Last Sunday I got to serve at the Super Bowl. Among the VIPs visiting the suites on the floor I work on were journalists, radio personalities, and recording artists. There were two in particular that were about as close to royalty as can be found in America. Not the people themselves, but the way they were treated. I was standing outside one of the suites I was serving in, when from across the hall near the elevators I heard a big, booming voice say, "STEP ASIDE, PLEASE!" I looked up, and I saw a huge man about six paces ahead of singer/songwriter Stacy Ann Ferguson (AKA Fergie) and a couple of her lieutenants. Now, Fergie is the female member of the singing group The Black Eyed Peas, and they had just finished doing the half-time show at the Super Bowl. She was coming to her suite to relax and get something to eat and drink after the show. But the entourage is what intrigued me--the caller out front, not so much trying to make a way as to call attention to the celebrity behind him; the flunkies behind the celebrity, and the singer herself smiling to the left and the right, nodding toward a fan, winking at another.
The other person I saw with the royal treatment was Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota. He was accompanied by a State Trooper and an aide, probably a Press Secretary. He was apparently suite-hopping, because he entered the suite I was attending without a ticket, but the suite owner welcomed him in and introduced him to the other guests. Governor Dayton shook hands, posed for pictures, and left within a period of ten minutes.
I thought of these two brushes with fame as I read I Samuel chapter 8 this week. Israel was a fledgling nation, and they had been led by God, with the Priests as God's spokesmen. Eli had served all of his life, but his sons Hophni and Phinehas desecrated the Temple. Samuel had been given to God by his mother Hannah, and served as priest all of his life. His sons Joel and Abijah were being groomed to take their father's place, but they were corrupt--they accepted bribes and perverted justice. So the people asked for a king.
Now Israel had never had a king before. They had always followed God, and obeyed his law. They had let Him lead them into battle, and had seen His mighty hand at work. So it is not clear why the elders came to Samuel and asked that he appoint a king to rule over them. Perhaps they were wary of being led by Samuel's corrupt sons. Maybe they wanted a ruler they could approach, and see, and talk to personally instead of having a priest act as a go-between. Maybe they were tired of trying to explain to their Philistine friends how their government worked: "God is our king--no, really. He leads our nation, and writes our laws, and...what? No, I don't know what His handwriting looks like. But He makes the laws and accepts our tribute, and...what? No, we can't show you His palace, but we have this nifty Temple! Yes, I know you guys have a temple to your god, too, but ours is really neat."
But seriously, there is similarity to the recent unrest in Egypt and the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, which has left a void in that nation's government. The people have demanded that he step down, but they have no clue as to who will lead their nation now. The army has taken over, which is probably not what the demonstrators wanted, but they didn't really think that far in advance, did they? Who will fill the void? What will the new leader's position be regarding a State religion, or Egypt's relationship with Israel? The American media has glossed over these questions, saying it paves the way for democracy in the Middle East. But they are blind to the prophecies in the Bible that predict a world leader rising up from that region and taking on the spirit of Antichrist, demanding that the entire world bow to him.
I digress. So the elders of Israel come to Samuel and ask for a king. Samuel is displeased, and prays to God. God voices His displeasure at this request, and tells Samuel to go back and educate the people on what having a king really means. In verses 11 through 18, Samuel tells the people why this is a bad idea. "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: he will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best from your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day."
Samuel's argument to the people is three-fold: First, the king will get all the things that you are supposed to give to God. He will take a tenth of your flocks and herds and a tenth of the fruit of the ground; so why is that preferable to giving God a tithe? Second, the king will take from your family to give to his attendants and servants. He will take the best of what you earn, the best of what you grow, even the best people among you, and make them his. How is this better than giving your best to God? Third, he will take your very souls; he will steal your freedom, and make you subservient to his every whim. How is this better than serving God, who lets you make your own choices and even your own mistakes so you can learn from them?
I think many of us today have this same mind-set. We know God wants us to follow Him, but we are tired of waiting for His Blessing. We'd really be happy if we had something else, anything else. From a sociological perspective, women are more apt to wish for a relationship, and men are more likely to wish for things. Women will say, "if I only had a boyfriend," or "if I only had a husband", or "if I only had a baby, then I'd be happy." Men will say, "if I only had a better job," or "if I only had a faster car", or "if I only had a big house, boat, RV, monster truck, deer lease, motorcycle, lake house, and big-screen high definition TV, then I'd be happy." God knows that people will let you down, and that new things will lose their luster. These things cannot make you happy. Fame and riches cannot make you happy. Yes, if I were richer, I'd be happier, but not for long--soon, I'd be wanting something else.
Proverbs says "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these things will be added to you." That's what God told Israel through Samuel, but they did not listen. That's what God is trying to get through to us; are we open to His message?
Father God, let me not be distracted with things or relationships. Let me go "all in" by serving you with everything I have. If I am blessed with money or houses or lands, or with a huge family and friends who love me, then let me praise you for giving them to me. Then let me be wholly devoted to you, lest I lose all my toys, and all my family members quarrel, and my friends forsake me. You are my King. You are all I need.
No comments:
Post a Comment