What Government Gives and Gets...

So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
(1 Samuel 8:10-18 ESV)
So, Israel had asked for a King.  They wanted one to fight their battles and give them wisdom.  Scary thought when we look at some of the candidates today.  In essence, they wanted someone they could see to do it for them.  But had they counted the cost?  Would that king truly fight their battles, or simply watch their sons fight them? And who would make the decision to go into battle? Who was wise enough, besides God? It would also cost them taxes and resources - the best of what they had. They would give up the choice to do these things - their freedoms. They would give up a lot more than they would get.  Most of all, they would be shifting their allegiance from God to government, and develop a dependence that robbed their relationship with Him.  Have we done the same? What has been the price?  Does it seem that he will not answer in the day of trouble? What choices have we made that have gotten us in trouble?