Transcript

The Anatomy of An Obstinate Mind

1 Samuel 8:1-22
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Pastor Randy Smith

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Between two farms near Valleyview, Alberta, you can find two parallel fences, only two feet apart, running for a half mile. Why are there two fences when one would do?

Two farmers, Paul and Oscar, had a disagreement that erupted into a feud. Paul wanted to build a fence between their lands and split the cost, but Oscar was unwilling to contribute. Since he wanted to keep cattle on his land, Paul went ahead and built the fence anyway.

After the fence was completed, Oscar said to Paul, "I see we have a fence." "What do you mean 'we?'" Paul replied. "I got the property line surveyed and built the fence two feet into my land. That means some of my land is outside the fence. And if any of your cows sets foot on my land, I'll shoot them."

Oscar knew Paul wasn't joking, so when he eventually decided to use the land adjoining Paul's for pasture, he was forced to build another fence, two feet away.

Oscar and Paul are both gone now, but their double fence stands as a monument to the high price we pay for stubbornness (Leadership, vol. 16, no. 1).

I'm sure you can think back to a time in your life when a foolish decision prevailed thanks to a stubborn mind. Despite wise counsel to the contrary, you were determined to have your own way. Your mind was so set on its intended goal; reason, logic, patience, the feelings of others and possibly even God's word were tossed to the wind. What seemed so right at the moment is left with a "What was I thinking?" Does anything come to mind-an activity, a purchase, a conclusion, a disagreement, a dream? Are there any monuments to stubbornness erected in your memory?

The Bible is clear that we as human beings are stubborn people. Sadly, most often it is seen in our attitude against the Lord. As we walk with God, we are repeatedly set in our ways, prone to believe from limited perspective, close-minded to new ideas and additional facts, and confident that our thought-process is without flaw. Even though we would all admit that God's plan is perfect, we trust so often in our flawed human reasoning. And most of the time we do this unconsciously.

Regarding obstinate people, the Bible has made an example of two: Pharaoh (Ex. 7:14; 13:15) and disobedient children (Dt. 21:18). But without a doubt, the greatest example far and away is the nation Israel. All over the Old Testament are references to her stubbornness.

Moses to the Israelites, "For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death" (Dt. 31:27)? God told the prophet Ezekiel, "I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD'…Yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate" (Eze. 2:4; 3:7). Through the prophet Isaiah, God said, "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts" (Isa. 65:2; cf. Rom. 10:21).

Once again, as we continue our study in 1 Samuel, God will teach us a lesson from the nation Israel. We will observe the consequences of her stubbornness that will hopefully move us to pursue giving to God (and others) the soft and humble and teachable heart that God desires.

Let's begin…

1. THE REQUEST

After coming off the tremendous military victory in chapter 7, chapter 8 begins with a simple request. The elders of Israel are bothered about the future leadership of their nation. They bring their concern to Samuel. On the surface it seems fairly reasonable.

You see, verse 1 informs us that Samuel was getting old. He served the nation faithfully, but the people knew his days were numbered. Preparations must be made for the future. Verses 1 and 2 indicate Samuel also knew about the need for new leaders and appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah. That sounds like a good plan but unfortunately, verse 3, "His sons…did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice." The people looked down the pike and saw an inevitable crisis just waiting to erupt. After all, the account of Eli and the succession of his wicked sons were not far removed from their memory. They blew a sign of relief when Hophni and Phinehas were removed from the scene, but now they would be potentially stuck with Joel and Abijah!

Due to their stubborn hearts, we will see how a request that seems reasonable, logical and plausible can be utterly godless!

Here we go. Verse 4, "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah." Verse 5, "And they said to him, 'Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.'" After stating the concern, they propose their solution. "Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

Was it wrong to make this request?

From the time of God's call to Moses (Ex. 3:1ff), God directly appointed leaders for Israel. It was a theocracy. But throughout that time God gave a clear indication that He, at His timing, would permit a king to rule the nation. Deuteronomy 17, "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses" (Deut. 17:14-15a). In the future a shift to a monarchy was mentioned.

So was it wrong for Israel to make this request? From one perspective, no. Yet from another perspective, yes. And it is here that we now begin to see their stubborn hearts.

Though God had abundantly provided for the nation, Israel had their minds set on a king. But as it is with many of our obsessions, the problem is often not the object as much as it is the motives. From the time of our original parents, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, "(To be) like God" (Gen. 3:5). Israel wanted a king, "(To be) like all the nations" (8:5). Discontentment and covetousness are especially insidious sins because they reveal a dissatisfaction with God's provisions. They imply, "God, you are withholding good from my life." Though Israel had blessings from God that no other nation on the planet ever experienced, the Israelites wanted to be like the other nations. It seems everybody could see their mistake but them!

The anatomy of a stubborn heart. The folly of a stubborn heart. No wonder the ancient Greek said, "Stubbornness and stupidity are twins" (Sophocles).

The Puritan, Thomas Brooks once remarked, "A man cannot look up to heaven and look down upon the earth, at the same time." This problem arose because Israel took her eyes off the Lord, and they naturally gravitated to the things of this world. Rather than looking to their Ebenezer and remembering God's faithfulness in the past (7:12), they drooled over the appearance of the other nations-A humble prophet in a mantle verses a handsome king in shining armor. Rather than being set apart and different for the Lord, they wanted to conform to the world, which is always a more comfortable position. Rather than trusting in the Lord to fight their battles, a visible king with a standing army took less faith than the unseen. Rather than obedient living, it is much easier to just blame the political system. Just when we thought the Jews learned to walk by faith, once again, so quickly, they return to walking by sight. Once again, they so quickly return to worldly thinking. Once again, we are prepared for another spiritual disaster.

As I said before, God would permit a king on His timetable. How silly when we impatiently think our own timing is better.

Matthew Henry made an interesting observation: "They could not stay God's time. God had intimated to them in the law that, in due time, Israel should have a king and perhaps they had some intimation that the time was at hand; but they are all in haste: 'We, in our day, will have this king over us.' Could they but have waited ten or twelve years longer they would have had David, a king of God's giving in mercy, and all the calamities that attended the setting up of Saul would have been prevented. Sudden resolves and hasty desires make work for a long and leisurely repentance" (Commentary, 1 Samuel 8).

For Israel their impatience was not only a form of rebellion, it also led to a foolish decision.

The nation was back to her old tricks. In chapter 4 they trusted in the ark, and it led to a bitter defeat. After God's miraculous delivery in chapter 7 without a king, now just one chapter later, they trust in some human government that they think will increase their security.

2. THE REMORSE

While the nation ran headlong in one direction, the godly prophet with his mind on the Lord saw things from a different perspective. As we move to the second point, permit me to read verse 6: "But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.'"

As a side note, what a poignant example of how our selfishness can cause great heartache in everyone around us-especially those like Samuel who have their hearts set on serving the Lord. That is why the Bible says love is not selfish (1 Cor. 13:5). When we are selfish, everybody in the church and home community is affected.

Nation requested a king. No doubt Samuel had to take this as a slight on his leadership, but I believe his primary concern was for the glory of God. Like Gideon's response when asked for a king: "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you" (Ju. 8:23).

Samuel's heart was heavy and his hand was forced to move. To give in to their stubborn request would bring additional heartache to the nation, a heartache he would be accountable for approving. Yet dismissing the request would bring the accusation that he was self-seeking and self-willed, caring only for his rule and protecting his disobedient sons. The joys of being a leader! What was Samuel to do? Answer: When we are in a pickle with the appearance of no right answer (one in which we "lose" either way), the right response is to pursue a course of action in accordance with God's will and then take our lumps if they come from human dissenters.

The end of verse 6 says, "Samuel prayed to the LORD." The dilemma drove Samuel to His knees to seek the Lord's will.

The obstinate Israelites determined what was best in their own hearts and expected God and others to comply. On the contrary, Samuel went to the Lord with an open mind to seek God's will through prayer.

In verse 7, the LORD responded to Samuel: "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them."

God affirmed Samuel that their rebellion was not an attack on the prophet. Ultimately it was a vote of no confidence against God Himself (cf. 1 Thes. 4:8).

As all the great leaders of the faith experienced, from Moses to Nehemiah to Jeremiah to Paul, Samuel joined the fraternity of rejected individuals who sought to be an ambassador for God. The Bible says God's greatest mouthpiece, Jesus Christ, "went about doing good" (Ac. 10:38) but was placed on a cross to suffer and die because He was "rejected by men" (1 Pet. 2:4). Never a sin, but because He spoke faithfully for God to a rebellious people they, Luke 19:14, "Hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'"

Mark this, Beloved: Play games with your faith and you will be loved by the world and every carnal believer in the church. But stand in the gap and seek to lead God's people wholeheartedly in whatever capacity, and you can expect heavy persecution, not just from the world, but from some you are seeking to serve within the household of faith. Rebellious hearts and the lordship of Christ always result in a confrontation, one in which the messenger usually gets shot. This is where the prophet Samuel found himself.

Israel's defense: "We are only rejecting Samuel's sons!" Samuel's concern: "They have rejected me!" God's clarification: "I am the One ultimately rejected!"

Citing their history of rebellion, God explains His verdict in verse 8. "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day-in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods-so they are doing to you also."

This week I read in Nehemiah 9, "They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; so they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt" (Neh. 9:17a).

God would grant them their request. And the fact that God at times permits things not best for our immediate good should not bring us comfort, but concern. Need Israel be reminded about the meat they demanded during the time of the Exodus (Num. 11)? God gave quails "until it (came) out of (their) nostrils and (became) loathsome to (them)" (Num. 11:20)! Before we desire and ask of the Lord, we should first consider our own motives and God's will. As we will see with Israel, God permitted their request to teach them a lesson and bring greater glory to Himself in the long run. But the needless pain they suffered could have been prevented if they would have repented earlier of their obstinate hearts.

Verse 9, God said, "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them."

3. THE REQUIREMENTS

Beginning in verse 10 we move to the third point. Following God's request, Samuel warned the people what a king would require.

"So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, 'This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day'" (1 Sam. 8:10-18).

In a nutshell, a king would take from them their sons, their daughters, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, their money, their servants and their flocks. Despite the fact that these would all be additional losses to what God required and they would have to live with these oppressive burdens without the Lord's favor, the people remained unconvinced. Despite the fact that God wanted to give them the best of everything they ever needed, their stubborn and obstinate hearts were locked into their decision.

4. THE RESISTANCE

As we move to our final point, I find it so amazing that despite these hard facts, the people are unmoved. It has been said, "The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear" (Herbert Agar, Leadership, vol. 17, no. 2). There is no indication in the text that they deny the reality of Samuel's assertions or take time to pray and think over the situation or seek to obtain more information. Stubborn hearts know what they want, and they want it now. Deaf to reason. Blind to their own best interests. So obsessive was their desire for a king that they became fools.

Proverbs teaches us, "Fools despise wisdom and instruction (1:7). And "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words" (23:9). Despite all that was said, verses 19 and 20, "Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, 'No, but there shall be a king over us that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.'"

Their selfish hearts went from a request in verse 5, now to an outright demand in verse 20. Regardless of the hostility, disunity and adverse consequences, the people only dug in deeper and were prepared to have their king regardless of the cost. I get the picture that they are prepared to "duke it out" with the prophet if necessary! James 3:16, "For where…selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."

Oh the irony. They will not listen to the voice of the prophet, but the prophet listens to the voice of the people. God allowed the table to be turned to show how upside-down this situation had become.

Verses 21 and 22, "Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing. The LORD said to Samuel, 'Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.' So Samuel said to the men of Israel, 'Go every man to his city.'"

The nation is prepared to receive her king. As the Lord permits, we will be introduced to him next week.

Our American forefathers understood the oppressive nature of a king. It brought them over to the new world. It motivated them to fight for freedom. This week we will be celebrating 231 years of independence.

Jesus knew that we have a desire for freedom. In the Gospel of John He said, "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (Jn. 8:36; cf. 8:32; Lk. 4:18). As Christians we experience the deepest level of freedom. We have been set free from the fear of hell and the domination of our sin and the need to earn God's love. We have been set free to be all that God intendeds us to be for abundant living. In Christ we have liberty!

But yet we are so often like the Israelites. Rather than receiving God's best, we frequently pursue the very things that enslave us which are nothing but seductive temptations toward empty promises from a fallen world. Why do we live in the slavery of fear and guilt and worry and addiction and man-pleasing and hate (Gal. 5:1)? Will we pursue the freedom that comes from a dependence on Jesus Christ as the King of all kings or will we follow our obstinate and stubborn instincts-these little false kings that promise so much but deliver so little?