They wanted a King
I Samuel 7 - I Samuel 15:36
It is the nature of humans to want to be in control. But sometimes our wants get us in trouble.
Take the case of the Israelites wanting a King. They were no different than people from today. They wanted whatever they wanted,not giving a thought of the consequences it might bring. Samuel was upset that they wanted a King outside of God to judge them, so he went to God in prayer. God told Samuel to tell the people He would give them their King to reign over them since they had rejected him. God had brought them up from Egypt, but the people had forgotten what He had done for them.
God told Samuel to tell the people how the King would rule over them. He laid out all the plans the King would have with all their sons and daughters, how He would take the best of their land and give it to his servants. He told them that he would take a tenth of all of their earnings and give it to his officers and servants. In other words, the King would take from them and give it to others.
Although Samuel warned them about all the things the King would do and they would later regret their decision, they chose to have their own King. He told them that they would call out to God and he would hear them, but it made no difference with them. So God told Samuel that he would do as the Israelites asked.
The Lord told Samuel He would send him a man to anoint as King. So God sent Saul that Samuel was to anoint later to be their King and reign over the people and save them from the Philistines. Samuel told Saul that the spirit of God would come upon him and he ould be changed and, when this happened, God would be with him.
Samuel told the Israelites that they had sinned and turned away from God. But God had given them the King for which they had asked. He warned them that they should serve God in truth with all their heart. But, if they didn't, then both them and their King would be consumed.
As the story goes, Saul sinned and did not keep God's commandments. He did not take Samuel's warning to heart that God would take the Kingdom from him and give it to another. God later repented that he had made Saul King over Israel.
Take the case of the Israelites wanting a King. They were no different than people from today. They wanted whatever they wanted,not giving a thought of the consequences it might bring. Samuel was upset that they wanted a King outside of God to judge them, so he went to God in prayer. God told Samuel to tell the people He would give them their King to reign over them since they had rejected him. God had brought them up from Egypt, but the people had forgotten what He had done for them.
God told Samuel to tell the people how the King would rule over them. He laid out all the plans the King would have with all their sons and daughters, how He would take the best of their land and give it to his servants. He told them that he would take a tenth of all of their earnings and give it to his officers and servants. In other words, the King would take from them and give it to others.
Although Samuel warned them about all the things the King would do and they would later regret their decision, they chose to have their own King. He told them that they would call out to God and he would hear them, but it made no difference with them. So God told Samuel that he would do as the Israelites asked.
The Lord told Samuel He would send him a man to anoint as King. So God sent Saul that Samuel was to anoint later to be their King and reign over the people and save them from the Philistines. Samuel told Saul that the spirit of God would come upon him and he ould be changed and, when this happened, God would be with him.
Samuel told the Israelites that they had sinned and turned away from God. But God had given them the King for which they had asked. He warned them that they should serve God in truth with all their heart. But, if they didn't, then both them and their King would be consumed.
As the story goes, Saul sinned and did not keep God's commandments. He did not take Samuel's warning to heart that God would take the Kingdom from him and give it to another. God later repented that he had made Saul King over Israel.
3 Comments:
Sometimes God judges sin in His people by giving them what they want.
So true, Maxine!
A little bit more info on your post - which was good.
The pasukim [verses] tell us [Shmuel I, Chapter 15] that King Saul was given an explicit command to kill out the entire nation of Amalek -- men, women, and children. King Saul had mercy on Amalek and spared their king, thereby violating this command. Samuel came to Saul and told him that as a result of this sin, Saul was unworthy of the monarchy and HaShem would tear the Kingdom of Israel from him. We (the Jews)continue to suffer until this very day, as a result of this unfortunate incident. Haman, and most likely many of the oppressors of the Jewish people, are descendents of this Amalekite.
Saul was NOT compassionate to the Jewish priests in Nov as he had all the Kohanim in Nov killed.
Just as Saul was judged - we also will be juded at the hands of Heaven. When we "go upstairs", after 120 years, and try to give excuses for what we did or did not do, G-d will look at our lives and ask, "Oh, is that the reason why?"
"You didn't have any money? But for X, Y, and Z you had money!"
"You didn't have any time? But for A, B, and C you had time!"
"You were not smart enough? But you were smart enough for that other thing that you wanted to do."
Our own deeds and our own lives will be the biggest indictment against us. When we will try to say that we were too "this" or too "that", HaShem, who has all the events of our lives written in a Book, will be able to call our bluff. "What about this, and what about that, and what about here".
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