DO NOT COPY THE LOST SINNERS OF THE WORLD

PROCLAMATION

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 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.’ ”  1 Samuel 8:4-5 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to lead and judge Israel. (1 Samuel 8:1)  However, although Samuel was a prophet of The Lord God, (1 Samuel 3:19-21) his sons did not follow his ways.  They accepted bribes and perverted justice. (1 Samuel 8:2-3)  So the elders of Israel got together and told Samuel to appoint a king to be over them so that they could be like all of the other nations around them.  Having The Lord God as their king was not good enough for them.  They wanted to copy the sinful nations around them.  Samuel was displeased with them for this request and he prayed to God. (1 Samuel 8:6)  As an answer to his prayer, The Lord God told him that the people of Israel had rejected God as their King, but they had not rejected Samuel as their leader. (1 Samuel 8:7)  He told Samuel to warn them and let them know what having a king over them would mean.  Samuel told them all that The Lord had told him to say, in terms of what it would cost them and their families, but the people still wanted a king. (1 Samuel 8:8-20)  The Lord God then told Samuel to listen to them and give them a king. (1 Samuel 8:21-22)

 

APPLICATION

There are times when we ask for things which are not in our best interest.  Some of the things we want because they are popular and everybody else has them.  However, when you have the best, why would you want to copy something less?  Why would we want to imitate the sinful people of the world when we know where they will end up? (Revelation 20:15)  As believers we have The Holy Spirit of God within us (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26-27) and therefore we are not of this world. (John 8:33)  We are to behave in a Christ-like manner. (Romans 6:4 and 6:11)  It is Christ that we ought to imitate and not the sinful people of the world.