Scripture text for Tuesday, February 16th, 2010: 1 Samuel 8:1-10:27
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In this section, the Israelites come to Samuel at the end of his life and demand a king to rule over them. They have been threatened by the Philistines for a long time and still feel that threat. A consistent ruler, with the authority and power necessary, will surely make them safer. This may have been the predominant reason, but surely there were others. But of course it was in one way an odd request for the people of Yahweh to ask for a King, as Samuel tries to make clear. Yahweh is their king! Samuel does not wish to pursue this path but the Lord tells Samuel that this desire is just another example of the people failing to trust in Him. He tells Samuel to warn the people that if they are granted a king to rule over them, he will in fact do that, demanding their sons for his army, their daughters for service to the monarchy, and the best of their fields and resources for his kingdom and army. The response of the people to Samuel once he has explained this is telling: “We want a king over us. 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” (I Samuel 8:19-20; see also 10: 17-19).