1 Samuel 8:1-22 | Food for Thought
1 Samuel 8:1-22
Food for Thought:
Right Problem, Wrong Diagnosis, Wrong Solution. After seeing the disaster that happened because of Eli’s unfaithful sons, the people of God rightly see Samuel’s wayward kids as both a problem and a threat to their nation. However, instead of prescribing a more resolved faithfulness while under bad leadership, the elders of the people want an entirely different form of human leadership to lead and represent them.
What did the people of Israel do right here? …what did they do wrong?
Why did the Israelites pivot to wanting a new human form of leadership? What alternative(s) approaches could they have taken?
Sometimes we’re stuck with the leaders we have. What’s the responsibility of people under bad leadership? How could the Israelites have been faithful even if their leaders weren’t?
There are lots of books, podcasts, blogs, social media accounts, etc. all about leadership. What about “followership?” How can we grow in taking responsibility for who we follow and how we follow?
How should following Jesus actually make us distinct from everyone else - not the same? And how is it actually better than what anyone else has?
Old Problem, Same Diagnosis, Different Prescription. The Lord tells Samuel that their desire for a King is a rejection of him - the same problem they’ve had since they were freed from Egypt. But instead of bringing his own active judgment down upon them, the Lord simply warns them of what they’re going to get and lets them have it.
Why does the Lord diagnosis their desire for a king as a rejection of Him? Is a desire for any kind of earthly ruler a rejection of the Lord’s authority today? Why or why not?
Looking at this passage, why is it not necessarily a sign of God’s favor or blessing that you get what you’ve been asking for?
With that same idea in mind, why are God’s warnings and “no”s sometimes a good and kind thing?
A King, a Leader, and a Fighter. It wasn’t wrong for the Israelites to want any of these things. In fact, the Lord himself had been those things for them as long as they existed. And yet, the Israelites forgot this, and their forgetfulness made it easier for them to turn away from the Lord and towards another - even if it was one of their own.
Consider what you want in an earthly - boss, president, mayor, parent, etc. How might some of those qualities (and qualifications!) be ultimately fulfilled in the Lord? What does that mean for the way you engage, work for, and hope for an earthly leader here and now?
Consider any ways you might think the church is “on the brink” of some disaster or pivot point that it can’t return from. Now consider the longevity of God’s people and all that they’ve gone through for thousands of years. Has God let his people, his name, or his purposes be thwarted? Are the threats really bigger right now? Is the Lord really smaller then them?
Consider the Isrealites’ outright rejection of God in this passage. Now consider all that God has done - even just in the Scriptures - from that time on. How does the Lord’s faithful leadership, kingship, victories, etc. create rest, ease, and hope in you?
How does this help you become a faithful follower today - regardless of the leaders in charge?