A scripture reflection on I Samuel 8.
Chapter 8 in 1 Samuel is an interesting narrative. The Israelites are requesting that their prophet, Samuel, appoint a king to rule over them. It is important to know that up until this point the Israelites had some great leaders but never a king. A king, they believed, would bring stability; a king could protect and lead them in a more efficient way. It seems logical. It isn’t a bad thought or an evil desire. Yet, we see God and Samuel thinking differently; in fact, God and Samuel tell the people that a king is going to be the opposite of what they truly want…but the Israelites persist.
It can be easy to read a story like this and think, “ok, so, the people wanted a king. God didn’t. Got it”, and move on. We may be inclined to think this doesn’t apply to us today. Besides TV and movies, we probably have never seen a man with a crown, sitting on a throne ruling over a specific group of people. However, we long for the same thing the Israelites yearned for, don’t we? It doesn’t sound ha;f bad to have someone to take care of us, to show us the way, provide and protect us. Stick with me here, but would it be that far-fetched to say that each and every one of us has a throne within our hearts? I don’t think so. The question then becomes what do we hope to satisfy that deep desire? Maybe we look to a social status or a bank account for security. Maybe it is our physical appearance that brings us assurance or the designer clothes we wear. Yet, in the depths of our hearts, we know nothing in this world satisfies. It is all fleeting. Only Christ is enough. Only He satisfies. Today, let us pray that God, and He alone, is the King over our lives.
