Monday
(Gospel of Matthew) Long ago during Samuel’s leadership, the nation of Israel looked around and saw how the surrounding nations had Kings (1 Sam 8). There was something about this powerful leader that seemed to give these other nations an advantage and prestige. The leaders of Israel approached old Samuel and demanded that Israel also have a king, like the other nations. How quickly Israel forgot that they were chosen to be different from all the other nations. God is amazingly accommodating and granted Israel their request, but He also warned them of the dangers and of His great disappointment. Through the long and twisted history of victories and failures that followed, the God of Israel had a way of taking their misdirected desires and turning them around. God took Israel’s request for a king and gave them the Son of David, the One who would have an everlasting reign, Jesus the Anointed One (2 Sam 7:11-17; Rm 1:1-5; Mat 1:1).
