1st Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
This passage of scripture shows us the reasons why the children of Israel demanded a king, for they were given over to a lack of faith in The God who had protected them all along, and now, they insisted in putting their trust in a mere mortal man, riddled with frailties and weaknesses which would ultimately cost them dearly. And even after Samuel showed them the manner of king who would reign over them, with all the attendant evils that would accrue, the people still persisted in having their own way, being not content to be led and guided by God. Let's read:
1st Samuel 8:11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you"... 14 "He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you".... 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
The disposition to put our trust in man is often productive of some of the worst evils, for as history shows, most kings and rulers, even among god-fearing men, have began their reign in good standing with the people, but after a while, we have often seen where their decisions and actions have have caused great harm to the people under their jurisdiction. Solomon, David, Saul, and Samson, all started of their reign very well, but as time progressed, and they lost sight of their invisible leader, they began to trust more and more in their ability to do and dare. Thus many who started of with a morning of bright promise, ended their careers in the shades of night. Let's read:
2nd Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? 7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
When our current president began his reign, it was just as if a new day had dawn in American history, and the messages of hope and change reverberated in every heart. The multitudes were energized with motifs such as "Yes we can" and on that memorable and historic day of his inauguration, it was as if America had turned a new page. And true to the historical pattern, he indeed did some things worthy of commendation, for Bin Laden was killed, and the financial crisis, which threatened to push us over the cliff, was indeed averted.
But after a morning of bright promise, the shadows of night began to settle in, because gay marriage laws were being called for, and the very same God who had brought him into power by His providence, was now dishonored by the trampling upon of His sacred institution of God-ordained marriage, and by so doing, the flood gates of immorality and vice of the very worst kinds are now eating away at the moral fabric of our society, to the point where millions of boys and girls, men and women, are not sure anymore of their sexual identity, and aspire to be what they are not, through that fatal decision of the courts.
And here we go again, with the next presidential race looming, and with the many discordant voices again chanting this or that message of peace and prosperity, and deliverance from all our foes. Now while it is good to have a positive outlook on life, with bright prospects for the future, let us remember that our faith and trust should never rest with man, for if we put our confidence in mere mortals, we will again be subject to grave disappointments of no ordinary character. Let us then trust in The Almighty God, and hope and pray that the next election will be instrumental in bringing this nation closer to Christ, not driving us further and further away from His all-wise rule.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us that it is God who holds the future of this country, and all others in the palm of His hands, and although millions may vote on election day, God has already predetermined who the next president will be. Let's read:
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!