But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
(1 Samuel 8:19-20 ESV)
More than once this historian has recorded that everyone, all over Israel, knew that the LORD spoke through Samuel. In essence, what he said when "on the job" was what God said. Samuel warned them that what they wanted was not the best, and why they wanted it was even worse. But they refused to accept his wise words on God's behalf, dug in their heels, and moved their faith from their Ebenezer, their Rock of Hope, to sinking sand. They no longer wanted Samuel to be their judge, and they no longer wanted God to be their General. The sand is fine for a vacation on the beach, but no place to live or build our hopes. Any human leader demands our respect, but is no replacement for the true and living God. Who do we really, practically, believe and obey? How deep have we sunk in the sand?
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