1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8

Meyer - 1 Samuel 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel… , And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. A little further down in the chapter we learn that Samuel rehearsed the words of the people unto the Lord. His prayer, to a large extent, was a rehearsal of all the strong and unkind things that the people had said to him; and in this way he passed them off his mind, and found relief. There is a suggestion of close communion with God in the expression, “He rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.” It had been the habit of his life to be on intimate terms with his God. Things do not always turn out as we had hoped, and we get displeased for our own sakes and God’s. We had planned in one direction, but events have issued in another; and the results have threatened to become disastrous. There is but one resource. If we allow vexations to eat into our heart, they will corrode and injure it. We must rehearse them to God — spreading the letter before Him as Hezekiah did; making request like Paul; crying like Samuel. Surely it is the mistake of our life, that we carry our burdens instead of handing them over; that we worry instead of trusting; that we pray so little. The grass grows thick on the pathway to our oratory; the cobwebs hang across the doorway. The time we spend in prayer is perhaps better spent than in any other way. It was whilst Samuel prayed thus, that he saw the Divine program for Israel: “And he who at the sixth hour sought The lone house-top to pray, There gained a sight beyond his thought— The dawn of Gentile day. Then reckon not, when perils lour, The time of prayer misspent; Nor meanest chance, nor place, nor hour, Without its heavenward bent.” Before the Face of God (Ligonier) - A King for Israel And the LORD told him [Samuel]: 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 Sam. 8:7] After the victory over Philistia at Mizpah, Samuel judged Israel for a number of years. Eventually Nahash, king of Ammon, began to move against Israel. The people used this occasion to demand a human king (1 Sam. 12:12). They used as their excuse the fact that Samuel’s sons, who judged at Beersheba, were taking bribes (1 Sam. 8:1–5). This was only a pretext because Beersheba was far out on the fringes of the nation, and all that was needed was for the two men to be deposed as judges. There was no need for a king. God had told Israel through Moses that eventually he would give them a king—when he was ready (Deut. 17:14–15). Until then the nation was to regard Yahweh as king. Gideon had rejected the crown offered him, saying, “Yahweh will rule over you” (Judg. 8:23). Gideon’s son Abimelech took the crown for a short time, becoming Israel’s first king (in name a least), but after three years his kingdom was demolished (Judges 9). The last five chapters of Judges show that anarchy reigned in Israel, “when there was no king,” meaning when the people refused to honor Yahweh’s authority over their lives as King. Once they had rejected Yahweh they soon demanded a human king. God told Samuel to give them one, accompanied with the warning that, because they had not properly honored Yahweh as High King, their national king would be no more righteous than they had been (1 Sam. 8:9–18). First, the king would draft their sons into his army, an army whose function was not only national defense but also personal service to the king. The army would be a corps of slaves. Second, the king would take their daughters to be bakers. Third, the king would use his military power to steal the best of their land to give it to his favorite bureaucrats. Fourth, the king would take a tithe of their grain and wine. This was a pregnant prophecy, for it meant that the king would put himself in the place of God, receiving the tithe. Finally, the king would reduce the nation to slavery, and the people would find themselves in a new Egypt—one of their own choosing. On that day they would cry out to Yahweh, the true High King, but he would not hear them. Coram Deo God’s plan requires God’s timing. Israel was not ready for a king. Perhaps there are similar circumstances in your life. Spend the time today considering where your plans might be in conflict with God’s: job advancement, marriage, prosperity, or some other area in which you have declined to trust him fully. If necessary, ask God’s Spirit to slow down your personal agenda. 1 Samuel 8:7 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. BGT 1 Samuel 8:7 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ καθὰ ἂν λαλήσωσίν σοι ὅτι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐμὲ ἐξουδενώκασιν τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν KJV 1 Samuel 8:7 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:7 The LORD said to Samuel, "Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. CSB 1 Samuel 8:7 But the LORD told him, "Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king. ESV 1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. NIV 1 Samuel 8:7 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. NLT 1 Samuel 8:7 "Do everything they say to you," the LORD replied, "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. NRS 1 Samuel 8:7 and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Hearken: Nu 22:20 Ps 81:11,12 Isa 66:4 Ho 13:10,11 they have not: 1Sa 10:19 12:17-19 Ex 16:8 Mt 10:24,25,40 Lu 10:16 19:14,27 Joh 13:16 15:20,21 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Samuel 10:19 “But you have today rejected your God, Who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.” YAHWEH EXPLAINS WHY SAMUEL IS TO HEARKEN TO THE PEOPLE The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for (term of explanation) they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them - Why did Yahweh order Samuel to listen to the wishes of the people? Was it because everything would be just fine? Clearly this was not the case as we see all manner of sins associated the subsequent kings of Israel, not the least of which was the sin of idolatry in their wisest king, Solomon, resulting in a division of the entire nation! It is interesting that this was actually not the first time Israel sought a king, for in Judges 8:22-23+ we read "Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.” While Gideon had his flaws as a judge, here he gave the God honoring response to the people and they withdrew their request. The most serious problem with Israel's request was exactly what Gideon had alluded to -- their desire for an earthly king demonstrated that they did not want the Holy God as King ruling over their nation or their personal lives! Things have not changed much have they? Men reject the holy God because they don't want Him ruling over their unholy lives (cf Jn 3:19, 20+). They seek self (Sin) to be seated on the throne of their hearts! (cf Ro 6:12-13+). THOUGHT - Have you ever had a someone who professes to know Jesus and you have warned them about some course of action that is against the word and will of God and yet they rejected your counsel? Then take heart, for you are in good company, the company of God's prophet Samuel. They are not rejecting you, but they are rejecting God, God's Word and God's authority! And sadly (and don't gloat!), you can rest assured that they will reap the rotten that comes from sowing godless seed (Gal 6:7-8+, Hos 8:7). Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven. -- God to Samuel ESV Study Bible (borrow) - The people’s rejection of God’s ways prefigures the rejection of Christ (Acts 3:13–15; Acts 7:51–53). Brian Bell - Heed their voice (1Sa 8:7,9) - How scary when God says “listen to the people”. 1. How often do you want God to listen to you? 2. Yet, we ask Him to heed our voice often! 3. Go ahead & heed, but warn! J D Greear - Their request represents a complete lack of trust in God and satisfaction with Him. God was supposed to be their real King. They were supposed to depend on Him for everything. But from the beginning that had never been enough for them. They never trusted Him enough to say, “God, I am just going to do Your will, and I will let You worry about everything else.”....It is still rebellion to claim to follow God but to insist on a number of other things being present in your life before you will feel secure. This is not just an ancient Israelite problem. This is our problem. Is it not easier to “trust God” when everything that you feel like you need for life is right in front of you? Your job is secure, your marriage is fulfilling, everyone you care about is healthy. But when one of those things is missing, do you not have this feeling of insecurity or anxiety or unhappiness? Israel is not content to lean back and trust God. So they feel they need something they can get their hands on and control.(See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel ) John Walton - The fact that God was seen as raising up military leaders and that God was the one who brought the victories demonstrates that God was the One Who was the King leading out the armies in battle. Victory in battle was assured if the Lord was pleased with Israel. By making their request, the leaders are implying that God has been less than successful in bringing victory and that somehow a king will do a better job. (IVPBBC - OT) Recall that God had predicted on a number of occasions that Israel would have a king... Genesis 17:6 “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. Genesis 35:11; God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. Genesis 36:31 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Numbers 24:7-9+ “Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 “God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows. 9 “He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.” Numbers 24:17+ (PROPHECY OF THE FUTURE REIGN OF MESSIAH AS KING OF KINGS) “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. Deuteronomy 17:14+ “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ Deuteronomy 28:36+ “The LORD will bring you and your king, whom YOU set over you, (NOTE THE CHANGE - WHOM YOU SET OVER YOU NOT WHOM I YAHWEH SET OVER YOU!) to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. Walter Kaiser - Did God Want Israel to Have a King? - Hard Sayings - scroll to page 174 What makes this section a hard saying is not the fact that it contains what some have unfairly labeled the ramblings of a disappointed prophet. Instead, it is the fact that up until very recent times, most nonevangelical Old Testament scholars strongly believed that they detected an ambivalent attitude toward kingship in the narratives of 1 Samuel 8–12, in light of the covenantal tone of 1 Samuel 11:14–12:25. It has been fairly common to find 1 Samuel 8–12 characterized as a collection of independent story units or tradition complexes, some being promonarchial and others antimonarchial. This division was supposedly evidenced in different attitudes and responses to the idea of a monarchy and kingship in Israel. Generally an antimonarchial orientation was attributed to 1 Samuel 8:1–21, 10:17–27 and 12:1–25, while a promonarchial stance was seen in 1 Samuel 9:1–10:16 and 11:1–15. Endorsing this analysis of the material would leave us with a dilemma: how could Scripture both approve and reprove the concept of a monarchy? A second problem in the debate surrounding 1 Samuel 8–12 is the sequencing of events presented in the book. It has been widely alleged that the present sequence is an artificial device imposed by a late editor as a result of the growth of tradition. Finally, many scholars have said that the antimonarchial sections show indications of editorial revisions arising from Deuteronomic influence; this argument is based on a late dating of Deuteronomy in the postexilic period of the fifth or fourth century B.C. Each of these three allegations must be answered. There is no doubt that a tension of sorts does exist in the narratives of 1 Samuel 8–12. The prospect of establishing a kingship in Israel elicited numerous reservations, and these are fairly aired in 1 Samuel 8:1–21, 10:17–27 and 12:1–25. Yet it cannot be forgotten that kingship was also within the direct plan and permission of God. God had divulged that part of his plan as far back as the days of Moses (Deut 17:14–20). Accordingly, when Samuel presented Saul to the people, it was as the one whom the Lord had chosen (1 Sam 10:24). Saul’s appointment was the outcome of the twice-repeated guidance that Samuel received: “Listen to all that the people are saying” (1 Sam 8:7, 22). In fact, 1 Samuel 12:13 specifically says, “See, the LORD has set a king over you.” But here is the important point. These five chapters of 1 Samuel cannot be neatly divided into two contrasting sets of narratives; the ambivalence is present even within the units that have been labeled as corresponding to one side or the other! The problem, in fact, is to explain this ambivalence at all. What is the cause for this love-hate attitude toward kingship in Israel? My answer is the same as Robert Vannoy’s.1 It is the covenantal relationship expressed in 1 Samuel 11:14–12:25 that explains this ambivalence. The issue, then, is not the presence of kingship so much as it is the kind of kingship and the reasons for wanting a monarchy. There is no question but that the presence of a king in Israel was fully compatible with Yahweh’s covenant with Israel. What hurt Samuel and the Lord was the people’s improper motive for requesting a king in the first place: they wanted to “be like all the other nations” (8:20) and have a king to lead them when they went out to fight. This was tantamount to breaking the covenant and rejecting Yahweh as their Sovereign (8:7; 10:19). To act in this manner was to forget God’s provision for them in the past. Hadn’t he protected them and gone before them in battle many times? Since the people were so unfaithful in their motivation for desiring a king, it was necessary to warn them about “the manner of the king” (literal translation of mišpaṭ hammelek—8:11). If what the people wanted was a contemporary form of monarchy, then they had better get used to all the abuses and problems of kingship as well as its splendor. Five serious problems with the contemporary forms of kingship are cited in 1 Samuel 8:11–18. That these issues were real can be attested by roughly contemporaneous documents from Alalakh and Ugarit.2 The problems they would experience would include a military draft, the servitude of the populace, widespread royal confiscation of private property, taxation and loss of personal liberty. This delineation of “the manner of the king” served to define the function of kings in the ancient Near East. But over against this was the gathering that took place at Mizpah (1 Sam 10:17–27). Here Samuel described “the manner of the kingdom” (literal translation of mišpaṭ hammelukâh—10:25). In so doing Samuel began to resolve the tension between Israel’s improper reasons for desiring a king, their misconceptions of the king’s role and function, and Yahweh’s purpose in saying that he also desired Israel to have a king. Samuel’s definition of “the manner of the kingdom” clearly distinguished Israelite kingship from the kingship that was practiced in the surrounding nations of that day. In Israel, the king’s role was to be compatible with Yahweh’s sovereignty over the nation and also with all the laws, prescriptions and obligations of the covenant given to the people under Moses’ leadership. Thus “the manner of the kingdom” was to be normative for the nation of Israel rather than “the manner of the king.” The issue of the sequencing of the narratives is less difficult. Given the tensions of the time—the various attitudes toward kingship and the legitimacy of establishing it—one can easily see how the text does reflect the back-and-forth unfolding of the process at various geographic locations and on different days. Each phase of the negotiations dramatized the seesaw nature of this battle between those holding out for the sovereignty of Yahweh and those wanting a more visible and contemporaneous model of kingship. The most critical problem in connection with the sequencing of the events is the relationship between 1 Samuel 11:14–15 and 1 Samuel 10:17–27, particularly in connection with the statement in 1 Samuel 11:14, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.” This phrase constitutes the most compelling evidence for the argument that several accounts have been put together in these chapters. The simplest, and best, explanation for the meaning of this debated phrase, however, is that the reference is not to Saul, but to a renewal of allegiance to Yahweh and his covenant. It is a call for the renewal ceremony that is described in greater detail in 1 Samuel 12. This explanation makes the most sense and makes possible the best harmonization of the parallel accounts of Saul’s accession to the throne in 1 Samuel 10:17–27 and 11:15. The third and final objection concerns the alleged Deuteronomic influence on the so-called antimonarchial sections. Bear in mind that those who raise this objection also date Deuteronomy to the fifth or fourth century B.C. rather than attributing it to Moses as it properly should be. Their argument runs into several problems of its own. Long ago Julius Wellhausen (1844–1918) noted its basic flaw: for all of Deuteronomy’s alleged antimonarchial views, it had put forth a positive “law of the king” (Deut 17:14–20) long before any of the Israelites thought of having a king! Furthermore, the pictures of David, Hezekiah and Josiah in 1 and 2 Kings (other books often alleged to be Deuteronomic in viewpoint and influence) were likewise promonarchial. There is no doubt that Deuteronomy had a profound influence on the events described in 1 Samuel 8–12, but none of them can be shown to have resulted from a late editorializing based on an exilic or postexilic revisionist view of how kingship had come about in Israel. Thus we conclude that none of these three problems can be used as evidence for a lack of unity, coherence or singularity of viewpoint. Most important of all, the covenantal perspective of 1 Samuel 11:14–12:25 provides the best basis for the unity and historical trustworthiness of these accounts as they are know today. Gleason Archer - Why did God condemn the Israelites’ request for a king (1 Sa 8:7–9) after He had laid down rules for future kings of Israel to follow (Deut. 17:14–20)? - Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties - scroll to page 173 There can be no doubt that God’s plan for Israel included a king, a specially chosen dynasty from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), and that in anticipation of that event He laid down certain basic guidelines for such a theocratic king to follow (especially the avoidance of multiplying riches, horses, or wives), as recorded in Deuteronomy 17. But this furnishes no problem at all in regard to the establishment of a monarchic form of government for Israel in the latter days of Samuel’s career. After his own two sons, Joel and Abijah, had proved to be unworthy and incompetent for leadership, the Israelite people requested Samuel to choose out and anoint for office a ruler over them who should serve as a permanent king with full authority as a monarch (1 Sam. 8:5). In view of the fluctuating fortunes of Israel under the long succession of “judges” who had followed after the death of Joshua, it was not altogether surprising for the people to look to such a solution for their ineffectiveness and disunity as a nation. But the reason why their request displeased the Lord was that it was based on the assumption that they should follow their pagan neighbors in their form of government. Their motive was to conform to the world about them rather than to abide by the holy and perfect constitution that God had given them under Moses in the form of the Pentateuchal code. There was a definite sense in which they were setting aside the laws of God as inadequate for their needs and falling in step with the idolatrous heathen. They expressed their desire to Samuel thus: “Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations” (NASB). They had forgotten that God had called them out of the world, not to conform to the world, but to walk in covenant fellowship with Yahweh as a testimony of godliness before all the pagan world. Nevertheless, it is also clear that the Lord had in mind from the very beginning a monarchic form of government for His people. Even to Abraham He had promised, “I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you” (Gen. 17:6, NASB). He had also decreed that the chosen line of royalty should come from the tribe of Judah: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes” (Gen. 49:10, NASB) (i.e., until the coming of the Messiah, who would Himself be a descendant of the Judean royal line). So it came about that when Samuel’s contemporaries came clamoring for a king, God granted them their request, even though He rebuked them for their worldly motive in making it. He also warned them that the greater unity and efficiency of government they might achieve under a monarchy would be offset by the loss of their liberties under the oppressive and demanding rule of an autocratic king. Because of his supreme and concentrated power, he would not be as accountable to the personal and civic rights of his people in the same way the Judges had been; so the nation would have reason to regret their choice. Rather than being governed by the laws of God, they would fall under the autocratic rule of a single man and become subject to heavy taxation, corvee labor, military draft, confiscation of property, and all the rest (1 Sam. 8:11–18). In the sequel, God first chose out for them an able and gifted ruler in the person of King Saul, but one who was basically carnal, willfully disobedient, insanely jealous, and bloodthirsty in the later years of his reign. The purpose of Saul’s reign was to prepare Israel to appreciate all the more the reign of a true man of God, David son of Jesse, who came from the tribe of Judah, and who was determined to serve as a faithful theocratic ruler and an obedient servant of Yahweh. Norman Geisler - 1 SAMUEL 8:7–9—How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when the rules for selecting a king were given by God in Deuteronomy 17? - When Critics Ask - scroll to page 143 PROBLEM: The Scriptures testify to the fact that God had planned for Israel to have a king. Deuteronomy 17:14–20 specifically lays down the rules for selecting a king in Israel. However, when the people of Israel requested that Samuel appoint a king, the Lord told Samuel that the people “have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7). How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when He had already given them the guidelines for selecting a king? SOLUTION: The context of 1 Samuel 8 indicates that the people had the wrong motive and employed the wrong method in seeking a king for themselves. First of all, the people had the wrong motive for seeking a king. In the first verse of chapter 8 we read that Samuel was old when he appointed his sons to be judges in Israel. However, Samuel’s sons did not do right in the eyes of God. When the people came to Samuel they requested that he appoint a king, not because they wanted to have God’s man to rule over them. Rather, they wanted to have a man rule over them. The people had mistaken God’s administration through Samuel for Samuel’s acts. At Saul’s inauguration, Samuel reminded the people that it was “your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations” (1 Sam. 10:19). They completely ignored the fact that it was God who protected them and led them, not Samuel or any human king whom Samuel would appoint. Consequently, it was not Samuel whom they were rejecting. Rather it was God whom they were rejecting. Second, they failed to seek the Lord concerning a king to rule over them. They did not bother to ask for God’s guidance. They simply requested that Samuel appoint a king. When the elders of Israel came to Samuel, they said, “Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (8:5). However, in Deuteronomy 17:15 God specifically stated that the people would set a king over them “whom the Lord your God chooses.” The request of the people in 1 Samuel betrays their lack of consideration for God’s part in the process. They had truly rejected God from ruling over them. The Lord was displeased with the people because they did not seek God’s man, and they did not employ God’s method. 1 Samuel 8:8 "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. BGT 1 Samuel 8:8 κατὰ πάντα τὰ ποιήματα ἃ ἐποίησάν μοι ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ἐδούλευον θεοῖς ἑτέροις οὕτως αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσιν καὶ σοί KJV 1 Samuel 8:8 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:8 Just as they have done from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. CSB 1 Samuel 8:8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to Me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning Me and worshiping other gods. ESV 1 Samuel 8:8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. NIV 1 Samuel 8:8 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. NLT 1 Samuel 8:8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. NRS 1 Samuel 8:8 Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Ex 14:11,12 Ex 16:3 Ex 17:2 Ex 32:1 Nu 14:2-4 Nu 16:2,3,41 De 9:24 Jdg 2:2,3,20 4:1 6:1 13:1 Ps 78:56-59 106:14-21,34-40 Ac 7:51-53 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 14:11-12+ Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 “Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Exodus 16:3+ The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 17:2+ Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 32:1+ Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Numbers 14:2-4+ All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Acts 7:51-53+ “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” ISRAEL'S REJECTION OF YAHWEH IS "NOTHING NEW!" Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also - NLT = "Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment." Don't miss who is making this condemnatory pronouncement - not Samuel but God! Do you see what Yahweh is saying about Israel, the Chosen People? For 300+ years they have rejected and rebelled against the rule of the true and living (loving) God and instead continually made the sinful, foolish choice of bowing down to lifeless idols! How deceitful is sin? (That's rhetorical beloved! It deceives me every time I fall for it! See Heb 3:13+). J D Greear - They want a king they can see and touch and control because they do not fully trust God. And God rightly calls this rejection because everything about His character proves that they should be able to trust Him.(See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel ) 1 Samuel 8:9 "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them." BGT 1 Samuel 8:9 καὶ νῦν ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν πλὴν ὅτι διαμαρτυρόμενος διαμαρτύρῃ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπαγγελεῖς αὐτοῖς τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς βασιλεύσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς KJV 1 Samuel 8:9 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:9 So now do as they say. But seriously warn them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them." CSB 1 Samuel 8:9 Listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and tell them about the rights of the king who will rule over them." ESV 1 Samuel 8:9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." NIV 1 Samuel 8:9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." NLT 1 Samuel 8:9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them." NRS 1 Samuel 8:9 Now then, listen to their voice; only-- you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." RSV 1 Samuel 8:9 Now then, hearken to their voice; only, you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." however: etc. or, notwithstanding when you have solemnly protested against them, then thou shall show, etc. Eze 3:18 tell them of the procedure: 1Sa 8:11-18 2:13 10:25 14:52 Eze 45:7,8 46:18 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 19:21 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. 2 Chronicles 24:19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against (WARNED) them, they would not listen. Nehemiah 9:26. 29 “But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You, And they committed great blasphemies. 29 And admonished (WARNED) them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, By which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. YAHWEH COMMANDS SAMUEL TO HEARKEN BUT ALSO FOREWARN Now then, listen (KJV = hearken ~ obey) their voice - God commands Samuel because He knows that in his heart Samuel is upset for God's sake. However, you shall solemnly warn (Hebrew = ûḏ; Lxx = diamarturomai - twice in the Greek for extra emphasis!) them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them." - BBE paraphrases it "but make a serious protest." To solemnly warn functions like a legal expression implying the hearer is being given "full disclosure!" Samuel gives the "small print" at the bottom of some of those contracts that in bold print look too good to be true! And truth be told, this was not really warning in "small print," but warning from a sure prophet, a prophet that had led Israel admirably as judge for decades. But their ears were closed, because their hearts were "singing Frank Sinatra's song 'I Did it My Way,'" and they were determined to have it "their way." THOUGHT Have you ever been down that bumpy road (way)? (That's rhetorical and speaks to you and me!) J D Greear -“Listen to them,” God says, and give them a king (v. 9). God calls their request for a king disobedience, but then He acquiesces. This is a little confusing. If this request was so bad, why did God give it to them? Why not simply say no? This is why: God will sometimes answer your prayers to let you learn the hard way that what you were asking for was wrong. Have you ever had that happen? Have you ever wanted something so badly that you worked for it, you obsessed over it, and you prayed about it—but then when you got it, it was not what you thought it would be? What you had hoped would be a blessing turned out to be more of a curse in your life....One of the worst judgment statements in the Bible is Romans 1:26: God turned them over to the desires of their heart. In other words, God’s judgment on them was to answer all their prayers with a yes. The reverse is also true. Some of God’s greatest mercies to us come in the form of unanswered prayers...But the greatest blessing God could ever give is the ability to be happy in Him alone. Sometimes He has to teach us that lesson by withholding blessings we think would be beneficial. (See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel ) Solemnly warn (05749) (ûḏ) is a verb that means to admonish, to counsel in terms of someones behavior. It means to bear witness, to testify. Specifically, it can either to serve as a witness or to testify against someone, falsely (1Ki 21:10, 13) or in favor of (Job 29:11). It can also mean either to admonish someone (Gen. 43:3; Neh. 9:26, 30); or to warn solemnly (Ge. 43:3; Ex 19:21; Dt. 32:46; 1Sa. 8:9; 1Ki. 2:42; 2Chr. 24:19; Neh 9:29; 13:15, 21; Jer. 42:19; Amos 3:13). Such warnings frequently came from the Lord (2 Kgs. 17:13, 15; Jer. 11:7); but they were also mediated through His prophets (2 Chr. 24:19; Jer. 42:19). In the causative form, it can mean to call to witness, to take as a witness (Deut. 4:26; Isa. 8:2); or to obtain witnesses, that is, authentication (Jer. 32:10, 25, 44). Schultz - It is used relative to a business transaction in Jer 32:10, 25, 44 where Jeremiah obtained witnesses for the deed to his newly acquired property in Anathoth. 1 Samuel 8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. BGT 1 Samuel 8:10 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πᾶν τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοὺς αἰτοῦντας παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ βασιλέα KJV 1 Samuel 8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. NET 1 Samuel 8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. CSB 1 Samuel 8:10 Samuel told all the LORD's words to the people who were asking him for a king. ESV 1 Samuel 8:10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. NIV 1 Samuel 8:10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. NLT 1 Samuel 8:10 So Samuel passed on the LORD's warning to the people who were asking him for a king. NRS 1 Samuel 8:10 So Samuel reported all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAMUEL OBEYS YAHWEH AND SPEAKS GOD'S WORD TO PEOPLE So - This term of conclusion signals Samuel's obedience to Yahweh's words. Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king - Hannah had asked for a son, Israel asked for a king! Hannah's son Samuel is a prophet, and so as God's "mouthpiece" he repeats God's words of willingness (to accept their request) but also includes God's warnings about a monarchy. There is a saying "forewarned is forearmed," but this saying is not apropos for Israel, for they would be unable to prepare for the evil of the future kings -- 100% of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel were evil and only a few of the kings of the southern kingdom were good. Israel was being forewarned! Future events are affected by present decisions. -- Brian Bell Brian Bell on 1Sa 8:10-18 - This was the typical behavior of oriental despots of that day. The people had every right to be dissatisfied with the administration of Samuel’s sons, but the system of government the whole nation was now requesting...would be much worse. Solomon & others would place heavy taxes on the people. We learn here, future events are affected by present decisions. Note how many times he uses, “he will take” (6 x’s) Q. What’s it worth to you? Ready to give up your grain & grapes; your olives & animals; your boys & girls? Ready to basically become his slaves? (sounds just a little like big gov?) Both Satan & The World System is always ready to take: your innocence, your reputation, your integrity; your purity, your virginity, your best from you! Wrong Timing: They were about 10 years too soon in asking for a king. Wrong Tribe: Judah not Benjamin. Wrong Temperament: this king would have the wrong nature, spirit, & character. Wrong to Take: Saul will oppress his people with this system of arbitrary spoliation. He will not be a king that gives, but a king that takes. What a contrast between this exacting king & the true King of Kings, who “loved me & gave himself for me”! (Titus 2:14+) Saul will take all he can; Jesus will give all that is His & give all that He is! 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. BGT 1 Samuel 8:11 καὶ εἶπεν τοῦτο ἔσται τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς βασιλεύσει ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς τοὺς υἱοὺς ὑμῶν λήμψεται καὶ θήσεται αὐτοὺς ἐν ἅρμασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἱππεῦσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ προτρέχοντας τῶν ἁρμάτων αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:11 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. CSB 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "These are the rights of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. ESV 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. NIV 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. NLT 1 Samuel 8:11 "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. NRS 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; This will: 1Sa 10:25 De 17:14-20 He will take: 1Sa 14:52 1Ki 9:22,23 10:26 12:4,10 2Ch 26:10-15 Will run: 2Sa 15:1 1Ki 1:5 18:46 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE KING WILL DRAFT YOUR SONS He said - Note the repetition of "will" in this section which signals a successive of prophecies. This will be the procedure (NET - policies; Hebrew = mishpat/mispat = “judgment, decision, rule, justice, custom”) of the king who will reign over you - Samuel begins listing a host of negative aspects that will be associated with a human king reigning over Israel. The demands of a king would be demanding! He will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots - Prior to the monarchies, Israel had no centralized standing army and no chariots, but were ultimately reliant upon the LORD as their Warrior (cf Ex 15:1, Isa 42:13, 59:17, Ps 78:65, Ps 110:5,6) and His myriads of chariots (Ps 68:17) to bring them victory! Is this same principle not also true in our lives beloved? (Rhetorical!) David used chariots some (2Sa 8:4), and Solomon used them regularly (1Ki 4:26). Men who would run before his chariots was a status symbol (like driving the highest number Mercedes - cf Absalom's "Mercedes" in 2Sa 15:1, and Adonijah in 1Ki 1:5)! The first negative is "drafting" men for his military. Presumably there will be no draft dodging allowed. Beginning in 1Sa 8:11 through 1Sa 8:17, the personal possessive pronoun "his" is used 12 times and "for himself" is used 2 times. God is speaking through Samuel explaining essentially that what the king wants, the king gets and there is no mention of recompense for what he takes from the people. One would have thought this fact alone might have shaken them into the realization that a human king might not be the best idea! Note that the dominant verb in Samuel's warning is TAKE. A king will not be a give and take situation, but will continually be a "take" situation. And so we see "will take" 6x in 6v - 1 Sam 8:11 1 Sam 8:13 1 Sam 8:14 1 Sam 8:15 1 Sam 8:16 1 Sam 8:17 J D Greear - The irony here is tremendous. The Israelites look to a king to guarantee prosperity and security. What they receive instead is a king who would take those things from them. They wanted a king whom they could control. Instead, that king ends up controlling them. This is an Old Testament version of a New Testament principle: when you have other kings besides God, those kings do not save you; they tyrannize you....(for example) If you have to be successful to find fulfillment, you become the slave of success. You overwork; you get jealous of other successful people; you resent others their opportunities, promotions, and praise...Every life has a king. A king in your life is whatever you must have in order to be happy and secure. And kings make all their subjects into servants. The apostle Paul says it this way: “But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods” (Gal 4:8); and “Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey …?” (Rom 6:16). Or as Bob Dylan says, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.”...Everybody serves something. There are no exceptions. You are either enslaved to something that brings life (God), or you are enslaved to something that brings death. (See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel ) Play Bob Dylan's You Gotta Serve Somebody - "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody!" 1 Samuel 8:12 "He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. BGT 1 Samuel 8:12 καὶ θέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτῷ χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ θερίζειν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τρυγᾶν τρυγητὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιεῖν σκεύη πολεμικὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ σκεύη ἁρμάτων αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:12 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. CSB 1 Samuel 8:12 He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground or reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war or the equipment for his chariots. ESV 1 Samuel 8:12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. NIV 1 Samuel 8:12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. NLT 1 Samuel 8:12 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. NRS 1 Samuel 8:12 and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. appoint: 1Ch 27:1-22 and some: 1Ki 4:7,22,23,27,28 2Ch 32:28,29 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE KING WILL FORCE ENFORCE SLAVE LABOR He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties - NLT = "Some will be generals and captains in his army." And some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest - The men will not get to choose what they do for the king. He will decide and the implication is that his word as head of the state is like law and is final. Some of the men will be forced to plow and some to reap (literally "plow his plowing" "reap his reaping") and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots - Other men will be forced to outfit his professional (standing) army with the most uptodate armaments. 1 Samuel 8:13 "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. BGT 1 Samuel 8:13 καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν λήμψεται εἰς μυρεψοὺς καὶ εἰς μαγειρίσσας καὶ εἰς πεσσούσας KJV 1 Samuel 8:13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. NET 1 Samuel 8:13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. CSB 1 Samuel 8:13 He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ESV 1 Samuel 8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. NIV 1 Samuel 8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. NLT 1 Samuel 8:13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. NRS 1 Samuel 8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE KING ENSLAVES DAUGHTERS FOR ROYAL KITCHEN He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers - Note the verb "will take" means those he chooses have no say in their choice and must obey. 1 Samuel 8:14 "He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. BGT 1 Samuel 8:14 καὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐλαιῶνας ὑμῶν τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς λήμψεται καὶ δώσει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. NET 1 Samuel 8:14 He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. CSB 1 Samuel 8:14 He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. ESV 1 Samuel 8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. NIV 1 Samuel 8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. NLT 1 Samuel 8:14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. NRS 1 Samuel 8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. 1Sa 22:7 1Ki 21:7,19 Eze 46:18 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE KING TAKES THE "CREAM OF THE CROP" The idiom "cream of the crop" means the very best of all. The implication is the "leftovers" are less than the best! He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants - Here is a major negative prophecy that what the king desires the king acquires. There is nothing said about him paying a fair price for their land, etc. Again we see that the king will exert absolute authority over the people. ESV Study Bible (borrow) - The will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves goes beyond what is needed for the administration of a government and predicts the corrupting influence of a king’s power. Rather than serving the people without seeking self-enrichment (as Samuel did, 1Sa 12:3–5), the king would use his power to “take” the best for himself (1Sa 8:11–13) and those around him (1Sa 8:14–15). Servants refers to high-ranking officials, as can be seen by seals that have been found inscribed with “servant of [King] X.” As 1Sa 22:7 shows, Saul would indeed make his “servants” commanders and give them agricultural properties. 1 Samuel 8:15 "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. BGT 1 Samuel 8:15 καὶ τὰ σπέρματα ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας ὑμῶν ἀποδεκατώσει καὶ δώσει τοῖς εὐνούχοις αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. NET 1 Samuel 8:15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators and his servants. CSB 1 Samuel 8:15 He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. ESV 1 Samuel 8:15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. NIV 1 Samuel 8:15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. NLT 1 Samuel 8:15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. NRS 1 Samuel 8:15 He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. officers: Heb. eunuchs, Ge 37:36 Isa 39:7 Da 1:3,7-10,18 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE KING TAKES HIS TENTH FOR HIS TENANTS He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants - Note that this 1/10th is in addition to the 1/10th that was to be given to Yahweh! So basically they would in effect be "taxed" at the rate of 20%. Wycliffe Bible Commentary (borrow) comments that "This is the only reference in the OT to the exaction of tithes by the king. However, in the East it was not unusual for the revenue of the sovereign to be derived in part from tithes, as, for example, in Babylon and Persia." 1 Samuel 8:16 "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. BGT 1 Samuel 8:16 καὶ τοὺς δούλους ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς δούλας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ βουκόλια ὑμῶν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τοὺς ὄνους ὑμῶν λήμψεται καὶ ἀποδεκατώσει εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. NET 1 Samuel 8:16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. CSB 1 Samuel 8:16 He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys and use them for his work. ESV 1 Samuel 8:16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. NIV 1 Samuel 8:16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. NLT 1 Samuel 8:16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. NRS 1 Samuel 8:16 He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PREDICTION OF MORE SLAVE LABOR He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work - More "forced labor," which is a major component of human monarchies. This prediction would adversely affect the lifestyle of the people, as it would have significant economic ramifications. Note the repetition of the verb "take" in these "regal warnings," the implication being this would be a "one way street," all "take" and no "give!" (see 1Sa 8:11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and "appoint" in 1Sa 8:11) 1 Samuel 8:17 "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. BGT 1 Samuel 8:17 καὶ τὰ ποίμνια ὑμῶν ἀποδεκατώσει καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθε αὐτῷ δοῦλοι KJV 1 Samuel 8:17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. NET 1 Samuel 8:17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. CSB 1 Samuel 8:17 He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. ESV 1 Samuel 8:17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. NIV 1 Samuel 8:17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. NLT 1 Samuel 8:17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. NRS 1 Samuel 8:17 He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MORE PREDICTIONS OF COST TO THE PEOPLE He will take a tenth of your flocks - More taxation was predicted You yourselves will become his servants ('ebed; Lxx = ) -This signifies that all the people of Israel would lose their personal freedom. This should have been their proverbial "wake up" call but again it fell on deaf, self-seeking ears! In contrast to God's law that freed indentured slaves after 6 years of service, the king's rule would last for their entire lifetime! The Greek word for servant is doulos which speaks of absolute submission to one's master. The doulos had no life of his own, no will of his own, no purpose of his own and no plan of his own. All was to be subject to his master. The doulos' every thought, breath, and effort was subject to the will of his master, the king. In sum, the picture of a bondservant is one who is to be absolutely surrendered to his master, in this case his human king! Servants (05650) 'ebed from 'abad = work in any sense) means a slave or bondservant. Slavery in Israel amounted to indentured servitude. A fellow Israelite could not be held indefinitely against his will. In fact, his time of service was limited to 6 yr (Ex 21:2). The master could be punished if evil intent against the slave was proven (Ex 21:14) or if the slave died (Ex 21:20). These types of servants held a position of honor (Ge 24:2ff; 41:12, 15:2). Ebed in First Samuel - 1 Sam. 3:9; 1 Sam. 3:10; 1 Sam. 8:14; 1 Sam. 8:15; 1 Sam. 8:16; 1 Sam. 8:17; 1 Sam. 12:19; 1 Sam. 16:15; 1 Sam. 16:16; 1 Sam. 16:17; 1 Sam. 17:8; 1 Sam. 17:9; 1 Sam. 17:32; 1 Sam. 17:34; 1 Sam. 17:36; 1 Sam. 17:58; 1 Sam. 18:5; 1 Sam. 18:22; 1 Sam. 18:23; 1 Sam. 18:24; 1 Sam. 18:26; 1 Sam. 18:30; 1 Sam. 19:1; 1 Sam. 19:4; 1 Sam. 20:7; 1 Sam. 20:8; 1 Sam. 21:7; 1 Sam. 21:11; 1 Sam. 21:14; 1 Sam. 22:6; 1 Sam. 22:7; 1 Sam. 22:8; 1 Sam. 22:9; 1 Sam. 22:14; 1 Sam. 22:15; 1 Sam. 22:17; 1 Sam. 23:10; 1 Sam. 23:11; 1 Sam. 25:8; 1 Sam. 25:10; 1 Sam. 25:39; 1 Sam. 25:40; 1 Sam. 25:41; 1 Sam. 26:18; 1 Sam. 26:19; 1 Sam. 27:5; 1 Sam. 27:12; 1 Sam. 28:2; 1 Sam. 28:7; 1 Sam. 28:23; 1 Sam. 28:25; 1 Sam. 29:3; 1 Sam. 29:8; 1 Sam. 29:10; 1 Sam. 30:13 1 Samuel 8:18 "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." BGT 1 Samuel 8:18 καὶ βοήσεσθε ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως ὑμῶν οὗ ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἐπακούσεται κύριος ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς βασιλέα KJV 1 Samuel 8:18 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you in that day." CSB 1 Samuel 8:18 When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you on that day." ESV 1 Samuel 8:18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." NIV 1 Samuel 8:18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." NLT 1 Samuel 8:18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you." NRS 1 Samuel 8:18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day." cry out: Isa 8:21 and the Lord will not answer: Job 27:9 Ps 18:41 Pr 1:25-28 21:13 Isa 1:15 Mic 3:4 Lu 13:25 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE COST OF A KING WILL CAUSE CRYING OUT Then - Always observe this term for it marks progression in a narrative, in this case in the prophetic narrative. You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day - God knows that an earthly king will not always rule justly and in a godly manner and under the king's harsh rule the people will cry out to God. Samuel is warning the people here that their cries to God will "fall on deaf ears!" Of course, God could hear, but He now He would let Israel experience the rotten fruits of rejecting Him as their true King. Samuel warned Israel. Normally forewarned is forearmed, but not if the warning is ignored or rejected as in the case of the elders of Israel. They ignored the stern warnings (1Sa 18:19), and God ignored their cries. Psalm 66:18 reminds us "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear." Woe! THOUGHT - Be careful what you ask for, because God might just give it to you! And if it is a request not in keeping with His good and acceptable and perfect will (Ro 12:2+), the results of the request granted can be very painful! 1 Samuel 8:19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, BGT 1 Samuel 8:19 καὶ οὐκ ἠβούλετο ὁ λαὸς ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ Σαμουηλ καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ οὐχί ἀλλ᾽ ἢ βασιλεὺς ἔσται ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς KJV 1 Samuel 8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; NET 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to heed Samuel's warning. Instead they said, "No! There will be a king over us! CSB 1 Samuel 8:19 The people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We must have a king over us. ESV 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us, NIV 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. NLT 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said. NRS 1 Samuel 8:19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, "No! but we are determined to have a king over us, the people refused to listen: Ps 81:11 Jer 7:13 Jer 44:16 Eze 33:31 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL REFUSES TO HEED THE WARNINGS Nevertheless - This word means notwithstanding, despite what has just been said! It is as if their hearts are so made up that they that it is as if Israel had put their hands over their ears. They did not care about the prophets prophetic warnings. It is generally a very bad idea to ignore a true prophet of God! the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel - Their refusal to listen to voice of Samuel was equivalent of their refusal to listen to Jehovah, for Samuel was God's mouthpiece. God was warning Israel. To reject Samuel's words was to reject God's words of warning. Their rejection speaks of their hardness of heart toward God and His will for their lives! Compare the words of the people to God's prophet Jeremiah (Jer 44:16)! Responses such as these by the elders of Israel helps us understand Stephen's condemning words in Acts 7:51 “You men (Jewish leaders) who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did (JUST LIKE THEY DO HERE IN VERSE 19)." And they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us - No is their final word. No thank you prophet of God! We want is our way and will not be dissuaded! Israel was manifesting behavior somewhat like the old saying "It's my way or the highway." J D Greear - The problem comes when a person craves those things and feels like they could not be happy or secure without them. That sort of passion is what the Bible calls epithumia—a desire that has taken on so much weight that it drives everything about a person. It is the “lust” for worldly goods in 1 John 2:16–17. Epithumia is a craving that controls (Rom 1:24). This is what Israel feels about a king. Their desire for a king is a craving they could not live without. Israel was not supposed to avoid having a king at all costs. They were supposed to avoid being consumed by the idea. Whenever life is consumed with things—even good things—then it shows that God has been displaced. He has been outweighed by some lesser thing. (See Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel ) Brian Bell - FORCED RETIREMENT! (1Sa 8:19-22) Their request in 1Sa 8:5 now becomes a demand in 1Sa 8:19. They would not wait for God’s appointed time. They desired to be like the other nations. They had forgotten that to be different from the other nations was their glory. They feared the strength of the Ammonites (1Sa 12:12). Though they had trouble following their heavenly king, they still ask for an earthly monarch. Maybe they thought a shiny golden crown or flowing robes might intimidate their enemy in battle? Much that Samuel worked for & prayed for seems to have turned out differently from what he expected. Yet, he remained faithful to the Lord to the end! Leaders who are faithful to God may not always appear successful to men. (ED: TAKE THE PROPHET JEREMIAH) The people failed to give Samuel the recognition that should crown an honorable career. And they turned him out of office to make room for another whose gifts & abilities had not been proven. Ingratitude is hard to bear. He did the only thing he knew to do...he again takes the matter to the Lord in prayer! (1Sa 8:21) 1 Samuel 8:20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." BGT 1 Samuel 8:20 καὶ ἐσόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ δικάσει ἡμᾶς βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν καὶ πολεμήσει τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν KJV 1 Samuel 8:20 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:20 We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles." CSB 1 Samuel 8:20 Then we'll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles." ESV 1 Samuel 8:20 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." NIV 1 Samuel 8:20 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." NLT 1 Samuel 8:20 "We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle." NRS 1 Samuel 8:20 so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles." 1Sa 8:5 Ex 33:16 Lev 20:24-26 Nu 23:9 De 7:6 Ps 106:35 Joh 15:19 Ro 12:12 2Co 6:17 Php 3:20 1Pe 2:9 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL'S PURPOSE FOR SEEKING A KING That - (term of purpose) - This introduces the purpose of their recalcitrant attitude toward the clear warnings and gives us the third reason they sought a king (see 1Sa 8:5+). This passage explains what the LORD meant when He said they had rejected Him. We also may be like all the nations - This is an interesting phrase because in 1Sa 7:3-4 it was clear that Israel had become like all the nations around them in regard to their idolatrous practices. Now they propose to be like all the nations in regard to their leadership! The net effect of this new proposal was similar to the former situation, for in both scenarios Israel essentially abandoned Jehovah in lieu of the ways of the pagan nations! Woodhouse adds that this phrase may be like all the nations "was a remarkable rejection of Israel’s calling to be the Lord’s “treasured possession among all peoples,” “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” “separated … from the peoples,” a “great nation,” “in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations,” “a people for himself” (Ex 19:5, 6; Lev 20:26; Deut 4:6; 26:19; 1Sa 12:22). It was, in other words, the political equivalent to pursuing foreign gods and Ashtaroth (1Sa 7:3)!.....The proposal was anticipated centuries earlier in the laws given by Moses in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (SEE BELOW). There Moses spoke of the day when Israel would say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me” (Dt 17:14). Moses, perhaps surprisingly, said that Israel may indeed have a king, but on certain very specific conditions, which amounted to the fact that the arrangement would not be “like all the nations.” The elders’ request, therefore, while specifically anticipated in the Law, was a direct challenge to the Law. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ 17 “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. (ED: THESE WERE THINGS THAT THE KINGS OF "ALL THE OTHER NATIONS" DID!!!) 18 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. That our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles - Note "us" occurs 8x in 5v (1Sa 8:5, 6, 16, 19, 20). This one sentence would radically change the history of the nation of Israel and in a sense would change the history of the world (because Israel is God's centerpiece and what happens in Israel affects the entire world, even though the pagan world would deny that is the case!) Everyone else is doing it so why shouldn't we. What could be so wrong with mimicking the godless, pagan, idol worshipping nations! As we learn later one of the reasons they seek a king to lead their battles is that Nahash (Heb = "serpent"), an Ammonite king, was beginning to come against Israel. 1Sa 12:12+ says "When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although the LORD your God was your King." ESV Study Bible (borrow) - The king’s functions are (1) to give influence and status like all the nations; (2) to judge us—the fundamental function (2Sa 14:4; 15:2–4; 1Ki 3:16–28; Psalm 72); and (3) to go out before us and fight our battles—i.e., be a war leader (e.g., 1Sa 11:1–11; 14:47–48; 23:27–28; 2Sa 5:19). Woodhouse offers an interesting analysis of the elders' request - The elders failed to see the point that is so obvious to us as we read this narrative. One lesson that the recent history of Israel should have taught unambiguously is that the best of leaders can have the worst of sons. The elders themselves have drawn this fact to our attention again by their opening words. And yet their proposal in the present circumstances was to institute a new form of leadership in Israel that was based on the hereditary principle of a father being succeeded by his son! This inner contradiction in the elders’ proposal had obviously escaped their attention. Their failure to see that the proposal was undermined by their own analysis of the crisis it was meant to address is stunning in its stupidity! Israel needed to hear and heed the words of the apostle John - "Beloved, do not imitate (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey - but Israel was resisting the Holy Spirit!) what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God (NLT = "and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.")" John's words sadly tell the tale of most of Israel - they had no personal relationship with Jehovah! THOUGHT - How many of our troubles arise because we want to be like others or want what others have, especially the "rich and famous" (who are largely the "godless and lost")? We do not care that these others are not godly, but they seem to be "happy," or "prosperous" and so we envy them. This mindset is often a recipe for personal problems and even disaster much as it was in the nation of Israel who wanted to be like all the other nations! Beloved, we must continually remind ourselves that this world is not our home and "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;" (Php 3:20-21+) This begs a simple question, are you eagerly waiting for Jesus? Are you living like He could return today or have you begun to life that the lost world around you? Paul had a good antidote for envy of this world, commanding believers "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (OUR FUTURE GLORY SHOULD BE OUR PRESENT MINDSET!)." (Col 3:2-4+) Woodhouse on what constitutes a king - Kingship is not an easy concept to define. It can take many different forms. The common features of these seem to be: (a) the rule of one man over a larger group where his authority derives simply from his being the king rather than from some other source (such as position in family, some other form of seniority, or appointment) and (b) the hereditary principle that the kingship is passed down from father to son. A king therefore offered a strong, stable, and predictable center of political authority for a nation that otherwise had to depend on an unseen God to unite them. Furthermore, kingship held out the promise of efficient central organization to a nation that, lacking such structures, tended to lurch from one crisis to the next. After many years of such instability, it is not difficult to see how reasonable the proposal must have seemed to the elders. I cannot help thinking of some proposals that come forward today to make the church more efficient, strong, and effective. The proven experience of the world of business management offers methods that have made other organizations strong and growing. If only the churches would implement some of the strategies of the business schools or recruit leaders like some of the successful companies, the churches could make an impact! They could expand their market share! I wonder whether you can hear a faint echo of the elders of Israel: “Give us a king … like all the nations.” 1 Samuel 8:21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing. BGT 1 Samuel 8:21 καὶ ἤκουσεν Σαμουηλ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου KJV 1 Samuel 8:21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. NET 1 Samuel 8:21 So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the LORD. CSB 1 Samuel 8:21 Samuel listened to all the people's words and then repeated them to the LORD. ESV 1 Samuel 8:21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. NIV 1 Samuel 8:21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. NLT 1 Samuel 8:21 So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, NRS 1 Samuel 8:21 When Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. he repeated them: Jdg 11:11 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE PROPHET REPORTS TO THE KING OF KINGS Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated (KJV = "rehearsed") them in the LORD'S hearing - This is an interesting passage. Obviously God had heard Israel's response and yet Samuel gives his first-person report. In essence he is in prayer with Yahweh. Wycliffe Bible Commentary (borrow) comments that "Rehearse is derived from Old French rehercier, “to harrow over again.” Samuel once more went over the matter as a farmer harrows again a plot before planting it." Brian Bell - Of course God knew perfectly well what had taken place. This is called giving vent to your feelings. [to which God gives further direction] Note also...Samuel’s prayer did not change his circumstances. So often when we pray we expect that God will suddenly & miraculously bring about a reversal of what is unpleasant to us. We are then disappointed when He does not act in accordance with our expectations 1 Samuel 8:22 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." BGT 1 Samuel 8:22 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν καὶ βασίλευσον αὐτοῖς βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς ἄνδρας Ισραηλ ἀποτρεχέτω ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 8:22 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. NET 1 Samuel 8:22 The LORD said to Samuel, "Do as they say and install a king over them." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to his own city." CSB 1 Samuel 8:22 "Listen to them," the LORD told Samuel. "Appoint a king for them." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Each of you, go back to your city." ESV 1 Samuel 8:22 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." NIV 1 Samuel 8:22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town." NLT 1 Samuel 8:22 and the LORD replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. NRS 1 Samuel 8:22 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and set a king over them." Samuel then said to the people of Israel, "Each of you return home." 1Sa 8:7 Ho 13:11 1 Samuel 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAMUEL ACCEPTS ISRAEL'S REQUEST The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." - Yes they have rejected Yahweh as their King, but in His boundless mercy and His sovereign, omnipotent power (to bring about a "Romans 8:28 ending"), Jehovah would choose David, a man after His own heart, and from whose line would come the great King, the One Who is both Human and Divine, Christ Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16+). So - Term of conclusion again demonstrating Samuel's unquestioning, unhesitating obedience, even though he did not not favor the people's request for a king. Samuel's prayerful obedience is a good model to imitate. Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." - This clearly implies Samuel, in obedience to His God, acquiesced with the people's request and sent them home. Brian Bell - Go home until God makes known His choice. In effect, God said, “they shall have their king. And when they see how poorly he reigns, they’ll wish they had stuck with Me” Samuel remained loyal to the people of Israel in spite of their rejection of him. His role was reduced, but his lightened responsibility gave him the opportunity to spend more time training promising young men in the schools of the prophets. I like what the 16yr old who attempted to sail around the world, Abby Sunderland, said in her blog, “The long and the short of it is, well, one long wave, and one short mast.” G. Campbell Morgan(pastor of Westminster Chapel) was one of 150 young men who sought entrance to the Wesleyan ministry in 1888. He passed the doctrinal examinations, but then faced the trial sermon. In a cavernous auditorium that could seat more than 1,000 sat 3 ministers and 75 others who came to listen. When Morgan stepped into the pulpit, the vast room and the searching, critical eyes caught him up short. Two weeks later Morgan’s name appeared among the 105 REJECTED for the ministry that year. Jill Morgan, his daughter-in-law, wrote in her book, A Man Of The Word (Borrow), “He wired to his father the one word, ‘Rejected,’ and sat down to write in his diary: ‘Very dark everything seems. Still, He knoweth best.’ Quickly came the reply: ‘Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven. Dad.’” But, rejection is rarely permanent, as Morgan went on to prove.