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For the next three weeks we are going to be listening to what God has to say through the books of Samuel. (And by the way, we have now jumped back into the gospel of Mark!) The two books of Samuel chronicle the monumental change for the Hebrew people, from being led by judges to having a king.
Let’s just recap history up to this point. You remember that there was creation; there was the flood; there was the call to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; there was captivity in Egypt and God, through Moses, leading the people toward the Promised Land. And when they took over the land of milk and honey, they had judges—who sat in the local square, who led them in battle, who were their leaders—along with priests, and prophets. But no king.
So the people come to Samuel who is growing old, and ask that the mantle of leadership be passed to another line—they didn’t want his sons to come after him. And anyway, why couldn’t they have a king like everyone else?
Samuel gets mad—they have rejected him so he feels. And he storms off to have a conversation with God. And while he is complaining, God stops him. “They haven’t rejected you, Samuel, they have rejected me. I have been the one to call specific people to leadership. I have been the one to go before the people with a pillar of cloud and protect them from behind with a pillar of fire. I have talked to them as close to face to face as possible. I have delivered them to the land I promised. But they are asking to replace me with a human king. Remind them that humans lord over each other, they are greedy, they are selfish, and a king will make everyone miserable.
And Samuel does paint a terrible picture of what a king could be, but the people want a king anyway—so that they can be just like the other nations of the area. And soon after this story, the people pick Saul as their king—the criterion? The tallest guy--for he was head and shoulders above everyone else.
Now this is fascinating history. But what does it have to do with us? We don’t have a king in our country, although we are endlessly gawking at other’s royalty. Why should we care whether Israel looked to a judge or a king to shape the nation? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is a story about priorities, about relationships, about how we hear the message of God—and that has everything to do with us.
The Hebrew people want to be “just like the other kids on the block.” I can hear my mother’s voice saying “Just because everyone else does XYZ, doesn’t mean you have to.” And every kid knows once that phrase is uttered, you are not going to win the argument. God allows the people to win. Even after telling them how miserable they are going to be. Although God can’t stop God’s self from using those other famous words: “don’t come running to me when it all goes wrong.”
Let’s leave alone this incredibly human sulky attitude that the God of Samuel seems to have. There is good reason for God to be a little miffed. The Hebrews are asking to be like everyone else. The problem is that the Hebrews are not just like anyone else. They are the covenant people. They are the chosen ones. They have been blessed to be a blessing. They are “tight” with God. And they are willing to give all of that up, so they can have the shiny new up-to-date sneakers that all the other kids have.
Is this starting to sound familiar? Do we make God a priority, or do we want to be able to act just like all our neighbors and friends? It is a choice. Do we schedule our weekends like everyone else, or do we make time to worship God? Do we pay all our bills, take cash for ourselves, and only then think about what might be left over for God? Do we make decisions based on experts, on friend’s advice, on our own intuition, and forget that God might have something to contribute to the discussion? What is top priority in our lives? Who is our bedrock? In other words, Who is our king?
Our reading from Samuel is a cautionary tale. I can almost hear God’s whisper: “Learn from the mistakes of your ancestors. Learn from me. Remember who you are, and whose you are.” The Hebrews regretted the choice they had made. They had king after king after king—some better than others, none good enough to make them happy.
I hear God saying—“Let me be your king, your queen, your ruler, (and Jesus added your parent). Don’t let other forces, other voices, drown out the lessons, the love, you have known in our relationship. It is special. You are special. And if you place it always before your eyes, it will color how you see the world, how you relate to others, how you look at yourself.”
For example, if God has created this earth, called it good, and given us stewardship of it, doesn’t that inform how we should act in relation to earth and sea and sky and the creatures that call this home?
If God is able to see who we truly are, and still approaches us with arms open wide in love, then doesn’t that encourage us to forgive ourselves and start anew?
If God is “the top,” then all of us are equal, no one above or below the other. I think this is the reality that Jesus is trying show with his rejection of the idea that his own biological family was important than his family of faith: “These are my mother and my brother and my sister.”
I know I’m preaching to the choir. Those of us gathered here have at least made our relationship with God a priority for this hour. The word I hear through our scripture reading is—multiply that choice. Make God and the lessons learned from being a people of God inform everything you do. You may have to swim against the tide. You probably aren’t going to be just like everyone else. But that is what God has called you and me, us, to do.
To God be the glory,
Alleluia, Amen.
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