#418 For the Love of Tyranny or What Could Go Wrong?

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

5 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.

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

7 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.

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.

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.

11 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.

12 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.

13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 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.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

20 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.

21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.

22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. 1 Samuel 8 KJV

Sadly, Godliness is not a hereditary trait. We are told to train up our children in the ways of God so that when they are old they will not depart from it. I don't know what Samuel taught his children, but whatever they knew, they sold the responsibility bestowed upon them for the lucre such a position perverted could provide. They are one of the reasons given for the people's request for a king, yet they should stand and would in history be understood as an argument against monarchies. As you read the book of the Judges there is a consistent reference to there being no king, and this was a time when the people did as they pleased. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes and there were so many problems, look at Gibeah, so we think maybe a king is the answer. But maybe this is in haste, how does a monarchy solve the hereditary issue before them, that all have sinned and fallen short, that in Adam all die? Remember, "who can stand before this Holy God?" Ah, maybe that is our hope and preference, to stand before an imperfect judge, to hold up an animated idol, a champion of the people. We always hear and think how somewhere else in this world men have some advantage and have created a utopia by trusting in some charismatic leader, but where there has been the most freedom the government has been most in check. Passages like this have influenced our own founding fathers, who were suspicious of placing too much power upon one man, and established guards and boundaries against even more than hereditary monarchy, but also limited terms of rulers in a democracy. Remember though, as a Christian, you are looking forward to a city whose Builder and Maker is God, a kingdom not of this world. 

Nevertheless, Israel, even after great reform under the leadership of Samuel, ask for a King, and Samuel is upset at this, but where does he go? He goes to God, and this greatest difference, this is wisdom so separated from the dullness of kings. They need to look important, to feel important, to set extravagances upon subjects, to buy loyalties, to bully and politic, that their word may be established to carry weight. Yet they are again, sons of Adam, fallen creatures, broken compasses. Some point that this is the loss of Samuel's hope at a dynasty for his offspring, but again, he has done well and goes to God for advice, then gives God's advice to the people. Moses foretold this day, and God corrects Samuel's grievance, they have not rejected Samuel, but rather, they have rejected the rule of God. Their punishment for this? Give them what they ask for. Let them bear the weight of the king upon their shoulders, have their sons run in front of his chariot, pay for his extravagances, let your daughters come to serve them. Even the best of them, David, was guilty of murder, and what excesses his power was corrupted and prone to, his son Solomon, who once asked for Wisdom, only multiplied the disgrace. Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity. Samuel is constantly before the Lord, what does the Lord say? What does God want? Kings don't do this, they trust in chariots and horses, create idols to entertain the people, some seek the supposed love of their country men, while others prefer their fear. Tell them what they want to hear, and if that doesn't work then make an example of those that disagree with you, of those that think you should not play god, that there is a King above thee. 

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. John 19: 6-16

They looked forward to Messiah, but once He arrived they wanted nothing to do with Him. It is God again, and they won't have Him. Is it so different today? What will it be like in the time of antichrist? How much hype and propaganda do we already believe? Yet this is the beautiful thing, He turns to the thief on the cross, He has the power even then to save men from themselves. It is a stumbling block, a crown of thorns, the cross, his company, all of it, and to some it's foolishness, but to those being saved it is the power of God, His mercy, His justice, His love. Pray, knowing that One was found Whos could stand before this Holy God, and He makes intercession for us.