Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from myyouth until this day. (1 Samuel 12:1-2)
The people clamoured to God for a king. Here is an example of people praying against their own interest. God finally relents and gives them a king. Sometimes God grants our prayers even when they are not in our best interest. Other times, God has mercy on us and denies our requests when they are against our best interest. It is only years later, sometimes many years later, that we may be able to see how God has blessed us by not answering our prayer. God is like a loving parent who knows us better than we know ourselves and seeks what is best for us even when that is not what we want.
This text also points to the historical phenomenon of the movement from leadership by priests to leadership by kings. I am reading a fascinating book that documents this movement along with many other historical developments in the history of magic and religion. The Illustrated Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Hardcover) by James George Frazer at amazon.com > http://tr.im/qsZR
"Born in Arizonya, move to Babylonya, King Tut."
No comments:
Post a Comment