1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 1 – 2

 Joel means, “Jehovah is God.” Abijah means, “Jehovah is my

Father.”

1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 3

 This is somewhat perplexing. Without a doubt Samuel is one of the

godliest men in the Bible and yet it appears here he makes a subjective

sinful mistake in appointing his sons as judges over Israel. Where

could he have learned that from? This is exactly the sin of Eli…

 As a parent, really as a mentor even in the faith, it is supremely

important that we are honest with ourselves about our own sinful

tendencies. What we accept and do ourselves that isn’t honoring to the

Lord, and therefore is not honorable. All of us have these

shortcomings, its just that some decide either not to see them or simply

decide that what is not ok for others is ok for them. Those are easy to

spot…, just treat them the way they treat you and watch them get

upset…

 As we grow in knowledge of righteousness and truth, grow in the

understanding of the Word and ways of God, we ought to be

constantly changing, assessing ourselves and correcting our hearts

and minds. The Holy Spirit will guide this…, and be well pleased

with this partnership. And one of the reasons why we ought to do this

is on display here. Samuel is a godly man and yet he bears the sins of

his father… Just as your children and those that look up to you will do

the same, to their own hurt… So, it’s either you take accountability

and walk humbly with your God, or somehow hope they will while

they carry the baggage that you lay on them…

1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 4 – 5

 Their reasoning for wanting a king is warped. They’re happy with

Samuel but he is old and not long for remaining…, and they know it.

But the reason they give for wanting a king is. “To judge us like all the

nations.” Give us someone who can guide us, protect us…, make us

wise like other nations of men?

 This may sound weird and I’m not sure how to eloquently make this

point but here goes. This is the same missing piece request of many

today. Listen, if you walk with the Lord and He is your personal King,

you need no other… John said in Revelation 1:6 that Jesus has made

us, me and you, “kings and priests to His God and Father…” Some

look to others for guidance and protection and wisdom when God

has promised to equip you with those things through His presence.

 There was a man that had a certain infirmity for 38 years in John

Chapter 5. And Jesus comes by him and we read in John 5:6, “When

Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that

condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made

well?”’ That was an invitation to trust God. To affirm Jesus Christ as

the sole Authority and to in and of himself, between just him and

Jesus, be made well… Look at his response…

 John 5:7, “The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me

into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming,

another steps down before me.’” Jesus still healed him but his

response was typical. “Sir, I have no man…” God has given His Spirit,

His Word, His presence, His promise and His power…, what you need

has already been given to you to overcome even the entirety of the

world. Argue with me. Offer excuse. Disagree with me. You’re wrong.

Just like the people. They already had a King. But they wanted to be

just like the world…

 I’m going to go one more place here before moving on… Over the

years in ministry (and really just in life), countless times, I’ve had

people share their circumstance with me looking for godly advice and

counsel. And many times I’ve heard them out and known exactly, God

will give me exactly, what to say to them. And so often I have gotten

the response, “I’m already doing that.” Or, “Yeah, I tried that.” At

that point I know we are done and there is very little more to say…

 Time for me to pray. Because that response is a low-key rejection of

God. So go do it again! Go double-down on it! You seek godly

counsel and when it is given, you have not ears to hear? The correct

response is to heed the counsel… Whether you agree with it or not or

even if it’s practically correct or not… And through that humility of

faithfulness, God will work! Guaranteed. On the Word, that is truth!

But I know right then, this is the phrase, “Yeah I’ve tried that…, I’m

already doing that, I’ve already done that…” I know you are stuck

seeking a worldly king. Practical rational advice rather than

spiritual counsel.

 Proverbs 12:15, “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but he

who heeds counsel is wise.” But what if the counsel is not practical?

But what if the counsel is repetitive? What if I’ve already tried it?

Yeah, you’re right, all and any of those things causes the Word of God

to fail? SMH. Elisha told them to go and wash in the Jordan seven

times. Jesus told lepers to go show themselves to the priests. Made no

sense…, all ten were healed. But yeah, you don’t really want counsel,

you want what you want… I don’t condemn you for it, I just know that

the foolish remain as they are when it’s the wise that always fine

themselves going from victory to victory…

1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 6 – 9

 Samuel was told to “heed the voice of the people.” Was what the

people were asking for a good thing? Debatable. The nation was going

to have a king. Genesis 17:6, God said to Abraham, prophetically, in a

promise, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations

of you, and kings shall come from you.”

 We also read in Deuteronomy 17:14-15, “When you come to the land

which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it,

and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around

me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God

chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you;

you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.”

 So, we know that the nation was going to have a king. Heeding the

voice of the people was of itself not a bad thing. The issue is the

reason for the request of the people. This is an interesting concept.

What the people wanted was prophetically promised by God. Why the

people wanted it was wrong. God gives them what He has promised

but the interesting principle here to present is that even though this is

a fulfilled promise of God, it won’t turn out good for the people…

 The blessing is not necessarily in the receiving of the promises of God.

The blessing is in the worship of God alone. The right promise, the

right answer to prayer, with the wrong heart, can be devastating…

Check this out, Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is

understanding…” Most everyone knows that key, critical truth… But

look at this revelation…

 Proverbs 22:4, as rendered in the NIV Translation, “Humility is the

fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” What a

revelation! Humility equates to wisdom… And man, this is so

observably evident in a person… The people approach and inquire of

God in personal pride and self-seeking… They know the promise of

God for a king, and God delivers… But because of the state of their

heart, which displeased Samuel, the man of God, even the fulfillment

of God’s promise costs them rather than blesses them…

 Revelation? Humility is wisdom… It’s all about the humility of the

heart in experiencing the blessings of God! God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves before the Lord,

and He will lift you up. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility

toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor

to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty

hand, that He may lift you up. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or

vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not

looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the

others. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled (even in the

fulfillment of the promises of God), and those who humble themselves

will be exalted.

1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 10 – 18

 Another interesting concept… Pray for something, God delivers…,

and you end up regretting it… As difficult as it is, a better approach

to life is to trust the Lord, ask Him for His will upon your life, heed

the counsel of His Word, and then with what comes, seek the Lord in it

and through it. These are the actions, attitudes and non-negotiables

of the humble! And therefore, the wise…

 I’d be willing to wager that with that approach, not only will you find

yourself blessed but you’ll also find yourself strong in joy. Everything

you tough turns a profit beyond expectation. The respect and

admiration of the people around you will come swiftly, naturally and

incessantly. Even your enemies…, Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s way

pleases the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

 Humility cannot help but bring along with it as lasting rewards riches

and honor and life…! I have to say, when I encounter folks that

refuse to humble themselves, I know they’re missing out, I know they

have a debilitating self-focus problem, I know they’re spiritually

impaired which is leading to them being very truly mentally impaired,

and I know that whatever problem they’re facing will not be solved.

 Wisdom isn’t something that takes time to develop. Keep walking in

knowledge, make your mistakes, learn from them, and eventually you

will be wise. That is a very worldly perspective. Wisdom is available

real-time immediately to everyone through bowing the knee to God.

1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verses 19 – 22

 Time to ask for what you want, get what you want, and suffer with

what you’ve gotten. It’s the old adage…, “You made your bed…”