A L M A C I A S

'WE WANT A KING LIKE ALL THE OTHER NATIONS'

In the first book of Samuel, we find many lessons which could be applicable to us today. One of those lessons is found in I Samuel chapter 8. We read that the time had come for Samuel to pass on his work to someone else, for he was old and was no longer able to do what he had done for so many years in judging and leading the nation of Israel. We read that the elders of Israel came to Samuel to tell him that he was old (something Samuel already knew), but also that they did not want his sons to take his place because they were not like their father Samuel. This was true; Samuel's sons did not walk as their father had walked for so many years. However, these elders, as well as the people of God, really had another reason for not wanting Samuel's sons to rule over them. They told Samuel they wanted a king just like all the other nations. It is so true what the Lord said one time, that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." (Matt. 12:34) The real reason these elders wanted a king was that they wanted to be just like all of the other nations.

As we continue reading about this incident, we find that Samuel took it very hard, but that the Lord assured him that the people were not rejecting him, but rather they were rejecting God. This idea of wanting to be just like all the others has resulted in a lot of consequences to the Lord's church. Members of the Lord's church in many places have fallen into this way of thinking, to the point that the only thing left which resembles the church of Christ is the sign in front of the building. The way many so-called Christians act is very different than what the Word of God teaches. We are so impressed by those of the world that we also want to be like them. It should not be so. We should be striving to change those of the world to be more like us, as we strive to be more like Jesus. When the people of God in the days of Samuel decided to have a king just like all of the other nations, the Lord told Samuel to tell the people that if they did have a king, there would be a price to pay, and it would be a heavy price at that. And so it is with us today when we strive to be just like everybody else. We, too, end up paying a high price. When people get away from what God has commanded us, they have more problems than they are able to solve. Are we like the people of Samuel¹s day? Let us strive not to be so.