Israel asking for a king - personal application

Ravindran

Ravindran

Right now I am starting with study of 1 Samuel. I am planning to continue with it, Kings and Chronicles as well. I think going through the history of Israel is always an amazing study. The nation of Israel characterizes individuals and us so much.. I always felt that.. Choices that Israel made are not far from choices we make today..

I was reading chapter 8 and the turning point of Israel's future. Moving from Judges to Kings.. Below is the verse:

1 Samuel 8:5 - They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

This follows an event when Samuel appoints his sons as judges.. Interestingly, Samuel was trying to create history by appointing heirs as judges!! It was never seen in the history of Israel.. We never see heirs ruling Israel as Judges.. Things do not work out well.. The nation is using that as an excuse to ask for a king.. Israel wants a king just like all other nations. When I saw this, I was wondering how often I make this choice in my life. How often I compare myself to others and turn my heart towards that instead of what the Lord has for me..

One of those moments where you feel the strong conviction of Holy Spirit.. And you feel like someone is shouting the verses at you.. The verses continues and Lord says Israelites have rejected Him and not Samuel.. How often we reject Lord by choosing our ways instead of Lord's ways.. My prayer is that Lord will help me to see what He has for me.. Instead of me comparing myself to someone else.. Lord always has greater and mightier plans.. We might compare ourselves to something and settle for that.. Lord does not.. He has something greater for us..
 
The timing in this biblical tale, is also interesting - if they (Israel) had waited, David would have been first King, not the unsuccessful Saul of the Benjamite tribe. It just goes to show, from Judges to Kings....when we don't want to listen to God, we want someone else to take the blame. Stray thoughts that last. I agree, tho, Rav, we have to learn to separate what we want from what is God's Will, and accept and grow with that.
 
Silk said:
The timing in this biblical tale, is also interesting - if they (Israel) had waited, David would have been first King, not the unsuccessful Saul of the Benjamite tribe. It just goes to show, from Judges to Kings....when we don't want to listen to God, we want someone else to take the blame. Stray thoughts that last. I agree, tho, Rav, we have to learn to separate what we want from what is God's Will, and accept and grow with that.
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Hmmm interesting thoughts Silk. Do you think that Israel would have ever been given a king at all...be it David or someone else if they never desired one in the first place? After all God did say that He was their king and they rejected Him as such in desiring a human king.
 
Mykuhl said:
Hmmm interesting thoughts Silk. Do you think that Israel would have ever been given a king at all...be it David or someone else if they never desired one in the first place? After all God did say that He was their king and they rejected Him as such in desiring a human king.
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I think in Genesis 17 Lord promised Abraham that kings would come out his descendants.. I think eventually Israel would have received king..
 
What this brings to mind (for me), is the Exodus. (
Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
). The people were afraid and wanted to not hear the voice of God, but rather to hear it thru Moses. This seems astounding to me. They choose not to hear themselves but rather thru a middleman, albeit a great middleman. My guess is that it is easier to ignore prophets and kings when it doesn't suit you. I dunno.
 
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