1 Samuel 8:1-9

Seeking a King like Other Nations

1 Samuel 8:1

The sin that Samuel, as a lad, rebuked in Eli, reappeared in his own family and undermined his influence. The names of Samuel's sons are suggestive of his own piety-“Jehovah is God” and “Jehovah is my Father”-but, alas, they failed to walk in His steps! It was a mistake to delegate authority to men whose character was corrupt, and this precipitated the desire of Israel for a king. They failed to value the glory and strength of their position as a theocracy-a nation directly ruled by God-and craved to be as other nations. This finally led to their undoing. Be not conformed to the world; or you will share in its condemnation as well as in its penalty, Hosea 13:9.

Samuel felt the rebuff keenly, but ultimately he took the one wise step of laying the whole matter before the Lord. It is a good example! When the heart is overwhelmed; when we are hemmed in by difficulty; when men rise up and breathe out cruelty against us, let us roll back our trouble on our Lord and Savior, who has identified Himself with our life. Tell Him all, though your heart is almost too broken for utterance. “He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry,” Isaiah 30:19.