Sunday Morning Service

I Samuel 8

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“Be Careful What You Ask For” • 3.22.15 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- Between the end of chapter seven and the beginning of chapter eight, the majority of Samuel's ministry years have passed.

- There has been tremendous success, in that Israel has had peace and God has ruled by His Word through this first Prophet and Priest in Theocratic harmony.

- As the years went by and Samuel began to show signs of wearing, the inevitable statements regarding retirement and transition began to circulate among the people of God.

- Israel talked among themselves and asked, "What would Samuel do? Who could replace Him? What effect will this have on us?"

- This chapter focuses on how Israel went from Theocracy to a Monarchy.

Intro.

• I Samuel 8:1-3 : "Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice." : Depending on who you listen to, "old" in this case, may have been mid 50's to early 60's. Some men in the Bible lived almost twice as long and were not called old.

- Moses, for example, died at 120 years old without having his eyes dimmed or his vigor diminished! (Deuteronomy 34:7)

- We are neither guaranteed a number of years or usefulness in them. This reminds us to make the most of our days for the Lord while we have strength.

- In Samuel's case generally, his consecration and holiness to the Lord was commendable. God even uses Samuel alongside of Moses as Israel's two most holy intercessors! (Jeremiah 15:1)

- Unfortunately, he wasn't immune from making poor decisions, the first of which was making his sons judges over Israel. The need for new judges was clear as he aged.

- The problem indicated by the text is that Samuel is the sole agent establishing his sons as judges over Israel in a transitory sense. Historically speaking, God has called and appointed judges.

- Samuel steps over the boundary by handing over the keys to Joel and Abijah.

- They have a great model of "judgeship" and built in "names" for ministry. Joel means "Jehovah Is God" and Abijah means "Jehovah Is My Father."  

- But judging God's people requires more than carrying on the policies of a predecessor and more than having the right name attached to your ministry!

- Often times, God's calling is invested in a person who is not the natural fit! Unfortunately, in this case Samuel was greatly mistaken when he dispatched his sons south in Beersheba.

- It's certainly possible that they were shown the ropes by their Father and it's potentially true that they even interned alongside of him. When he sent them, they were trustworthy enough.

- He cannot have trusted them if they revealed signs of corruption. While under Samuel's eye, all seemed to be normal.

- But when they were out from under Samuel's wing, they proved that they had never quite committed themselves to God. They did not walk, they did not follow in Samuel's ways.

- Did Samuel lay his hands on Joel and Abijah too hastily? We aren't told that he did, but we are instructed to be very careful in who we lay hands on!

- In I Timothy 5:22-25, the Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to make sure not to confer leadership upon a person with haste, noting that time will reveal both sin and righteousness.

- The text indicates that Samuel's kept stretching out toward and inclining themselves toward wickedness. Their primary vice was money gained from covetous desires.

- They received gifts for their services and they allowed their judgments to be swayed.

- Was this Samuel's fault or simply choices that these boys made in spite of his example? Again, we are not explicitly instructed and it's unfortunate that both are possible!

- Our choices as parents can have a profound influence our children's choices in a negative way. Samuel's circuit work could easily have led him to neglect his family. That is always a concern.

- Our first ministry is always to be first! Our families will long outlive our ministry opportunities! Each parent here needs to own that and seek wisdom to know what to say "yes" to.

- On the other hand, Samuel had an altar on his property, signaling that you may also do all the right things and watch your children make decisions that are contrary to their education!

- Samuel must have sent them out having observed some modicum of ministry capability, but their hearts were hidden to him.

- Let us remember what true success looks like and pray accordingly, that our kids will follow Him with their whole heart, not just their actions!

- On a final note before we move on, to the kids in all of us that want to use our parents mistakes and follies as the reason that "we're so messed up:" It won't fly with God!

- When you and I acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He makes all things new and when we submit ourselves to Him, He changes our hearts and minds and gives us a future and hope!

- Don't think for a moment that Joel and Abijah could stand before the Lord and offer the pitiful excuse that their Father wasn't there for them, especially when their Father God was!

- May you and I remember that as we process our ministry and life before the Lord.

- However long it had been since their installation, things digressed fairly quickly.

• I Samuel 8:4,5 : "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'" : The elders of Israel assembled to perform an intervention on Samuel as his sons have proven to be charlatans.

- Interestingly, like Eli before him, there isn't a word of correction uttered by the Prophet!

- His inaction caused the elders to come to him, to enlighten him, as well as reveal a decision that they have made without him.

- The sound of their message comes off very direct: "Look, you are old!" I prefer the YLT: "Lo, thou hast become aged!" Samuel was slowing down and his succession plan had failed.

- They report to him that his sons did not walk in his ways. At this point, there is an option.

- The elders could have said, "Samuel, this plan didn't work. Let's get the kids out and seek the Lord for a successor to carry on your ministry as you have."

- But without any pretense, they come straight to their decision. They wanted to formalize a Monarchy and appoint a King.

- That isn't really an issue. They needed a leader and he may as well be a king.

- The law presupposes that there will eventually be a King, as Moses spells out instruction for his character and duties in Deuteronomy 17. The difficult part to swallow was the next phrase.

- They wanted a king to judge or rule over them like all the other nations! God had foretold that this day would come, even using that exact phrase to signal it's appearance. (Deuteronomy 17:14)

- "You mean, you want a King like the Canaanites had when God defeated them or the Philistines, who were routed with a single thunder clap?"

- In the pages of scripture, God is dealing essentially with one nation and no matter how clearly He comes through for them, they just seem not to be connected to the truth of their circumstance!

- What nation was more successful than Israel? What other nation had been a slave race serving under a world dominating power that had overtaken a confederation of nations?

- And that after surviving through 40 years of desert travel! What nation could boast of such a history, but here they come with a desire to be like everyone else. How utterly tragic!

- What a huge and foolish mistake we make in wanting to be like the world! When that is the motivation, the child of God is begging for trouble!

- "Lord teach me to be content with what Your hand deems to bless me with!"

- Like their predecessors, the people of Israel longed for a physical representative to lead them, which is more desireable to them than accepting God's invisible leadership.

• I Samuel 8:6-9 : "But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.'" : The sense of this phrase, "The thing displeased Samuel" is better considered, "their speech shook Samuel to his core!" He trembled and quivered at it constantly!

- Their words rang in his head and the implications that came from it shook him deeply!

- How he responded is exemplary: He prayed to the Lord! He was shaken and bent out of shape, so naturally, primarily, he went to the Lord in prayer! What a great example for us!

- The emotions that we face on any given day are a reminder that this life is bigger than us! God has given us access to His very throne through the medium of prayer.

- We go to Him with our requests, petitions, concerns and we leave His presence filled with His peace! It's a wonderful exchange. And like Samuel, many times, we leave with an answer.

- God met with Samuel and spoke to Him! In the quiet moments before the Lord, when you are truly listening and when God deems the time to be right, the clear still small voice of the Lord is heard.

- It's not a new word, unique to yourself. It's God's Word that you have treasured in your heart that begins to overflow your thinking.

- Verses and passages come to mind, sometimes coupled with phrases that you have heard in sermons that caught your attention. He has spoken by what He has written!

- To Samuel He speaks His counsel. "Listen to them and don't take it personally!" They had not rejected Samuel. They did not want God to rule over them!

- Like Samuel, you have invested yourself in ministry toward a family member or a close friend.

- At some point, that person no longer wants to talk or share and it's a very real temptation to take it personally, when in reality, they have simply decided that they don't want God's rule!

- In a way, you should be flattered. You have rightly represented the Lord and not made it easy, nor have you winked at sin by participating in things that would compromise you.

- When they reject you, it's not you they are rejecting, but God! That's their condemnation! That's what Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:18,19.

• John 3:19 : "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

- The sad truth is that men and women in every generation have loved their darkness rather than the light! The Israelites at Samuel's time were simply following suit with their ancestry!

- From the very day that God brought them out of Egypt even to that day, they had been bent on serving other gods, which were ultimately, representations of their own wicked desires.

- They are rejecting God's voice through Samuel and he feels what God has felt from the very beginning! That is part of sharing in God's suffering! You will feel what God feels about their rejection!

- There is simply nothing more painful than to watch a person that you have loved and shared the Lord with, walking back into a life of sin. It hurts like nothing else! Samuel's job is now clear.

- He is to register a solemn charge regarding the life that they are asking for. Their lives will be very different and they need to know what they can expect.

• I Samuel 8:10-18 : "So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, 'This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.'" : Immediately one is struck by the one sided nature of this agreement.

- Under God's jurisdiction, he never gave Israel a bill for military procurement of materials. Often, He didn't even have to recruit anyone! That was all about to change.

- As for this new King, "He will take from you and you will be his servants!"

- Samuel did not hold back. He told the elders every word that they Lord gave him to speak. Israel's new King would have the right to expect their support.

- It would begin in their familiies. Their sons will become a part of his military, either as a Charioteer or as Captains of other men.

- Their sons would be asked to fight, to put themselves in harm's way at the beckoned call or even the fanciful and foolish whim of the King.

- They will be taken to serve his house by becoming plowmen and blacksmiths arming the chariots for battle. The young men would be required to serve, as would the young women!

- The daughers will serve his household by making perfumes and cooking for his household. Some have held to the belief that this referred euphemistically to becoming concubines!

- Beyond their family units, the King would also require their finances! The King's reach will go into their choice fields, whther they be vineyards or olive groves. Their fields will belong to servants.

- The King's house will require a tenth of all their produce which would fund his staff as well as a tenth of all their livestock to carry or serve their staff!

- Remember as well that they also were required to give a tenth of these same things to the Lord under the Old Covenant. 20 percent of their annual income was spoken for!

- These will be the minimal requirements that the people of Israel would be expected to surrender to the new government.

- They will serve their king and when he comes into the full flower of his reign, the people will greatly regret asking for the king that they had chosen for themselves and God will not listen.

- They are confronted here with the truth of the situation. Even in the very best political situations, the people will find themselves frustrated under the rule of other people.

- How many have found that true today? Is it not better to be ruled by the Lord? The people are in essence given their final choice in this moment.

- What they thought that they couldn't stand now was what they would be yearning for later! If they thought being under God's rule was difficult, they would find human rule even worse!

- Samuel has been abundantly clear about what they were asking for. Notice how they respond to his pleas.

• I Samuel 8:19-22 : "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 'No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.' And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed their voice, and make them a king.' And Samuel said to the men of Israel, 'Every man go to his city.'" : Nevertheless. In spite of all the truth that Samuel had laid out upon them. In spite of the passionate plea that Samuel presented, the people were unwilling to listen.

- They stubbornly repeated and strengthened their resolve to have a King, so that they could be like all the nations. They think that this King would stand in judgment and fight their battles.

- What a sad deluded way of thinking! What man could have done even a fraction of what God had done for this nation? They want to put their hope in a man to help them in their battles?

- God has given them all of the pertinent information. He has done everything possible to sway their thinking. But now, God does what might be the worst thing possible in a nation or person's life.

- He gives them what THEY want! He gives them the vision that they have for themselves and allows them to live in it.

- Folks, it's a good prayer to pray that God would save us from craving something that we'd resolutely resist God to have!

- "Lord, never let me have my vision for my life! Let me hold out for YOUR vision!"

Conclusion

- God rules in our hearts today. Let us be wise and accept His goodness and receive His grace. Let us content ourselves with what He deems to bring us and move when He moves us.

- I pray that you would affirm Him as your King today in that way. For any that have tried to be like the world will tell you it's an empty pursuit leading to a dead end.

- The Lord of your life has the best plan and the best timing for His people. I pray that this chapter reminds you to wait for it!