DEVOTION – DAY 239

1 Samuel 8:19-20 “We Want A King”

 

1 Samuel 8:19-20 “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said, “We want a king over us. Then, we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

 

The nation of Israel was unique. It is the only nation that God had chosen to have a covenanted relationship with. God had sovereignly chosen to be their God, Savior and Deliverer. In return, God expected the Israelites to be faithful and obedient to Him. But the Israelites sinned when they broke their covenant with God. In vv19-20 above, the Israelites asked the prophet Samuel to appoint a king over the nation of Israel so that Israel will be like the other nations.

 

The sin of Israel was in the kind of kingship they wanted, and in their reasons for wanting a king. Their desire for a human king meant that they were rejecting their special covenant relationship with God. They rejected God as their heavenly King preferring a human king just like the other nations. They had forgotten God’s constant provision and protection over Israel in the past from the time of Moses up till now. Their request for a king revealed their lack of gratitude to God, their unfaithfulness and hard hearts.

 

Samuel had warned the Israelites about the foolishness of their request for a king but the Israelites would not listen. So, Samuel turned to God for direction. God answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” (v22) From this passage, we learn that if we persist in going ahead with sinning against God despite warnings, God will step aside and allow us to sin and reap the consequences of our sins.

 

A man was ambitious and wanted to be a successful businessman. He did well in the beginning. Then, he was tempted to expand his business. The expansion involved more risks and more expenses. He prayed to God but he did not have a clear answer from God. A church leader whom he talked to advised caution and patience and to wait upon the Lord. The man went ahead with his plans for expansion. He had already decided what he wanted to do and he only wanted God to confirm his plans. Later, his business suffered because Covid-19 pandemic affected his sales and he suffered losses. In hindsight, he realized that he allowed his ambition to cause him to be blind to the advice of his church leader. He had also been guilty of expecting God to “approve” whatever plans he had decided.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please help us to always seek your prefect will for us. Help us to be obedient to your will, and to give you the glory. In the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. Why do people choose to ignore God’s warnings and Will for them and instead make decisions that they would regret later? Discuss.
  2. Why do you think God sometimes step aside to allow people to make wrong decisions and suffer the consequences of their actions? Discuss.
  3. What do you learn about the teaching “reaping what you sow” from this devotion? Discuss.
  4. How has God been warning you about something? How has that helped you? Share.