| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. |
Made his sons judges – Their elevation to office proved detrimental to them, placing before them opportunities for dishonest gain. R1887:1
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| 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. |
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| 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. |
Perverted judgment – They were unreliable. R5636:6
Samuel's integrity is shown by the fact that when it was proven to him that his sons were guilty of accepting bribes to pervert justice he promptly removed them from office. R3216:2
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| 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
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Gathered themselves – They became fearful. They forgot that God was their real judge, their king, and that Samuel was only his mouthpiece. R3216:3
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| 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. |
Make us a king – Judges developed the Israelites individually; the kingdom developed them along national lines. Individual development prepares better for the Messiah. R4193:2, R4201:4
Commendable human prudence, but not in Israel's case. R1887:2, R4193:1
It is thus easy to see how Moses could have firmly established himself at the head of a great empire without difficulty. HG534:4
Like all the nations – They felt they were "out of style." R3216:4
Desiring a united kingdom. R4193:1
A desire to appear great themselves. R1887:4
As exemplified in the "broad-minded" policies of Solomon to be popular with neighboring kings. R2359:2, R2069:1
They did not want to be a peculiar people. R2359:2
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| 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. |
Give us a king – Corresponding to the desire of the church early in the Gospel age to have an earthly head, a pope. R3217:2, R4200:1
And Samuel – Not attempting to decide the matter on his own responsibility; thereby setting us a fine example. R3216:5
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| 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. |
In all that they say – Changed to a monarchy by the Lord's permission but without his approval. OV10:2; A48
Rejected me – They already had a powerful, invisible king, before whom none of their enemies could stand. R1887:2
The Lord's promise, "I will restore thy judges" (Isa. 1:26) intimates the superiority R4193:2, R4201:4
Reign over them – Since God was Israel's king, Saul and his successors sat upon the throne of the Lord. R1979:1
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| 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. |
I brought them up – They were evidencing a lack of faith in past providences and weariness in welldoing. R1887:2
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| 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. |
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| 10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. |
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| 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. |
This will be the manner – Not the Lord's idea of government, but his foretelling the actions of imperfect men exalted to power. R2046:1
Referring to Deut. 17:14-20. R1887:5
Instead of being sovereigns, the people would be the slaves of a sovereign. R5637:1
For three reasons: (1) his own imperfections; (2) his subjects' imperfections; and (3) the temptation to abuse power to maintain order. R4193:5
Immanuel's kingdom will be autocratic in the extreme. R4193:6
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| 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. |
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| 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. |
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| 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. |
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| 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. |
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| 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. |
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| 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. |
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| 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. |
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| 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; |
Will have a king – Instead of the republican form of government established by the Lord. A48; R5636:3,6
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| 20 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. |
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| 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. |
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| 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. |
Make them a king – An example of an unfavorable answer to prayer. (See Hosea 13:9-11) R3217:4
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