1 Sam. 8:7-22.
THE Lord told Samuel to do something that he had never done before. And that was, to “hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they said unto him.” His ear had been trained to listen only to Jehovah’s voice, and we are not surprised that the Lord has to tell him three times in this chapter to hearken to their voice. It is always right to listen to what others say and be obedient to them, providing God has so commanded us. We know He has commanded us to be attentive to what our parents say to us, for He has set them over us to command us and to train us up in the way that we should go.
Any boy or girl who does not obey his father and mother, upon such an one God has pronounced a terrible judgment. “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.” Prov. 30:17. But the boys and girls who obey their parents, surely please the Lord, for He says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Col. 3:20. So we are obeying the Lord when we obey our parents, just as Samuel obeyed Him when he hearkened to the voice of the people.
But, dear children, let us not forget that the “voice of the people” was not God’s voice, any more than it was when they cried out against Jesus, saying, “Away with Rim: let Him be crucified.”
We may inquire then, Why was Samuel told to hearken to them, if they were asking contrary to the Lord’s desire? Well, we may learn a most solemn and also profitable lesson in this course that God took with His people. When He saw that they had completely rejected Him, as they did Samuel also, and turned away from Him, He allowed them to go on and fulfill their own heart’s desire. He was about to grant them what their lust was craving for, although Samuel must solemnly protest against them, and show them what manner of king should reign over them. He would be a proud, selfish man. And the Lord sought, by thus foretelling them of their misery and unhappiness, to draw His dear people back to Himself.
But a mere wish or desire, if interfered with, easily develops into will. So the people said, “Nay, but we will have a king over us.” How these words remind us of the rejection of Another, whom the people refused as their king when they said, “We will not have this Man to reign over us.” Luke 19:14.
Ah, dear children, a willful people must have a willful king. And the description of the king in this chapter, doubtless, describes the one Israel will have at a later day– a king that will do according to his own will— the Antichrist. God’s Bing is described in Zech. 9:9. “He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Now, if we compare this verse with Matt. 21:9, we shall see who that King was.
The question of having a king was now fairly raised and settled. Perhaps Samuel felt the need of being alone with God; perhaps, he knew that the people’s evil desire would only increase by their being assembled together. He sent every man to his own city (v. 22). And this again reminds us of another scene which we find in John 7:45-53 & 8:1.
The question was there settled by the Pharisees that Jesus could not be the rightful king; and so every man went unto his own house, but Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives to be alone with His Father.
It is well then, children, for us to remember that, if we persist in following a wrong course, God may give us up to pursue that course, and allow us to prove how sad and bitter is the way in which He is not acknowledged. He says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Prov. 3:6.
If we deny our own wills, and seek to do His will, then we shall truly find that His ways are ways of pleasantness and all His paths are peace. (Prov. 3:17.)
ML 07/06/1902