1 Samuel 8:3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
So many parents take ownership of the mistakes of their children. And it can be heartbreaking when our children go astray and there is nothing we can do to bring them back. I think this is one of the greatest heartbreaks that we a parents face.
One of the great leaders of Israel was Samuel. He had done a great job leading Israel through very difficult days. He had been the one the whole nation looked up to when things got tough.
But his kids were the exact opposite of him. Instead of acting with integrity toward the covenant they had made with the LORD, they went the way of the world around them. They went for the money. They were paid for their influence, and they used their influence to gain even more money and power. Not the kind of leaders the LORD wants.
And these were Samuel’s kids! What a contrast. And the people see their behavior and they know they don’t want THAT kind of leadership. So what do they do? They ask for a king. Not just any king, but a king like the nations around them. They want to be like the other nations.
What! The LORD called them to be a very different type of nation, a very different type of people. They were HIS nation, HIS people. They were to reflect His character and values to the rest of the world. And they were failing.
The LORD had be their King, their leader, their protector, their guide, their comfort, their provider. Why would they want to be like the other nations and reject the LORD as their king? Because they saw the results of sin in their future leaders, these two sons. They were in essence saying, “Anyone but these two bozo’s!”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it! And the LORD gave them what they wanted, even though He had told them in advance the great costs of that decision. There is a cost to rebelling against the LORD. And we see the cost playing out in the history of Israel going forward.
Do you recognize the costs of your own rebellion against the LORD’s authority in your life, in the life of your family, in the life of your community, the life of your nation, the life of this world?
This is the very cost that Jesus carried on the Cross. If only we would all, the entire world, life under His kingship. What a great place this would be.
And it will be! There is a “new heaven and a new earth” coming one day. And He will be King over all.
The Arnold Journey 