“When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.” 1 Samuel 8.1-5
Man, that escalated quickly! One moment (i.e., generation), you have Samuel being faithful and leading the people, and the next, you have the people seeking a king and turning away from God. We will discuss this further in the rest of the chapter, but for now, let’s mourn these sons who are not seeking the Lord or following in the footsteps of their father.
Don’t you wish the Bible were a little easier to read? I mean, why doesn’t everyone just do the right thing? If the father is faithful, why not the sons? These kids were essentially PKs—preachers’ kids. They grew up with a father who was filled with the Spirit and renowned throughout all of Israel. They surely must have seen Samuel’s deeds and how God’s hand was upon him.
But no, they grew up, and even as Samuel appointed his sons Joel and Abijah, they did not follow the Lord’s ways. The text tells us they “turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.” They did not follow the Lord as faithfully as Samuel, even though they were “Israel’s leaders.” So, the elders of Israel gathered and confronted Samuel: “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.”
And thus began the escalation into destruction. God was their King, but in a moment of weakness and sin, they rejected God and wanted to be like all the other nations.
Keeping God first is paramount in all aspects of life. There is a book entitled Mission Drift that outlines what happens when an organization falls from its mission. It’s not the large decisions that cause a drastic fall from grace, but minute decisions, one after another, that steer you off course. Perhaps Samuel’s sons intended to be faithful, but one decision led to another, resulting in their falling away from God.
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” says Joshua 24:15. I will choose this day to serve the Lord.
Will you?
“O Lord God, it’s often small choices that cause us to remain in fellowship or fall out of grace. It’s rarely You who moves away from us; You only move if we do. But Your constant love is tender and genuine. Come now, Holy Spirit; fill us with Your love and power. Help us know the truth of Your word and the reality of Your Spirit. Be real in this place and renew my heart for You. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.