Bondage to the King

1 Samuel 8:6-22 is the story of Israel's request for a king.

v. 6 "...give us a king to judge us..."
v. 7 "...they have not rejected you; the have rejected Me as their king."
v. 9 "...warn them..."
v. 11-18 "These are the rights of the king who will rule over you...he can take your sons...he can take your daughters...he can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards...he can take your male servants....you yourselves can become his servants."

Israel was pleading with the prophet Samuel, for a king. Samuel "considered their demand sinful", so he brought it before the Lord. The Lord replied with, give them what they want, but it will be bad for them.

The Israelites up to this point had only God to lead them. But, they began to look around at other nations, and those around them, they felt like they were missing out on something. It looked like the neighboring nations had something great! They asked for a king.

They no longer wanted to be under the sole leadership of Christ. They rejected him for a king. The Lord, through Samuel, warns them of the troubles they will face with a king.

It is sad to say that everyday those around us are behaving just as the Israelites. They are rejecting the King of Kings, for other "kings" in their life. They look around and feel like they are missing out on something. Maybe they are a Christ follower, however, they are turned from the way of Christ for their desire of following the world. Or, perhaps this is what keeps a soul from turning to Christ, they are afraid of all they will "lose". They see the life of unbelievers (pleasurable for a season), they don't want to miss out!

Under Christ's lordship, the Israelites had complete freedom. They operated in the parameters of God's Word. However, they looked around, they saw something "better".

The Lord warns them of the trouble they will face. He will utilize their family. They will lose their sons and daughters, the king will put them to work. He will use them as he sees fit, not according to the purposes of God.

The king will take their possesions. He will take their land, vineyards, and fields. They will be his to use as the king wishes.

The king will take their servants, and donkeys (essential "tools" for the agrarian culture of the day). Any fields left that the Isrealites have would not be able to be worked to their full potential.

The kind will take their flocks, and they will become his servants. The king will finally take their freedom. With little fields, no tools to work them, with their flocks (source of meat) taken, they are left with no choice but to become fully in bondage to the king.

Family (that which we are closest too), purpose, possessions, potential, freedom....the king would take that which Satan is till trying to take from God's people.

Under Christ we have complete freedom. We have closeness with God (closer than a brother), we can only fully understand relationships with others after we have a relationship with Him, we have freedom to pursue God's purpose for our lives, when in need we still possess Christ (He possesses us), we are enabled to reach our full potential in Him.

People everyday, however, are looking around, they freak out because they fear that God is going to mess up, their lives they have planned for themselves can never happen with God. So, they choose to follow a different king.

Satan comes in, things may go good for a season, but eventually it all falls apart. Satan works the same way, attacks our relationships, robs us of purpose, dispossesses us of Christ, defeats us from reaching our full potential.

[relationships, purpose, possessions, potential, freedom]