“All the leaders of Israel gathered themselves together, approached Sh’mu’el in Ramah and said to him, ‘Look, you have grown old, and your sons are not following your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'”-1 Samuel 8:4-5
The tribal and clan leaders of Israel were getting real nervous about their current political situation.
They felt like Samuel was too old to properly lead them anymore….
And they knew his two sons were immoral and cared about nothing but themselves.
We also need to understand the land of Canaan at this time was a dangerous world.
Without strong leadership, the people were vulnerable to attacks from their pagan neighbors and they knew it.
So one day the tribal leaders decided to gather up and travel to Rama to voice their concerns to Samuel.
Now pay attention because it is here in verse 5 that we encounter some of the most significant words in all of the Bible:
“Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations”.
How did Samuel respond?
Obviously the homie wasn’t pleased.
Samuel told the leaders they weren’t rejecting him but rejecting God.
Another thing we need to keep in mind is just how incredibly significant this portion of Scripture is.
It simply flies over most people’s heads…
Probably because of the ridiculous way this part of the Bible is taught.
Let me try to reframe this for you so you get a clearer idea of the immense change the leaders of Israel were proposing at this time.
Imagine if a group of politicians traveled up to Washington with the objective of doing away with the current United States constitution.
They’ve decided they want to replace our current form of government with a communist regime that more resembles China or Russia after World War II.
I’m sure you can imagine how such a change would turn our lives upside down forever and for all time.
The impact to our personal wealth and freedoms would be enormous.
It would also alter the power balance of world politics.
Well, this is exactly the kind of change the clan and tribal leaders were proposing.
Finally, another point we shouldn’t overlook is don’t think the desires of that small group of leaders who went up to visit Samuel represented the desires of all the people.
The truth is some people wanted a king like the nations and others didn’t.
And no doubt, those leaders who approached Samuel were fueled by their own selfish desires and personal agendas…
Which leads us to our takeaway for today.
Don’t confuse the desires and agenda of a minority group as equal to the desires of the mass population at large.
This mistake led to the false accusation the “Jews killed Jesus” resulting in the birth of the ugliest form of anti-Semitism ever to emerge in history.
The truth is it was a small group of religious and political leaders of the Jewish Sanhedrin, particularly the high priest Caiaphas, who played a significant role in orchestrating Yeshua’s arrest and trial.
They viewed Yeshua as a religious and political threat due to his teachings and growing popularity among the people.
Read the last part of the last sentence that I bolded and italicized.
Yeshua was well accepted among the people.
So to make some blanket statement that all of the Jews rejected and then had Yeshua killed is a gross historical inaccuracy.
If you’re a gentile believer who harbors thoughts like that…
I remind you that every one of earliest Christians were ALL Jewish…
In fact, one of the biggest struggles the early church had was how to deal with gentile believers when they came into the fold.
To that point, check out this verse from the Book of Acts:
“The Jewish believers who came with Peter
were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit
had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.
For they heard them speaking in other
tongues and praising God.”
-Acts 10:45-46
See, it says the Jewish believers were “amazed” that Gentiles could even be saved.
I’ve shared this before but I’m always disgusted when I hear gentile Christians make statements like “the Jews need to get saved and join us”.
Listen up homies…
They don’t need to join you…
The truth is you’ve already joined them through your faith in the Jewish Messiah.
Got it?
A bit of humbleness towards God’s Chosen People (a status that will NEVER change) is in order I would say.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“I was sent only to
the lost sheep of Israel.”
-Matthew 15:24
You are requested to log into: http://www.ctrussell.us “THE MEAT (strong food of the Words of God) IN DUE SEASON FOR THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE MOST HOLY FAITH GIVEN BY “THAT FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANT PASTOR C.T.RUSSELL” According to the Scriptures of MATTHEW 24:45-47 compare LUKE 12:42-45
How do you view religious groups who claim “the lost sheep of Israel” are, in fact, White people of European origin, and the whole Bible (both the Old and the New Testament) is a chronicle of these very people only and their Adamic ancestors, who constitutes the lost tribes of Israel? These people claim non-Whites are not eligible to be saved/redeemed and the law has never been meant for them? Mixed people are called “broken cisterns” (biblical reference) and hence cannot be saved/redeemed as well.
Some of their interpretations are pretty twisted (dual seedline theory aka Eve had sex with devil and her offspring Cain is the ancestor of the serpents – vile race of parasitic humans), while some other interpretations seem somewhat interesting or at least unique compared the other Christian denominations. They are very serious about keeping the law and works, avoiding idolatrous lifestyles, consuming unclean animals, etc.
Obviously, any religious group who claims otherwise are wrong.
The so-called white supremacists are exceptionally stupid…like I mean really dumb.
A non-Jew is saved because of the covenants that God has ONLY made with Israel.
Ya feel me?
I love your perceived sarcasm. But…the Jews did indeed kill Jesus.
Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
The Jews took responsibility. Not just a few political dudes, wearing religious garb.
And they were SUPPOSED to kill Jesus. Jesus was the JEWISH Passover Lamb…of God. Yes, the Jews killed the Passover Lamb. Just like they were supposed to do.
What would have been the end result if they hadn’t killed Jesus? Well, #1, prophesy would not have been fulfilled (MATTHEW 5:17), and NO ONE WOULD BE SAVED.
I suppose you wanted Jesus to live to a ripe old age, and save NO ONE?
Now, my question to you is, Why Do You Have a Problem with the Jews Responsibility in Killing Jesus? White Supremacy? LOLOLOL.
Deuteronomy 29:4
4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Romans 11:8
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
John 9:39-41
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Now…for the Gentiles…the White Supremacists!!!! LOLOLOL
Romans 15:21
21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
Again, the Jews:
Deuteronomy 29:4
4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
Jews are blind as a bat, but Gentiles can see. Well, only a REMNANT of Jews can see.
Peter tried to defend Jesus MORE THAN ONCE. But Jesus wasn’t having it. Get behind me Satan, and those who live by the sword…
The mission of Jesus was that cross, and it was indeed the Jews that killed him. NOT THE ROMANS, because Pilate washed his hands of it, Jews took responsibility, and it was the Jewish Passover Feast, where the LAMB OF GOD was killed, just like what was prophesied.
So, if you have a problem with us WHITE SUPREMACISTS, I’d suggest you take it up with God.
Ed Chapman
Are you a white supremacist?
Do you perceive me to be one? You do accuse antisemitism. You tell me.
You had said:
“This mistake led to the false accusation the “Jews killed Jesus” resulting in the birth of the ugliest form of anti-Semitism ever to emerge in history.”, explaining that “The truth is it was a small group of religious and political leaders”.
But scripture tells a different story, as I laid out from scriptpure. It is not a false accusation that the Jews killed Jesus. It’s a fact. And it was a huge crowd of Jews, not just a small group.
This was PASSOVER, to where all male Jews from around the world are required to be in Jerusalem.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
Note the word, “multitude”? They are the ones who cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him”.
Romans 11:28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
Enemies.
Besides, Peter once said:
Acts 10:28
And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation…
Why were they AMAZED?
Ed Chapman
You had said:
“A non-Jew is saved because of the covenants that God has ONLY made with Israel.
Ya feel me?”
My response:
That’s NOT TRUE at all. It’s based on the ABRAHAMIC Covenant made with Abraham, BEFORE he was circumcized.
That was the explanation in Acts 15, and Romans 4.
Oh, and “Ya feel me” is oh, so 80’s, dawg!
PS. I was stationed in Japan, 1983-1986, bra.
Ed Chapman