The Desire

1 Samuel 8

God’s desire for Israel was that they would be a holy people—a set apart people—a different kind of people. He would be their God, and they would be His people; yet, their desires countered God’s. They wanted “a king to judge [them] the same as all the other nations...” God’s desire was that they would look up and see that He was doing a new thing and making them His own people. The Israelites desire was formed by envy, by wanting what the other nations had. God speaks to Samuel and says “they have rejected me as their king” and He gives them what they ask for: they get their kings, and these kings eventually lead to their exile. God made a way for them to have Him as their king, and still they chose another. 

God’s desire for His Church is that we would be a holy people, a different kind of people, who don’t look around in our search for a King but look up. In Christ, we see the King who makes a way for us to be in His Kingdom. The Good News is that He is the Good King who has defeated what was destroying His people. Yet, we are tempted to look elsewhere for a King to lead and guide us. May our desire align with God’s: that we would be a part of His Kingdom and look to Jesus Christ as our true King.

Prayer:

God, help us to see Jesus not only as our Savior but our Lord and desire His good rule in our lives.

Question to consider:

Is there something or someone else you look to as your king? Who (or what) has final say in your life apart from Christ?