Remember when Hannah prayed for a baby and promised the Lord that she would give Him her son if only He would bless her with a child? Well that child was Samuel. And now Samuel has grown into an old man and is a leader of all of Israel (1 Samuel 8:4). The problem is his sons don't follow God. So the leaders of Israel come to Samuel and declare that they would like to have a king so that they can be like all the other nations.
Keep in mind these are the same people that have seen God at work in their lives and have been told of God's power as seen in the lives of their parents and grandparents. They know that they are God's chosen people. They've heard of the parting of the sea, the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, the manna and the quail. They have the Ark of the Covenant, with the stone tablets etched with the handwriting of God himself. They know that God has given them this Promised Land. You'd think that it would seem crazy not to trust God and follow him whole-heartedly! But they're looking for a different kind of king - one they can see and hear and one who can rule with civil authority. They want an earthly government to control them; after all, all the other nations have kings. The big problem here is that God wants Israel to be a nation set apart from the rest. HE wants to be their King!
Several weeks ago we studied the Exodus and the wandering in the desert. We saw God's chosen people enter the promised land and march around the walls of Jericho. We understand the twelve tribes and the united kingdom. The children of Israel were far from perfect. They messed up more times than I can count. But they were God's chosen people and he never gave up on them, even when they were unfaithful to Him. But now we witness a huge shift in history. The Israelites decide that God on the throne is not enough for them. They want a new king.
So God gave them what they wanted.
At our discussion table today we answered the question, "What or whom have you elevated to the position of King in your life?" We can all think of different things that we idolize. But that's not what this question was asking. We aren't talking about idols we worship, we are talking about the KING position. This isn't some silly statue like in days of old and it's not a modern day idol like money or prosperity or fame or family or careers or possessions. This question is asking, "Who is your King?" One of our ladies said that she was tempted to answer that her king is her husband - she felt like she puts him on the throne of her heart quite often. But God quickly showed her that the one she puts on the throne more often than anyone else is herself. I completely get it. I push God off the throne of my heart all the time because I want to be King. I want to make the rules. I want to look like everyone else. I want to make sure my plans are fulfilled. I want to be in charge. I'd fit right in with those Israelites who so badly wanted a king.
Back to the Israelites...
In a nutshell, it wasn't good. Saul was their new king. While he was tall and ruggedly handsome, his heart was not faithful to God. And so the Israelites paid the price for placing someone else on the throne that was rightfully God's. David would enter the picture after Saul. David was a different story - he had a heart for God. He wasn't perfect at all. In fact, some of the things he did were downright dirty (Bathsheba and Uriah come to mind!). But God doesn't look at all of our outward appearances; he looks at our hearts! After David comes Solomon, David's son. Solomon is known for his wisdom. God told him to ask for anything he wanted and he chose to ask God for an understanding mind. God was impressed with that request! He built a beautiful temple for the Lord during his reign. Unfortunately, Solomon really loved the ladies and that became his undoing.
It wasn't long before outside nations began to come in and defeat the Israelites, dividing the kingdom and eventually sending them into exile for 70 years. They were a complete mess. They had put someone else on the throne and it didn't work for them at all (just like God had said!). God sent prophets to His children to warn them and to speak prophecies to them. The end of the Old Testament is filled with prophets who wrote long books (the major prophets) and some who wrote shorter books (the minor prophets). They all gave words from the Lord that went unheeded. The Israelites refused to follow God. Even though their earthly government had fallen apart, they refused to acknowledge God on the throne of their hearts. They continued to demand earthly kings, even though there was no fulfillment in that plan of action. It was a dark, dark time for God's chosen people.
And then for 400 years, it is SILENT. There is a gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament and it seems that God may've given up. But we know better! I can't wait for next week. The Messiah is coming!
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