Person-2-Person - Current month

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa

When the people of Israel wanted to have a king like other nations, they didn’t know what they were asking (1 Sam. 8:4-5). At that time, Israel was loosely ruled by shofetim, translated “judges” in English language Bibles. There wasn’t always a shofet or “judge.” Instead, one arose whenever they were needed, either to lead the people back into a right relationship with God or in battle against their enemies.

The current judges were Samuel’s two sons, and they were corrupt (vs. 1-3). It might also have been a time of déjà vu for Samuel—or perhaps one of horror. In chapter 2, when Samuel was just a boy, the sons of Eli were priests (2:12). Among their other duties, priests were supposed to interpret God’s will and speak for God, but Eli’s sons weren’t representing God. Instead, they were greedy and corrupt—just like Samuel’s two sons.

Many Bible commentaries—and the text itself (8:6-9)—describe the people of Israel as wicked and faithless, turning their backs on God to go and worship idols, but I think they may have had a good reason for wanting a change. When all you see of God is that his representatives are crooks, you can become disillusioned. The people might have thought things would be better if they had a king. Deuteronomy chapter 17 says they could have a king as long as they chose another Israelite so they were within their rights to ask for one.

Samuel said just because they could have a king, that didn’t mean they should. He told them a king would take their sons, daughters, land, crops, servants, cattle, and sheep, and they would have nothing to show for it (vs. 11-18). Yet, somehow, nobody apparently thought that was a bad deal. I surely would have.

This is more speculation on my part but they might also have just wanted to be like everyone else. The people of Israel were supposed to be set apart, different from other nations. Ultimately, God was supposed to be their king (Psa. 47). The burden of being different must have chafed at times. I can certainly relate to that.

The people kept insisting, and Samuel finally said something like, “Oh, all right” (vs. 22). In the next chapter (9:1-2), we meet a military commander named Saul, and in the chapter after that (10:24-25), Samuel makes him Israel’s first king. Through Samuel, God gave the people of Israel exactly what they wanted, and created a “teachable moment.” God showed them that just because they wanted something, it wasn’t necessarily best.

The answers to our own prayers and requests might not be what we wanted or come when we wanted but there will always be an answer. That doesn’t mean there won’t be dark times but God will be with us in the midst of them (Psa. 9:9-10). The people of Israel were looking at people and circumstances instead of looking to God. As a result, they gave up on something that made them special and unique.

Just for a moment, I’m going to show you what a nerd I am: There’s a trope in comic books of superheroes who are outcasts—set apart—like the X Men. If we’re willing to be be different—unique—we can be superheroes for God. The Bible says we can have superpowers. In Galatians 5, Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (vs. 22-23a Evangelical Heritage Version). Having powers doesn’t make us heroes though, it’s what we do with them.

I wrote earlier that God acted through Samuel, and God can act through us. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” (EHV). Our “superpowers” can enable us to do amazing things: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, bring hope to the hopeless, and the promise of salvation to the lost. The Ephesians were gentiles like us—they weren’t Israelites. But God’s promise to people of Israel extended to them—and it extends to us. We can be God’s people and share in the same inheritance. We can be superheroes for God.

“Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to them, and appoint a king for them.’
“So Samuel said to the men of Israel, ‘Each of you go home to your own city.’” (1 Sam. 8:21-22 EHV.)