Israel Rejects God And Demands a King

I Samuel 8:1–22
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Many People are painfully aware that things would be far better in their lives if they had made wiser decisions. It is especially frustrating to realize what they are going through now is the result of one poor decision in our lives. This is such a time in the life of Israel.

1. When Excuses Are All You Have. (vv. 1-5) Israel came to Samuel at Ramah, (v. 5) 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 presented their request to Samuel and backed it up with several arguments or excuses. Anytime we want to justify a course of action we wish to take we come up with a list of what we think are logical arguments which are often really nothing but excuses to do things the way we want to do them.
2. When We Try To Be Like The World (v. 5c) In the last part of verse five it states, we want to be “like all the nations.” But Israel was never designed to be just like the other nations, they were to be unlike them. Just like the Christians of today is not be just like the world but that according to 1 John 2:15, we are “not to love the world or the things in the world.”
3. When We Feel Unloved and Unappreciated (v. 6-9). Instead of arguing with the people or defending himself, Samuel “prayed to the LORD” (v. 6). Prayer provided God’s guidance on how to respond to the Elder’s request and it gave encouragement to Samuel in his service.
4. When God Gives Us What We Ask For (vv. 10-22). Samuel, “... told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king.” (v. 10) In spite of all the Lord had done for Israel they decide to turn there back on Almighty God and choose to have a mere mortal to rule over them. In spite of all the warnings, the people insisted that God give them a king. We have all heard the old saying, “You made your bed and now you have to sleep in it.”

Application

It is easy to make wrong choices because I want to be like everyone else?  It is so easy for me to let other people’s values and actions dictate my attitudes and actions instead of following Him. I must be determined to follow Him no matter what the cost may be.