Although Israel rejects God, did you notice that God does not reject their request? God acknowledges Samuel’s concerns, but tells him to “obey their voice.” However, he does tell Samuel to explain what their request for a king will mean for them: “…you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. (1 Sam. 8:9)” Just as Samuel had done with Eli, he said “all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king (v10)” As a side note, proclaiming the “word of the Lord” can mean more than the speaking the “good news” of the Lord. As the Lord’s prophet, he was called to say the hard things during hard times. In this case, he shares the blunt truth about earthly kings. In rejecting their heavenly King, they will subject themselves to the “gift” that keeps on taking: he will take their sons (v11); he will take their daughters (v13); he will take the best of their fields (v14); he will take a tenth of their grain (v15); he will take their servants and donkeys (v16); he will take a tenth of their flocks and they will be his slaves (v17). He concludes with the warning of a day of reckoning when they will cry out because of the king, but the Lord will not answer. This king, in requiring a “tithe” of their goods will set himself as God’s equal. As a result, instead of willingly serving the loving, heavenly King, they will be slaves to an earthly tyrant.
Something to Understand:
In one sense, the Lord’s warning speaks of the common reality of human government. They tax, spend, grow, and tax some more. But this is not an economic concern of the Lord, but a spiritual one. They reject Yahwey as King because they choose to find their security and hope in another source. As already discussed, this is ultimately a worship problem. There are many things in life (personal and cultural) that give us cause for concern and an opportunity to despair and turn to false hopes of human deliverance through having the ‘right’ government or civic programming in place. In spite of government and civic authorities being ordained by God, they are not that which we worship, or place ultimate hope upon. By all means vote prayerfully according to your conscience, and advocate for justice; but reserve the worship of your heart for the Lord alone. He is our true, living, hope!