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Samuel chapter 11 illustrates the reason Israel wanted an earthly
king. The Ammonites took the city of Jabesh in siege. The
Israelites in Jabesh said, “Make
a treaty with us and we will be subject to you“.
But the enemy gave only one humiliating option, “On
the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and
so bring shame on all Israel“.
The people Jabesh sent a messenger throughout Israel for help, and
as soon as word of the attack got to King Saul, he reacted. Up to
that point, Saul was minding his own business, working in his field.
“When
Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and
he burned with anger.”
The moment he was needed, he was filled with the power of God. Saul
mustered an army of three hundred and thirty thousand. “Saul
separated the men into three divisions; during the last watch of the
night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them
until the heat of the day“.
Saul correctly declared, “This
day, the Lord has rescued Israel“.
In celebration the people of Israel reconfirmed Saul as their king.
Many
of us are just like Israel; we want God to rescue us when we are in
trouble, but do not want Him involved in the rest of our life. No,
we prefer our God to be a mild mannered reporter in ‘Metropolis’
until He hears our cries with His super powers. We want Him to swoop
in and save the day, and then go back to His day job. Israel wanted
a man as king because they were too proud to submit completely to God
Almighty. Later, many Israelis could not accept Jesus as the Messiah
because they were looking for a deliverer that would defeat their
earthy enemies and rule over the world. They could not understand
the ‘King of Kings’ being crucified as a sacrificial lamb. King
Saul will later learn that God has only two requirements for the king
of Israel, humility and obedience.
Unlike
having an earthly king, God desires to be Lord of our whole life. In
the gospel of Luke 12:3-4, Jesus explains, “There
is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will
not be known. Accordingly what you have said in the dark shall be
heard in the light and what you have whispered in the inner room will
be proclaimed on the housetops“.
There is nothing hidden from God. Isaiah the prophet wrote of the
Messiah that was to come: “He
hath
borne our grief, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him
stricken… But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and
with his stripes we are healed. …and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 54:4-6). King Jesus became the perfect example of humility
and obedience. Mark 1:15 explains the two things necessary to be
forgiven completely: “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT and
BELIEVE in the gospel“.
If the enemy is attacking your life, invite Jesus to move in
permanently!