Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
1 SAMUEL 8
Israel Asks for a King
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
Application Notes
8:1-3 As an old man, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges over Israel in his place. But they were just as corrupt as Eli's sons (2:12). We don't know why Samuel's sons went wrong, but we do know that Eli was held responsible for his own sons’ corruption (2:29-34 ).
We have no way of knowing if Samuel was a bad parent. His children were old enough to make their own decisions and take responsibility for themselves. We must be careful not to blame ourselves for the sins of our children. On the other hand, parenthood is an awesome responsibility, and nothing is more important than molding and shaping our children's lives.
If you have grown children who are not following God, realize that you can't control them any longer. Don't blame yourself for something that is no longer your responsibility. Adult children have their own free will. You can love them, pray for them, and always welcome them home. But if your children are still in your care, know that what you do and teach will profoundly affect them in ways that will last a lifetime.
8:4-9 Israel wanted a king for several reasons: (1) Samuel’s sons were not fit to lead Israel. (2) The 12 tribes of Israel continually had problems working together because each tribe had its own leader and territory. They hoped a king would unite the tribes into one nation and one army. (3)The people wanted to be like the neighboring nations. This is exactly what God didn't want. Having a king would make it easy to forget that God was the Israelites' real leader and that they were governed by his covenant law. For Israel to want a king was not explicitly wrong; God had mentioned the possibility in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Yet, in reality, the people were rejecting God as their leader. The Israelites wanted laws, an army, and a human monarch in the place of God. They wanted to run the nation through human strength, even though only God's strength could make them flourish in the hostile land of Canaan.
8:5-6 The people clamored for a king, thinking that a new system of government would bring them what they wanted, particularly military victory. But because their basic problem was disobedience to God, their other problems would only continue under the new administration. What they needed was a unified faith, not a uniform rule.
Had the Israelites submitted to God’s leadership, they would have thrived beyond their expectations (Deuteronomy 28:1). Our obedience is weak if we ask God to lead our families, businesses, and personal lives but continue to live by the world's standards and values. Faith in God's leadership must touch all the practical areas of life.
8:19-20 Samuel carefully explained all the negative consequences of having a king, but the Israelites refused to listen. When you have an important decision to make, weigh the positives and negatives carefully, considering everyone who might be affected by your choice. When you want something badly enough, you can be blinded to the potential consequences. Don't discount the possible negatives of getting what you want. It would be better to think things through beforehand than to have to fix a big mess later.
8:19-20 Israel was called to be a holy nation, separate from and unique among all others (Leviticus 20:26). The Israelites' motive in asking for a king was to be like the nations around them. This was in total opposition to God's original plan. Their reasons for wanting a king were wrong and demonstrated a lack of faith.
Often we let others’ values and actions dictate our attitudes and behavior. Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to be like everyone else? The values of your friends or “heroes” might pull you away from what God says is right. When God's people want to be Like unbelievers in certain ways, they are heading for spiritual disaster.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)