We want a King… (3 things)

• 1^st – Looking for a King… vs. 1-9 Read: I Samuel 8:1-9
  • Samuel was old (perhaps around 60)… vs. 1-3
    • Appointed his sons as judges – Joel (Yahweh is God) and Abijah (Yahweh is my father)…
      • Samuel continued to Judge in Ramah (north) – his sons in Beersheba (south)…
      • The problem was they were not like their father – they were greedy for money…
      • The sons accepted bribes from the people – and perverted justice…
      • Proverbs 17:23 – “The wicked accept secret bribes to pervert justice.”
      • In the PI 100 billion pesos – 13% of the annual budget – is lost to bribes every year!
      • When you avoid the L.T.O. – because you want to keep your cargo…
      • When you do not trust the judge – because he is willing to take a bribe…
      • When a people or a nation – is allowed to receive bribes – there is no justice!
    • Samuel was a Godly man – but his values were not passed on to his children…
      • Just because we love Jesus – is no guarantee our children will follow the Lord…
      • We must hold kids accountable for their actions – teach them right from wrong…
      • Do not be afraid to lovingly punish you children – teach them consequences…
      • Proverbs 23:13 – “Do not fail to correct your kids. They won’t die if you spank them.”
      • If we as parents do not teach our kids – they will be ill equipped for the real world!
      • Hebrews 12:6 -“For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.”
      • God teaches us through disciple – not out of anger – but to show His love!
      • Discipline teaches us boundaries – keeps us from things that would harm us!
  • Rejecting God as the King… vs. 4-9
    • The leaders of Israel came to Samuel to discuss the problem…
      • They asked Samuel to give them a King to rule over them instead of a judge…
      • Samuel was upset by their request – so he went to the Lord for advice…
      • I am sure to Samuel it felt like they were rejecting him – like he had failed…
      • We are called to warn one another – point each other to Jesus – Hebrews 3:13…
      • But we are not responsible for the sins of others – nor are they responsible for ours
      • Everyone will stand before God one day – accountable for their own actions…
      • We cannot blame others for what we have done – others cannot blame us!
    • The Lord told Samuel – they were not rejecting him – they were rejecting God…
      • Israel already had a King – God Almighty – yet they refused to follow their KING…
      • Every since Israel had left Egypt they had rebelled against their King…
      • Even though Israel had a valid concern – the greedy sons of Samuel…
      • Their solution was to run to a man – rather than to God for the answer!
      • In life it is not a question of if we will have problems – but when…
      • When things are not going well –where do we go – what do we do…
      • If we rely and depend on others – then in effect we are rejecting God!

• 2^nd – The cost of a King… vs. 10-22 Read: I Samuel 8:19-22
  • God told Samuel to warn the people about a King… vs. 10-18
    • If the people wanted a King – the King would take from the people…
      • A king would take their sons – and make them work for him (army / fields)…
      • A king would take their daughters – to cook and clean in his houses…
      • A king would take their best – 10% of everything that they owned!
      • In other words they had a choice – but their choice could cost them dearly…
    • Up till then God had appointed Judges over Israel – who served Israel…
      • But if Israel wanted a king – they would become his servants!
      • Romans 6:16 – “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?”
      • In life we are going to be a servant to someone – the question is who…
      • We can choose to trust in this world – and we become a slave to this world…
      • If we run to the world for answers to problems – we are limited to their solutions…
      • If the world says to run to the faith healer because we are sick – we have to go!
      • But if we choose to trust in Jesus – He can do far more than those in this world!
      • John 8:36  – “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
    • The day would come when Israel would not want a king…
      • They would come to realize the cost – the difficulties of following a flawed man…
      • But God would not listen to their cries – because they choose their king!
      • God respects our choice – but expects us to live with the consequences…
      • Galatians 6:7 – “God is not mocked – what a man sows he will also reap…”
      • When we have no money – we want to blame God for not providing…
      • Forgetting that all we foolishly spent on things we did not need…
      • If we choose to run to the world – then we cannot blame God for not helping!
        
  • Israel wanted to be like the other nations… vs. 19-22
    • Israel would not listen to the warning – they wanted a king…
      • Someone to judge them – who would lead them into battle…
      • Sad because God was their perfect Judge – and their absolute confidence in battle…
      • A king would make mistakes – his judgment might be selfish / biased…
      • And there was no guarantee of victory if he led them into battle…
      • But Israel would rather be like the other nations – than to be like God…
    • Being a Christian means we are not like those around – we are different…
      • We follow the Word of God – not the opinions of the world…
      • There is always a temptation to want to blend into the crowd – to be accepted…
      • God calls us to be a peculiar people – I Peter 2:9 – we are not supposed to blend in…
      • If we acted just like the world – why would anyone want to ask us about Jesus…
      • It is because we are different – love / grace / holiness – we should stand out…
      • Giving us the opportunity to tell others about the hope we have in us – I Peter 3:15
        
• 3^rd – The new king of Israel… vs. 1-27 Read: I Samuel 9:1-6, 14-20
  • An impressive résumé… vs. 1-2
    • Saul was a man from the tribe of Benjamin – the son of Kish (snare)…
      • Kish was a very wealthy man – so Saul came from an affluent family…
      • Saul was a handsome man / and taller than anyone else in the Land…
      • If you were looking for a King – he seemed to be the perfect choice…
    • Yet in the end Saul turned out to be a wicked King…
      • God would replace him with a poor boy from an unimportant family…
      • Even his Father overlooked him when Samuel came to find the next king…
      • Because God does not look at the outward – God looks at the heart!
    • Often men focus only on the outside – give the appearance of being religious/good…
      • They carry a bigger Bible – have the fanciest clothes – volunteer for the choir…
      • They have their name written in bulletins – or on plaques in the church…
      • They pray long fancy prayers – for what seems like hours – using big words…
      • Giving the appearance of great godliness – but their lives do not match their words
      • God is not impressed by the outside – the Lord looks at the heart – I Samuel 16:7
      • No matter how ‘good you look’ – if the heart is not right – you are still unclean…
      • In contrast – if your heart is right – no matter how the outside looks – you are clean!
      • When we get saved Jesus doesn’t clean the outside first – He takes care of the heart
      • Then in time the outside comes to reflect the new life we have on the inside!
  • Meeting with Samuel… vs. 3-18
    • One day some of Kish’s donkeys strayed away…
      • Saul was sent out to look for them – but could not find them anywhere…
      • Saul was ready to give up – his father would be worried about him now…
      • When his servant realized they were near where Samuel lived…
      • He suggested they should go and ask the prophet where the donkeys had gone…
      • Saul had not prayed for God to help him – and did not even think to ask the Lord!
      • We tend to think we have an answer – other than Jesus – to our problems…
      • That is why we try everything else first – then as a last resort …
      • We go to the Word / prayer – the only answer that is guaranteed to work!
    • Saul hesitated to go – because they had no gift to give…
      • It was the custom to always bring a gift when you visited a house…
      • The servant had a little bit of money he could give – it would be enough…
      • My mom always taught me never to go visit someone empty handed…
      • That way the person you are going to visit will always be happy to see you!
      • Saul was full of excuses to keep him far seeking God – keep him from the Lord…
      • People make up all kinds of excuses to justify why they do not go to church…
      • They have to work on Sunday – they have nothing to wear / give…
      • No matter what the excuse – they do not go because they do not want to!
  • Chosen to be the King… vs. 19-27
    • Saul met some women at the well – told him there was a festival…
      • Samuel was going to be there to offer a special sacrifice to the Lord…
      • As they came up to the city – Samuel was coming out for the fiesta…
      • The Lord had ‘spoke in his ear’ the day before – he would meet Saul this day…
      • When Samuel passed Saul (who he had never met) God said – ‘this is the man!’
      • Saul would be the ‘commander’ of Israel – saving them from the Philistines…
    • Samuel introduced himself – and invited Saul to the fiesta…
      • He told Saul to come along – and he would tell him all that was on his heart…
      • Also he did not need to worry about the donkeys – they were home safe!
      • The suggestion is the donkeys got lost in the first place to get Saul there…
      • Too often in life we end up getting stressed about things happening in our lives…
      • Yet we find God allowed those things to bring us where He wanted us!
    • All of the hope of Israel was on Saul – he would be their king…
      • Saul argued with Samuel – he was not fit to be King…
      • Benjamin was the least of all the tribes of Israel – there were very in number…
      • Benjamin had rebelled and gone to war with the other 11 tribes – Judges 20…
      • And the family of Saul was the ‘least’ in all of his tribe…
      • There is a common misconception that God only uses the ‘elite’…
      • In order to be used by God you have to have a 4-year degree – PhD in theology…
      • That is the wisdom of men – a worldly idea that has crept into the church…

• You don’t see any Bible colleges or seminaries in the Bible – you just see sinners… 
• A piece of paper on a wall – not matter how pretty – is still just a piece of paper…
• I know a lot of men who have the ‘pastoral degree’ – who are not pastors…
• And I know a lot of men who have no degree – no diplomas – who are pastors!
• The calling of God – is shown through the work of God through someone’s life!
• Samuel took Saul inside to the festival – held in his honor!
  • They table was set and Saul was given the chief seat / the special cut of meat…
  • Saul spent the night there with Samuel – and in the morning they talked…
  • Samuel gave him a special message – instructions from the Word for a king…
  • In Deuteronomy 17 – God gave instructions for a king who would rule Israel…
  • He had to be a Jew / could not add horses – money – wives / had to know the Bible!
  • Though God does not need us to have a degree – diploma of higher education…
  • That does not mean it is not advantageous for us to be students of the Word!

II Timothy 2:15 – “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”