I Samuel 8:1-18
At the time of Samuel, the nation of Israel was governed by judges. The system of judges had been established by God some three hundred years earlier following the death of Joshua. In the years after Joshua when Israel turned from God, the Lord responded to their disobedience by allowing the heathen to oppress them for periods of time. Oppression by these ungodly people continued until God raised up a judge to deliver Israel. When the judge died, Israel, invariably, returned to their rebellious ways. Rebellion against God, oppression by the ungodly, and deliverance by a judge had been a repeating pattern for more than three hundred years.
In the text before us, the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel at his home in Ramah. The elders purported cause for seeking him is revealed in the first three verses of chapter 8. Samuel was old. Samuel had judged Israel by traveling in a circuit to distant cities to settle disputes. He could no longer travel to Beersheba in southern Judah because it was too distant. Samuel delegated the authority to judge at Beersheba to his two sons. His sons did not judge in the manner which God would have had them judge. The elders wanted a change and demanded of Samuel that he “make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (v. 5). The elders looked at the nations around them rather than to God. The real reason for which elders of Israel came, demanding a king, was they did not trust God to provide a judge to lead them.
Samuel’s sons were corrupt. They were evil. They sought to enrich themselves by virtue of their authority. The elders’ demand for a king was propelled by their supposition that a different system of government would cure evil. They looked at the nations around them and concluded that rule by a king was a better way. They did not trust God, nor the way that God had showed them.
Samuel did not think that which God had instituted should be abolished. He went to God in prayer. The Lord answered, saying, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto to thee” (v. 7). God instructed Samuel to grant the demand of the elders. This is not the answer that one might expect. The Lord allows men to reject Him and to disobey Him.
The Lord explained to Samuel why he should grant their request. Israel’s rejection of judges was a rejection of the Lord. Israel had been given the law. Israel knew to love the Lord. Israel knew to worship the Lord God alone. Israel willfully disobeyed God. God said: “Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall rule over them” (v. 9).
God’s reveals His ways to us. God made His will known, He told His people the consequence of disobedience, and then allowed His people to disobey. This is what occurred in Eden. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree, told them the consequence —death. The Lord knew that Adam and Eve would eat of the fruit and made provision to counter the consequence of that action before they did eat (see I Peter 1:19-20).
Likewise, it is not God’s will that New Testament believers should sin. The Lord, knowing that we would sin, made a provision for our sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). The Father provided a high priest (His Son) to intercede for us. It is God’s intent that we avail ourselves of the provision which He has supplied.
It was not the Lord’s will that His people should turn to a king for deliverance following the demise of a judge. The Lord would have all men look to Him for future deliverance.
In answering Samuel’s prayer, the Lord made it known that their rejection of him (Samuel) was actually rejection of Him (the Lord). In verse 8, God states that Israel’s rejection of His ways have continued from beginning when He led them up out of Egypt.
With the words, “. . . so do they also unto thee,” the Lord gave Samuel comfort. The Lord did not want Samuel to throw up his hands in despair. God wanted Samuel to deliver a message to the elders. The Lord told Samuel to show them the manner of the king that would reign over them.
Their king would take their sons and use them for his purposes, to enrich himself. Their king would take their daughters and use them to support his lavish lifestyle. Their king would take their fields, their vineyards and their oliveyards. Their king would take that which He, the Lord God, had given them and give it to whom he pleased. Their king would take a tenth of their seed and their vineyards and give it to his officers and servants. The tenth which the king would take is a tithe. The king would demand for himself the same which the law requires one to give in support of the priests and Levites.
God wanted Israel to know that the day would come when they would call out to Him and that He would not hear them. The Lord wanted Israel to know that He would not deliver them from the king of their choosing in that day to come (v. 18). Grace would not be found in that day.
God wants all people to know that His time of grace is not forever. Judgment shall come. In that day, He will not hear the plea of those who have refused to trust in Him and His grace.
God instructed Samuel to warn Israel of the day to come, the day in which He would no longer hear them. God has, likewise, issued instruction to New Testament believers. Today is the day of His grace. We are to warn all people that grace shall not be found in the day of judgment.
