Day 20
1 Samuel
I find it funny that today's reading is coming at election time. After living in corruption for centuries, the people come to the conclusion that the problems they are facing do not lie with them, but on lack of leadership. They think the solution is a political one, not a spiritual one.
Where God has specifically told them that HE alone is King, they instead opt for a human King.
What comes to mind is, "Be careful what you ask for, you may get it." They didn't want God's leadership, and they didn't get it. Even today, I have to laugh that if we would have just clung to God's word from centuries ago in following him, obeying him, worshiping only him, we wouldn't be still be seeking political solutions to spiritual issues.
We haven't been asking for God to lead us, and so he hasn't. I guess we have proven to be as stubborn as the donkey's Saul was seeking!
This day's reading starts with Hannah. I like her heart. In 1 Samuel 1:11 she prays, "O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime."
God answered.
In 1 Samuel 1:26 she has brought her son to the house of the Lord and says to Eli, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."
Samuel is that son, and his obedience to the Lord has allowed him to represent the people before God as a priest, be recognized as a prophet to the Lord, and the one who has shared God's word with all of Israel.
I love the family story in this beginning with a woman who prays for a son, whose prayers are answered, and who continues that faithfulness by dedicating that son back to the Lord.
Too bad everyone wasn't like Hannah and Samuel, because later we once again are faced with yet another verse like this in 1 Samuel 12:14 which says, "If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God -- good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers."
The people saw that Samuel was getting older and were worried about having a King over them to lead them and fight for them. Even though God had said he would be their King, they wanted a "real" one I guess!
Gosh, how often do we do that today? I know I can't count how many times I've said I trusted God to lead me, but forged my own way instead, or worse, allowed someone else to lead me!
So Samuel does what the people ask. The people gave Samuel their specifications in a King, Samuel shared that with God, and God answered Samuel in giving them who the people wanted according to their criteria.
Saul.
And they got what they asked for.
Much like we are today.
