1st Samuel 8: 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 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.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, no; but we will have a king over us.
This chapter marks a very sad day in the history of Israel, in which they deliberately rejected God as their king, and instead requested a man to rule over them, and indeed from this day onward, the nation, over an extended period of time, began to gradually sink lower and lower in stature, until it reached the point of no return, where the nation rejected Christ altogether.
This is the inevitable result of trusting in man for the arm of flesh will fail you sooner or later. Indeed, the history of the kings which came after they insisted on their request, proved that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the kings did more evil than good and even those kings who followed The Lord for the most part, also engaged in some level of evil in most instances.
Human nature is naturally depraved, and if a person isn’t continually led by The Holy Spirit, that person is certain to make very grave mistakes sooner or later. It does not matter if their intentions might be good, if God is not leading you always, those times when there is a lapse in leadership, through waywardness will most likely result in bad actions and choices.
Hence the reason why leaders of nations especially, are encouraged and counseled to pray for wisdom to govern in harmony with God’s will, for this is the only way that calamity and embarrassment could be averted. Let’s read:
1st Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, You have shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
The reason for this is that in ancient times, the king was not generally held to account as your average John Doe, in so much that crimes tolerated in the king, were not generally punished, and this practice often caused them to behave in ways that were downright outrageous and appalling.
Whenever there is no threat of accountability, the human agent who isn’t guided by God will inevitably take unwarranted liberties to themselves, and those liberties will invariably include sin. And it is for this reason that satan is hell-bent on removing the law of God, with its restraints, so that the planet can be plunged into irretrievable anarchy.
The Bible states unequivocally that as far as mortals go there is one law for folks in high and low places so that the ordinary citizen, and the king would not be immune from prosecution, if, and when they did wrong for wherever you have any two-tiered system system, where persons in high places are treated differently, the collapse of that nation is guaranteed.
Hence the reason why God codified into law specific instructions on how to address this situation, and if it is followed by the nations of the earth, great evils and miscarriage of justice would be avoided. Then the rich, and powerful will subject to the very same standards and the conscience of the nation could be preserved. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 16: 18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Leviticus 19: 15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
Deuteronomy 1: 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
And the instructions on the justice system do not stop here, for God also addressed the tendency and the practice of judges taking bribes, for wherever it is to be found, the ruling of such judges will almost certainly be perverted. It’s actually a no-brainer, for if a judge’s hand is greased with gifts, the judgment coming from him will also be greased.
In other words, if in his capacity as a judge, a person takes gifts of cars, money, trips, vacations, houses or any other favors from a person, if and whenever the same person has a case pending before the judge in question, they will naturally expect a ruling in their favor. It’s called pay to play in our day. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
2nd Chronicles 19: 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.
5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,
6 And said to the judges, take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.
7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
For instance, under a two-tiered system of justice, a Hebrew who dared to commit adultery could pay a very high price even with his life, but the king would not be subjected to the same system of justice, and thus, the prospect of impunity and immunity would most likely serve to lessen the sinfulness of evils in the king’s mind.
This is the fatal philosophy with which king David had been brainwashed, for he came to believe that he was above the law, and therefore could commit adultery and slay persons as he saw fit, because, in his mind, there will be no accountability, since the buck stopped with him, as the head of the justice system.
Another critical spin off that would certainly accrue is that the king’s underlings could also be rendered immune from prosecution, if they did wrongs at the request of the king, for if justice stops with the king, David would then be able to blanket pardon persons who were instructed to do wrong by himself.
Note well how the downward spiral of justice takes shape as David, in his capacity as king does grievous wrong, and then Joab, who was employed in David’s administration, gets immunity from prosecution, as he carries out David’s mandate. This is the natural result of that request that was made earlier by the elders: “Make us a king”. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11: 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
25 Then David said unto the messenger, thus shalt thou say unto Joab, let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
But there was a rude awakening coming David’s way as he would soon learn that God is no respecter of persons, whether they be kings, or whether they be stars, whether they be wealthy or whether they may have influence or high position in the nation. If the king does wrong there will be a price to pay, period. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 12: 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house (In the Bible God is often represented as actually doing that which He does not prevent), and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 723] Heretofore God's providence had preserved David against all the plotting of his enemies, and had been directly exercised to restrain Saul. But David's transgression had changed his relation to God. The Lord could not in any wise sanction iniquity. He could not exercise His power to protect David from the results of his sin as He had protected him from the enmity of Saul.
In other words, because of David’s transgression the protection that he once enjoyed from God was now partially removed and wherever God’s protection is removed, the Pitbulls that are already waiting in the wings are let loose by the devil. There are currently millions of Pitbulls waiting to be let loose across the land if and when impunity in kings is countenanced. Let’s read:
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Therefore, as we turn to the topic for today we must consider carefully, the reasons given, why the Jews in Samuel’s day asked him to “Make us a king”. The reasons are three-fold, beginning with a desire for a change in the justice system. In other words, God’s system of justice did not jive with their concepts of justice, and thus, they craved a change. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 8:5 And they 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.
The request is very specific, for the leaders of Israel did not merely ask for a king, but they also asked for one who will judge them just like the other nations. So, how did the kings of the other nations judge the people under their jurisdiction? It is a no-brainer, for they routinely employed a two-tiered justice system which was the order of the day.
Whereas previously God was the ultimate Judge and His laws, statutes, and instructions were to form the basis of all judicial actions, Israel now requested the system used by the surrounding nations, which was a two-tiered system of justice, one in which the king would enjoy immunity from prosecution, and where he would be beyond the reach of law. Let’s read:
Daniel 5: 18 O thou king, the most-high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor.
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
An example of the immunity, and impunity we are speaking about is found in the way Nebuchadnezzar replied to the three Jews who refused to bow down to his graven image. Nebuchadnezzar’s blunt answer savors heavily of immunity from prosecution, from accountability, and impunity, because, as far as he was concerned, he was above all law. Let’s read:
Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 717] According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were un-condemned in the king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject.
Thus, as was stated earlier, the request by the elders was three-pronged, in that they desired a king that will judge them, one who would go before them and one who would fight their battles. It’s a very sad day when the citizens of any nation begin to look to man as their deliverer. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 8: 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, no; but we will have a king over us.
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
When the focus of persons is removed from God, it is inevitable that they will ascribe success or victory to the human agent, and this in turn often goes to the dear leader’s head. For example, under the new earthly monarchial system, the Jews now praise the human agent, and leave God out of the picture. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 18: 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands.
8 And Saul was very upset and the saying displeased him; and he said, they have ascribed unto David ten-thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
Last week we studied a singular and very important question: “Lord, why don’t you stop me if you see me doing something stupid? Here it is again, as The Lord first gives the nation a heads up of the dangers that would accrue, if they persist in their request of a king. They stubbornly persist, and the rest is history. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 8: 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, No; but we will have a king over us;
22 And the Lord said unto Samuel hearken unto their voice and make them a king ….
In the prophecy of Daniel it is predicted that a king of fierce countenance will arise in the latter times, a reference to both pagan and papal Rome after the division of the kingdom of Alexander the great, and that kingdom would employ the two-tiered system of justice. Let’s read:
Daniel 8: 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
There is something that is very disturbing, written in the 13th chapter of Revelation, where the lamb-like beast is scheduled to exercise authority like a king. It may not be readily apparent, but if you were to read your Bible very slowly with the understanding, it will become as clear as crystal. Let’s read:
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
The first beast, whose deadly wound was healed is without a doubt, papal Rome, whose emperor was taken captive by the French general Berthier in 1798 just about the same time during which the lamb-like beast was coming upon the stage of action.
During the dark ages, papal Rome ruled like a king, with no accountability, no impunity, and immunity from prosecution. This fact was further cemented by the claim of infallibility, and thus, Christians who lived during that dreadful era who refused to “bow” were burned at the stake, and subjected to the very cruelest of tortures.
There was no one to bring those leaders to justice, for they were immune from prosecution, and where there is no threat of penalty for wrong-doing, kings who are in charge can basically do whatsoever they please, for they are rendered as being above law.
Therefore, what John is telling us, in no uncertain terms is that the lamb-like beast is also scheduled to duplicate the mode of governance employed by the papal see, in that a two-tiered system of justice will become the law of the land, in which dear leaders will be rendered immune from prosecution.
And with that legal framework at his back, whoever the dear leader turns out to be will, like papal Rome be able to do whatsoever he chooses, including the enforcement of religious dogmas upon the citizenry.
This format of governance, coupled together with the law of immunity will be in direct opposition to God, who, as we have formerly studied has given to all persons the freedom of choice to either do good or evil with commensurate consequences.
Thus, when Revelation 13 is studied very closely, we will see a picture emerging, where one with kingly authority will take the stage, and from there on out it will be a steady, inevitable downward spiral just as it was in days of old when the elders and the people made that solemn request: “Make us a King”
The prophet Isaiah, in referring to the last days of earth’s history, says unequivocally that there would be a two-tiered system of justice employed, prior to the coming of The Son of Man and beyond all doubt we are already knee deep into that era. Let’s read:
Isaiah 59: 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and
justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
All of the highlighted words in the above verses are currently being fulfilled, even as we speak, and, by this we may know for sure that the end of all things cannot be in the distant future, but is rather at our doorsteps.
Thus, the remnant people of God should be wide awake, and be cognizant of the rapid developments taking place across the land. As persons and nations crave a king, the Christian should be focused on our own King, even The Man Christ Jesus, for He is the Only King who will remain standing, after the dust has settled. Let’s read:
Revelation 17: 12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Thus, with all of the uncertainty swirling around the country, with all of the apprehension about what is coming next, let the Christian make certain, that in our own lives, there is only one king, for those who obey Him will be guided through the political and spiritual morass which is scheduled to envelop the earth in gross darkness.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which enjoins upon us, the need to fully surrender to the King of Kings, because the systems of earth will fail, but persons who are anchored to The Rock will be shielded from the coming deluge. Let’s read:
John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
God Bless!