We all want freedom in the outside world. Sometimes difficult to achieve, sometimes easy to lose.
But do we ever think of the freedom to be gained through an inward journey that neutralizes our ego and releases out soul and out light?
What country on earth would want to go from the freedom of democracy to requesting a king or dictator?
Funny thing, but we do that every day, even sometimes twice or more a day. We let an addiction dictate out lifestyle when we could be saved by the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Internal freedom trumps external freedom any day of the week ‘here and now’ or ‘there and then.’
See beyond what seems to be…
Or be happening… Samuel could see the big picture. Why go for a new relationship with a king? Why not repair the existing relationship with God? Why go down a road that the best case is bondage? Why not begin a spiritual journey the will result in unlimited peace, joy, unity, and freedom; guaranteed?
Samuel: He (the king) will take your sons… and will make them his horsemen, his running footmen, appoint them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields… Your daughters also will he take… to be his cooks and bakers…And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants… Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn… Your flocks he will also tithe, and you shall be his servants.
And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
Nay, but there shall be a king over us.
Lord to Samuel: “Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.
Unfortunately, the Lord sometimes gives us what we ask for.
Lord to Samuel: “Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.
Saul’s journey to being a king started with a journey looking for his father’s missing asses (donkeys).
Samuel to Saul: I am the seer (prophet)… and I will… tell thee all that is in thy heart… as for the asses… be not solicitous, because they are found.
Saul: “Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
The Cinderella ‘rags to riches’ story in the Bible!
So when Saul turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto him another heart… and the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them… therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
Samuel to Israel: “Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him (he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward) among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.”
Did the people really pick Saul because he was really tall, heads and shoulders above anyone else?
And there you have it the first biblical ‘God save the king, or queen in today’s world!’
The spirit of the Lord came upon Saul… follow Saul and Samuel… the fear of the Lord fell upon the people… children of Israel three hundred thousand… men of Juda thirty thousand… and he slew the Ammonites… and the rest were scattered so that two of them were not left together.
So God was with Saul in the battle with the Israelites. Favored nation status in effect.
But underlying that is the fact that the Israelites chose to have a king versus the Lord.
Samuel: I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain: and you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you.
People to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.
Samuel: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Samuel to the People: Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you. But if you will still do wickedly, both you and your king shall perish together.
Perish together? Not a good foreboding.
Why chose a King over the Lord, in Biblical Times or Now?
Day 95: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Why chose a King over the Lord, in Biblical Times or Now?
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The First Book of Kings Chapters 8-13
Bible Notes:
This and the following Book are also called the Books of Samuel, because they tell of Samuel and the two kings, Saul and David, whom he anointed. After the history of Heli and Samuel, the last of the Judges, this book records the beginning of the Jewish monarchy and the rule of the first king, Saul.
1 Kings Chapter 8: The sons of Samuel, The people desire a king; Samuel explains the rights of a king; Samuel is commanded to make a king.
And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel… and his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Lucre—monetary reward or gain; money.
Ancients of Israel to Samuel: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have (displeased Samuel).
Lord to Samuel: “Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them… as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee…yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.”
Samuel: He (the king) will take your sons… and will make them his horsemen, his running footmen, appoint them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields… Your daughters also will he take… to be his cooks and bakers…And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants… Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn… Your flocks he will also tithe, and you shall be his servants.
And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
Nay, but there shall be a king over us.
Lord to Samuel: “Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.
1 Kings Chapter 9: Description of Saul; Saul vainly seeks his father’s asses; Saul and Samuel meet; The Lord reveals that Saul is to be king; Samuel entertains Saul; Samuel accompanies Saul on his way.
Cis, valiant and strong… and he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and godly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.
And the asses of Cis, Saul’s father were lost.
Cis to his son Saul: Arise, go, and seek the asses.
Behold there is a man of God in this city, a famous man: all that he saith. Cometh certainly to pass… come let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer.
Lord to Samuel: “Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.
Samuel to Saul: I am the seer… and I will… tell thee al that is in thy heart… as for the asses… be not solicitous, because they are found.
Saul: “Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
Samuel to Saul: but stand thou still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.
1 Kings Chapter 10: Samuel anoints Saul; Samuel’s prophecies; Samuel’s prophecies fulfilled; Saul conceals his appointment as king; The people assemble to choose a king; Saul is publically chosen king; Saul returns home to Gabaa.
Samuel to Saul: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of his enemies, that are round about them.
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God… thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place… and the spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shall be changed into another man… do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee.
So when Saul turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto him another heart… and the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them… therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not.
Samuel relating the words of God: “But you this day have rejected your God, who only hath saved you out of all your evils and your tribulations: and you have said: Nay: but set a king over us.
Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families. And the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin… and the lot fell on… Saul.
Samuel: “Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him (he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward) among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.”
1 Kings Chapter 11: The Ammonites besiege Jabes Galaad; Saul saves Jabes Galaad; Saul is acknowledged as king by all.
And it came to pass about a month after this that Nass, the Ammonite came up and began to fight against Jabes Galaad.
Jabes to Nass: Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
Nass to Jabes: On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may pluck out all your right eyes.
The spirit of the Lord came upon Saul… follow Saul and Samuel… the fear of the Lord fell upon the people… children of Israel three hundred thousand… men of Juda thirty thousand… and he slew the Ammonites… and the rest were scattered so that two of them were not left together.
Saul: “No man shall be killed this day, because the Lord this day hath wrought salvation to Israel… and all the people went to Galgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Galgal…
1 Kings Chapter 12: Samuel’s integrity is recognized by all; Samuel recalls God’s favors; Samuel warns Israel to be faithful to God; God sends thunder and rain; Samuel comforts the people.
Israel to Samuel: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man’s hand.
Samuel to Israel: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king. Now therefore your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: Behold the Lord hath given you a king… But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against his words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers. (Why not mention children?)
Samuel: I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain: and you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you.
People to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.
Samuel: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Samuel to the People: Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you. But if you will still do wickedly, both you and your king shall perish together.
1 Kings Chapter 13: Saul calls Israel to war; The Israelites are terrified; Saul sins; Samuel declares God’s punishment; Saul’s army encamps in Gabaa; Strategy of the Philistines.
Saul was a child of one year when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel.
And a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea shore for number.
Saul, was yet in Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly afraid… Because I saw that the people slipt from me, and thou wast not come according to the days appointed…
Samuel to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee.
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