Wanting To Be Like Everyone Else

Samuel had been a great leader for Israel, setting an example for serving God from the time he was just a small child, but like everyone else he got old.  Under Levitical law, when the Levites and priests turned fifty they were to move to supervisory positions, allowing younger men to do the day by day physical work, filling in where needed, seeing that things were don properly as Numbers 8:25-26 tells us.  “And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.”

In a similar fashion, when he got old, Samuel appointed his sons to take over the physical work of Judging Israel under his direction.  Prior to this, god had always chosen the judges to deal with a specific situation.  Samuel probably thought he could prevent Israel from turning away again by setting up a permanent group of judges.  Unfortunately, his sons were not as devoted to the Lord as their father, as we see in I Samuel 8:1-3.  “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.  Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.  And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.”

Under Levitical law, a man was not even allowed to serve as an assistant in the Tabernacle until he was twenty five according to Leviticus 8, and could not take a position of authority until he was thirty according to Leviticus 4.  If Samuel followed a similar pattern, it implies that he had served as judge at least twenty or twenty five years after the defeat of the Philistines, and that his sons were in their early thirties.  Many young people who seemed devoted to God while living at home and under their parents authority quickly turn away when they are no longer so closely observed, and once Samuel’s sons were free to act on their own, their behavior changed, allowing financial favors, bribes and payoffs to influence their decisions much the same as lobbyists influence modern politicians.   

Realizing they were not getting justice, the people demanded change, in I Samuel 8:4-5.  “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”   While God had designed their government, and it had served them well for over five hundred years through various invasions and attacks, they felt they needed a more upto date system similar to those of the countries around them, much like Progressives and liberals in America today want to turn away from the Constitution that has served us so well for two hundred forty years, and go with something more modern.  They failed to understand that the system they wanted was not truly new at all, but had been around for thousands of years, and had never been satisfactory.

Like many conservatives today, Samuel realized the danger in such a change.  When he prayed about it, God told him the change was just a continuation of their steady turning away from God and that he should accede to their demands, although he should warn them of the consequences of their decision, in I Samuel 8:6-9.  “But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 1sa 8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.  Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.”

It had never been God’s intention for Israel to have a king, but for every person to be directly accountable to God.  Recognizing that sinful man would rebel against answering to God and demand a human king, God gave guidelines for choosing a king when that time came, In Deuteronomy 17:14-20.  “ De 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”

When they chose a king, he was to be just one of themselves, not some special royal family.  He was not to use his position to enrich himself or gain power and respect by accumulating great wealth or a large harem of women, or military alliances and building up a massive military force.  He was to go out of his way to be sure he followed the same laws and rules the common people followed. 

Samuel warned that rulers tend to feel that their position gives them special rights, in I Samuel 8:10-18.  “And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.  And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.  And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.  And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.  And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.  And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.  He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.  And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

Like progressives and Liberals today, the people refused to listen to the warnings about what would happen, in I Samuel 8:19-20, demanding to be just like the other countries.  “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

It is insane to think you can do the same thing others have done and have it turn out differently, because the same principles are still in effect.  God’s people have the opportunity to be different.