1 Samuel 8:1-6: a reflection

1When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. 5They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD.

When Samuel grew old and his sons proved corrupt, the elders of Israel came with a request that grieved Samuel and displeased God: Make us a king to judge us like all the nations. The trouble was not only that they wanted a king, but why: they wanted to be like all the nations, to have what other peoples had, rather than being content to be God's own people under his rule. In asking for a king like the nations, they were, at bottom, rejecting God's own kingship over them, preferring to conform to the world rather than to remain distinctively his. God said as much: they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. The desire to be like everyone else, to have what the world has, led them to reject God's own rule. To reject God's rule in order to be like the world is a real temptation, choosing conformity to others over contentment under God. Wanting to be like the nations, they rejected God as their king. The longing to be like the world can lead us to reject God's rule over us.

Notice what was really behind the request for a king: the desire to be like all the nations. Israel was meant to be distinct, God's own people under his kingship; but they wanted what other nations had, to be like everyone else, and so they asked for a king like the nations. And in this, God said, they were rejecting his own rule over them. The longing to conform to the world, to have what others have, to be like everyone else, led them to set aside the distinctive privilege of being ruled by God himself. This is a subtle and recurring temptation: to want to be like the world, to have what it has, and in the process to reject or set aside God's rule over us. What looks like a simple wish to be normal, to fit in, to have what others have, can at bottom be a turning from God's own kingship. To prefer conformity to the world over contentment under God's rule is to reject something precious for something common. The desire to be like the nations cost Israel the acknowledgment of God as their king. Wanting what the world has can lead us to reject God's rule.

That is worth taking to heart, for the desire to be like the world can lead us to reject God's rule over us. We can long to be like everyone else, to have what the world has, to fit in, and in that longing set aside God's own rule over our lives, as Israel asked for a king like the nations and thereby rejected God as their king. The wish to conform to the world can be, at bottom, a turning from God's kingship. There is something precious in being distinctively God's, under his rule, that the longing to be like everyone else can lead us to give up. Do not let the desire to be like the world lead you to set aside God's rule over your life; being distinctively his, under his kingship, is worth more than being like everyone else. Do not let the longing to be like the world, to have what others have, lead you to reject God's rule over your life, as Israel asked for a king like the nations and thereby rejected God as their king; for the desire to conform to the world, to fit in and have what it has, can at bottom be a turning from God's own kingship, and there is something precious in being distinctively his, content under his rule, that the wish to be like everyone else can lead us to give up, so that we do well to prize being God's own people under his rule above being like the world.

Lord, when Samuel grew old and his sons proved corrupt, the elders of Israel came with a request that grieved Samuel and displeased you: Make us a king to judge us like all the nations. The trouble was not only that they wanted a king, but why: they wanted to be like all the nations, to have what other peoples had, rather than being content to be your own people under your rule. In asking for a king like the nations, they were, at bottom, rejecting your own kingship over them. You said as much: they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. The desire to be like everyone else led them to reject your rule. Show me what was really behind the request for a king: the desire to be like all the nations. Israel was meant to be distinct, your own people under your kingship; but they wanted what other nations had, and so they asked for a king like the nations. And in this, you said, they were rejecting your own rule over them. This is a subtle and recurring temptation: to want to be like the world, to have what it has, and in the process to reject or set aside your rule over us. What looks like a simple wish to fit in can at bottom be a turning from your own kingship. Take that to my heart, for the desire to be like the world can lead me to reject your rule over me. I can long to be like everyone else, to have what the world has, to fit in, and in that longing set aside your own rule over my life, as Israel asked for a king like the nations. There is something precious in being distinctively yours, under your rule. Keep me from letting the desire to be like the world lead me to set aside your rule over my life, Lord; help me prize being your own, content under your kingship, above being like everyone else, as Israel's wish to be like the nations led them to reject you as their king.