Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 29-30
1 Samuel 8:6-7 (ESV); But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he
prayed to the LORD. 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.
It was God’s desire to directly lead His people, but they set aside His will for their own. Greedily, they
looked upon other nations and coveted their style of leadership. “Give us a king!” they said. Their
request was another step in distancing themselves from God. The people didn’t want direct contact
with Him; they preferred the ways of the world. Samuel the prophet gave them ample warning of what
their kings would do to them, but they paid no heed. They didn’t care that their kings would conscript
them into the army or forced labour. They ignored the warnings that a king would take their daughters
to work for him or that he would take the best land and their best crops and servants and flocks. They
were blinded by their own desires, like one might be blinded by dollar signs before accepting a shady
job. To Samuel’s warnings they said, “No! But there SHALL be a king over us, that we may be like all
the nations...” What had once been a privilege – to be a nation set apart – was now a curse to them.
They didn’t want to be different; they wanted to blend, to assimilate to fit in.
We often think the Israelites so stupid. “Don’t you REMEMBER the covenant you made?!” we say.
“Don’t you REMEMBER the blessings that come with obedience?!” But do we remember? Do we
submit every decision and desire to what God has told us in the past? Do we remember that blessing
accompanies obedience when our only desire is to disobey?
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. In listening prayer, ask God what He would like to teach you from today’s reading. Spend time
dialoguing about it with Him.
2. When have you experienced blessings for your obedience to God? Ask God to show you how He
has recently (within the past week) blessed you for your obedience and the blessing has gone
unnoticed. Thank Him for it.
3. Ask God to reveal and speak to you about an area of insecurity – an area where you wish you
were like someone else.
