1 Samuel 8:14, commentary and pictures

Samuel spoke by God's special direction to tell those asking for a king plainly how a human king would rule over them. He would seize the best fields, vineyards and olive groves the Lord had given the people and give them to his servants to support his pomp, luxury and royal state, laying heavy tribute and oppressive demands upon their property. Their plea about Samuel's age and his sons' conduct was only a pretext for a demand rooted in discontent and pride, for by wanting a visible earthly monarch like the other nations they were departing from God their mighty King and choosing human strength over His wise and mild government by prophets. God told the distressed, praying Samuel to listen to their voice and let it decide, thus permitting them to have their own way and granting what in their own judgment would bring most glory as a nation. That choice cost them their property in the very losses warned of, and dependence on human power weakened them until it led at last to Jerusalem's destruction and the nation's dispersion. The warning stands as admonition not to repeat their folly by patterning life after the world for gain and approval, but to become more humble, less self-confident and more trusting in the Lord, leaning no longer on men.

Setting and Plain Meaning

The elders pointed to Samuel's advancing age and to the misconduct of his sons as their reason for asking for a king, yet that complaint was only a pretext for a demand driven by discontent and pride. Israel was peculiarly God's own people, with a government essentially different from that of every surrounding nation. God Himself had given them statutes and laws and had chosen their rulers for them, rulers whom they were to obey in the Lord, bringing every case of difficulty and great perplexity to God for counsel. They lived under God's own wise and mild government exercised through the jurisdiction of His prophets, while He guided and delivered them as their mighty King.

The warning about seized lands belongs to Samuel's faithful rehearsal of all the Lord's words to those who asked for a king. It was spoken as a solemn protest by special direction from God. By laying out beforehand the manner of the king who would reign over them, it plainly told Israel that having a human king was not the right way and not the best way.

The meaning is that the king would take, even seize, the people's fields and vineyards and oliveyards or olive groves, even the best of them. Those lands were what the Lord Himself had given to the people. He would give them to his own servants. In this way their private property would be diverted to uphold his pomp and luxury and royal state. That seizure stood among the heavy tribute and oppressive demands by which his rule would burden their property.

Rejection and Its Cost

The demand for a king like the surrounding nations was a leaving of first love, a discarding of Samuel before God had released him, and a rebellious departure from God as their special leader and ruler. It showed great want of faith and confidence in His providence to raise up rulers to lead and govern them, choosing visible, earthly, despotic human rule and strength over the divine power that had guided and delivered them as their mighty King and given them victory. Honor given to an earthly monarch is honor due to God alone, and no one can take the king's place and receive a king's honors without becoming exalted and self-justified in his own ways while sinning against God. Unless he continually trusts God and receives wisdom from Him, innocent persons suffer at his word while the most unworthy are exalted, and a lifted-up heart not right with God leads the people away from God into rebellion.

Samuel was distressed and prayed, and God directed him to listen to the people's voice and let their voice decide. In this God permitted Israel to have their own way and granted the desire of their unsanctified hearts for what in their own mind and judgment would bring most glory to themselves as a nation. Samuel's solemn words spoken under God's direction by special direction did not change their purpose, for their minds were bent on following their own judgment and casting aside God's wisdom.

That choice placed Israel under human power and cost them their property in the losses Samuel warned about, including the taking of their best fields, vineyards, and oliveyards or olive groves for the king's servants. The warning was fulfilled, and its harm was seen when they later compared Saul's rule with Samuel's. Dependence on human strength weakened them, and led at last to Jerusalem's destruction and the nation's dispersion.

Warning for Today

The Lord has a controversy with His people when they leave their first love, as Israel did in Samuel's days in wanting to be like other nations, discarding Samuel before God had released him and choosing to be ruled by a king instead of remaining under God's rule, jurisdiction, management and control. Samuel was distressed over this course and prayed, and God directed him to listen to the voice of the people and let the people's voice decide. That same spirit is repeated when those entrusted with God's work are not connected with God, not led by Him, and not walking in His counsel. It is repeated when they are controlled by a worldly spirit with unsanctified judgment, laying plans that never entered God's mind and reasoning by worldly policy and human judgment. It is seen in seeking to be recognized by the world and to separate the work from God's management, and in leaning on men and on their own judgment instead of trusting the Lord God of Israel as Ruler of the people, and this course will react upon themselves.

The taking of the best fields, vineyards and olive groves to give to the king's servants was part of Samuel's warning of what that choice to be like other nations would cost, and the warning was fulfilled. That history stands as admonition to the people of God today not to repeat the follies of Israel in desiring a human king after worldly plans and worldly policy. The same desire to pattern life after the world for gain and approval still leads professing Christians away from God's way, and those follies will be repeated unless God's people become more humble, less self-confident and more trusting in the Lord. The safeguard is to live in greater humility with less confidence in self and more trust in God, combining divine power with human effort so the work will abide the test, leaning no longer on men, making God the trust with less talking and much more praying, with meekness of spirit, caution in plans and movements, revealed dependence on God, and the mind of Christ.