The Politics of Apostasy Text: 1 Samuel 8:1-9
Introduction: The Idol Factory of the State
Every four years in America, and with similar regularity in other Western nations, we witness a frantic, almost religious fervor descend upon the populace. People begin to speak of political candidates in messianic terms. They look to the state, to the government, to the next election, as the source of salvation, the solution to all our woes. They believe that if we just elect the right man, enact the right policy, or pass the right law, we can usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity. This is nothing other than idolatry, plain and simple. It is the ancient sin of looking to a man on a throne to do what only God on His throne can do.
The human heart, as Calvin said, is a perpetual idol factory. And one of the most powerful and seductive idols it has ever manufactured is the State. We want a visible king, a tangible savior, a government we can see and petition. We want a king to fight our battles, to provide for our needs, and to give us a sense of national identity. And in this, we are no different than the elders of Israel who came to Samuel at Ramah. They had a legitimate problem, but they proposed a treasonous solution. They wanted to trade the glorious, unseen kingship of Yahweh for the tarnished, visible crown of a man.
This chapter is a foundational text for a biblical understanding of politics. It reveals the spiritual root of all statism, which is the rejection of God. It shows us that the desire to be "like all the nations" is a profound spiritual rebellion. And it warns us, with chilling accuracy, of the consequences of placing our faith in political princes. What we see here is not just a dusty piece of ancient history; it is a mirror reflecting our own hearts and a warning for our own time.
The Text
And it happened when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after greedy gain and took bribes and caused justice to turn aside.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was evil in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to Yahweh. Then Yahweh said 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. 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. So now, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly testify to them and tell them of the custom of the king who will reign over them.”
(1 Samuel 8:1-9 LSB)
A Good Problem, A Godless Solution (vv. 1-5)
The crisis begins with a genuine problem, a breakdown in the civil order.
"And it happened when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel... But his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after greedy gain and took bribes and caused justice to turn aside." (1 Samuel 8:1, 3)
We must grant the elders this much: their grievance was legitimate. Samuel was old, and his sons were corrupt. Joel and Abijah were a disgrace. They were using their office for personal enrichment, taking bribes, and perverting justice. This is a serious matter. A society where justice is for sale is a society on the brink of collapse. The law of God is clear about this: "You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just" (Exodus 23:8). So, the elders were not wrong to be concerned. The system of judges was failing because of the sin of the men in charge.
But a legitimate grievance never justifies a sinful response. And their response was deeply sinful. Look at their demand in verse 5.
"...Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." (1 Samuel 8:5)
Here is the poison. The solution was not, "Samuel, call your sons to repentance," or "Let us seek God for righteous judges." No, their solution was, "Make us like the Philistines. Make us like the Ammonites. Make us like the Egyptians." Their desire was for conformity to the pagan world. God had called Israel to be a peculiar people, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6). Their entire identity was rooted in being distinct from the nations. And here they are, demanding to be just like them. This is a failure of faith and a failure of nerve. They looked at the impressive chariots, the centralized power, and the royal pomp of their pagan neighbors, and they were filled with envy. They wanted a human king they could see, a symbol of national power, instead of the invisible King who had delivered them time and again.
The Divine Diagnosis (vv. 6-8)
Samuel, to his credit, understands the gravity of their sin. He is not flattered by their deference; he is grieved by their apostasy.
"But the thing was evil in the sight of Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed to Yahweh." (1 Samuel 8:6)
Samuel rightly sees this as evil. But notice his response. He does not lash out. He does not argue. He takes it to the Lord. This is the mark of a man of God. When faced with rebellion and sin in the people he leads, his first move is to the throne of grace.
And God gives him the true diagnosis. This is not about Samuel's retirement plan or his delinquent sons. The problem is far deeper. This is about the rejection of God Himself.
"Then Yahweh said to Samuel, 'Listen to the voice of the people... for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.'" (1 Samuel 8:7)
This is the heart of the matter. All political idolatry is, at its root, a theological rebellion. When a people cry out for a government to be their savior, they are deposing God from His rightful throne. They are saying, "Your rule is not enough. Your law is insufficient. Your power is invisible and we want something tangible." A human king was just a golden calf with a sword. It was a visible, man-made substitute for the living God.
God then places this act into the context of Israel's entire history. This is not a new sin; it is their characteristic sin. "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt... they have forsaken Me and served other gods" (v. 8). From the moment He rescued them, they have been looking for an exit ramp from His covenant, a way to trade His lordship for something they could control. The desire for a king was simply the latest expression of their chronic apostasy.
You'll Get the Government You Deserve (v. 9)
God's response is terrifying. He tells Samuel to grant their request. This is a form of judgment. God is going to give them exactly what they asked for, so they can choke on it.
"So now, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly testify to them and tell them of the custom of the king who will reign over them." (1 Samuel 8:9)
God says, "Alright. They want a king like the nations? I will give them one. But you, Samuel, must first serve as a prosecuting attorney. You must warn them. You must lay out for them the 'custom' of the king." The Hebrew word here is mishpat, which can mean "judgment" or "right." Here it means the royal prerogative, the way these kinds of kings operate. The rest of the chapter, which we will consider later, is a detailed prophecy of the nature of the confiscatory, bureaucratic, and tyrannical state.
God warns them that this king will take. He will take their sons for his army and his bureaucracy. He will take their daughters to be his perfumers and cooks. He will take their best fields and vineyards and give them to his cronies. He will take a tenth of their grain and their flocks. He will take their servants. In short, the state they are demanding will be a devouring entity. It will consume their liberty, their property, and their children. And when they finally cry out because of the oppression of the king they chose, God says He will not answer them (v. 18).
This is a permanent warning against the temptation of statism. When we look to the government to be our provider and protector, we are setting ourselves up for slavery. The state always promises security in exchange for liberty, and it always ends up taking both. The more we ask the state to do for us, the more it will demand from us, until it has consumed everything.
The One True King
The people of Israel demanded a king to save them from corrupt judges, and God gave them Saul, a king who would oppress them. They rejected God's direct rule and were given the government they deserved. This is a sober warning for us. When we look to political leaders to solve spiritual problems, we are engaging in the same idolatry.
But the story does not end there. In His anger, God gave them Saul. But in His grace, He later gave them David, a man after His own heart, a king who was a faint shadow of the true King to come. Israel's demand for a king was sinful, but God in His sovereignty would use the institution of the monarchy to bring about His ultimate purpose: the enthronement of His Son.
They wanted a king who would be like the nations, a king who would take and devour. God gave us a King who is utterly unlike the nations, a King who gives and serves. Jesus Christ is the King who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The kings of the earth build their kingdoms with high taxes and military conscription. King Jesus builds His kingdom with His own blood and the free-will offerings of His people.
The choice before us is the same choice that was before Israel. Will we cry out, "Give us a President to fix our problems"? Or will we bow the knee to the one true King, Jesus Christ? Will we place our trust in the princes of this world, who are a breath, or in the Prince of Peace, whose kingdom shall have no end? Let us repent of our political idolatry. Let us render to Caesar what is Caesar's, but let us be sure that we render to God what is God's: our ultimate trust, our highest allegiance, and our heartfelt worship. For He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords.