WHO IS KING?
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 8:4-7; 10:17-24
KEY VERSE
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your catastrophes and your distresses: yet you have said, “No, but put a king over us!” Now then, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your groups of thousands
1 Samuel 10:19
INTRODUCTION AND STUDY
We Human beings like to think highly about ourselves, and so many like to think that they are kings and queens. That really means that they think they are valuable people and that they deserve to have the power to do all kinds of things.
But we know that we have all kinds of limitations and when life throws a curve ball at us we often cry for someone to deliver us. Then we realize we are not as capable as we thought. But even then once the problem we face has been solved, we tend to go back to the idea that we are powerful kings and queens.
We just do not seem to understand that we are valuable because God gave us life and loves us and wants the best for us. We therefore do not have to call ourselves kings and queens or to have people that call themselves that rule over us. God has given every person a role to play in life and He does not consider that some persons given roles of leadership are superior to others and should abuse others and enrich themselves at other people’s expense.
God warned the people of Israel when they demanded He give them a king such as the kind of king the pagan nations around them had that the experience would not be a pleasant one. They were to be ruled by God as their king for they were different from the other nations for those nations practiced idolatry, worshipping gods of wood and stonethat they made for themselves.
Their God was very different from the pagan gods. He had delivered them from bondage in Egypt, and also delivered them when they were conquered and ruled over by pagan nations who stole whatever they had. He had given them the Land of Canaan, protected and sheltered them. He had provided military leaders called judges to given them victoryover their oppressing enemies. Then God hadraised up the prophet Samuel to unify the tribes of Israel and lead them intheir fights with their enemies. Now they were living in peace and prosperity. But yet they looked around at the other nations and wanted to be like them. They wanted a king to rule over them just like the other nations.
Samuel was horrified at that request for he knew they would suffer when they chose a man to rule them. He complained to God about what the elders and the people wanted but God comforted him telling him that the people were not rejecting him but was rejecting the rule of God.
So God chose the most impressive looking man from the nation. His name was Saul.He was tall and handsome and when God had Samuel anoint him as king and presented him to the people they were happy and shouted, Long live the King.
But Samuel warned them that though God gave them what they wanted they were really getting something that would not be good for them. It is never good to reject God as yourKing and your Leader. He is the only one that loves you so much He will never do anything but the best for you. He had the power to deliver His people and to bless them. No other person or so-called king could do that but instead would make them like slaves and take away their freedom and anything he could get his hands on.
So let us be very careful. If you ask God or demand something from Him that is not good for you, He might just give it to you for that is needed tough love. The Study emphasizes that only God the Lord Jesus Christ is King. The handsome and tall king Saul did not turn out to be a good king even though God gave him many people to help him. He just was like other human beings and kings and rulers .He and they were not a good king or ruler Do not accept any substitutes. Jesus is the only one who really loves you and can save from all harm and dangers and at the end give you eternal life.