Turning to Our King

The Israelites could not wrap their minds around the LORD being their King.  They wanted a human being to fill that slot.  They could see a human king.  They could hear a human king.  They could follow a human king.  So, they got a human king.

We face the same struggle today.  We want a leader that we can see, hear, and follow.  So, we make others “king” of specific areas of our lives.  We place safety/protection, provision, education/vocation/purpose, morality/ethics/perspective, and even the pace at which we live life into the hands of earthly “kings” who lead us into lives that are filled with desperation.  When we realize this how can we turn to the LORD and make God as our King?

Jesus began his ministry by submitting to God in baptism.  The Spirit of God descended on Jesus in the form of a dove.  The Father spoke from the heavens, saying that this was His Son in whom he was well pleased.  Jesus walked up out of the waters of baptism and started his preaching ministry.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17 NIV)

How do we learn about making God our King?  We turn to Jesus.  We look at his life.  We listen to his preaching and teaching.  We follow in his steps.  Through Jesus we learn how to let God’s Kingdom come and His Will to be done here on earth just as it is in heaven.

When Jesus trained his disciples, he didn’t just stop there.  He trained them to go and make disciples of all nations as well.  In this training, he sent them out two by two on training missions.  When he did, he told them their key objective:

As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' (Matthew 10:7 NIV)

How about you?  Are you turning to Our King?  Are you helping others turn to Our King?

Is it too late to make God my King?

The Israelites asked Samuel to appoint someone as their King.  God was already their King.  So, the LORD instructed Samuel to tell them what would happen with an earthly, human king.  Samuel told them.  It would not go well.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the Israelites, "Everyone go back to your own town." (1 Samuel 8:19-22 NIV)

They heard everything the LORD had to say to them, but they did not listen.  They chose to have a human king instead.  God warned them, as we saw yesterday, “When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you" (1 Samuel 8:18 [NLT]). It begs the question even for us today, “Is it too late to make God my King?”  Some teachings from Jesus’ brother might provide some insight here.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:5-8 NIV)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8 NIV)

A double-minded person is one who is trying to serve two kings.  James makes it clear that we can turn from our double-mindedness and turn to God alone as our King.  When we do, we will be given wisdom from God.  When we do we will draw near to God.  When we do, God will draw near to us.

How about you?  Have you made God your King?  Have you washed your hands of other kings and made God your only King?  It’s not to late to make God your King.

Which ruler do I serve?

The people of Israel wanted a king.  God was already their King, but they didn’t see it that way.  So, they asked for a human king.  They were asking to serve two masters.  The LORD gave them one last chance before giving them what they wanted.  He told them what would happen with a human king.

So Samuel passed on the LORD's warning to the people who were asking him for a king. "This is how a king will reign over you," Samuel said. "The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. (1 Samuel 8:10-16 NLT)

God warns us before we experience pain and suffering.  From the first warning to Adam about the forbidden tree to the final warnings in the book of Revelation about the fires of hell, God tells us ahead of time what will happen when we rebel against Him.  All too often, though, we do not heed His warning.  We do not listen.  The results are not good.

He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you." (1 Samuel 8:17-18 NLT)

How about you?  Do you try to serve two masters?  Do you allow more than one ruler in your life?  Have you experience the negative repercussions of it?  Which ruler do you serve?

Which Master do I Love?

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. (1 Samuel 8:6-7 NIV)

The Israelites wanted a king.  Other nations had a king.  Yes, Samuel had led them well, but his sons weren’t going to get the job done.  So, it made sense to ask for a king.  The problem with this approach is that they weren’t recognizing  what was happening.  Samuel was leading, yes, but the LORD was King.  Samuel was just a really good conduit of God’s instructions.  God was really their king.

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights." (1 Samuel 8:8-9 NIV)

We face the same struggle.  We look to leaders of our government, the businesses where we work, and even our churches as “king.”  We can see them, so we look to them as our true leader.  When we do this, though, we try to have multiple kings and that just does not work.  Jesus said it this way:

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other… (Matthew 6:24 NIV)

How about you?  Do you try to serve multiple “kings”?  Do you have two (or more) masters?  Which master do you love?

Two Kings?

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Samuel become a good prophet and judge for Israel.  He led Israel well and turned the hearts of the people back to the LORD.  Like all of us, however, he could not do this forever.  He was human.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:1-2 NIV)

It makes sense that his position of leadership would be passed down from generation to generation.  Samuel walked with God and helped others do the same.  His children, then, would know how to walk with God and help others do the same as well.  Knowing, however, is different from doing.

But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." (1 Samuel 8:3-5 NIV)

The elders of Israel did well.  They recognized that Samuel’s sons were not qualified to be Godly leaders.  Heritage was not enough.  Leadership of God’s people starts with leadership of self.  The leader needs to walk together with God.  Samuel’s boys did not.

The elders of Israel did not do well.  Rather than asking the LORD for God’s next representative to replace Samuel, they looked at the pattern of the nations around them.  They asked for a king.  The problem with this request was that they already had a King: the LORD.  Now, they were asking to split their allegiance.  They were asking for a second king.

How about you?  Do you have two kings in your life? Do you have more?  Is God one of them?  What is it like to follow two kings?