1 Samuel 8:1-9
1 Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways but turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the matter was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people regarding all that they say to you, because they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them.
8 Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have abandoned Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you as well.
9 Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall warn them strongly and tell them of the practice of the king who will reign over them.”
People Demanding for a King
Corruption of Samuel’s sons
By this time, Samuel was about 65 to 70 years old. It is not a bad thing for an older person to give way to the next generation. Samuel appointed his two sons as judges and sent them to Beersheba. He made a structural formation by delegating the southern region to his sons, while retaining responsibilities for himself in the northern region. (1) The eldest son was named Joel (meaning “The Lord is God”), and the second son was named Abijah (meaning “The Lord is my father”). (2) Although they had splendid names, their actions were disgraceful and brought shame to their names. Unlike their father Samuel, they were corrupt, accepting bribes and perverting justice. (3) This was a violation of the Law of Moses (ref. Ex. 23:8). Samuel also made the same mistake as his mentor, Eli. He failed in raising his sons.
People demanding for a king
So, the elders of the twelve tribes of Israel gathered before Samuel and demanded a king. There were three reasons for this request: (1) Samuel have grown old, and his sons had strayed from his way. For this, there would be no reliable leaders left. (2) All the other nations had kings, and they wanted to be like them. (3) They needed a military leader. Samuel was displeased with this request and prayed to the Lord. The Lord responded to Samuel, which can be summarized in four points: (1) Do as the people say. (2) Their demand is not a rejection of Samuel, but a rejection of God Himself. (3) This is not something new, as this has always been happening throughout the history of these people. (4) Inform the people of the rights of a king who will rule over them. At that time, Israel’s political system was a theocracy. God was the King, and He spoke to the people through prophets and judges. However, the people sought a political system that placed trust in a human king rather than in God. The sin of the people lay in placing their trust in the wrong place. Are you walking trusting in God? Do your daily decisions and judgments bring glory to God? Let’s learn from the failures of the people of Israel.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, the root of all problems lies in failure to trust in You. Please guide me to walk worshipping You alone. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.