Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Summer of the Kings: Finally diving into and enjoying the Old Testament

Saul, Samuel, David, and Solomon.....the last judge and the first three kings of Israel. God didn't design us to be ruled by any king except for himself. A country without a person in charge? Major decisions made by a select few set apart as wise and worthy? How could that even work? It seems impossible to us, but this was the way the world began. Israel was content without kings and only judges....until nearby pagan countries - who worshiped false gods and did not follow the true God - appointed kings to rule their land. In response, Israelites ranted and raved for their very own king! Saul, the final judge, warned them of what would happen...

1 Samuel

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 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. 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. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 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."

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 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."



He warned them....they didn't listen. All of Samuel's predictions come true.

3 comments:

  1. What a good reminder that the lessons in the Bible can be applied to our lives today.

    Welcome to our bloggy world. I came over from your sister's blog to say hi!

    Blessings,
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete