Ref: 1 Samuel 8:4-5
I continue with my series on the Christian Leader and the family with reference to the book of 1 Samuel. 1Samuel Chapter Eight introduces us into a new era in the history of Israel – the period under kingship. One of the reasons that necessitated the quest for a king was the fact that, the people accused Samuel’s sons as not walking in the ways of their father.
1 Sam. 8:4-5
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
As an old man, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges over Israel in his place. But they turned out to be corrupt, much like Eli’s sons (2:12). We don’t know why Samuel’s sons went wrong, but we know that Eli was held responsible for his own sons’ corruption. Probably, in the case of Samuel, he had played his part very well.
However, the attitude of the children was not without effect on the land. It paved a way for the people of Israel to “rebel” against God as their true king. It must however be established that the Israelites’ quest for a king had other motivational factors which included fear – Chpt. 12:9-12.
“And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. Then they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king”.
