King
"Yeah, well, you're not going to live forever...and we need someone, or something, we can count on!" The words were spoken in anger, complete with a finger pointed in Samuel's face. It wasn't like he hadn't expected it. This pot had been boiling for some time now. Now it was boiling over.
It had begun many years before, with his predecessor, Eli. Eli had been a good priest, a good leader, but his sons...well, they were scoundrels. Everyone knew it. Eli knew it. They would routinely steal food from people, treat people like they were less than human, and other things he'd rather not think about or talk about. That's why he, Samuel, had been called to this job so young; there was no one to replace Eli as the spiritual leader of Israel.
As a young boy, God had spoken to him in the Temple. He had some trouble hearing it at first, but once he recognized the voice of God, it quickly became very familiar to him. And it was always very comforting to sense God leading, speaking, guiding. After all, his nation was a theocracy; God was their king. Or he was supposed to be.
Lately, the people had been looking around and noticing that they were the only nation in the entire area who didn't have a king. And then they began asking why not. Why did they have to be different? And they began to sound like teenagers. "Why can't we have a king like everyone else?"
Samuel had spent much time in the last few years explaining to them that God was their king. "Yes," the argument usually went, "but we can't see or hear God. We only have your word to go on as to what God wants."
"Don't you trust me? Have I not proven faithful to the people and to God?" Samuel would ask.
And that's when the angry retort came. Sure, they trusted him, they would say. But they also knew Samuel wasn't getting any younger (well, who was, anyway?), and there didn't appear to be anyone coming behind him who could lead the people as he had. His sons weren't any better than Eli's had been. The people, they just wanted a king they could see, one they could hear, one they could show off to other nations.
Why did they think they had to be like everyone else?
He worried what would happen when he told them this latest word from God. He really couldn't believe it—God was giving in to the people's demands. "It's not you they're rejecting, Samuel," God had told him. "It's me they are rejecting. Don't take it personally. Give them a king. Let them know it won't go well, but give them a king."
Samuel was always amazed at the way God worked. But he worried for the people, because he knew what would happen. A king would take their children off to war. A king would demand taxes. A king would take part of their property and their flocks. And yet they still wanted a king. Samuel worried what would happen when they changed from following God's guidance to listening to a human king. Could they still be the people of God if they shoved God out of their lives? He didn't know, and what worried him the most was his fear that the people simply wouldn't care if they were still the people of God or not.
It had begun many years before, with his predecessor, Eli. Eli had been a good priest, a good leader, but his sons...well, they were scoundrels. Everyone knew it. Eli knew it. They would routinely steal food from people, treat people like they were less than human, and other things he'd rather not think about or talk about. That's why he, Samuel, had been called to this job so young; there was no one to replace Eli as the spiritual leader of Israel.
As a young boy, God had spoken to him in the Temple. He had some trouble hearing it at first, but once he recognized the voice of God, it quickly became very familiar to him. And it was always very comforting to sense God leading, speaking, guiding. After all, his nation was a theocracy; God was their king. Or he was supposed to be.
Lately, the people had been looking around and noticing that they were the only nation in the entire area who didn't have a king. And then they began asking why not. Why did they have to be different? And they began to sound like teenagers. "Why can't we have a king like everyone else?"
Samuel had spent much time in the last few years explaining to them that God was their king. "Yes," the argument usually went, "but we can't see or hear God. We only have your word to go on as to what God wants."
"Don't you trust me? Have I not proven faithful to the people and to God?" Samuel would ask.
And that's when the angry retort came. Sure, they trusted him, they would say. But they also knew Samuel wasn't getting any younger (well, who was, anyway?), and there didn't appear to be anyone coming behind him who could lead the people as he had. His sons weren't any better than Eli's had been. The people, they just wanted a king they could see, one they could hear, one they could show off to other nations.
Why did they think they had to be like everyone else?
He worried what would happen when he told them this latest word from God. He really couldn't believe it—God was giving in to the people's demands. "It's not you they're rejecting, Samuel," God had told him. "It's me they are rejecting. Don't take it personally. Give them a king. Let them know it won't go well, but give them a king."
Samuel was always amazed at the way God worked. But he worried for the people, because he knew what would happen. A king would take their children off to war. A king would demand taxes. A king would take part of their property and their flocks. And yet they still wanted a king. Samuel worried what would happen when they changed from following God's guidance to listening to a human king. Could they still be the people of God if they shoved God out of their lives? He didn't know, and what worried him the most was his fear that the people simply wouldn't care if they were still the people of God or not.
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