Our society has undergone some radical changes in the last thirty years. It has been a period when conservative values have been overrun by liberal ideology. It has been a time when "open marriages" have been advocated, drug legalization, death education, euthanasia, values clarification, trash talk, the ERA, "Children's liberation", commune dwelling, the sexual revolution. It was a time of flower children and radical feminists. The motto of the 60s was "Tune in, turn on, drop out.", the 70's was "If it feels good, do it". The 80's was the "Me Generation", and the 90's were referred to as "Generation X", a euphemism for a mixed up, valueless and confused generation, no longer based on values, but rather searching for definition.  Look at the significant cultural changes that have taken place!  "Father Knows Best" has been replaced by coverage of the daily routines of the family of Ozzie Osborne.

One common thread is woven through these years, the concept that fundamentally, an individual is not really responsible for their actions. Everything is relative, so everything is acceptable. There are no true limits. That common thread of relativism has been invading our courts. Consider the acquittals of Lorena Bobbit, Brian Denney, and the hung jury of the Menendez brothers. Their defense was that they were not fundamentally responsible for their actions because of circumstances in their lives. 

Since I personally suffered child abuse as an orphan, I am now in a cultural position to use that as a defense for antisocial behavior. What would happen to a child if, while it is being reared, it was never presented with any limits? Such a person would become undisciplined, selfish, and dangerous.  What would happen if that child always got its own way? What would happen in a society if it always got its own way, separate from God's guidance? Certainly, sin would become the norm rather than the exception in the cultural experience.  Society has experienced some of the results of such an ideology, and only lately has the secular liberalist movement been losing steam. People are beginning to see the real results of such a way of life. Teen pregnancies are now the rule rather than the exception. We have killed over 30 million unborn children in this country alone using the cultural euphemism of "choice". Divorce far outnumbers marriages, and single-parent families are the norm for most low-income areas. Overall crime statistics are far worse than any time in recorded history with the cost of running the penal system now taking more of the State's tax dollar than any other program.  Most states now spend more money in their penal system then they do in their educational systems.

1 Sam 8:1-4. 

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. ² The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. ³ But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. ⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

Samuel was the last of the judges, and we probably know more of his ministry than any other judge. At this time in Hebrew history The Hebrews were quite assimilated into the culture of the Canaanites. Samuel was getting old, and some consideration was being given to his replacement. Samuel appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah to serve in Beersheba, but they were of the world and failed in the calling. Much can be said to criticize Samuel's success in raising his children in the ways of the Lord.  When Samuel failed to instill in them a reverence and love for God, they turned from Samuel, turned from God, and served the nation in the manner of the pagans.  They sold their position as judge to those who would pay bribes, and by doing so perverted the positions to which they were called.  So the elders, (literally the "bearded ones"), came to Samuel with a request.

1 Sam 8:5 

They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

What were the elders asking for? The government of Israel was different from that of its neighbors.  Instead of having a single dictator to manage its affairs, Israel had judges who were charged with dispensing Godly judgments.  There was no need for a king, since that position would be served by God Himself.  It was God's purpose that, through the judges and prophets, He would lead His people.  However, the people could not see this leadership, and asked for the raising of a king who would lead them. Why would the people want a king, a single individual who has dictatorial authority? As they observed their pagan neighbors, they saw them led by a King.  They simply wanted to be the same as their neighbors.  How often do children use such an argument to rationalize their desires? "Mommy, I have to have Calvin Klein jeans, because everybody is wearing them.", "Tommy has a motorcycle, why can't I have one?" Such a rationale for justifying desires is as old as desire itself.

What is fundamentally wrong with the concept of a Hebrew King?  Simply, God is to be their King.  If God provides them with a King, he is abdicating His own authority over them, solely because they no longer want Him.  By wanting to be like the rest of the world, the people are asking to separate themselves from God by inserting an intermediary authority between themselves and God.  Often we desire for ourselves that which is not in our best interest, and though it is against God's ultimate will for our lives, God will usually allow us to have our own way, and by doing so we suffer the consequences of our rebellion against God, and through it God can teach us a lesson.  Israel would learn a hard lesson through this request.

Look at the rationale that the elders use to make their argument: 

1. "You are Old". Was this even a valid argument? It is plain that Samuel ministered for many years following this incident as he ministered to both Saul and David. 
2. "Your son's do not walk in your ways." Even this argument holds no authority. Judges were not appointed to Israel by succession as the pagan kings were, they were appointed by the calling of God in the lives of the judge.  

Note that these were occasions for their request; they were not legitimate justifications. Using occasions for justification of our actions is a rationalization at best. It is one of the fundamental errors we apply when making decisions.

1 Sam 8:6 

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

What was Samuel's response? Samuel prayed to the Lord, Yahweh.  Note that his first response was not to argue the points of occasion brought up by the elders.  What would have happen if he had tried to rationalize with them?  First, he would have been acting in his own power, which was not sufficient for so significant a situation. Second, they would not listen to him anyway, so such an act would only harm the situation. Our natural response when confronted with conflict is to put on the boxing gloves and go into battle, often trying to bring a rational argument to an irrational audience. Such an exercise is futile at best, destructive at its worst. Again, what was Samuel's response? To pray.  We can learn from his example.

1 Sam 8:7 

And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

What was the result of Samuel's prayers? First, he was listening to God for the proper response, and the message he heard was saturated with God's wisdom rather than his own. God told him first to listen to the request of the people and to give them what they want. It is not clear from the English translations, but the word for "Listen" means to hear with the intent of obeying.  God also gave Samuel some words of encouragement when He said that the people are not rejecting him, but rather God himself. How would that make Samuel feel? When you express what you know is God's truth and your expression is rejected, who is being rejected? It is God, and His Word that people reject, not you.  Jesus gave some advice to those of whom he sent as missionaries into Samaria. When they went to a house and their ministry was rejected what were they to do? They were to shake the dust from their sandals upon leaving. God would use that dust as a testimony against them at the day of Judgment. (Matt. 10:14-15.)

What does God's willingness to give them a King say about Him within the context of this verse? God may give you the desire of your heart even if you pursue it against Him, and you will ultimately suffer the consequences.  Note that, though God gave Israel a King, God's own authority cannot be usurped. God was and still is King over all and nothing that mankind can create can ever change that. This illustrates the folly of the request made by the people of Israel. The Hebrews had simply added to their sin by rejecting God yet further than they had done so before.

What would have been the proper response of the people in this situation? The people could simply ask God for the answer to their dilemma.  Instead, the concept never entered their mind. They did not ask Samuel for a solution; they told Samuel what their own solution was.  In our efforts to maintain control in our own lives people will most often make decisions based upon their own assessment of a situation, rather than rely upon God.  People tend to turn to God only after things get so out of control that there is no place else to turn.  It is our lack of involving God in our lives that often places ourselves in that position in the first place.

1 Sam 8:8-9 

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

What was Samuel to do? God told Samuel again to listen to the people intent to obey them, but he was also to warn them of the ultimate consequences of their actions.  In our lives, when we make decisions based upon ungodly rationalizations, do we also receive warnings from God of the folly of our choices?  What are the sources of these warnings? 

1. The scriptures. We have many examples of human error as illustrations to guide us. If we are ignorant of them due to a lack of Bible study, we are not taking advantage of this resource. 
2. The Holy Spirit's influence in our lives. The Holy Spirit gives us peace when we are obedient to His will, and frustration and turmoil when we disobey. Usually, we use the noise of rationalization based upon occasion-based justification to silence the voice of the Spirit.

Again, when faced with a decision, where did Samuel turn? Samuel turned to God.  When we are faced with decisions, where should we turn? We should turn to God also without regard to the magnitude of the impact of that decision in our lives.  How can we do this? 

1. Recognize that God's wisdom far exceeds our own, and it is available to us. 
2. Silence the noise of the rationalization. Only with our eyes focused on God can we be freed of the pressure of rationalization. God's ways are greater than our ways, His ways far exceed the value of anything that we can create on our own. 
3. Recognize that we will have to live with the consequences of our decisions.

God's Holy Spirit will warn us of the consequences of our actions. For example, consider a temptation to commit adultery. To the lost of the world, who have followed the liberal thought of the last 30 years, the consequences of such an act are minimal. Divorce is no big deal to them. Having a good time is much more important. However, to the Spirit-led Christian the circumstances are quite different. The consequences of such an act are profound. It will result in an alienation from everything that you consider of value, including your fellowship with God. One needs only to look at the experiences of David to see an example of that. When a Christian commits a willful sin there is a pattern of destruction in the life that only God's forgiveness can repair.

It is best to heed the warnings.

1 Sam 8:10-18 

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. ¹²Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

Did the elders receive a warning of the consequences of their actions? Certainly, Samuel spelled out a clear and dramatic prophesy of what would take place if their nation had a king like those in the pagan nations.  The pattern described by Samuel is consistent with that of the Kings of the other nations.  Without asking, Samuel is implying, "Do you really want to be led by a dictator as the pagan nations are?"  When we make choices in our lives that are contrary to God's purpose in it, we are confronted with a similar situation when the Holy Spirit and God's Word asks a similar question, "Is this really what you want?"  One can see how a loving parent can ask the same question of an errant child in an attempt to give the child a choice of making the correct decision without taking from the child the opportunity to choose.  Often such a parent will ultimately allow the child to make the wrong choice so that an important lesson can be learned.  God responds to us as a loving Father who does not dictate, but rather provides wise advice.  

1 Sam 8:19-20. 

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. ²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

What was the response of the people to Samuel's warnings?  Note the adamancy of the people's response.  The people were so blinded by their rationalized desires that they never listened to anything Samuel had to say. Again, we can become so blinded by our own rationalizations that we will not be able to hear the still-small voice of the Spirit as He issues warnings and guidance in our lives. We must be very careful about this.  If our choices are rejected by someone whom we respect, we would be wise to reconsider our request before getting angry or impatient.  Rejection of the advice of another should take place only after prayer and objective consideration.  Rejection of the advice of God will always result in the wrong choice.

1 Sam 12:19.

The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."

One of the characteristics of God's people is that He always preserves a remnant. In times of great rebellion against God, there has always been a remnant of people who did not compromise their faith. Here we see the testimony of this small minority of people. What was their request of Samuel? The faithful remnant asked Samuel to pray for them that they would not die because of their sin.  Whether or not these people were included in those who asked for a King, it is clear that they are repentant of their action and seeking forgiveness. They have confessed of the sin, and are truly asking for forgiveness. What is God's response to a repentant sinner? The request of Samuel is an indicator of their repentance, the fact that they turned from their rebellious position.  When a sinner confesses the sin and turns from it, God is in a position to forgive.   If we will confess our sins and turn from our wicked ways, God is always faithful to forgive us of those sins and cleanse us of our unrighteousness.  However, we should remember that confession without repentance is fruitless.

1 Sam 12:20-25.

"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²²For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. ²³As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."

Samuel provides some Godly counsel to the people making the request. First, he tells them not to be afraid of death.  We can always rely on God's faithfulness to forgive. What is Samuel's instruction to the people?   They were to agree that they have sinned (confession), yet keep their focus on God (repentance), serving them with all of their heart. They are not to succumb to the ways of their current culture that looked to idols for guidance and provision in their lives.   Things created by man have no power to make a real difference.  Today's culture is no different.  This world still looks to the things made by the hands of man for all manner of authority. God will not reject those who love Him. Samuel also said that he would honor their request to pray for them.  Samuel stated that he would do so, and failure to do so would be a sin on his part. Furthermore, he made a covenant with them to teach them God's ways.  If the people did indeed repent of their rebellion, they would now be in a position to listen to him, one quite different from the deaf ears that Samuel had earlier experienced.

Samuel again admonished the people to be faithful, and gave them a warning of what would happen if they followed the ways of evil. What was that warning? Israel and its king would be swept away.  It is plain that in the ways of God, there is no such thing as an idle threat.  Indeed, Israel and its king were swept away, just as those who reject God today will face the same judgment. We are responsible for our actions. We will suffer the consequences of them. Therefore, what should be our priority when it comes to decisions which affect our actions? We have only one reasonable choice:  listen to the Lord through the Word and His Spirit.  Only then can we develop a pattern of choices that honors God and appropriates his wisdom and will for our lives.