Behold Our King: the books of 1 and 2 Samuel

The Compromise for a King
1 Samuel 8:1–22

Paul J. Bucknell

Insistent on One's Own Ways (1 Samuel 8:19-22)

The Israelites asked for a king. They ignored the Lord. Samuel told the Lord, and the Lord then told Samuel that they could have a king.

“Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD’S hearing. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city” (1 Samuel 8:19-22).

Life seems so simple, but man, with his irresponsible choices, makes it difficult. God’s way is far better, but man insists on his own plans and believes his thoughts are superior. He clings to his own decisions. However, God sometimes yields to their requests, but the consequences would follow them for many centuries.

In the Garden

Reflect on what happened in the Garden of Eden. The same pattern occurred: the tempter came in and tempted Adam and Eve to reject God’s authority over their lives. When we accept God’s rule, we follow what He has commanded. It’s clear that God offers much more than earthly kings can provide. The Garden of Eden demonstrated this. No man can create such a place for us, regardless of their promises. The tempter repeatedly comes back, enticing humans to believe that their own plans or ideas, like having their own king, would be better. This event is, as the Lord said, just another sign of the same stubborn heart.

The future with a king

1 Samuel 9:1 marks an important moment in Israelite history. They are about to have their own kings. Although God was a much better King, they needed to learn the limitations of earthly kings so they could yearn for the righteous King God promised—Jesus Christ. It might seem that the monarchial years were good, especially during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. While not entirely bad, these periods were only God’s grace, and they were relatively short. Overall, the kings of Israel and Judah were often evil and did not follow God’s ways. Even David and Solomon had serious flaws that affected thousands of Israelites.

Solomon chose to have many chariots despite the Law’s prohibition against them (cf. 1 Kings 10:26). After this, in 1 Kings 11, it begins to describe how Solomon’s heart drifted away from God. Don’t forget that the Israelites many years later also rejected Jesus as the King of Israel. This was not anything new; however, through their rejection of the King of Israel, God made a way for us to receive forgiveness through Jesus and to develop a new heart that embraces His Lordship.

In your life

The Lord is king, but do you also insist on your own way? Do you believe your way is better than what God has planned for you? Beware of the tempter and his promises. Our sin shows our unbelief. We have begun to trust something other than God. Many people are convinced that depending on the government to meet our needs—no matter the cost—is better than trusting what God provides. God designed the government to be His helper, not His substitute! The more we rely on the government, the more distance we create between us and God. Is there any reason to doubt God’s provision? No. He is faithful. God gave them their own land, even with milk and honey, but still, they think their ways are better.

Conclusions and Applications

God’s people often find themselves in situations where they believe a path other than God’s is better. In each case, they turn away from the Lord. They abandon what is best. They compromise. What will it take in our lives to embrace and live by the conviction that God’s ways are always better, even if they seem less appealing at the moment? How can we do that?

The best way to live is in a fearless pursuit of God. Fearless in the sense that sometimes following Him will seem crazy. If God were not there closely watching, it would be foolish or dangerous.

God is present, though.

He is watching over you and me. As we live by His promises during these times, we will find a special garden spring up all around us. God is seeking out those who will confess Him as King and follow Him.

“For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61:11).