Give us a king …
“And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:5-7) ‘T he only hope our country has to survive the next four years is if everyone votes for the candidate I voted for!” Every four years, we are allowed the freedom and privilege to be able to go to the voting booth and make our desires known to the powers that be. There have been some elections in the past that may not have gone the way some may have wanted, and we all remember the issue with the “hanging chads” during the 2000 election, or Hilary Clinton’s claims that the 2016 election was stolen from her, or perhaps some may say the same about the 2020 election. It seems as if every four years there are always problems, no matter what party wins the election, and when it is time to cast our votes, then those being elected begin to promise to fix the problems.
“This is the most important election that has ever taken place in this country” is a phrase that seems to be said a lot, especially during the present election.
Many make this statement claiming the candidate they support is clearly the only “right” choice and if that candidate is not elected, then the country will cease to exist.
I’m sure I am not the only person that has watched the changes that have taken place over the last decades and have the thought race through your mind, “we need a revival”. Growing up, we always heard the older generation talk about the “good ole days” and listen to how they wish we could go back to the way things were. Many of us have heard that talk long enough that now we are the one’s looking back at the “good ole days” and wish our young ones could have experienced life as we knew it back then.
Many may agree that we are in desperate need of a revival, but some will turn to the government and expect a candidate to be the answer to every problem of life.
How many understand the great need for revival, but instead of looking to man for the solution, would rather turn to God and seek Him first? It seems just as much as has changed over the generations; things remain the same. When we look to the Old Testament, we find a group of people that needed a revival, but instead of turning to God, they desire to be like the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8).
1 Samuel 8 records the nation of Israel asking Samuel, the prophet, to give them a king like the other nations, but what brought them to this point? When we begin to look back through the history of this group of people, we begin to understand this was a group of people that were given promises from God. God spoke to Abram, instructing him to leave his father’s house and go to a land that would be shown to him, and promising Abram that from him would come a mighty nation that would be blessed by God and be a blessing to all nations of the world (Gen. 12:1-3). Following the record of events through the book of Genesis, it is evident that God providentially cared for Israel. During the time of great famine, Joseph was in a position of power and because of the providence of God, the children of Israel were able to dwell in the land of Goshen, not suffering any loss during the famine.
Israel was able to become a mighty nation of people in Goshen, but there came a time when a new Pharaoh began to rule Egypt that did not know the good things God did through Joseph and this Pharoah began tormenting the Israelites. Not only would God provide for Israel, but He also protected them, and Moses was sent to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage. God would send ten plagues to Egypt and at the end of these plagues, Israel would be released from Egypt because God was continually protecting them. Moving forward in the history of Israel will reveal God’s care for Israel as He would deliver a Law to this group of people to govern them and keep them distinct from the other nations around them (Lev. 20:26). These laws were given because Israel was a special people to God and had a special purpose (bring Christ into the world), and Israel was not to profane themselves like the other nations around them.
God providentially cared for them and as He promised, Israel was able to receive ALL that was promised to them (Joshua 21:43-45).
We might look at the brief history of Israel and begin to wonder how this group of people would reach the point of asking to be like the other nations. After Israel received all the promises from God and were able to dwell in the Promise Land, there arose another generation that did not know the goodness of God and began to rebel against Him, provoking God to anger (Judges 2:7-12). During this period, God would send a “judge” to deliver the people from the oppression they faced from the other nations, the last of these judges would be Samuel. The time came when Samuel was an older man, and it is at this time the people come to Samuel, requesting a king like the other nations, but why? “And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:3). Samuel’s sons were not honest judges and were persuaded by money to make judgments according to the bribes they received. Not being satisfied with the sons of Samuel, the people desired a king like the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). The demand of Israel was a rejection of Samuel, a rejection of Samuel’s sons, and a desire to be like the other nations, but most importantly, it was a rejection of God and the reign He had over them (1 Samuel 8:7).
Although many things change, many things remain the same. Like Israel, we have been blessed by God far greater than we ever deserve.
The Bible reminds us that God gives rain to the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). God continues to provide for the fields, the animals, and He provides for man (Matt. 6:2534). Every good gift comes from the Father above (James 1:17) and if we were to try to count every blessing God has given us in our lives, we would not be able to name them all. Not only has God provided for us, but He has also promised us eternal life and has given His only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Through the generations, God has remained the same, giving to those in need and promising eternal life through His Son, so why is there such a great need for revival today? Like Israel, there may be a generation that has forgotten the goodness of God, or perhaps have never learned of His goodness. Many have turned to the world, expecting the world to provide everything they desire, and have been disappointed. Through Israel’s history, God never left them nor forsook them, but, at times, they forsook God and left Him. God was always patiently awaiting their return, and when they turned to Him, He would bless them. We may find out that God has not left us nor forsook us, and He is still patiently awaiting us to turn back to Him.
Do we need a revival? Do we look to a candidate to be the answer to all of life’s problems? Do we expect politicians to finally come to agreement and put their agendas aside and begin to work for the good of the nation? Perhaps it might be best if we no longer look to man and start looking to God’s Word, putting His Word into practice in our lives, and receive the promises He has given in His Word. Now, more than ever, we need a revival in this world, but it will not take place by having a king like the other nations.
Jeremy Thornton is Minister of Highway 77 Church of Christ in Marion, Arkansas.
Jeremy Thornton
Minute with the Minister
