This chapter marks the beginning of
Israel’s transition to a monarchy. On
the surface it seems that the people knew Samuel’s sons were not righteous like
their father and wanted another leader.
But there is a hint that there is an alternative motive, at least: “appoint
for us a king to judge us like all
the nations.”
The sinful desire for wealth led Samuel’s
sons to take bribes and thereby distort justice. God’s command to leaders was “You
shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not
accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause
of the righteous” (Deuteronomy 16:19, ESV). This stands today as God’s expectation for His
leaders of the Church. 1 Peter 5:2 (ESV) is clear:
“2 shepherd the flock of God
that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly,
as God would have you; not for
shameful gain, but eagerly . . ..” [see
also 1
Timothy 3:8 and Titus 1:7]
With that as the pretext, Israel demanded a
king as others nations have a king. This
request was no surprise to God for He communicated through Moses this
eventuality in Deuteronomy 17:14–15
(ESV)
14 “When
you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it
and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations
that are around me,’ 15 you
may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from
among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner
over you, who is not your brother.
Both in Deuteronomy and in our passage,
Israel’s desire for a king fell within God’s ‘permissive’ will but it came with
warnings and consequences. God viewed
their choice as “they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the
deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to
this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to
you.”[1]
This event is an important lesson in Divine
Guidance and knowing the will of God. On
one level you can say, it was God’s will for Israel to have a king (“And the
Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the
voice of the people in all that they say to you . . .” (1 Samuel 8:7a, ESV).
On another level is\t was not God’s will. In Samuel’s farewell speech he said, “you
shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the
sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.”[2] The conclusion is
inescapable. It was God’s will to
will what He deemed not His will.
To make the matter more complicated, the greatest Son of David, the Lord
Jesus Christ, will come and be found with the lineage of King David, the consequence
to Israel’s evil desire for a king. So
the issue becomes intense: It was God’s
will to will what He deemed not His will, in order to bring to pass His will.
It scares me when I hear people defend what
seem to be questionable decisions, by saying, “I know this is God’s will.” What if it’s God’s will, not that it’s a good
and moral choice, but what if it’s God’s will in the sense He has willed what
is not His will? Have we as parents not
done this at a certain level. What about
the response to a child that goes something like this: “OK, you won’t listen,
so go ahead and do that, you will need to learn that your Daddy/Mommy was
right.”
I wonder how many Christians rationalize
divorce by claiming some divine guidance and affirmation, but what really is
happening is that God is willing, what He does not will, in order to bring to
pass His will?
I wonder how many Christians consider a
certain job choice or career decision by claiming God’s peace and pleasure, but
what really is happening is that God is willing, what He does not will, in order
to bring to pass His will?
In Israel’s case, their desire for a king
and God giving them a king – just like all the other nations, in part exposed
the wickedness and evil in their hearts.
Sadly that is one reason that sometimes we will what God does not will,
but He wills we do it anyway – just so the horrid evilness of our hearts is
seen.
St. Augustine wrote, “Great is the work of
God, exquisite in all he wills! so that, in a manner wondrous and ineffable,
that is not done without his will which is done contrary to it, because it
could not be done if he did not permit; nor does he permit it unwillingly, but
willingly; nor would He who is good permit evil to be done, were he not omnipotent
to bring good out of evil.”[3]
“Thus we must hold, that while by means of
the wicked God performs what he had secretly decreed, they are not excusable as
if they were obeying his precept, which of set purpose they violate according
to their lust.”[4]
Never assume that because someone says, “It
is God’s will” that indeed it is His “good and acceptable and perfect[5] will. He may be willing
what is not His will! But the holy,
sovereign God is not handicapped or handcuffed to these events, for indeed,
with Joseph we know: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many
people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20, ESV) [emphasis mine]
[1] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 8:7–8). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[5] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 12:2). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
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