1 Samuel 8

The people demand a king against Samuel's counsel 
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 1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
  3 - Sons walked not A sad testimony. Samuel had been faithful. We are not told about his wife. Of course, righteousness is not inherited.
  3 - Lucre Money. See 1pe0502. Clearly a problem in our end-time society.
.4 ¶ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
.5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
.6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 
  5 - And thy sons From the words of the Lord, we do not see this problem as justification for a king. Two sons are named at 1ch0628. Centuries later Jesus would be rejected in an appeal for Caesar jn1915.
  6 - Prayed Do we handle our problems this way?
.7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 
  7 - Rejected me God spoke through the prophets and the judges were to listen. When we are unjustly rejected, we need to remember this story mt2545.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
.11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
  11 - This will be the manner Or "the judgment ..."
  12 - Daughters to be ... cooks And he might have added, "concubines!"
  14 - Servants Literally "slaves."
 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
.15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
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 He will take "Samuel was instructed to grant the request of the people, but to warn them of the Lord's disapproval, and also make known what would be the result of their course. 'And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.' 
Comments begin at the left
  He faithfully set before them the burdens that would be laid upon them, and showed the contrast between such a state of oppression and their present comparatively free and prosperous condition. Their king would imitate the pomp and luxury of other monarchs, to support which, grievous exactions upon their persons and property would be necessary. The goodliest of their young men he would require for his service. They would be made charioteers and horsemen and runners before him. They must fill the ranks of his army, and they would be required to till his fields, to reap his harvests, and to manufacture implements of war for his service. The daughters of Israel would be for confectioners and bakers for the royal household. To support his kingly state he would seize upon the best of their lands, bestowed upon the people by Jehovah Himself. The most valuable of their servants also, and of their cattle, he would take, and 'put them to his work.' Besides all this, the king would require a tenth of all their income..." (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 606.)
 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
.20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
  20 - Be like all the nations Popularity and joining the crowd is a temptation for all of us. See ez3032. We must guard against this tendency in church worship styles.
 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
  Samuel ... rehearsed He opened his saddened heart to His Lord.
  "In the character of Samuel we see reflected the likeness of Christ. It was the purity of our Saviour's life that provoked the wrath of Satan. That life was the light of the world, and revealed the hidden depravity in the hearts of men. It was the holiness of Christ that stirred up against Him the fiercest passions of falsehearted professors of godliness. Christ came not with the wealth and honors of earth, yet the works which He wrought showed Him to possess power greater than that of any human prince. The Jews looked for the Messiah to break the oppressor's yoke, yet they cherished the sins that had bound it upon their necks. Had Christ cloaked their sins and applauded their piety, they would have accepted Him as their king; but they would not bear His fearless rebuke of their vices." ibid, pp. 607, 608. 
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