Give Us a King

Text: 1 Samuel 8:4-9

The Israelites demanded that Samuel appoint a king to rule over them. They were a distinct people – God’s chosen nation (Deuteronomy 7:6) – yet they wanted to be like all the nations around them. This chapter is sometimes used to discuss the danger of God’s people wanting to be like the world. In this lesson, we’re going to take a broader approach and see what this chapter teaches us about sin in general.

Sin Is a Rejection of God

  • By demanding a king, the people rejected God as their king (1 Samuel 8:7)
  • Sin is a master that will rule over us (Romans 6:12-14) – we can choose to follow it (Romans 6:16); we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; 1 John 1:6)

Bad Circumstances Make Sin Appealing

  • The people cited the wickedness of Samuel’s sons as a reason to have a king (1 Samuel 8:1-5)
  • Sin is still sin, regardless of the circumstances (1 John 3:4); but bad circumstances can make temptations stronger – hunger / stealing (Proverbs 6:30-31; 30:8-9); marital problems / adultery (1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4); there is still a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), but sin seems more appealing at times like these

Sin Does Not Deliver What it Promises

  • They wanted a king for leadership and protection (1 Samuel 8:20) – over time they were led into sin and taken captive
  • We are tempted to sin by the “benefits” of sin (Matthew 4:8-9; Hebrews 11:24-25) – yet any “benefit” is only temporary and is inferior to what God promises (Hebrews 11:26; Romans 6:23)

Sin Costs More Than You Expect

  • God told Samuel to warn them about “the procedure of the king” (1 Samuel 8:9) – would be a great cost to them (1 Samuel 8:10-18)
  • Sin will cost us in this life (Proverbs 13:15) and, more importantly, in eternity (Romans 6:23) – even if sin could deliver all that it promised, the cost would still be too great (Matthew 16:26)

God Allows Us to Choose to Sin

  • The people rejected God by calling for a king (1 Samuel 8:7), yet God allowed them to choose this (1 Samuel 8:9, 22)
  • God does not want us to sin (1 Peter 1:15-16), but He allows us to choose what we will do (Matthew 23:37) – we have to choose; cannot straddle the fence (1 Kings 18:21); either serve God or not (Romans 6:16)

God Is Willing to Save Us Despite Our Sin

  • God would allow them to suffer the consequences of their choice (1 Samuel 8:18), but salvation would still be brought to/through His people (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
  • We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), yet God sent His Son to die on the cross for us (Romans 5:8) – He loves us and wants to save us (John 3:16), but we must choose to follow Him (Hebrews 5:9)