#DailyDevotion Israelites Still Reject The Lord Jesus Christ As King
July 24th
Read 1 Sam 8:1–22
1Sa 8:5-9 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” (6) But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. (7) And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. (8) According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. (9) Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Samuel’s son go the way of Eli’s sons but this time the people will not put up with it. But their main complaint is against Samuel himself. The Lord sees this as a complaint against himself. For they don’t just want Samuel and his sons to be replaced, no they want a king like the rest of the nations. You see up to this point the Lord is King over Israel.
When Israel desires a king it is saying it no longer wants God, the Lord as King. It is rejecting the Lord. Of course this is nothing new. Israel is constantly rejecting the Lord and turning to other gods. The Lord is going to give them a king and Samuel is going to warn them about what their kings are going to do and what they are going to be like. It is a sad state that they would rather have a king other than the Lord. They would choose a king that would oppress and enslave them.
It is strange that people like to be oppressed. We don’t like freedom. We want someone to tell us what to do and how to do it. What the Lord tells us in the Law doesn’t seem enough. The same thing is true with the Gospel. The freedom of the Gospel makes people uneasy. It is terribly freeing. It places you in a place where you have nothing to lose. But that is the way the Lord Jesus Christ wants it. When he is Lord of your life, when he is your king, you are living in freedom.
So are you going to let Jesus be your king and live his gospel freedom or are you going to look to men to tell you how to live your lives. Certainly the Lord send us men like Samuel to help explain and teach what the Gospel means and to apply it to us.
Lord Jesus Christ, help us by your Holy Spirit to enjoy your blessed Kingship over our hearts and our lives. Help us to hear your voice in those whose feet are beautiful and rejoice in your Gospel of salvation. Amen.