And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
Samuel faithfully told the people who asked for a king like the surrounding nations all the words of the Lord, including His disapproval and warning of the consequences. Their request was driven by discontent and pride, and in asking to be like other nations they rejected God as their special leader and renounced His direct rule over them. He warned that a king would demand royal honors, take their sons and daughters for his service and household, take their fields, harvests, servants, cattle and a tenth of their income, impose heavy taxes, oppress them and make them his servants. He warned that when they cried out under those burdens the Lord would not hear or deliver them as He had from Egypt, and that once established they could not simply abolish the monarchy, yet in spiritual blindness they insisted on having a king. That same folly will be repeated among God's people today whenever they put confidence in men and worldly policy instead of remaining under God's management and making Him their trust.
Samuel's Faithful Warning
God directed Samuel to listen to the voice of the people, leaving it to their voice to decide whether they would discard Samuel before God had released him and choose to be ruled by a king. The elders' request was driven by discontent and pride, not by any complaint against Samuel's own administration. Samuel faithfully told the people who asked for a king like the surrounding nations all the words of the Lord, including His disapproval and warning of consequences.
Unlike their former rulers who guided them in the Lord's ways, the king would not so guide them but would demand royal honors, impose heavy taxes and tribute, oppress them, and make them his servants. He would take their sons for his service and army, their daughters for the royal household, their fields and harvests, their servants and cattle, and a tenth of their income and produce to support his rule. Samuel warned that when they cried out in distress under these burdens, the Lord would not hear or answer them nor deliver them by mighty acts as He had from Egypt. Once monarchy was established they could not simply abolish it.
The people heard God's word through Samuel, but in spiritual blindness treated the decision as their own and insisted on having a king like those of the surrounding nations despite the warning. What Samuel foretold was verified. Israel later recognized that desiring a king in order to be like the surrounding nations had been a mistake, and Samuel's faithful influence had been greater than Saul's.
Rejecting God's Government
The demand for a king was a leaving of first love, a sinful and rebellious departure from God as their special leader, a rejection of His rule and a renouncing of His direct rule in order to copy the nations around them. Israel was peculiarly God's people, with a government essentially different from all surrounding nations. Statutes and laws had been given by God, rulers were chosen by God whom the people were to obey in the Lord, and God Himself was to be inquired of in every case of difficulty and great perplexity, for by His design they were to be a model nation. By preferring a despotic monarch to the wise and mild government of God Himself by the jurisdiction of His prophets, they would render to an earthly monarch the honor due to God alone.
The request showed a great want of faith and too little trust in God, failing to appreciate His sufficiency and His providence to raise up rulers to lead and govern them, and it was folly instead of trusting the Lord God of Israel as Ruler. The people wanted to be like the other nations and to be recognized by the world, choosing guidance by visible human power and coveting the influence of men rather than the divine, invisible power that had led and guided them until then and had given them victory in battle. A king would not be best for them but would be a curse to them, for no one could occupy the position of king and receive the honors usually given to a king without becoming exalted and thinking his ways right in his own eyes while sinning against God. A king whose heart was lifted up and not right with God would lead them away from God and cause them to rebel against Him, innocent persons would suffer at a king's word, the most unworthy would be exalted, and the king's example helped society turn toward irreligion and godlessness, unless he continually trusted in God and received wisdom from Him. Depending on men made Israel weak, and their own choice ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation.
Warning for Today
The voice of the people was left to decide whether they would set Samuel aside before God had released him and choose to be ruled by a king, and in demanding to be like the other nations and to be recognized by the world they left their first love and brought in a new order of things by worldly policy and unsanctified human judgment instead of remaining under God's management, jurisdiction, and control. The Lord has a controversy with His people over such a course. The same danger comes when those entrusted with His work lay plans He has not given and separate the work from His rule because they do not know the blessing and safety of being led by Him in all their ways.
Israel asked for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations of the world, choosing guidance by human power they could see rather than by the divine, invisible power that had led and guided them until then and had given them victory in battle. That request dishonored God by failing to appreciate His sufficiency and by coveting the influence of men, and this depending on men made Israel weak. They made their own choice, and the end was the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation. No confidence can therefore be put in any man, however learned or elevated, unless he holds the beginning of his confidence in God firm unto the end, for leaning on the arm of the world instead of the arm of God turns aside the work God desires to accomplish through His chosen people.
The folly of Israel in Samuel's day was asking for a king instead of trusting the Lord God of Israel as Ruler, showing too little trust in the Lord. That same folly of self-confidence will be repeated among God's people today unless there is greater humility, less confidence in self, and more trust in God. The work will abide the test only as divine power is combined with human effort, when men lean no longer on men or on their own judgment but make God their trust, with less talking and much more praying. Such trust is made manifest by meekness of spirit and caution in plans and movements, revealing dependence on God and the mind of Christ.
God through Samuel told Israel what would result from choosing an earthly king, yet they insisted on having one notwithstanding the warning, renouncing God's direct rule in order to copy other nations and rejecting His design for them to be a model nation, and what was foretold was verified. The same pattern today is taking oneself out of God's hands and putting oneself under worldly, fashionable influence to raise oneself instead of letting God be helper and sufficiency. It comes from looking at things from a worldly standpoint and from patterning after the world for worldly approval and gain. It lowers standing, leaves a person dazed and unable to comprehend spiritual things, lessens influence, and imperils the work.
Samuel faithfully told the people who asked for a king like the surrounding nations all the words of the Lord, including His disapproval and warning of the consequences. Their request was driven by discontent and pride, and in asking to be like other nations they rejected God as their special leader and renounced His direct rule over them. He warned that a king would demand royal honors, take their sons and daughters for his service and household, take their fields, harvests, servants, cattle and a tenth of their income, impose heavy taxes, oppress them and make them his servants. He warned that when they cried out under those burdens the Lord would not hear or deliver them as He had from Egypt, and that once established they could not simply abolish the monarchy, yet in spiritual blindness they insisted on having a king. That same folly will be repeated among God's people today whenever they put confidence in men and worldly policy instead of remaining under God's management and making Him their trust.
Samuel's Faithful Warning
God directed Samuel to listen to the voice of the people, leaving it to their voice to decide whether they would discard Samuel before God had released him and choose to be ruled by a king. The elders' request was driven by discontent and pride, not by any complaint against Samuel's own administration. Samuel faithfully told the people who asked for a king like the surrounding nations all the words of the Lord, including His disapproval and warning of consequences.
Unlike their former rulers who guided them in the Lord's ways, the king would not so guide them but would demand royal honors, impose heavy taxes and tribute, oppress them, and make them his servants. He would take their sons for his service and army, their daughters for the royal household, their fields and harvests, their servants and cattle, and a tenth of their income and produce to support his rule. Samuel warned that when they cried out in distress under these burdens, the Lord would not hear or answer them nor deliver them by mighty acts as He had from Egypt. Once monarchy was established they could not simply abolish it.
The people heard God's word through Samuel, but in spiritual blindness treated the decision as their own and insisted on having a king like those of the surrounding nations despite the warning. What Samuel foretold was verified. Israel later recognized that desiring a king in order to be like the surrounding nations had been a mistake, and Samuel's faithful influence had been greater than Saul's.
Rejecting God's Government
The demand for a king was a leaving of first love, a sinful and rebellious departure from God as their special leader, a rejection of His rule and a renouncing of His direct rule in order to copy the nations around them. Israel was peculiarly God's people, with a government essentially different from all surrounding nations. Statutes and laws had been given by God, rulers were chosen by God whom the people were to obey in the Lord, and God Himself was to be inquired of in every case of difficulty and great perplexity, for by His design they were to be a model nation. By preferring a despotic monarch to the wise and mild government of God Himself by the jurisdiction of His prophets, they would render to an earthly monarch the honor due to God alone.
The request showed a great want of faith and too little trust in God, failing to appreciate His sufficiency and His providence to raise up rulers to lead and govern them, and it was folly instead of trusting the Lord God of Israel as Ruler. The people wanted to be like the other nations and to be recognized by the world, choosing guidance by visible human power and coveting the influence of men rather than the divine, invisible power that had led and guided them until then and had given them victory in battle. A king would not be best for them but would be a curse to them, for no one could occupy the position of king and receive the honors usually given to a king without becoming exalted and thinking his ways right in his own eyes while sinning against God. A king whose heart was lifted up and not right with God would lead them away from God and cause them to rebel against Him, innocent persons would suffer at a king's word, the most unworthy would be exalted, and the king's example helped society turn toward irreligion and godlessness, unless he continually trusted in God and received wisdom from Him. Depending on men made Israel weak, and their own choice ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation.
Warning for Today
The voice of the people was left to decide whether they would set Samuel aside before God had released him and choose to be ruled by a king, and in demanding to be like the other nations and to be recognized by the world they left their first love and brought in a new order of things by worldly policy and unsanctified human judgment instead of remaining under God's management, jurisdiction, and control. The Lord has a controversy with His people over such a course. The same danger comes when those entrusted with His work lay plans He has not given and separate the work from His rule because they do not know the blessing and safety of being led by Him in all their ways.
Israel asked for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations of the world, choosing guidance by human power they could see rather than by the divine, invisible power that had led and guided them until then and had given them victory in battle. That request dishonored God by failing to appreciate His sufficiency and by coveting the influence of men, and this depending on men made Israel weak. They made their own choice, and the end was the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation. No confidence can therefore be put in any man, however learned or elevated, unless he holds the beginning of his confidence in God firm unto the end, for leaning on the arm of the world instead of the arm of God turns aside the work God desires to accomplish through His chosen people.
The folly of Israel in Samuel's day was asking for a king instead of trusting the Lord God of Israel as Ruler, showing too little trust in the Lord. That same folly of self-confidence will be repeated among God's people today unless there is greater humility, less confidence in self, and more trust in God. The work will abide the test only as divine power is combined with human effort, when men lean no longer on men or on their own judgment but make God their trust, with less talking and much more praying. Such trust is made manifest by meekness of spirit and caution in plans and movements, revealing dependence on God and the mind of Christ.
God through Samuel told Israel what would result from choosing an earthly king, yet they insisted on having one notwithstanding the warning, renouncing God's direct rule in order to copy other nations and rejecting His design for them to be a model nation, and what was foretold was verified. The same pattern today is taking oneself out of God's hands and putting oneself under worldly, fashionable influence to raise oneself instead of letting God be helper and sufficiency. It comes from looking at things from a worldly standpoint and from patterning after the world for worldly approval and gain. It lowers standing, leaves a person dazed and unable to comprehend spiritual things, lessens influence, and imperils the work.