CHAPTER EIGHT

At the end of chapter 7 everything seems to be going well The !I" s#ggests some $% years have passed
from the time of the end of chapter 7 and chapter & This is not m#ch more than a g#ess
There are & speeches in 'am#el &
A The people to 'am#el (v )*
+ 'am#el to the ,ord (v -*
C The ,ord to 'am#el (vv 7./*
0 'am#el to the people (vv 1%.1&*
02 34" The people to 'am#el (vv 1/.$%*
C2 'am#el to the ,ord (v $1*
+2 The ,ord to 'am#el (v $$a*
A2 'am#el to the people (v $$b*
1
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
'ome say he was -%5 others )6 years old5 still others say he was 7% or older 7hatever his age8 'am#el was
becoming infirm 'am#el li9e most men didn:t have the strength he had as a yo#nger man ;ne a#thor
writes8 <'am#el8 the elect servant of God8 was no more highly favored than the most #ngodly man in the
9ingdom of Israel= (PHC* 4eaning8 'am#el became more fragil as he grew older as all people do The
finest Christian I have even 9nown was once a rob#st man8 b#t by the time he was &% he was senile and very
fragile
He appointed his sons dep#ty >#dges His sons were probably not >#dges very long before o#r chapter of
events
'am#el was old b#t he contin#ed his service #ntil his death8 which is recorded in chapter $)8 maybe $% or so
years later
7e are not given any more information abo#t 'am#el:s sons8 and we aren:t told if 'am#el too9 any actions
against his sons
2
The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and the ser!ed at
"eersheba
Joel lit ?The ,ord is God? <@ehovah is ,ord= (PHC*
Abijah ?4y A0ivineB Cather is the ,ord= <@ehovah is Cather? (PHC*
+eersheba is abo#t fifty.seven miles so#th.so#thwest of Ramah at the so#thern end of Canaan at a border
town The two sons were probably were >#dges in the districts aro#nd +eersheba
1
#
"ut his sons did not wal$ in his was. The turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and
per!erted justice.
;#r previo#s verse indicates that 'am#el was far eno#gh away from his sons as not to be party to their sins
7e don:t 9now what 9ind of father 'am#el was8 b#t in later chapters we:ll learn that his hands are clean in
his eyes and the people:s eyes 4aybe he was wrong in appointing his sons as >#dges <7hether 'am#el
sho#ld have appointed his sons as >#dges in the first place is highly D#estionableE= (cf @#dg $F1-8 1&5 GF1%8
1)5 -F1$5 11F$/5 1GF$)*= (Hondervan*
They were as sinf#l as the sons of Eli
It:s diffic#lt to see how 'am#el co#ld have raised s#ch wic9ed sons
%
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at &amah.
'lders lit <bearded men= The elders are probably the heads of the tribes of Israel and are no do#bt
following the will of the people
'am#el resided at Ramah
(
The said to him, )*ou are old, and our sons do not wal$ in our was+ now appoint a $ing to lead
us, such as all the other nations ha!e.)
*ou are old A c#stomer told me last year that she didn:t want me going on the roof to clean her g#tters
beca#se I was too old The elders were themselves old and this wasn:t an ins#lt It:s hard to believe b#t in
some c#lt#re old people are respected
our sons do not wal$ in our was This is li9e the sit#ation with the former high priest8 Eli They may
even be comparing 'am#el to Eli in that he had rotten 9ids The people ac9nowledge that 'am#el is an
honorable >#dge The elders seem to be afraid that if 'am#el sho#ld die8 his sons wo#ld ascent to the position
of Chief @#dge over Israel
now appoint a $ing to lead us God promised them a 9ing in 0e#t 17F168 and now the people wanted the
9ing Their eIc#se for a 9ing is that 'am#el:s sons are wic9ed
There are a lot of wea9nesses in the reD#est of the elders
!otice they didn:t as9 'am#el to appoint a new >#dge8 not one of his sons
They didn:t as9 that he remove his sons
Having a 9ing wo#ldn:t solve their problem of having a wic9ed >#dge
They wo#ld then have a 9ing who may or may not remove 'am#el:s sons
The elders may be eIaggerating the wic9edness of his sons to s#pport their demand for a 9ing
Crom EI 1& and !#m 118 we learn that the elders of Israel have considerable >#dging responsibilities
themselves It seems the elders didn:t do their >ob very well in controlling the sons of 'am#el
!either 'am#el nor the people have the a#thority to as9 for a 9ing This is the ,ord:s >ob
They sho#ld have first so#ght the ,ord:s will in choosing a 9ing
God will choose the 9ing of Israel and dispose of him
$
such as all the other nations ha!e This is the reason the people gave for wanting a 9ing 'am#el didn:t li9e
this reason The real reason8 or maybe another reason8 is fo#nd in verse $% They want to be li9e the
Canaanites8 who had a semi.fe#dal society They were attracted to the Canaanite god +aal and now they
wanted their system of government
This too is the sin of believers8 wanting to be li9e everyone else
The leaders and people tho#ght a change of government wo#ld solve their problems The R#ssian Revol#tion
9illed the monarch and #shered in Comm#nism The Crench Revol#tion removed the 9ing and bro#ght abo#t
the Reign of Terror Even today8 people thin98 <If only we had a Rep#blican president= I:ve seen a lot of
elections8 and I can:t see the difference the election of a president ma9es
,anaanites See the 'nd -ote
.
"ut when the said, )/i!e us a $ing to lead 0go!ern1 us,) this displeased Samuel+ so he praed to the
23&4.
'am#el was f#lly aware of the dangers of having a 9ing and was convinced that the ,ord too was displeased
(1$F175 cf also 1)F11* Cor all we 9now8 'am#el:s feelings were h#rt in the elder:s and people:s re>ection of
him He:s probably ta9ing this personal He no do#bt grieves over the fail#re of his sons 4aybe he:s
thin9ing he failed the people and even failed the ,ord
Gideon also interpreted the reD#est for him to r#le as a re>ection of the ,ord:s r#le (@#dg&F$$.1G*
/od destined Israel to ha!e a $ing.
1 It was God:s will for Israel to have a 9ing
0T 17F16
<7hen yo# enter the land the ,;R0 yo#r God is giving
yo# and have ta9en possession of it and settled in it8 and yo# say8 ?,et #s set a 9ing over #s li9e all the
nations aro#nd #s8?
1)
be s#re to appoint over yo# the 9ing the ,;R0 yo#r God choosesE=
$ However8 it was recogniJed that #ltimately God himself was King (EI 1)F1&5 !#m $GF$15 0e#t GGF)*5 he
alone possessed absol#te power and a#thority (EI 1)F-8 115 @#dg )FG.)5 cf also @#dg &F$$.$G*
G Any 9ing of Israel wo#ld have to realiJe from the o#tset that he was to r#le over Israel #nder God
6 The ,ord:s 7ill was to give Israel a 9ing according to a 0ivine time and 0ivine manner and 0ivine
choosing
) The @ews bro#ght o#t the Ar9 as a good l#c9 charm to defeat the Philistines !ow they want a 9ing as a
panacea for all their problems
- God in His Permissive 7ill give the people a 9ing
7 Their need is legitimate ;ne a#thor writes8 <Eall they wanted was a soldier who wo#ld p#t an end to
their state of anarchy8 and enable them to c#ltivate their fields witho#t the danger of seeing the prod#ce
swept off by mara#ders=
& God wo#ld have done all these things and more for them
G
5
And the 23&4 told him6 )2isten to all that the people are saing to ou+ it is not ou the ha!e
rejected, but the ha!e rejected me as their $ing.
'am#el is reass#red that the problem isn:t him or even his sons As in the desert cent#ries earlier (EIod
1-F&*8 Israel was not re>ecting the ,ord2s chosen leader b#t the ,ord himself (v 75 see also 1%F1/* 'ince the
EIod#s the people had consistently preferred other gods and other leaders to God himself and his chosen
servants (v &* EI 1-F& 4oses also said8 ?Lo# will 9now that it was the ,;R0 when he gives yo# meat to
eat in the evening and all the bread yo# want in the morning8 beca#se he has heard yo#r gr#mbling against
him 7ho are weM Lo# are not gr#mbling against #s8 b#t against the ,;R0?
It was not God2s will for Israel to have a 9ing in the wa they were as9ing for it 'till8 God2s res#ltant
precept8 what His ?permissive will? came to be8 was to direct 'am#el to anoint 'a#l as 9ing o#t of the tribe
of +en>amin Three important distinctions are here to be observed (1* God changed His will8 b#t only
beca#se men had changed (cf &FG.)* In fact8 it was beca#se God2s standard of righteo#sness had not
changed that His precept had to change ($* God performed the very act that men wanted5 b#t8 while their
motive was wrong and in this act they became g#ilty8 God2s motive was right and in the very same act He did
not become g#ilty (G* God was grieved over men2s apostasy (v 7*5 and their act called forth His divine
love In spite of the sin.inspired sit#ation of 'a#l8 and in fact thro#gh it8 God ministered a n#mber of
deliverances (/F1-5 1%F/8 $65 11F1G* 'a#l had th#s been a part of God2s decree from the first8 and He #sed the
wrath of men to praise Him (Ps 7-F1%* (?'a#l and the Changing 7ill of God8? +' 1$/ A1/7$BF G$G*
(Hondervan8 @ +arton*
7
As the ha!e done from the da I brought them up out of 'gpt until this da, forsa$ing me and
ser!ing other gods, so the are doing to ou.
ser!ing other gods 'ee 7FG86 Having a 9ing wo#ld be li9e serving other gods In the previo#s chapter8 the
people p#t away their +aals8 b#t the +aals are still in their mind <'ince the days of the EIod#s..that mighty
act of corporate and personal redemption..the people had consistently preferred other gods and other leaders
to God himself and his chosen servants= (E+C*
forsa$ing me and ser!ing other gods, so the are doing to ou 'am#el is God:s spo9esman 7hen they
re>ected the ,ord8 they a#tomatically re>ected 'am#el God is saying to 'am#el8 <0on:t ta9e this re>ection
person=
so the are doing to ou The ,ord is saying that the Israelites have been o#t of fellowship from the time
they left Egypt #ntil the present time And they were even more apostate after 'am#el
8
-ow listen to them+ but warn them solemnl and let them $now what the $ing who will reign o!er
them will do.)
<The phrase ?will reign over them? (vv /8 11* highlights the loss of freedom in and absol#te monarchy and is
a sad commentary on Israel2s ren#nciation of their 0ivine King= (Hondervan*
what the $ing who will reign o!er them will do This is the claim of a 9ing8 the obligations inherent in
having a 9ing (7+C*
6
19
Samuel told all the words of the 23&4 to the people who were as$ing him for a $ing.
Samuel told all the words of the 23&4 This is the wor9 of the prophet and of the pastor of today
11
:e said, )This is what the $ing who will reign o!er ou will do6 :e will ta$e our sons and ma$e
them ser!e with his chariots and horses, and the will run in front of his chariots.
They wanted a 9ing li9e other nations8 and this is what the 9ings of other nations were li9e There are no
benefits to the people in this list
:e will ta$e our sons and ma$e them ser!e 7e can s#mmariJe what a 9ing will do in three words8 <He
will ta9e=
There will be forced labor of both raw recr#its (cf 'a#l2s policy8 16F)$* and laborers in field and fo#ndry (v
1$* 'am#el no do#bt said a lot more than is recorded in o#r chapter <!ow the war against the Philistines
was severe all the days of 'a#l5 and when 'a#l saw any mighty man or any valiant man8 he attached him to
his staff= (1'am 16F)$*
<Ethis verse does not refer to war8 b#t to the personal magnificence and grande#r of the 9ing Instead of the
old simplicity in which the >#dges had lived8 he wo#ld have a state chariot (see $ Kings /F$1*8 and go forth
escorted by horsemen and r#nners on foot= These men wo#ld be his bodyg#ards
The 9ing.to.be wo#ld acD#ire horses in great n#mbers (contrary to 0e#t 17F1-*8 and the 9ing2s chariots
wo#ld need front r#nners (the practice of Absalom A$ 'am 1)F1B and Adoni>ah A1 Kings 1F)B*
12
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow
his ground and reap his har!est, and still others to ma$e weapons of war and e;uipment for his
chariots.
Commanders ?of tho#sands and of fifties? probably is shorthand for ?tho#sands8 h#ndreds8 fifties and tens?
(EI 1&F$18 $)5 0e#t 1F1)* This implies a h#ge standing army
This ab#se of power already began in the r#le of 0avid (7+C* And was the chief ca#se of the revolt of the
ten tribes from Rehoboam (1 Kings )F1G.1-5 1$F6*=
1#
:e will ta$e our daughters to be perfumers and coo$s and ba$ers.
our daughters to be perfumers Possibly <conc#bines: (C+C8 7+C* 4any women wo#ld be conscripted
into royal service
1%
:e will ta$e the best of our fields and !ineards and oli!e gro!es and gi!e them to his attendants.
Attendants The !E+ has <lac9eys5= or co#rt officers
)
Private property wo#ld be confiscated And @eJebel his wife said to him8 <0o yo# now reign over IsraelM
Arise8 eat bread8 and let yo#r heart be >oyf#l5 I will give yo# the vineyard of !aboth the @eJreelite=
(1Kings $1F7*
1(
:e will ta$e a tenth of our grain and of our !intage and gi!e it to his officials and attendants.
They will have to s#pport a h#ge b#rea#cracy
1.
*our menser!ants and maidser!ants and the best of our cattle and don$es he will ta$e for his own
use.
The 7+C and CE" have a longer translation <and yo#r asses he will ta9e and #se them for his wor9s=
*our menser!ants and maidser!ants Lo#r male and female slaves (7+C8 CE"* The slaves wo#ld be from
the former inhabitants of the land They wo#ld be #sed for b#ilding pro>ects (1Kings /F$$*
best of our cattle The K@ has <our goodliest oung men.= In conteIt ?cattle? rather than ?yo#ng men? is
clearly the better reading (Hondervan* The 7+C agrees8 <Lo#ng men= seems o#t of place
The 9ing will live a lavish lifestyle
This is what all government does Government wor9ers are given the best of everything8 highest salaries8
best benefits8 best wor9ing conditions8 and largest pensions In ret#rn the give lip service to the system and
elect those that benefit themselves
15
:e will ta$e a tenth of our floc$s, and ou oursel!es will become his sla!es.
:e will ta$e a tenth of our floc$s Lo#r floc9 he will taI at 1% percent (7+C*
ou oursel!es will become his sla!es ;r his <royal servants= or <vassals= (7+C*
Even in desperate times the 9ing wo#ld always get his share (Amos 7F1*..a minim#m of 1% percent of the
income from field and floc9 (vv 1)8 17*
?+y nat#re royalty is parasitic rather than givingE= (Hondervan* The same can be said for government
Government ta9es away individ#al freedom In some cases it:s good that certain freedoms are ta9en away8
li9e the freedom to 9ill someone
All the 9ing wo#ld do is ta9e 'am#el reminds the people that he himself has ?ta9en? nothing in 1$FG.6 @#st
li9e Government5 all it 9nows is to ta9e
Nnder 'a#l and the first part of 0avid:s r#le this wasn:t the case8 b#t later #nder 0avid and 'olomon and the
9ings of the divided monarchy8 it was
7e have an ill#stration of this in 1Kings )F1GO1-F !ow King 'olomon levied forced laborers from all Israel5
and the forced laborers n#mbers G%8%%% men And he sent them to ,ebanon8 1%8%%% a month in relays5 they
were in ,ebanon a month and two months at home And Adoniram was over the forced laborers !ow
-
'olomon had 7%8%%% transporters and &%8%%% hewers of stone in the mo#ntains8 besides 'olomon:s GG%%
chief dep#ties who were over the pro>ect and who r#led over the people who were doing the wor9
17
When that da comes, ou will cr out for relief from the $ing ou ha!e chosen, and the 23&4 will
not answer ou in that da.)
"ario#s aspects of the ?reg#lations? wo#ld be implemented by 'a#l ($$F-.1/* and Absalom ($ 'am 1)F1.-*..
altho#gh 'olomon wo#ld become the most notable offender +y the time the people see their folly8 it will be
too late
;nce the ?reg#lations of the 9ingship? are f#lfilled8 the average Israelite will be little more than a slave at the
disposal of the 9ing The freD#ent occ#rrence of `ebed (?servant8? ?slave?* so#nds an omino#s note (vv 16.
1)8 ?attendants?5 v 1-8 ?menservants?5 v 178 ?slaves?* In v 17 'am#el warned the people that they wo#ld
?become? their 9ing2s ?slaves8? terminology employed elsewhere of bondage imposed by a conD#eror (17F/8
?become s#b>ects?5 $7F1$8 ?be servant?5 $ 'am &F$8 -8 ?became s#b>ect to?*= (Hondervan*
18
"ut the people refused to listen to Samuel. )-o<) the said. )We want a $ing o!er us.
We The <we= is emphatic in the Hebrew This is the problem with believers8 we often ref#se to listen
God will grant people their petitions rather than destroy their free will God want vol#ntary s#b>ects

29
Then we will be li$e all the other nations, with a $ing to lead us and to go out before us and fight
our battles.)
Then we will be li$e all the other nations They wanted to prove that they <are >#st as civiliJed as anyone
else= (+arthel p 1-6* In o#r verse we have the real reason for wanting a 9ing <They were loo9ing for a
permanent military leader who wo#ld b#ild a standing army powerf#l eno#gh to defeat the Philistines and
Canaanites I wo#ldn:t be s#rprised if their defeat by the Philistines and capt#re of the Ar9 was still on their
mind Are they thin9ing God let them downM Are they thin9ing a capable military leader wo#ld do better than
GodM
The ,ord was always there to fight for his people <7ith him is only the arm of flesh8 b#t with #s is the
,;R0 o#r God to help #s and to fight o#r battles? And the people gained confidence from what HeJe9iah
the 9ing of @#dah said=

$ Chronicles G$F&
They were willing to give #p everything for a false sense of sec#rity
with a $ing to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles This sho#ld be the main f#nction of
government8 the protection of its citiJens God was there to fight Israel:s wars
4aybe the Israelites were tired of the s#rro#nding people contin#ally harassing them8 and they wanted to be
rid of the Canaanites 4aybe they tho#ght God wasn:t doing eno#gh to destroy these people They didn:t
realiJe that the problem was with them They failed to wal9 with God to ens#re their victory The ,ord
permitted the Canaanites to s#rvive as a test to the Israelites
&easons for Wanting a =ing
7
'am#el is too old to effectively r#le
'am#el:s sons are wic9ed and they were tired of the corr#ption in the priesthood
They wanted to be li9e other nations5 they envied the c#lt#re of the Canaanites8 the technology8
ed#cation8 cities
They wanted someone to fight their battles5 they were tired of the constant battles and increasing
ca#salities
&easons for &ejecting the 2ord
+elievers o#t of fellowship5 disco#raged by the lifestyle of other believers
!ot wanting to be re>ected by family8 friends8 etc
0ependence on others for sec#rityF the govt8 self8 family8 money
21
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the 23&4.
22
The 23&4
answered, )2isten to them and gi!e them a $ing.) Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, )'!erone
go bac$ to his town.)
'ometimes God grants o#r prayers even if it is against his 7ill and harmf#l to #s Cor the will of God ever
leaves the will of man free There was however a way to alleviate the problems of a 9ingOO select the right
9ing who won:t ab#se his power
'!erone go bac$ to his town Cor what reasonM To reconsider their reD#est and wait #pon the ,ord to
answer their reD#est Also8 'am#el needs time to call an assembly and anoint a 9ing
The ,anaanites > Their &eligion
1 The Israelites came into contact with the Canaanites d#ring the conD#est by @osh#a and the period of the @#dges
$ The people of Canaan were a sophisticated agric#lt#ral and #rban people The name Canaan means <,and
of P#rple= (a p#rple dye was eItracted from a m#reI shellfish fo#nd near the shores of Palestine*
G The Canaanites were the people who8 as far as is 9nown8 invented the form of writing that became the alphabet8
which8 thro#gh the Gree9s and Romans8 was passed on to many c#lt#res8 incl#ding 7estern civiliJation
6 Their religion was an agric#lt#ral religion
) Their main gods were called the +aalim (,ords*8 and their consorts the +aalot (,adies*8 or Asherah
(sing#lar*8 #s#ally 9nown by the personal pl#ral name Ashtoret
- The god of the city of 'hechem8 which city the Israelites had absorbed peacef#lly #nder @osh#a8 was called
+aal.berith (,ord of the Covenant* or El.berith (God of the Covenant*
7 The +aalim and the +aalot8 gods and goddesses of the Earth8 were believed to be the revitaliJers of the
forces of nat#re #pon which agric#lt#re depended The revitaliJation process involved a sacred marriage8
replete with seI#al symbolic and act#al activities between men8 representing the +aalim8 and the sacred
temple prostit#tes8 representing the +aalot
& C#ltic ceremonies involved seI#al acts between male members of the agric#lt#ral comm#nities and sacred
prostit#tes dedicated to the +aalim
&
/ 4any Israelites s#cc#mbed to the all#rements of the fertility.laden rit#als and practices of the Canaanite religion8
partly beca#se it was new and different from their religion and beca#se of the infl#ence of seI#al attractions
1% As the Canaanites and the Israelites began to live in closer contact with each other8 the faith of Israel tended to
absorb some of the concepts and practices of the Canaanite religion 'ome Israelites began to name their children after
the +alaam5 even one of the >#dges8 Gideon8 was also 9nown by the name @er#bbaal (<,et +aal Contend=* The
Israelites began to lose the concept of their eIcl#siveness and their mission to be a witness to the nations
/