“We want a king, Samuel.” “Away with you and your ungodly sons!” “We need a king right now. Today. Just like other nations.”
This was the yelling and yearning of all the people who had experienced or heard the evil deeds of Samuel’s children. Truly, their complaint had a solid basis, but their demand was quite a stretch.
Humans value the short-term gratification of our feelings. If we search for evidence, it’s merely to support our preconceived notion. In fact, most scientific studies begin with a hypothesis, and then we strive to prove it. Rarely, and pleasantly, I must say, we run in the wild, allowing the experiment to lead us to undiscovered terrains that we never set out to discover.
Samuel understood that these people wanted relief from the abuses his children had caused. Their pains required attention and a solution. However, the long-term consequences of the solution they demanded were hefty. God’s chosen servants (Samuel’s sons) have given the people of Israel a reason to box God into a corner.
The demand displeased Samuel and saddened God’s heart. In a last-ditch effort at reconciliation, God told Samuel to warn them concerning what leadership under the new king would cost them – forceful conscription of their sons, daughters turned to the king’s servants, repossession of lands, crops, and livestock, etc. The people of Israel heard all the terrifying consequences but were defiant. When Samuel reported back to God, He told him to consent to their demand. In the future, the consequences of their choice caught up with them, and they cried unto God for help.
Dear reader, value long-term effects over short-term feelings. Making permanent decisions based on temporary pain, without carefully considering how these alter the trajectory of your life, is dangerous. You don’t need to be like the others. Tell God the pains, but remain under His kingship.
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 8:9-22
