'Appreciating God's Love'
A) Samuel the Last Judge
I Sam 8:1,3-5 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel... But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
Since Samuel the prophet became the judge, the Israelites were blessed with the Lord fighting on their side and peace.
However, when his sons who were unrighteous, were helping him in his old age the Israelites rejected him as the judge and wanted a king just like the idolatrous nations around them.
God comforted Samuel by telling him that the Israelites were not rejecting him as the judge but God Himself as their King. They had been rebellious since the day He took them out from Egypt.
Accept their Will of a King
I Sam 8:7-9 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."
Since God had given men their free will, He had been faithful to His words though it hurt Him tremendously to see men destined themselves to great sorrows, sufferings, deaths and damnation.
God told Samuel to accept their will of having a king to rule over them. But he had to warn them of the oppressive behaviours of human kings.
B) Forewarning of Having a King
I Sam 8:10-11,13-14,18 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots... "He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants... And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day."
With God as loving King, He is just. He will send His judges to deliver, help and restore them and He will remove their wicked descendants such as Eli's sons.
God told Samuel to warn them that human kings are imperfect and tend to be selfish. They are prone to exploit their positions and abuse their power for personal gains and satisfactions resulting to great sufferings and disappointments for the people.
Forewarning by Prophets
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
God has been faithful to His words by sending His warnings through the prophets and in the last days through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Lord and His apostles had warned us that we are saved for good works and warned us that the unrighteous, carnal and worldly Christians, who had not crucified their flesh and still remain untransformed will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
He also warned us of the perilous time for end time Christians and that unless they are well grounded in His words including His end time prophecies, even the very elect may be deceived.
C) Stiff-necked Israelites
I Sam 8:18-19 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us,"
Though the Israelites would weep and mourn because of their wicked kings, God promised that He would not deliver them from their pains and sorrows. They had decided to have a king to rule over them and had put God aside from interfering into their affairs.
It was really painful to God for they had chosen to suffer under human kings. To fulfill their will, God had to choose the best candidate and ensured that he was accepted by them.
They had seen the blessings of God when they obeyed His words and also their defeats and sufferings when there rebelled against Him. Yet they preferred to be their own boss than trusting God to lead them. This was their pride, stiff-neckedness, stupidity and rebellion.
I Pet 4:1-3 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles— when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
Similarly, many Christians today, refuse to keep His words so that they can be transform into His image, but twist and distort His words to justify their worldliness.
