Who Would Be King?

Text:  1 Samuel 8:4-20

Theme:  “Who Would Be King?”

2^nd Sunday after Pentecost

June 7, 2015

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Denton, Texas

Rev. Paul R. Dunklau

+In the Name of Jesus+

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[a] us, such as all the other nations have.”

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

True confession time:  I’ve never read the Bible through from cover to cover – that is, straight through from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.  Have I read each individual book?  Yes.  Have I taken courses on certain books of the Bible and biblical themes?  Of course!  I just haven’t done the cover to cover thing. 

Interestingly, there are congregations – including some in the PCUSA – who are doing that right now as churches.  They are reading the Bible through in a year!  More power to them, I say!  I’ve tried that a few times, but I always seem to get bogged down in Leviticus.  If I could just hang in there until I get to 1 Samuel, that would be wonderful!  Yes, that’s the book that my 5 second attention span might appreciate.  1 Samuel is action-packed. 

A word of caution:  you will find some political matters contained in it.  That could immediately turn a few of us off.  But the political skirmishes here and there are set within a broader, sweeping historical narrative that one can’t help but being caught up in.  I’m rather shocked that Hollywood hasn’t come up with a screenplay or teleplay on 1 Samuel!

To be sure, religion and politics are touchy, dicey subjects today.  Back in the 60s and 70s, certain congregations and denominations – of a more liberal or progressive persuasion – got on board with the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.  The main themes were peace, justice, an anti-war stance, and whittling away at the economic inequalities in the world.  The Gospel and Sacraments of our Lord were good insofar as they inspired people to advocate for these causes. 

Enter the 80s and the Reagan administration.  “Evangelical” conservatism – or conservative “Evangelicalism”, if you will – was resurgent.  It was especially strong during the lead up to the two-term presidency of George W. Bush.  Karl Rove, a political operative known as the “Architect” in the Bush campaigns, took the lead in currying the favor of American evangelicals.  Now it’s all but a rule for GOP presidential candidates to either announce their intentions and aspirations and/or give a speech at Liberty University or the Heritage Foundation.  The Gospel and Sacraments are good insofar as they inspire people to advocate for huge tax cuts, economic libertarianism, a hawkish national defense, anti-abortion, and traditional marriage. 

With all this politicking going on, is it any wonder that many of our children – wearied by the extremism and fevered debate on the left and the right – are opting out from church altogether.

My declaration to you this day is that the Gospel and Sacraments are good not “insofar as” they advocate for this, that, or anything.  The Gospel and Sacraments are not ammunition to beef up and bolster our cherished points of view.  The Gospel and the Sacraments are good because they are good!  They come from God and they are here to bless us with the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. 

But, human nature being what it is, people are always itching for more.  Our Old Testament Reading is this morning’s “exhibit A”.   The people were itching for a king.  That was the political situation. 

By the way, the word politics, in its native meaning, is actually quite simple.  The root word is from the Greek polis that means “city”.  Thus, politics is a conversation about how best to order the city and to protect it and prosper it for the benefit of all. 

The Israelites were not politically divided at this point.  They were of one mind when it came to what they were itching for.  They were itching for a king!  Such a king would protect them and prosper their polis, their nation, their city, their lives.  And besides, all the other nations had a king so why not Israel?  The leaders say to the Lord’s man, Samuel, the prophet:  You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have. 

Meanwhile, Samuel is none too pleased with that request.  So, as the old hymn says, he “takes it to the Lord in prayer.” 

The reply comes back in short order.  God says:  Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a classic, precious, priceless example of that old adage:  “Be careful what you wish for (or prayer for).  You may get it.”

You want a king to reign over you?  Alright, here’s the deal:  your children are going into the military; some will work the land and others will make weapons.  (If that sounds like the ancient version of the so-called “military/industrial complex”, you heard right!)  And while we’re at it, know that the king is going to confiscate large chunks of your land. He will take 10% of your grain and 10% of your livestock.  (If that sounds like taxation, you heard right!)  Over time, you will discover that you are working for that king and his attendants.  Politics will become your livelihood. Not only that, you become the king’s slaves, the slaves of politics.  Eventually, you’ll cry out to that king for relief; you’ll seek political answers because politics has become god.   But, says God, I “won’t answer you.”

Samuel doesn’t omit this or that or gloss over anything.   He’s all about full disclosure, and he simply tells them exactly what God said.  This is what will happen if you have an earthly king.  They are not encouraging possibilities.  They sound much more like disincentives as opposed to incentives.

Still, the Israelites clamor for a king.  They get one.  And then they get another, and another, and another.  Some of those kings were faithful to God.  Far more, as the Bible says, “did what was displeasing” in God’s sight.  The track record of earthly politics among the Israelite people was really pretty bad.

Fast-forward to the time of Jesus.  All of those prophecies had come true.  The kingship in Israel was in shambles.  The Israelites were ruled by the Roman Caesar. 

Then, one day, out from Galilee and into the Jordan valley, came an obscure, itinerant preacher and rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth.  He said:  “Change your mind.  Do a complete, mental 180!   The Kingdom of God is at hand.  It’s here, but it’s not of this world.  It’s within you.” 

This King – even Jesus Christ our Lord – will not conscript you, draft you, confiscate your land, impose a tax.  But, through His Spirit, He will make you a citizen of  God’s kingdom.  Your sins are forgiven.  You are and can become a new creation.  Amid the strife of earthly politics, your spirit can be at peace always because the King and Prince of Peace is with your spirit.  Glorify God and enjoy His reign!

Amen.