
Plot Twist: Israel’s Rebellion and First King
1 Samuel 8 – 9
June 11, 2023
Jay Haugh
Samuel leads the nation in repentance and righteousness.
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” —1 Samuel 7:3 ESV
They hope in God, not themselves.
And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” —1 Samuel 7:8 ESV
God saves His people.
But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. —1 Samuel 7:10 ESV
God’s deliverance is a continual state of grace.
So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. —1 Samuel 7:13 ESV
Samuel’s leadership is coming to an end.
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. —1 Samuel 8:1-3 ESV
There’s a new proposal for security.
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.” —1 Samuel 8:4-5 ESV
“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.” —1 Samuel 8:19-20 ESV
Israel wanted a king who would “fight their battles.”
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.” —1 Samuel 8:6-7 ESV
They “fire” the God who gave security.
“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.” —1 Samuel 8:8-9 ESV
Their king will take and consume.
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.” —1 Samuel 8:11-17 ESV
King Jesus doesn’t take, He graciously gives.
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.” —1 Samuel 8:21-22 ESV
Their request for a king is the wrong time and in the wrong way.
God will frequently allow evil to occur even though it displeases Him. God will always use it for His purpose.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. —Genesis 50:20 ESV
Saul is tall, handsome, wealthy, and a warrior.
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. —1 Samuel 9:1-2 ESV
Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. —1 Samuel 9:3-4 ESV
When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” —1 Samuel 9:5-6 ESV
He’s tall, handsome, wealthy, but he’s not spiritual.
Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” —1 Samuel 9:7-8 ESV
And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.” —1 Samuel 9:10-12 ESV
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” —1 Samuel 9:15-17 ESV
Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer.” —1 Samuel 9:18-19 ESV
“All of Israel” knew Samuel. The servant and the women knew Samuel, but not Saul. Saul isn’t a spiritual guy.
There are scores of politicians, athletes, and CEOs who have striking physical features and talents, but don’t have a clue about the words and ways of God.
“As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” —1 Samuel 9:20-21 ESV
Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. —1 Samuel 9:22-24 ESV
Samuel gives Saul the priestly portion of the sacrifice.
If a king is going to rule over you, he must be ruled by God.
Big Idea:
Our security is not in physical features, talents and acumen, but in the power of God.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 1 Samuel 8
Samuel, a man who brought the nation to repentance and back to worshiping the Lord, is not able to lead his own children in the faith. Despite your faithfulness, have you ever struggled with wayward children? How do you invest in your kids’ spiritual growth? Does investing in your children stop when they become adults?
Israel wanted a king so that they would be like the other nations around them. When have you desired to conform or change to be more like those around you? What internal motivators drive you to want to be more like the world? Have you ever felt external pressure to conform in a way that was opposed to Christianity?
In what ways do we sometimes reject God as king in our own lives? How can we ensure that we prioritize God’s authority and guidance in our decision making? Can you think of any situations where you might seek worldly leaders or authorities instead of relying on God?
Samuel warns the Israelites about the consequences of having a king, such as taxation and forced labor. How does this word of caution relate to our own desires for something other than God, such as worldly success and comfort? What are some potential dangers of pursuing things that are not aligned with God’s heart?
God tells Samuel, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” What does this reveal about the true heart issue behind the Israelites’ desire for a king? What does wanting to be like everyone else communicate to God?
How did Samuel deal with his disappointment with the people (1 Samuel 8:6)? How do you handle it when things do not go your way? Name some relationships in which you have accountability to grow in areas where you are weak. If none, is there anyone in this group with whom you’d like to have a higher degree of accountability?
Read 1 Samuel 9
Having lost donkeys must have been seen as a setback by Saul and his family. Instead, it was a setup by God. How have you seen God at work in your life through circumstances you perceived to be setbacks?
God is also seen to be at work in the people He has placed around Saul and the timing of the events. How have you seen God at work in the people He has placed around you? Are you ever frustrated with God’s timing? What do you think is the root of that frustration? Do you trust in God’s plans and that they will always be worked out in the time He wants?
Knowing what Israel wanted in 1 Samuel 8, how does Saul fulfill their desires? How is what Saul appears to offer—a handsome, wealthy king—parallel to what our culture expects for good leadership? Have you ever judged a person based upon how they look? Why is a person’s physical appearance not a complete representation of who a person is?