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“And it came to pass, when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn (of Samuel) was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.”[1]

When Hannah prayed for a son, she could not have imagined Samuel. Without children, she prayed earnestly for a son. God gave her Samuel, the prophet of God. At a very early, tender age, she took him to the temple. He grew up in the temple under Eli the high priest. 

Eli, the High Priest, and his sons had died in shame. In time, Samuel’s sons shamed their father, too. When God has used the father in a ministry, it is common to assume that God will use the sons in the same fashion. Just because the father enjoyed God's blessings in ministry does not necessarily mean, however, that the sons will assume their father’s role. Too often, a church follows an automatic progression from father to son. In this situation, neither the sons of Samuel nor the sons of Eli experienced God's blessings in ministry. Neither set of children sought God.

With an absence of leadership, the people cried for a king. The circumstances provided a legitimate time to begin looking for another leader. However, the comments of the people provide a glimpse into their real desires. Samuel warned them what would happen, and a long line of ungodly kings proved him right. These conditions present the opportunity for us to see circumstances that give rise to false prophets and leaders. It happened then, as history shows.

Sadly, the church of Jesus Christ follows the same patterns today. For like then, it chooses a man to lead them. The choice of a man brings sorrow and spiritual decline. Man does not rule by grace, mercy, or justice. These wolves in sheep’s clothing lead the sheep astray. Cleverly, they give the people what they desire. The people seek such leaders and encourage them to assume positions of leadership in the church.

When the Children of Israel came to Samuel, they did not ask for another prophet. They disregarded a godly man. Throughout their history, God had sent them Godly leaders. When they were in Egypt, He sent them Moses, who led them out of Egypt though the wilderness unto the brink of the Promised Land. Then, He replaced Moses with another godly man, Joshua. The time of the judges came after the death of Joshua.

During that era, God raised judges to rule and defend them. The book of Judges records numerous times that God lifted up judges, gave them unique abilities and strengths for their welfare and direction. He used them to bring the Children of Israel back to Him. Then came Samuel to lead God's people.

Samuel rehearsed to them what would happen, if they raised up for themselves a king. Verses 10-18 record his warnings. But, they turned aside from his warnings: “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us.”[2] 

They did not ask for a Godly man. Instead, they wanted someone to go out and fight their battles. They desired a leader who would wear a crown and dress in purple robes. They wanted a champion that they could follow just like the other nations.

These events describe the professing church of Jesus Christ today. The church wants a king to fight its battles. It does not want a Godly man. As the church has turned aside from seeking Godly leaders, it has substituted pizzazz and personality. A new list of characteristics demands a counselor, conciliator, and a good businessman. These marks identify the kind of leaders that the church wants. Godliness takes a back seat. The church no longer desires a man who communes with God. Like the Children of Israel, the church today disregards a Godly man for its leaders.

Second, they decided by popularity. If you read the whole passage, mark the frequent references to “the people.” Either the elders persuaded the people or the people convinced the elders. En masse, the people came to Samuel and demanded a king. Popularity justified their actions in their cry for a king.

Presently, the professing church has come to the same conclusion that popularity equals God's way. That explains how the church determines God's will. If the majority wants something, it must be God's will.

Christ's kingdom is not a democracy. The kingdom of Christ has a King in charge. His name is Jesus. He rules as head of the Church, His body. We need to find out what King Jesus wants to do, not what the vote of the people want to do. He is the King. He is in charge of the church. We do not have room for Jesus anymore. We want a king, all right, but not Jesus. 

A church that I attended a number of years ago had a practice that describes this custom. When it came time to select candidates for various church offices, they would seek candidates from each of the Sunday School classes and church organizations. They wanted to make sure that they had representatives from every group of people in the church. In practice, they ruled by the numbers, not by the Godliness of the candidates.

That is not how Jesus rules. He is in charge. He is the king. The church is an organism, not an organization. We do not need a CEO, a champion or someone powerfully persuasive in his personality. We need leaders who filled with the Holy Spirit, leaders who spend their time calling upon God and seeking His face. Then, when that kind of leader stands before the church and says, “This is the way. Walk ye in it” they proclaim the King’s plan for His people. It is God’s way, not decided by majority vote or by some committee gathered from all of the various groups within a congregation. 

Third, the Children of Israel demanded the methods of the world. “We want a king,” they cried. Where did they get that idea? They wanted a king just as the world about them had kings. They saw how the world managed their affairs and wanted to have what they had, too.

Again, at the risk of repetition, that describes the church today. Its leaders try to exceed one another in their pursuit of discovering the world’s latest methods and incorporating them into the affairs and activities of the church. We want to follow the world’s practices. We assume that if it works for big business, it must work for the church. Like the Children of Israel, the church of today wants to fit in with the world and appease the world.

However, God does not work that way. The Scriptures tell us to come out from among them and be separate. The Scriptures never encourage us to go to the world to find out how it is that we are to live and to practice as Christians and the church. Further, the Scriptures never encourage believers to compromise with the world in order to win the world. The church is to stand against the world and expose its darkness. Believers should walk as children of light, not as children of darkness.

These three truths demonstrated in Israel’s cry for a king suggest serious implications for the church of Jesus Christ today. First, in 1 John 2.15-16, the Apostle issued a serious comment regarding the relationship between God and the world. It says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”[3] 

Many leaders and pastors in our day attempt to nullify this warning by persistently pursuing the world’s methods and manners while at the same time attempting to seek God's blessing over their plans. To love the world’s methods and practices and to continue to pursue them and their adoption casts doubt upon the activities of these leaders. Further, it calls into question the true nature and existence of love for God.

Again, the Scriptures warn us of the true nature of the world: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” [4]  Jesus warned that you cannot serve two masters. He will have no competitors in the operation of His church.

Second, James in his epistle describes the distinction between worldly, fleshly, devilish wisdom and God's wisdom. He begins the passage with these words: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”[5] Then he begins to describe worldly wisdom. After his description, he concludes: “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”[6]

In contrast, James provides a list of characteristics, qualities, and features of the wisdom that God sends. At the  very top of the list, James identifies purity, which literally means that purity is the number one characteristic of God's wisdom. It does not deceive. It is not a lie. It does not conflict with Scripture. It is pure, truthful, and honest. Then other features follow James’ description.

There is a difference between the world’s wisdom and God’s wisdom. We need to know and pursue God’s wisdom. The church would do well to heed this one characteristic of God's wisdom. By so doing, we would reject many of the plans and purposes of the false prophets today, as well as those who propose them.

The Scriptures tell us that God will not share his glory with another. As you read Scripture, you will find repeatedly that God always does things in such a way that only one person will receive the honor and the glory, God. In Zechariah 4, we read God's message to Zerubbabel, who faced a difficult challenge. God assured him, “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”[7] That is how it is going to get done. God will do it.

The example of the Children of Israel provides sobering insight into the circumstances that foster the rise of false prophets and leaders. The crowd and the masses surely must be right, we think. So many people cannot be wrong. Yet, might is not necessarily right. The paths that seem right lead to destruction.

The Scriptures say that God perfects His strength in human weakness. His strength does not come alongside man’s strength. We experience the fullness of God's strength, power, and ability in utter helplessness and weakness. I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see, draw you into the truth, encourage, and strengthen you with it. I pray that you will walk as children of light and not as children of darkness.

Father, thank you for this setting of the people crying to Samuel for a king because it so clearly illustrates to us the forces that we see at work within those who profess to be followers of Christ today. They serve to us as a clear warning: That is not your way. That is not how you do things. Therefore, we can eliminate and reject those temptations, urgings, and promptings that we may have and pursue after you and permit you to reign over us as king.

Teach us, Father, by your Spirit, how to follow the King, how to hear His voice through your Spirit, how to tell the difference, how to discern the truth. There are so many voices today. Help us to hear your voice and to follow it.

Father, we want to honor and glorify your name in all that we do. We will give you praise, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for what you accomplish in our lives to the glory of the Father and of his Son and of your Holy Spirit. Amen.