“Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 1 Samuel 8.11-18
You can’t say they weren’t warned! The people weren’t choosing a king in complete ignorance, although they were close!
Samuel tells them everything the king will do and take from them. He spells it out clearly: they will no longer be their own people, own their own land, or govern even their own children. The king will take their profits, harvests, men for war, daughters for wives, perfumers, cooks, bakers, and sons for soldiers. And if that weren’t bad enough—”when that day comes,” when they realize how bad things have gotten, “you will cry out for relief,” says Samuel, “but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” That is the worst part.
Can God’s people really be that foolish? We who are blind in our sin, set in our ways, selfish and self-indulgent—can we really be so dumb? And the answer is yes! We are all just one or two sinful actions away from total destruction, and the devil knows it. Look at the three temptations of Christ in the desert—if He had given in, we wouldn’t be here today.
Thankfully, God does not give up on His people. The Israelites wanted a king and rejected God. So He allowed them to give in to their wants and desires, and He would allow them to suffer for their decisions. But He would never leave them nor forsake them. Even in their suffering, God was present.
Today, we have warnings too! Live for Christ, and you will prosper. Live for yourself, and you will be dead in sin—isolated, alone, lost, and abandoned. I choose to live for Christ. I will heed the warning and choose God as my King this day.
Will you?
“O Lord God, you are good and faithful. Thank you, Lord, for loving us. Thank you for allowing us to be filled with your Spirit and found by your love. Come now, Holy Spirit, help me walk in newness of life and discover the abundance of life in you. In truth, I feel like I am living in you. I love you, Lord, and praise your name. For you are good, and your love endures forever. Amen.”