National (In)security - 4 of 6

Welcome to the fourth session of our current series in 1 Samuel: National (In)security. We've look at more context, Samuel and the "Ark Narrative", so if you have missed one of those sessions, please click the links and go through those sessions, then you can join us back here. Today, we enter into the section of 1 Samuel where the elders and people of Israel ask for a king, to be like other nations. Sounds fairly straightforward, doesn't it? Well, get ready, because it is anything but!

As always, find a quiet spot to go through today's session. Take a few deep breaths.

This session should take about 30 to 40 minutes. Ready? Let's begin.



Section one. Crisis in the Kingdom of God.


Let's begin by reading 1 Samuel 8:1-9, then click back here.

Did you notice the fatherhood issue we talked about previously, it comes at us right away. Samuel has set up his corrupt sons as judges in the north of Israel. This action by Samuel of fostering a hereditary judgeship is actually the activator for another shift in the narrative. The elders of Israel, when they first come to Samuel with the request for a king, claim that Samuel's sons are at least one reason for their seeking new governance. As Keith Bodner asks pointedly, the request for a king "like all the other nations" is obviously important for the plot of this narrative - but what are some theological aspects of the request?

I recall my old professor Dr. Gittlen at the Baltimore Hebrew University pausing here to linger on the questions implicit at this part of the text of 1 Samuel. What are they seeking when they reject God's way of doing things...His Reign? From our earthly perspective this might look like political progress. Remember, God's way of raising up shoftim (judges/liberators) is messy and takes a lot of faith and isn't exactly efficient. How does the monarchical form of governance advance their interests? What does a monarchy do for them? The next section of 1 Samuel 8 lists what the King does: builds a standing army complete with a personal bodyguard (in verse 11, an "outrunner" for his chariot, is something we can imagine: click on the link to see secret service walking along with a presidential motorcade , then return here), followed by the development of a military-industrial complex (verses 11 through 16 outline this). Thus the cost outlined for an earthly hope of stream-lined governance and apparent peace and security. No longer will the average subject have to be ready to be called up as warriors as part of a militia force for either military campaigns or just homeland security, all of which in inefficient, as it takes time to gather as well as taking one away from family and farming or herding (their pursuits of economic security). Law&order is established and apparent protection found in the king and his standing army, et al. Thus from a very earthly perspective, this would seem an advance in governance. For those readers of the new testament this "peace and safety" rhetoric should resonate with you. Both the apostles Paul and Peter harken to a disturbing time of transition and destruction using these words:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 - actually using the phrase: "Peace and Safety".
• 2 Peter 3:10 - speaks further of this disturbing time.
• another resonance within scripture would be the response of selfish Istaelite King Hezekiah to the oracle of doom and eventual exile for the Kingdom of Judah from 2 Kings 20:19: "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?"

As our new testament readers will also remember, Jesus was always getting criticism from others for how God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven, always broke through the traditions of men, the ways of this earth, and was clearly a messy thing. C'mon, if someone spit in the dirt, made clay and tried to put it on your eyes, you might complain about God's way of doing things, right?

This reminds me of something John Wimber, one of the primary founders of the Vineyard movement, once saw with reference to God's messy Kingdom. As John drove home from ministering to a family in need, he had a vision of a giant honeycomb dripping honey on everyone below it; and these people's various responses: some were loving it and trying it, and sharing it with others, while others felt it was icky and sticky and well, messy, and they didn't want the mess. John interpreted this as the honey was God's mercy/grace dropping on people. Some embraced it, some rejected it.



Section two. High Crimes and Misdemeanors.


OK, let's read 1 Samuel 8:10-22, then return here.

In view of the cycle of God's deliverance of the people from oppression time and again, and especially in chapter seven where we read of peace and prosperity the people enjoyed under God's chosen prophet and judge, the people and elders of Israel, according to biblical commentator P. Kyle McCarter, "could perpetrate no greater breach of trust, no more arbitrary exercise of self-will, no more senseless deed of vanity than to demand for themselves a human king".


A later "son of David" - Jesus of Nazareth - comes preaching, demonstrating and embodying the 'kingdom of God' and though he is initially hesitant to be called a king, he does acknowledge that he is in fact a king (Luke 23:3, John 18:33-36). Of course, those who have read all the way to the end of the new testament know that Jesus is eventually acknowledged as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16) What do you think this means? Is there a connection between the kingship of Jesus and that of Israel's kings? This will come to the forefront alittle later in the text of the scroll of Samuel, but again, I don't want to get us too far ahead and spoil all the fun. Thus, back to the current crisis of confidence that the people are having with God and Samuel.

When things get easy and we are partaking the in the blessings of God, we often lose sight of the need for God. We assume a lot and take Him for granted, forgetting the previous oppression and saving grace that comes from relationship with God. In those times, He can seem more like a big "Santa Claus in the sky". Take a few minutes to watch and listen to this song, I think it has something important to say to us:



Let's turn to a little political reflection for another moment. Compare Samuel's speech with those of Moses (Deuteronomy 32-33) and Joshua (Joshua 24). Notice how God responded each time Israel was on the brink of a major political change. Notice the emphasis that recurrs again and again in the short span between verses 11 and 18:

He will take . . . He will take . . . He will take . . . He will take . . . He will take . . . He will take . . . And you will be his servants. Samuel makes this warning utterly plain: kings are takers, not givers, and they come to be served, not to serve. If Israel wants a king at this point, they must realize he will be a taker, not a giver, and they will serve him.

There is something else happening here with Samuel. We mentioned it briefly last time, but did you catch it? Samuel is really reluctant in doing what God keeps telling him to do, and it leads to another reversal, which as we all recall is a major underlying theme. Biblical scholar Victor Hamilton tells us what the issue is: "God's response to this [the people's request for a king] is most interesting. Not once but three times he instructs Samuel to "listen to the voice of the people," adding to this on the third occasion "and set a king over them" (vv.7, 9, 22). The judge and the prophet (i.e. Samuel) are the individuals par excellence to whom the people are to listen. Here, that is reversed. Samuel, the judge/prophet, is to listen to the people (Miscall 1986:47). It is as if the writer is drawing a contrast between "a God who reveals his love in spite of being rejected" and "a judge who fails to conceal his selfish reluctance to become a maker of kings." Upside Down again: the people are supposed to listen to the prophet, but God tells the prophet to listen to the people. You have to love the honest portrayal of one the most exemplary characters in scripture. Even the third time in verse 22, when God tells Samuel to heed their demands and appoint a king for them, Samuel doesn't do it...he sends the people home. Samuel really must be shaken at this point, possibly having a faith-crisis to dis-obey God's direct instruction a third time. But, as we will find out in chapater nine, Samuel comes to terms with it, and moves to follow the instruction of the Lord. God asks Samuel to do something that seems really hard for Samuel to do, yet God patiently endures until Samuel is ready to obey. I call that grace. I can relate to this, can you?


Ok, let's move on and read 1 Samuel 9:1-25, then return here.

We will talk much more in-depth about Saul the son of Kish in the next session of National (In)security, so I only want to highlight a few things here for now.

First, Samuel begins to follow through with God's instructions to appoint and anoint a leader. Yet, in verse 16, notice that this looks more like the old system so far. The Philistines are oppressing the people again, and God instructs Samuel to appoint an anointed leader. The word in verse 16 for 'leader' in the Hebrew is actually nagid, which mostly means 'prince' or 'noble'. It is not the word from chapter 8 for 'king', which is the Hebrew word melek, which means, well, 'king'.

Of course, there are a lot of other underlying issues and imagery happening in chapter nine, but again, that is where we will pick up in the 5th segment of our National (In)security series.



Section three. Just What Sort of Monarchy Is This?


Read 1 Samuel 10:1-26, then return here.


The number three is significant in sacred scripture. Several things have happened thus far in 1 Samuel three-times, and the use of triad as a significant pattern is important for us to note. It is the way the biblical text highlights things for our attention. Let's review a few others that have occurred and then we will come back to our present text:

• Hannah brings three sacrificial animals (bulls) when she dedicates Samuel to Eli's care and the service to the Lord.
• Three times the text in chapters 2 and 3 tells us that Samuel was in the "service of YHWH."
• YHWH calls out to Samuel three times before Samuel - through Eli's help - replies to Him.
• The "Ark of God" goes to three Philistine cities (Ashdod, Gath and Ekron) before they finally retun it to Israel.

Now to return to our present text and kingship in Israel: what is the triadic pattern here?

First: Saul is anointed leader by Samuel at the beginning of chapter 10.

Second: the Israelites meet at Mizpah and Saul is chosen by lot and yet not acclaimed by all, and neither does he begin acting "kingly', but merely returns to his father's house.

For the third piece, read 1 Samuel 11:1-15, then return here.

The third element is at the end of this chapter, where Saul, having proved himself by defeating the Ammonites, is declared king and his monarchy is inaugurated by all the people of Israel at Gilgal.

At this point, you might be thinking: what kind of monarchy is this...? He's privately anointed by a prophet. He's publicly singled-out by God using the sacred lot, but not everyone goes in for it and they all return to their homes, including the chosen one. Then, finally, after proving himself, they acclaim Saul king at Gilgal.

Is this some weird democratic-monarchy? What is this?

I'll leave you with that lingering question today, and we will look more into all of this again next time when we shift focus, recover some of the ground-work we have laid, and turn our attention on the shy and chosen Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, who gets an "extreme makeover".

Section four. Assignments.

• See if you can memorize this passage from 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
• Spend some quiet time reflecting on the messy aspect of God's Reign in the lives of people and nations. Journal your thoughts throughout this week, and see if God brings anything to your mind.
• Has God asked you to do something really, really hard, especially difficult for you? Are you still waiting to do it? Return to this subject in prayer and conversation with God, talk it through, and see what happens.