has to look at the history of Israel after they decided to have a king in order to see just how badly things went for them under these kings. Though some kings were better than others, even the “good” ones had done wrong (think of David and Bathsheba). In many cases, the nation lived under the rule of one king after another who did “evil in the sight of the Lord” (see 1 Kings 11:6, 1 Kings 15:26, 1 Kings 16:2,30 King 3:2, etc.).
Back then, or even today, all human governments share one thing in common: sinners governing other sinners. What possibly could go wrong?
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The episode of the Children of Israel demanding to have a king like other nations is a sad one, which displays the irrational nature of sin (1 Samuel 8:4-18). The story tells us that human beings love sin even when we know it is painful and costly. Samuel laid before the elders a full catalogue of the cost of an earthly king, but they refused to listen. Kings will take your sons and daughters (v.11–13). Kings will take your fields and wealth (v.14–17). You will become slaves to your own government (v.17). And when you cry out, God will not answer (v.18). The people refused to obey. Sin corrupts our rational way of looking at things. Sin makes us “blind”. Sin is a very strong addiction that lets you do wrong things even when you know they are wrong! We have got a strong affinity for wrong things. We are held captive by sin, and we need someone powerful (Jesus) to set us free.
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 1in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” – Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV).
I wrote a post a while back on how what Israel said in Samuel's day is what they were saying to Pilate.
https://ssnet.org/blog/anything-except-what-god-says/
They wanted to be like the surrounding culture. Do we the same?
Yes Ron. We are doing the same thing today. It just happens to be in a different format, even in some churches.
God being a God of love and not a tyrant accepted and gave Israel what they wanted, but not what they really needed. The regime of Saul reminded them just a few days later that they needed God and not a human king, it made them regret and suffer, Israelites went through a lot just because they were selfish in their demand to God. This is a powerful lesson that reminds us of how we should ask of the Lord in prayer that His will be done and not ours as Christ prayed putting away our selfish wants while asking God to really give us what is good for us. Otherwise if the good Lord will answer our all our selfish prayers this story illustrates that we would be at great loss thus the need of not us insisting on what we Want at the expense of what God wills.
God knows the end from the beginning. Why did He allow Israel to get what they wanted, even though He knew they would suffer? There is no problem in asking God for things we desire, but the focus cannot be on things; the focus has to be on God; "everything else should be added," then.
When we are sure we know what's best for us, like Adam and Eve after they sinned, we put on our 'fig leaves', our self-righteousness, yearning for 'self-governance' and forgetting what the past has shown us. The children of Israel did not respect Samuel as a Prophet and was clear that "Samuel was old and had no control over the way his children lived against God's will for them." (1 Samuel 8:5). In other words, you are not fit to lead us or bring any words from God to us as you cannot control your household. Therefore, let us (self-righteous, self-governing people) appoint who we favor to lead us wherever THEY want to go; forgetting where God has led us (out of Egypt (bondage) to safety) covering us without being required to do so. Today, we follow in the same footsteps, wanting self-governance or a governing body of our choice, one that aligns with our 'form of Godliness, ignoring the power of God that is required for us to 'live and not die. ' Self-righteousness and self-governance are wars we must fight against to be in alignment with the will of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Have a blessed day!
I'm thankful for today's lessons, so no one is to be involved in voting for another sinner to rule them? 🤔 God help us! 🙏
It seems to be part of our fallen human nature to covet something that we don't have. The "pomp and ceremony" that would come with a king would come at a great price. The people would be surrendering their leadership to a faulty, fallen fellow human being, all the while rejecting the Potentate of the Universe.
Sometimes the greatest blessings come in the way of unanswered prayer, for we don't know how to rightly pray. Sometimes we can get what we really didn't want or need. I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit at times edits our prayers.
The grass always appears greener on the other side. Then when we get there and step in a pile of manure we discover the reason; there's simply more manure. God's ways really are the best ways. Sometimes we have to learn that lesson the hard way.
At the risk of being misunderstood, I want to come to the defense of the Israelites, or at least look a little deeper into their motives for asking for a king. The book of Judges shows that terrible things were happening in Israel at the time. The other nations were doing terrible things to them and they were doing terrible things to themselves. The priesthood was corrupt and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." They were not treating themselves our their neighbors as God would have them and consequently were frequently under assault from the other nations. God would raise up judges to deliver them, but the judges often were not very good at leading the people in the ways God wanted them to go. Samuel, perhaps without God's blessing, appointed his sons to be judges, and those sons were themselves corrupt.
The people of Israel were already rejecting God before they asked for a king. They believed that they could tell better how things should be done. Perhaps some of them thought that a king would have the power and authority to make people do right. I am sure that they saw kings of other nations ruling over those nations with power and authority as Christ pointed out centuries later. So, give us a king. Force people to do the right thing. This is one temptation that we have today.
…a bi-product of wanting their own way.
Remember Exodus 20:19? But I wonder if I would have (or am) like the Israelites were then? A sobering thought indeed. Let us look at the similarities and the consequences, and do better. 🙏🏾
But I think it was one thing to identify the wrongs of Samuel and the judges and completely another thing to come up with a solution. Had they complained only about the leadership styles of those in the leadership roles and left God to decide the best way out,it would not have looked sinister
Yes, the problem was much broader than just the leadership. The people had rejected God before they asked for a king. They had already begun to think and act like the surrounding nations, so they looked to the surrounding nations for a solution to their problem rather than looking to God.
"Given what you asked for" —
Believing wholeheartedly in the supremacy of God, the Father of us all and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ should prevent anything or anyone else from claiming our first allegiance. Everything else in life flows from that one decision.
The greatest danger may lie in the people's allegiance shifting from their God to an earthly king — and in the king believing that the people belong to him to do with as he sees fit. Yet, God still considers the Israelites His chosen people, and the king would potentially pose an additional obstacle in establishing their direct relationship with Him.
Though the prophets remained God's mouthpiece, declaring His Mind and Will, those words soon fell on deaf ears, no longer reaching their hearts as they became 'captured to please’ their earthly kind. Their heart and mind became impressed by the elevated 'status' imparted on them by being a citizen of a prominent 'earthly' kingdom, rather than humbly learning to become as a faithful member of the Kingdom of God; and they took their eyes of being led by God. - Psalms 121:6-8.
When Israel asked for a king in 1 Samuel 8, they said, “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” On the surface, it seemed like a reasonable request. But in reality, they were rejecting God’s unique leadership and calling. God told Samuel, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me.”
Today, we as a church face a similar temptation. God has given us a unique mission and a special message for these last days—a prophetic identity that’s different from other churches. But sometimes we want to be like the mainstream Protestant denominations. We want to blend in, be accepted, not seem too different.
Just like Israel's desire for a king led to spiritual decline, when we start trying to look and sound like everyone else, we risk losing the very message and power God gave us. Our strength isn’t in imitation, but in faithfulness.
Let’s remember that God called us to stand apart, not to isolate ourselves, but to shine as a light. The world needs something distinct—something rooted in the Word, led by the Spirit, and preparing hearts for Jesus’ soon return.
The world doesn’t need another version of what's already out there. It needs a clear, uncompromising message of truth, love, and preparation for Christ's soon return. That requires us to embrace our identity, not abandon it.
There is no doubt that it was not God's ideal for Israel to have a king. But as Joe said, there were problems in Israel in the years when there were no king. I found it interesting that the lesson chose to not have us read I Samuel 8:1-3 which gave important context to the reasons of Israel for asking for a king. And I do feel Samuel was out of line in making his sons judges when they were not righteous. Isn't hereditary judgeship a sort of monarchy?
As much as the system of monarchy was flawed, God worked through it and blessed it. There were righteous kings like Hezekiah and Josiah who instigated revivals. Jesus was connected with the Davidic kingship and God ensured that the line from David to Jesus was not broken (and it very easily could have been at times). Psalm 72 is also a psalm that speaks positively of the monarchy from a spiritual perspective.
God can bring good out of His second best and that is encouraging because we don't always seek His best.
I feel what I've shared is important to have some balance on this issue.