5 SAMUEL YIELDED TO GOD IN GIVING ISRAEL A KING

It is sad that a good and useful man growing old, maybe about sixty, and unfit for service  himself did not have anyone fit to serve in his stead. We can assume Samuel had probably given his sons as good an education as he could, and they had given him such good hopes of their doing well, and gained such a reputation in Israel, that he made them judges, assistants to him a while, and afterwards deputies under him at Beersheba, which lay some distance from Ramah, where Samuel lived. It is likely that Samuel gave them their commissions, not because they were his sons, but because they were men who appeared fit for the trust with none so proper to ease the aged judge, and take some of the burden off him as his own sons. They were no doubt respected for their good father’s sake, and, having such an advantage at the beginning, might soon have been great—other things being equal—if they had just been good. Samuel had no ambition to establish a dynasty any more than Gideon had. But when his sons’s character was too much the reverse of his, their relation to so good a man, which otherwise would have been their honor, was really their disgrace. Those who have the most grace themselves cannot give grace to their children. It has often been the grief of good men to see their posterity, instead of treading in their steps, trampling on them. They became their parent’s grief instead of continuing to be their joy.

Many that have been well educated, and have conducted themselves well while they were under their parents’ eye, when they have gone abroad into the world and set up for themselves, have proved bad. Let none therefore be overconfident either of themselves or their children, but depend on divine grace. Honors change men’s minds, and too often for the worse. It does not seem that Samuel’s sons were as profane and vicious as Eli’s sons, but, whatever they were in other respects, they were corrupt judges. Samuel had taken no bribes but his sons evidently had. On the other hand, we cannot be too lenient with Samuel’s parenting responsibilities. His own sons did not follow in his ways and we are left to wonder if he succumbed to the temptation to which many men and women of God yield, that of not giving proper attention to raising godly children because of preoccupation with their public ministry. Let Samuel’s as well as Eli’s failure on the point be a warning to Christian leaders today.

In the last teaching we saw that national developments went well with Israel, in the chapter before, under Samuel’s administration, so it is a pity to find him so quickly appointing unworthy sons as judges and the political landscape moving towards a revolution. But so it is; Israel’s good days seldom continued long. We cannot avoid the reality that Samuel is decaying, his sons are unjust judges and Israel wants a king so they can be like other nations. The people petition Samuel to set a king over them, and Samuel brings the matter to God. So Samuel explained the consequences of a change of the government, and how the people may regret having asked for a king. Then God, Samuel’s Lord, directs him in a reproof what answer to give them. It is hard for people to know when they are well off. God had been a better King for Israel than Saul was.

Let’s look back now at the beginning of this new and surprising matter. During the time of the Judges, Abimelech was briefly a king without any authority, though he is said in Judges 9:22 to have reigned over Israel for three years, “After Abimelek had governed Israel three years,” The elders of Israel now address Samuel, in verses 4,5, “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” It was not in a riotous manner, but with the respect due to his character, they came to Samuel to his house at Ramah to make their polite request. It was true that Samuel was old; but if that made him less able to ride the circuit, and sit long on the judges bench, yet it made him the more wise and experienced, and for that, the fitter to rule. If he was old, had he not grown old in their service? And it was possibly unkind, ungrateful, and unjust, to cast him off when he was old, who had spent his days in doing them good, that is if his age was the only factor in their request. God had given his youth great value yet now they make his old age a disadvantage right when he should have been counted worthy of double honor. It was true that his sons did not walk in his ways and this was the more his grief. However, he had not, like Eli, allowed them to continue in their badness, but was ready to receive complaints against them. It was well, that they did not rise up in rebellion against Samuel and set up a king for themselves—by force; but they applied to Samuel, God’s prophet, and humbly begged of him to do it. But it appears by what follows that it may have been an evil proposal and poorly made, and was displeasing to God.

On the other hand, Moses had laid down rules for the behavior of a king for when the time came that Israel wanted a king. Rules had long been established as to whom they may select and how he was to conduct himself. Remember, Saul was a good and wise king with a changed heart at first. And furthermore, God planned to soon give them a king, a man after His own heart, when Samuel was dead. They had a prophet to judge them, one that had immediate communication with God, and in that they were great and happy above any nation. But this would not serve. They must have a king to judge them with external pomp and power, like all the nations. A poor prophet in a  mantle, though familiar with the visions of the Almighty, looked too lowly and plain in the eyes of those who judged by outward appearance; but a king in a purple robe, with his guards and officers of state, would look great and they wanted one like that.

Let us see how Samuel took it. It cut him to the heart. Possibly it was a surprise to him, and he had no indication before of this idea developing, which made it the more grievous. The thing displeased Samuel. But let us discern the heart of the issue. It was probably not when they upbraided him with his own age and weakness or even his children’s failures, he could bear patiently these understandable complaints, but it distressed him when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” That reflected on God and His honor. It drove Samuel to his knees. At the time he could not answer them, but took time to consider what they proposed, and prayed to the Lord for direction about what to do, spreading the case before Him and leaving it with Him. Samuel was a man much in prayer, and we too are encouraged by Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show before God our trouble, as He unquestionably gives us the liberty to be humbly free in prayer with Him.

Samuel was disturbed at the proposal; it troubled him greatly to see his prophetic office slighted, and all the good turns God had done to Israel going unappreciated. But God says He must not think it hard that they undervalued him, for they had actually insulted God Himself as verse 7 says, “And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’” If God is interested in the indignities done to us, and the insults that are put on us, we may well afford to bear them patiently because we bear them for His sake. Psalm 69:7 says, “For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.” Samuel must not complain that they were weary of his government, though just and gentle, for really they were weary of God’s reign. This very same thing will happen to you, man or woman of God. People will tire of God’s authority and insult you when really their issue is with God, not you. In a Theocracy, a divine government, God’s judges had their call and commission immediately from God. The affairs of their nation were under His unique direction. The constitution and administration of the government, was “this is what the Lord says.” Israel was weary of this method, though it was their honor and safety, above anything, so long as they remained submissive and obedient to God. They had at first and recently been so very respectful and cooperative with Samuel that he may have begun to hope they were cured of their old stubborn disposition. But now he found himself to have misunderstood them. They had always been rude to their governors as either Moses or Aaron could testify. Samuel might expect they would deal treacherously, for this had been the way they had always conducted themselves as Jeremiah 22:21 says, “I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.” The ministry is not for weaklings. Man or woman of God, your faith must be strong. Your resolve must be strong. And your prayers must be strong.

Samuel paints a realistic picture of what it would be like to have a king. He tells him what would be an answer to their demand. Samuel would not have known what to say if God had not instructed him. Should he oppose the motion, it might appear that he wanted more authority than would look good for a prophet to have. Should he yield to their motion, it would look like he was betraying his trust as a prophet and would be partially responsible for all the bad consequences of having a king. Aaron had sinned in gratifying the people when they said, Make us gods; Samuel did not dare to comply with their request when they say, Make us a king. But he gives them the answer God sent them. Samuel is not God; Samuel is Samuel, a servant, a messenger of God. So in verses 7 and 9 we see Samuel gives the people God’s answer. “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” and “Now listen to them.”

God gave the Israelites Quail in the wilderness and now He gives them a king. Both of these incidents teach us the importance of asking for the right things because God may give us what we ask for even if it is not the right thing. People will sometimes be beaten with their own rod, and might feel, to their own regret, the difference between God’s government and the government they wrongly preferred. God gave them quail, but it was not good for them, and now God gives them a king but it was not good for them. 23,000 died in the plague according to the historian Sulpicius Severus. Soon it will be apparent that their nation was worse under Saul than it had been under Samuel. God is a wise teacher and knows how to bring glory to Himself out of our mistakes, to serve His own wise purposes even by our foolish counsels.

Samuel must tell them that when they have a king they will soon have enough of him, and will, when it is too late, repent of their choice. If they want a king to rule them, as the eastern kings ruled their subjects, they would find the yoke exceedingly heavy. They looked only at the pomp or magnificence of a king, and thought that would make their nation great among its neighbors, and would strike a terror in their enemies; but he must tell them to consider how they would like to bear the costs of that pomp, and how they would endure that kingly power which the neighboring kings assumed. Those who set their hearts incorrectly on any thing in this world must hear the message of the inconveniences as well as the conveniences that go with their request.

Samuel faithfully said God would grant their request if they insisted on it, but lays before them, very particularly what would be, not the right of a king in general, but the manner of the king that should reign over them, according to the pattern of the nations as verses 11 - 17 suggest. Listen to this: “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people still insist that they want a king! They are warned about a great parade of officials in the court, abundance of servants to wait on him, grooms to look after his chariots and horses, gentlemen to ride around with him and footmen to run before his chariots; altogether a multitude of attendants. And where does he get these? He will take your sons, who are free-born, have a normal Hebrew education, and whom you now have at your own disposal, and will appoint them for himself,” They must wait on him, and be at his call; those that used to work for their parents and themselves must work for him. He must keep a great table; he will not be content to dine with his neighbors at a sacrifice as Samuel used to do, but he must have a variety of dainty dishes, nice meats, sweet-meats and delicate sauces. Who must prepare these? Why, he will take your daughters, the most ingenious and handy of them, whom you hoped to live in houses and and serve tables of their own;. And, whether you are willing or not, they must be his cake decorators, cooks and bakers. He must have a standing army, for guards and garrisons; and your sons, instead of being elders of your cities, and living quietly in honor at home, must be captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and must come and go at the pleasure of the sovereign.

You may expect that he will have great favorites, whom, having dignified and ennobled, he must enrich, and give them estates suitable to their honor. And which way can he do that, but out of your inheritances? He will take your fields and vineyards, which descended to you from your ancestors, and which you hoped to leave to your posterity after you, even the best of them, He will not only take them just for himself, but he will give them to his servants, who will be your masters, and bear rule over that for which you have labored. How will you like that? He must have great revenues to maintain his grandeur and power, and where does he get those resources? From you! He will take the tenth of the fruits of your ground and your cattle. You give a tenth of yours to the support of God’s tabernacle and priesthood, but, if you have a king, you must pay another tenth. Do you want to pay this price? When they would complain to God He would not hear them. Nor could they expect that He should, both because they had been deaf to His calls and admonitions, and this trouble, in particular, they had brought on themselves by rejecting Him, and would not believe when He told them what would come of it. When we bring ourselves into distress by our own irregular desires and projects, we justly forfeit the comfort of prayer and the benefit of God’s help.

Yet with all of this accurate information, the people still obstinately insist they want a king. Can you see how Samuel’s heart would be broken? Yet you, man or woman of God, if you will follow the example of the great man of God, Samuel, you too will have your heart broken because the people we serve are all too often just like Israel in Samuel’s day. This is why it is good for us to study the lives of the prophets. So this lesson ends with Samuel going alone before the Lord with his prayer. The people would not join him in this prayer. Samuel must make this intercession alone. So will you at times.