In 1 Samuel 8, a significant event occurred in the history of Israel—they demanded an earthly king (1 Samuel 8:4-5).  Samuel was immediately offended by their request, viewing it as a rejection of him.   God pointed out, however, that their request was not a rejection of Samuel but of Him (ver. 7).

While God had Samuel warn the Israelites of how badly their king would treat them, they refused to give up their demand because they desperately wanted to be like the nations around them (vers. 5, 20).

We learn two things from this momentous occasion in Israel’s history.  First, we all must decide who we want to be our king.  Unlike Israel, which was forced to make a collective decision, we must decide this as individuals.  Who are you going to follow and obey?  Who are you going to let guide you, fight your battles, and protect you?  It seems like an easy decision, doesn’t it?  It was easy for Israel too, but they made the wrong decision.  Will you make the right decision?

If you have not already, determine in your heart right now that God is going to be the one who rules your life and reigns in your heart.  As citizens of the kingdom of God, it is the only right way to live our lives.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Do you do this?  Do you seek the kingdom of God first in your life?  The Greek word for kingdom here is basileia, and Vine tells us that it “is primarily an abstract noun, denoting ‘sovereignty, royal power, dominion.’”  While this word often refers to the people over whom a king rules, sometimes, especially when God is under consideration, it denotes the sphere of God’s rule.  The primary point of Jesus in Matthew 6:33 is that we should allow the sphere of God’s rule to be our hearts and lives.

Who can rule and watch over us better than God?  The answer is no one, and it should not take us more than a split second to come to that conclusion.  Who else do you know who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent?  How foolish it is to choose someone else to be our king.  How foolish Israel was.  Let us not make the same mistake that they did.

The second important lesson we learn from Israel’s bad decision is not to develop a desire to be like the world.  This is what drove the Israelites to desire a king.  They suggested some other reasons for wanting an earthly king, namely the bad behavior of the sons of Samuel, but it always ended with wanting to be like the other nations.

If you desire to be like the world, you will not serve God acceptably.  This is why Paul admonished us to avoid such a desire.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

To conform to the world is to act in agreement with it or to go along with its prevailing customs.  When those customs are contrary to God’s will, it becomes sinful to imitate them.  But being popular with people can sometimes drive us, or sometimes God’s people simply fall in love with the things of this world.  John reminds us of how disastrous this can be (1 John 2:15-17).

Let us all choose God to be our King and not allow a desire to be like the world to get in our way.  Choosing an earthly king to lead, guide, and protect them instead of God was a terrible decision on the part of Israel, a decision that ultimately played a major role in their destruction.  Let’s learn from their mistake and do better.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.