Bible Studies
Will God Be the King? (1 Sam. 8:1-9)
Series: Studies in First SamuelIntroduction:
1. We have been studying in the Book of Judges. Two weeks ago we addressed the last two chapters in the book, which includes the account of the civil war in Israel that resulted from the rape and murder of the Levite’s concubine. 2. There was some ambiguity in your minds as to whether I had ended the series on Judges. (Heath reflected this ambiguity in his comments at the close of the assembly.) 3. This same kind of ambiguity is reflected in the biblical record. Is the end of the Book of Judges the end of the judges?a. If you read continuing from the Book of Judges and into the Book of Ruth you learn that the events described in Ruth took place during the time that the judges governed Israel (1:1).
b. One of the purposes of the Book of Judges is to lead us to the period of the kings. This is evident by the repeated statement, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).
c. The Book of Ruth ends with a note about the lineage of David. Ruth was the mother of Obed, who would become the father of Jesse, who would become the father of David, who would become the king of Israel.
d. If we keep reading into the Book of 1 Samuel--Eli and Samuel seem to continue the historical account of the judges. Samuel is identified as a prophet who in this capacity serves to judge Israel. The Book of 1 Samuel leads us into the establishment of the kings with Saul and then David.
4. Paul summarized this period in his sermon in Pisidian Antioch. He said that after God destroyed the Canaanites and distributed their land to Israel, “He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He removed him, He raised up David, the Son of Jesse, to be their king, ‘a man,’ God said, ‘after My heart, who will do all My will’” (Acts 13:19-22). 5. What I want you to realize is that there is purposeful movement from Judges to Ruth to First and Second Samuel, and throughout all of Scripture. Where is this movement headed? 6. Paul defines it in Acts 13:23-25. The whole of Scripture is moving toward the coming of God’s king, Jesus Christ. (The “Our Spiritual Heritage Curriculum” is designed to make this clear. Parents and teachers make this clear in your instruction.)Discussion:
I. Israel’s first experience with kings did not work out so well (Judges 9).A. Israel had approached Gideon with an offer of kingship after he defeated the Midianties. He declined saying, “The Lord shall rule over you” (Judges 8:22-23).
B. After the death of Gideon, Gideon’s son Abimelech, used force to place himself in the position of king.
C. Although he was the son of a concubine and Gideon had other 70 sons who might have served to lead Israel, Abimelech appealed to his mother’s relatives in Shechem for the position of king.
D. Having gained their allegiance he killed the other 70 sons of Gideon whom he regarded as threats to his position.
1. Jotham, however, escaped.
2. He cursed Abimelech condemning him for assassinating his brothers. He cursed Abimelech’s relatives who had allied themselves with him for not dealing faithfully with the household of Gideon.
3. Abimelech’s brief reign of three years was not peaceful. He was opposed by Gaal. His life ended at Thebez when a woman threw an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull.
4. “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) came upon them” (Judges 9:56-57).
II. God had spoken about them having a king shortly after the Exodus (Deut. 17:14-20).A. God did not prohibit them from having a king. Quite to the contrary this was the expectation.
B. However, the king that Israel was to have was to be one of God’s choosing.
1. This king was to come from Israel. He could not be a foreigner.
2. He was not to multiply horses for himself.
3. He was not to cause the people to return to Egypt.
4. He was not to multiply wives for himself or else his heart would turn away from the Lord.
5. He was not to multiply silver and gold for himself.
6. Instead he was to write for himself a copy of the law in the presence of the Levitical priests and read it all the days of his life.
C. It is clear that God’s message to the king is “Don’t forget Me; don’t forget what I have communicated to you.”
1. It is a personal message, but it involves others too. Don’t cause the people to return to Egypt.This is really not about geography, but about turning the people away from dependence upon the Lord (Cf. Num. chs. 11 and 14).
2. Multiplying wives would turn his heart away from the Lord.
3. Multiplying silver and gold would turn him away from the Lord.
D. If we go back to Gideon . . .
1. Gideon rejected kingship saying, “the Lord shall rule over you” (Judges 8:22-23).
2. Yet he collected gold and led Israel in idolatry (Judges 8:23-27).
3. He multiplied wives (Judges 8:29-31). The result (Judges 8:33-35).
4. It was out of this context that Abimelech arose to claim kingship and reasoned that it was better for one son to rule than for 70 (Judges 9:2).
E. The Bible makes God the King of the universe. No human king can assume kingship except as the deputy of the divine King.
1. In Ex. 15 in the song of Moses after the crossing of the Red Sea verse 18 concludes, “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” Through the deliverance of Israel from Egypt God had confirmed His kingship.
2. Psa. 29:10 says, “The Lord sat as King at the flood; yes the Lord sits as King forever.” He was enthroned at the time of the flood.
3. Psa. 96:10 says, “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns,’ indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” This passage, interestingly, connects His kingship with judging the people.
F. There was nothing wrong with having a king as long as that king acted as the deputy of the divine King.
1. Leadership among the people of God is always as a deputy of the divine King. In every area of operation (government, church, family, etc.) we operate under the divine King.
2. Overseers in the Lord’s church (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-5).
a. The Holy Spirit makes overseers.
b. It is the church of God, which He purchased.
c. It is the flock of God.
d. To be overseen according to the will of God.
e. Overseers and shepherded by the Chief Shepherd.
3. Heads of families.
a. In relation to wives they are disciplined by Christ’s model (Eph. 5:25ff).
b. In relation to children they are to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
4. In leadership in work.
a. Slaves serve as to Christ (Eph. 6:5-7).
b. Masters have their Master in heaven (Eph. 6:9).
III. But when Israel asked for a king in 1 Sam. 8 God said, “They have rejected Me from being King.”A. Samuel judged as a prophet. He was acting as a deputy of the divine King.
1. The prophet communicated God’s message.
2. As judge he applied God’s message in particular circumstances.
B. God spoke to them through Samuel about what a king would mean (1 Sam. 8:10-18).
C. The people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and insisted on a king (1 Sam. 8:19-22).
Conclusion:
1. Is God the King in your life? 2. The answer is found in whether or not you listen to his voice. 3. Submission is not always easy.a. Sometimes we mistake agreement with submission. We may agree with the King on many things and thus our actions look like submission when in fact all they are is us agreeing with the King.
b. Submission is proven when we are in disagreement with the King and we exalt His will over our own. This is faith.
4. Are you still on the throne in your life or have you given control to the King?
