June 21, 2010
Samuel grew old. He named his sons as judges, but they were not like Samuel. "They tried to get money dishonestly."
The people ask Samuel for a king. God tells Samuel to warn them what that would mean. They would become the king's servants. They would have to give the king 10%, etc. But none of that mattered to them—they wanted a king. God let them know that He was giving them what they wanted, but there would come a day when they would change their mind and regret their decision. Even though they changed their mind, it would be too late. "The LORD will not answer you then." The LORD would not answer them because they had rejected him as their king.
What is astounding to me is that they were willing to submit to a man's authority and give him 10%, but they weren't willing to submit to God's authority and give Him (the Levites) the 10%. They witnessed the Hand of God work in their ancestor's lives and in their lives, but they were more willing to trust in the "here and now" and what they could see with their own eyes, than to trust in what they could not see—God.
The same problem continues today. People trust in self, money, government, etc. instead of trusting in the God of heaven and earth. Yesterday, our daughter was telling us about their Pastor in Flagstaff describing the "bless-able" position. I love his description. God on the throne and us at the altar. If we mess up the order then we are not in a bless-able position.
Next Entry: I Samuel 9:1 – 10:27
Samuel grew old. He named his sons as judges, but they were not like Samuel. "They tried to get money dishonestly."
The people ask Samuel for a king. God tells Samuel to warn them what that would mean. They would become the king's servants. They would have to give the king 10%, etc. But none of that mattered to them—they wanted a king. God let them know that He was giving them what they wanted, but there would come a day when they would change their mind and regret their decision. Even though they changed their mind, it would be too late. "The LORD will not answer you then." The LORD would not answer them because they had rejected him as their king.
What is astounding to me is that they were willing to submit to a man's authority and give him 10%, but they weren't willing to submit to God's authority and give Him (the Levites) the 10%. They witnessed the Hand of God work in their ancestor's lives and in their lives, but they were more willing to trust in the "here and now" and what they could see with their own eyes, than to trust in what they could not see—God.
The same problem continues today. People trust in self, money, government, etc. instead of trusting in the God of heaven and earth. Yesterday, our daughter was telling us about their Pastor in Flagstaff describing the "bless-able" position. I love his description. God on the throne and us at the altar. If we mess up the order then we are not in a bless-able position.
Next Entry: I Samuel 9:1 – 10:27
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