1 Samuel 8 –September 1st
Samuel is about sixty years old, at this point. His two sons have been appointed as judges in Beersheba, and they are doing a shockingly poor job. Verse 3 says that they took bribes and perverted justice. Their desire for riches and power ultimately drives Israel to the point that they no longer want to be led by priests and judges; they want a king. In Deuteronomy 17:14, we see that God knew they would request a king, and He would allow it. In 1 Samuel 8:20, however, we see that they desire a king for an impure reason: “that we also may be like all the nations.”
Samuel is obviously disappointed. Being a Godly man, he prays to the Lord. The Lord encourages and instructs him: “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them… you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7-9). As Christians, we are heralds of the truth of God. It can be incredibly frustrating when that truth is rejected. We must remember that Satan has blinded the lost, keeping them in spiritual darkness (2 Cor. 4:4). A work of the Holy Spirit is required to give them spiritual sight (Rom. 8:7, John 3:3). With that in mind, 1 Samuel 8:7 is an extremely applicable verse. When those to whom we witness reject the truth in favor of lies (Rom. 1:25), we mustn’t take it personally. They are not rejecting you as a person—they are rejecting God. This is both relieving and horrifying. It is relieving because we can remember that a person’s salvation does not rest on your performance. If you stutter, or forget a verse, or whatever it may be, God can still accomplish His will (Rom. 9:16). At the same time, it is horrifying because the person who stands before you, rejecting God, is guilty of cosmic treason (as R.C. Sproul calls it). They are committing a great offense against the holiest of beings. The punishment, therefore, is severe.
God is just, and will punish those who reject him. But He is also merciful, and has issued a warning and given an opportunity to all. This is typified in this passage. From verse 10 to verse 15, Samuel tells the people how terrible the king will be. He warns them, the way we are tasked with warning the world of the judgment of God. Like much of the lost world, Israel rejects Samuel’s warning. Though the God of the universe has been fighting their battles for generations, proving His might and faithfulness, Israel rejects Him in favor of a king that will “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Sam. 8:20). We scoff at them for this trade off, yet we do the very same in our day to day lives. We often place our trust in politicians, our bank accounts, friends, our own abilities, and just about anything other than God.
Though the church at large is often like Israel, there are many who individually are following the Lord, and like Samuel, feel like they are completely alone in that endeavor. Just remember, the Jesus tells us it will often be like that (Luke 9:57-62). We must strive to be like Paul in this way, and “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:8). He is our greatest treasure, and rejection is worth proclaiming His name to the corners of the earth.