In Samuel, we read of the prophet Samuel who judged Israel for most of his life. By judge, really it means to lead, hopefully according to the plan of God. Samuel did so for most of his life and he appointed his sons to judge after him. However, they did not follow according to the plan of God and were corrupt, taking bribes and chasing after their own worldly ambitions. See 1 Samuel 8. So, the people of Israel came to him and said, look your old and your kids suck, appoint a king to rule over us. More specifically, they said “appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” See v. 4-5 (CSB).

Samuel wasn’t super delighted by their request as God was their king and he seemed to feel personally rejected by their request. Offended, he went to the Lord in prayer and the Lord responded as follows:

Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods.

Ouch.

Not only were the people rejecting Samuel as their judge, but they were rejecting God as their king. They were asking Samuel as they asked Aaron, “come, make us gods who will go before us,” resulting in them worshiping a golden calf. (Exodus 32:1 CSB) God gave Samuel a warning to pass on to the people, that their king would result in their sons being used to harvest his fields, to run before his chariots, and to fight his battles; they would become enslaved by their king. 

Samuel relayed the warning to the people. How did they respond?

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” vv.19-20.

They didn’t trust that God would do what he’d done all along. It wasn’t the golden calf that split the red sea. It wasn’t a man who cursed Egypt with ferocious plagues to save the people. It was God who led the people of Israel out with a pilar of fire. But did they still trust in him? Nope, they wanted to “be like all the other nations.” They wanted a human being to fight their battles.

Where was their hope? Not in God.

I’d like to say we’ve learned more than them, but reality clearly shows the contrary.

The last election shows that we, as a nation, aren’t much better, and the current one isn’t looking any more promising either. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t participate in the electoral process, we absolutely must. We have a person in running this country who is a puppet for those who hate us and actively want to destroy the country. However, we have to also take a step back and ask, “where is my hope?” Is it in the next “king” who sits in the Oval office? Or is it in the coming King? Is it in the king who will rule for the next four years, or is it in the King who will rule for all eternity?

We are not guaranteed life even four more years, so where should our hope be? As for me and my house, our hope is in Jesus. Come soon Lord Jesus, come soon.