When God Gives You What You Want

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but we will have a king over us, 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.(1 Sam. 8:19-20)

                Have your kids ever begged you for something that you knew they wouldn’t like?  Maybe it was a gigantic sucker shaped like Spongebob Squarepants.  You warned your kids that while the sucker might look really cool, it probably tastes bad.  They weren’t deterred.  Instead, they were determined to find out what Spongebob tastes like.  When you finally caved in and bought the sucker, they quickly took their first lick – only to discover that Spongebob tastes like some old wax from China.

                You knew your kids would be much happier with some M & M’s, but they simply had to find out the hard way.  Today’s verses are taken from a story much like that.  Throughout their history, Israel had never had a king.  Instead, God raised up great leaders for them like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua.  But no matter their leader, Israel always had Jehovah for their King.  But after the period of the judges, the Israelites decided they wanted to trade their heavenly King for an earthly king.

                Samuel warned them that their desire for an earthly king would lead to disaster – forced labor, taxation, etc.  But the Israelites were not deterred by Samuel’s warning.  God gave the children of Israel what they wanted, and they eventually ended up with a coward for a king (Saul).  A few generations later, King Rehoboam divided the nation, and thereafter the Northern Kingdom never had a godly king.  The lesson is simple – be careful what you yearn for.  God might just give you what you want.