The Pain of Getting What We Want (1 Samuel 8-10)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever gotten something you really wanted, only to find it was a greater curse than it was a blessing? As the prophet Samuel prepared to die, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Unfortunately, 1 Samuel 8:3 tells us, “They did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.” This prompts the following exchange in 1 Samuel 8:4-9:

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

⁶ When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. ⁸ They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. ⁹ Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

Samuel then returned to the people and told them what God had said. He even goes out of his way to warn the Israelites about what will happen if they choose a king. He tells them their sons and daughters will serve at the king’s leisure, they forfeit the right to their homes, and that he can send their sons to battle. And Samuel says in verse 18, “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”

Still, the people tell Samuel they want a king. And so God gives them what their heart desires. Eventually, it will be the kings of Israel that lead to this nation’s destruction. Even Saul, who starts off well and is anointed by Samuel as the first king, soon turns his heart from God.  

A few years before his death and revelations of his moral scandal came to light, Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias made this observation, “When you are determined in going in a certain direction, it is quite possible that God will step aside and second your motion.”[1] The irony was that even as he spoke these words, Zacharias was involved in gross sexual misconduct, only emphasizing the central point in 1 Samuel 8.

It's possible to know exactly what we should do, understand the consequences of our behavior, and still say, “I want to go my own way.” Because God wants relationships built on love, he often steps aside rather than continuing to argue with us and seconds our motion. As with Pharoah in Egypt, God empowered him to do what his heart desired.

This is why we must be careful to guard the way we pray. When we already know God’s will in a particular area of our lives, this is our time to be silent and obey. We shouldn’t continue to struggle or bargain with God because the worst thing that can happen to us at this moment is for God to step aside and give us what we desire. Instead, we should trust his plan and his timing.

 A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | Father in Heaven, I praise you for your unending wisdom. You are the Creator of all, the One who establishes order and provides for your creation. Your authority is unmatched, and your rule is just. I honor you, Lord, for you are not just my God but the King over all the earth.

Release | Lord, I release my desire for human control and the earthly securities I often seek. Forgive me for the times I, like the Israelites, have demanded my ways instead of seeking Your will. I let go of my cravings for human recognition, the allure of worldly power, and the comfort of walking paths that seem right to me but are not ordained by you.

Ask | Gracious God, I ask now for the humility and wisdom to desire what you want for me. Help me to hear your voice clearly and to discern your plans for my life. Instill in me a heart that seeks your kingdom above all else, trusting that you will provide all I need. I pray for the strength to resist conforming to the world's demands and the courage to follow your calling for me.

Yield | I yield to you, O Lord, to your plans and purposes for my life. I surrender my will to yours, confident that you work for the good of those who love you to make us more like Jesus. Teach me to walk in your ways, to be patient in the unfolding of your plans, and to embrace the life of righteousness, mercy, and humility you've called me to. May my heart always be aligned with yours, echoing Christ, saying, "Not my will, but yours be done." Amen.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

The wonder of God is that he works with people wherever they are. Even though Israel chose a king, God worked through Samuel to anoint King Saul. And even though Saul rejected God, he raised up King David. The cycle continues until Jesus. When Jesus came, he broke this cycle and was perfectly obedient to the Father.

As Phil Long says, “Such is the tendency of the human heart, to seek safety and security in governments, bank accounts, human relationships, insurance policies, health plans—all kinds of things that can never ultimately deliver.” But as Long goes on to note, “True security can be found only in God and in his King, Jesus himself (cf. Mic. 5:4; Rom. 8:31–39). The gospel call is always to resist becoming conformed to worldly thinking and to be transformed in our thinking and living (Rom. 12:2) by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:5–6).^[2]

Those who place their hope in the power structures of this world are, by definition, worldly. But those who hope in God are true followers of Christ.  

[1] This quote came from a sermon series Ravi Zacharias gave on the life of King

Saul. The series was titled: A Life That Lost Its Focus.

^[2]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1383.