Fear Rules Instead Of Faith

1 day ago
3 min read

Fear has stripped the children of God from their faith in Him. They have asked Samuel to give them a king to rule them, rejecting God as their King. Samuel has gone to God with this disturbing matter and God’s response to His dear, faithful servant is most reassuring, comforting and consoling to him.

God’s consolation to His faithful, loyal servant has words that are most informative and instructive to us. And the LORD said to Samuel, Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you. They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 8: 7. God assures Samuel that he, Samuel, is not the one whom the people are rejecting. They are rejecting Him, their Lord and King. What an utterly sad, heart-wrenching lament of a word! That God would have to speak like this about His loved ones is truly deeply saddening.

Does this not remind you of Jesus and His lamenting over His own Jewish people, His own Jerusalem? O how the heart of Jesus was deeply sorrowful? He had come among His own to save them and help them, but His own people rejected Him. O how it grieved the heart of Jesus. Are not God the Father and God the Son, one in feeling and hurt also? It must have grieved the heart of God that His own people whom He saved and led these many years, with His own Right Hand, have now rejected Him.

Listen to the lament as God tells Samuel that Israel is not just rejecting Him as their King, but note what God goes on to say. They are rejecting His reign over them. They have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. What a scary, utterly horrific thought! God has said that His people have rejected Him as their King and His reign and rule they no longer desire. What is our heavenly Father and King saying of us, His children and people?

Remember, we are no different from our brothers and sisters in the past. Just as God loved them and chose them to be His and His alone, so too He has done with you and me. Just as He gave them leaders and people in authority, to rule, so too He has given to us. Just as He wanted no king but Himself, to reign over them, is it not the same for us? Exactly as the children of God, without thinking twice about it, rejected God as their King, can we claim innocence of such a charge? Are we guiltless on this matter?

Here is the charge as articulated by God. My own people, whom I have delivered and brought out with a mighty Hand, from a tyrannical ruler, have rejected Me. I brought them out, cared for them, fed them, gave them fresh, sweet water and gave them possession of the Promised Land, a green and fertile land, flowing with milk and honey. I decided to abide with them and be their living, working, serving King, so that they would be different from all the people around, but they have not appreciated Me and all that I have done and are doing for them. My people have looked at the worldly nations around and want to be ruled as they are ruled. They have rejected Me as their King. This is a hefty indictment, coming from King God.

Is God saying this about us, His children, in this day and time? Are we turning our backs on Him as our King, and seeking other kings? If a king is one of wisdom, power and authority, one who cares about the well-being of his people, wanting nothing but the best for them; if the king is proud of his kingdom and the people in his kingdom; if he wants other nations to see his handiwork in his people and how happy they are with his rule, then what a sad affair!

What a totally awful testimony, we, God’s people are giving of Him as King. It must be a very poor testimony of any king, if the people want another, in place of him. Do the children of God know what they are saying about their present King? Do we know what we are saying, in thought, word and action about our King, One in Three Persons?