Our Commander in Chief
By Susan Klein
All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
1 Samuel 8:4-5
It seemed like a simple request to the Israelites. Samuel, whom God had chosen to rule and judge over Israel, was old. Though he had always served the people well, they were in want of something else, something other people had. They wanted a king. As Samuel approached God, we find Him displeased with their request. Further on in this passage we discover God telling Samuel that the people are not merely rejecting him as their judge, but they are also rejecting God, their ultimate King. The people had chosen to remove their trust in God as their Supreme Leader and now desired to place it in a man who would sit on a throne. God had specifically appointed Samuel as their judge and He would choose when to remove him. Several places in Scripture remind us that God is the one who appoints our rulers. Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. God did give them a new king, just as they requested. However, he first had Samuel forewarn them of how awful this new king would treat them. They didn’t care to heed his warnings and got what they asked for!
Paul reminds us in the New Testament that there is no authority except that which God has established. He is sovereign, and His will is accomplished through all leaders, good and bad alike.
What does this mean for us today? While we are fortunate to live in a nation with voting rights, and have a voice in whom we want to preside over us in government, it is ultimately our sovereign King who makes the final decision. Does that mean we should not vote, or back a candidate we believe in? Absolutely not! God has given us a voice to use and a country to live in where we can exercise certain rights to choose. However, we must accept that the outcome ultimately rests in the hands of the Almighty and respect His final decision. Though we cannot see the future, or how He plans to use that person to accomplish His sovereign will, we will grow in faith by trusting in His perfect will.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Might you be willing to add your church and government leaders to your prayer list and pray for them regularly?
FURTHER READING:
Susan is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also involved in inner city outreach.
