1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to 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. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day." But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, "No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles."
Do you like being the same as everyone else or do you like being different? If you're like most folks, you prefer fitting in and not standing out. If you're shy or insecure, you choose to truly blend in to the point of invisibility. As God formed the nation of Israel, God wanted them to be different; a light to the nations and a nation of priests (bridge builders to God). God wanted the new nation to show to the world that a nation could truly be ruled by God. God placed prophets (literally means "mouth pieces") to govern and judge over them. Then the day came. "I want to wear makeup now; I think I'm old enough." Or, "All my friends are wearing these." And "But everyone else is getting their driver's license, why can't I?" In Israel's case it was, "We want a king to govern us, just like every nation has." As the decisions we made caused our parents sadness, this displeased the prophet Samuel and it displeased God, for they were in fact rejecting God. As we may have heard from our parents or we shared with our children: You might regret this that you're asking for. "I don't care, this is what I want!"
God tells Samuel to share all that would be different now that they would have a king: There will be a conscription (The "draft") of your sons. The king will make them serve in the military; and you might not like the assignment you receive. The king will also draft your daughters to do the work that women normally do in those times; perfumers and cooks and bakers. The king will also take away your property to make them national property. He will forcefully take a tithe of your harvest; he will take your slaves. It will reach the point where you will cry out to God asking that this thing be taken way, but it will be too late. The people, like us or our children, said, "No! but we are determines to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations..."
We are still called to stand out and be different in a positive, Godly way. Where the world may be seeing unholy living, we are called to be holy. Where the world has rejected worship and all things of God, we are called to worship and share God. God needs us to be bridge-builders to Him while others say there is no need for God.
PRAYER: Loving God, though it may be difficult, help us to be those Whom You have called to serve. Let us serve with gladness and joy. Let us all point the way to You. We pray in the precious and powerful name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
