God Rejects a King

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

The people are having a deja vu moment. Remember Eli’s sons.

Instead of trusting God for guidance, Israel thinks its wisdom will do just fine.

1 Corinthians 1:25 NASB95

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Cor. 1

A. The desire to be like the world

1 John 2:15 NASB95

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

What are some reasons we struggle with wanting to be like the world?

Sin is pleasurable. It feels good.

Sin satisfies the ungodly appetite.

Pride.

Ease.

The illusion of autonomy and control.

Wealth

Romans 12:2 NASB95

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

James 1:27 NASB95

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

B. Israel’s desire for a worldly king was a rejection of God as King

1 sam 8

1 Samuel 8:7 NASB95

The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

This too was all in God’s divine plan from the beginning.

What are some ways we reject God as our king?

Colossians 2:8 NASB95

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

II. The People’s King Fails to Trust God

1 Samuel 13:6–9 NASB95

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.

1 Sam. 13

Saul became impatient.

Saul proved not to be a faithful king.

Saul was arrogant.

1 Samuel 13:13–14 NASB95

Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

What is the relationship between fear and patience?

Fear prompts you to act when you should not act.

Fear is a mortal enemy of patience.

What is the relationship between faith and obedience?

James 1:22 NASB95

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

Matthew 7:24–27 NASB95

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Romans 2:13 NASB95

for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

III. The People’s King Fails to Obey God

1 Samuel 15:10–11 NASB95

Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night.

The term “regret” is what we call anthropomorphic language.

God cannot experience regret exactly in the same way we do because he is unlimited. God uses language we can understand to convey some information to us about his disposition toward human behavior.

1 sam 15

1 Samuel 15:22–23 NASB95

Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”

Hebrews 10:6–9 NASB95

In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ” After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.

Just like Adam, Saul failed.

There is no substitute for obedience

James 1:26 NASB95

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Why do so many people think they love Jesus but actually place next to no value on his teachings and his ethics?

James

James 2:17–19 NASB95

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Saying you love Jesus and felling like we love Jesus does not mean that we love him.

What do you think Saul would have said if you asked him if he loved God?

How do we know for sure that we love Jesus?

John 14:15 NASB95

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:21–24 NASB95

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

John 14:21 NASB95

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Saul rejected God by rejecting God’s Word, God’s commandment! When we reject God’s Word, we reject God.

Matthew 7:26–27 NASB95

“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

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