1Samuel 8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 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.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 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. 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. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey 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, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
The nation of Israel did not have an earthly king for many years, they were under the guidance of God. Men like Samuel were God’s intermediary between God and the people. Samuel was the last of the Judges of Israel. Because Samuel was getting old and his appointed sons did not follow after God, the people of Israel they demanded that Samuel appoint them a king so they would be like all the other nations. They wanted a King he could judge them, and go out before them and fight their battles. God was not enough for them. They rejected His Lordship.
Do we possess a secret desire to reject the Lordship of Jesus in our lives? Do we want to benefit of the relationship, but we seem to be complacent when it comes to developing the relationship with Him? “They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.” Are we walking down a watered down walk of faith without realizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives is being rejected? God told Samuel to listen to the people, but also to warn them of what will happen if they choose to want an earthly king to rule over them. Likewise, any time spent in God’s word reveals that there are two paths of life we can pursue, the path with Jesus as Lord and the path without Him. Both of these have consequences. One leads us on a path of searching for satisfaction in things of this world and what it offers to fill the yearning and every day is filled with uncertainty. The other leads us on a path of joy, rest, peace, satisfaction, hope, courage, faith, and certainty for eternity.
When one chooses to reject the Lordship of Jesus in their life, they are not free, they are enslaved to sin. God allows people to make the choice but it is a choice they will have to live with. God will allow you to choose who will be Lord of your life, but know you will live with the consequences of that choice.
Samuel warned the people of what was to come if they chose the path they were on. They refused to listen to Samuel. No, they said. We must have a king over us then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” The nation wanted to trade God in for corrupt man, the nation wanted to trade God in for sinful man. “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”
Do not be fooled and give any ground to a complacent life with Jesus. He died for us so that we might repent, turn away from sin, be forgiven and live an abundant life with Him now and for eternity. Choosing to reject His lordship over your everyday life is rejecting Him for eternity. Spend time in His word, humbly server, honor, follow, obey, and rely on Him each waking moment of every day.
