A Sunday Sermon Subtext
Two days ago Dwight preached from I Samuel 8 where the people of Israel demanded of Samuel a king. Dwight's focus was on understanding that we are complete in Christ and should not make selfish demands of God for more than He has offered us--a good emphasis. I couldn't help, however, thinking back to a time several decades ago when I read this passage and saw in it parallels very different from those Dwight talked about. I won't defend the soundness of my exegesis, but I'll share it anyway.
In the Old Testament story, Israel had been led by judges, but the most recent appointees, Samuel's sons, weren't doing a good job. The people decided the old system was flawed, and they wanted a governing system like the nations around them had. They wanted a king. Samuel wasn't so sure this was a good idea, so he asked God what He thought. God told Samuel to go ahead and grant the people's request. Samuel was not to take personally the people's rejection of the judges as leaders. God made it clear that the rejection was directed toward God and not Samuel.
The people thought it would be a great blessing to have the king go out before them and fight their battles for them. Ah, but that wasn't the whole picture. Samuel was told to warn the people of certain things that would transpire if they insisted on following their intention to have a governing system like the people around them. The king would demand things of them. He would lay claim to their sons and daughters, and he would extract a great deal of money from the people. The people would cry out in desperation as they suffered under this new system. God would allow all this, because He knew that His people would learn some things through this trying experience that they were not prepared to learn otherwise.
I saw in the story in I Samuel 8 a picture of what I believe happened over a period of a century or two in education among Christian people in America. The old system was home education; the new system was classroom education. The people wanted the new one when they saw how convenient it was--someone else would go out and fight the education battles every day.
God let the people have what they wanted. If they had listened, they might have realized that this decision would require much of them--their sons and daughters would no longer live and learn and walk with their parents all day. Instead they would be obligated to accomplish what the new education masters required--not only while they were gone, but often in the hours they spent at home. The people would have to pay money to support the new system of education. They would eventually feel overwhelmed by what was demanded of them, and they would cry out to God. God would allow all this to happen.
It all came to pass. As they cried out, God showed some of the people a way to extract themselves from the new system--all except for the paying money part, which seemed to have permanently replaced the old system. A few other requirements from the new system remained as well, but many of the benefits of the old system began to return. Parents began to spend their days with their children again, and they decided what their children would accomplish each day. Head work and hand work came back into balance for the children. Play times were usually creative, cooperative activities rather than regimented, competitive activities. Children could grow up confident, creative, and competent. They usually loved to learn, although they didn't always love the "school" part of their day. Evenings were free of school work, and the whole family was free to participate in church and community events whenever they had the opportunity.
It wasn't all roses, especially in households where the father had to leave home each day to go to a job, and the mother was left with most of the work of child rearing. That piece of the old system (home-based ways of earning a living) was not easy to restore, and without a widespread vision for seeing it restored, very little help was available for accomplishing it. Returning to the old system in that regard would have to wait for another day.
God did not forsake His people during their struggle. Nudging here, encouraging there, He brought circumstances into their lives that would turn their attention to Him. For everyone who gave heed, God showed a way to move forward. The answer was not entirely in a perfect system. Many battles still remained in every system. But to those who listened, God showed that the battles were His--not the Kings, not the parents', not the classroom teachers'. In the strength of Almighty God--the Leader, Father, Teacher, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, moving forward was possible.
*********************
In the testimony time after the Sunday sermon LaVerne said that someone his age who is suffering from cancer has in Psalm 106:15 found direction for dealing with her condition. It says there that God gave Israel their request but He sent leanness into their soul. The person with cancer sees that demanding healing from God would not be worth the price of experiencing leanness of soul as a result.
In matters of health, education, and governing, a stance of humility before God accomplishes His purposes as no demanding attitude possibly could.
*********************
Today's weather forecast: sunny, calm, and a high of 70 degrees--perfect, in other words. Most of the week promises similar temperatures. Tomorrow will be windy though, so today is the day for volleyball outdoors at school.
In the Old Testament story, Israel had been led by judges, but the most recent appointees, Samuel's sons, weren't doing a good job. The people decided the old system was flawed, and they wanted a governing system like the nations around them had. They wanted a king. Samuel wasn't so sure this was a good idea, so he asked God what He thought. God told Samuel to go ahead and grant the people's request. Samuel was not to take personally the people's rejection of the judges as leaders. God made it clear that the rejection was directed toward God and not Samuel.
The people thought it would be a great blessing to have the king go out before them and fight their battles for them. Ah, but that wasn't the whole picture. Samuel was told to warn the people of certain things that would transpire if they insisted on following their intention to have a governing system like the people around them. The king would demand things of them. He would lay claim to their sons and daughters, and he would extract a great deal of money from the people. The people would cry out in desperation as they suffered under this new system. God would allow all this, because He knew that His people would learn some things through this trying experience that they were not prepared to learn otherwise.
I saw in the story in I Samuel 8 a picture of what I believe happened over a period of a century or two in education among Christian people in America. The old system was home education; the new system was classroom education. The people wanted the new one when they saw how convenient it was--someone else would go out and fight the education battles every day.
God let the people have what they wanted. If they had listened, they might have realized that this decision would require much of them--their sons and daughters would no longer live and learn and walk with their parents all day. Instead they would be obligated to accomplish what the new education masters required--not only while they were gone, but often in the hours they spent at home. The people would have to pay money to support the new system of education. They would eventually feel overwhelmed by what was demanded of them, and they would cry out to God. God would allow all this to happen.
It all came to pass. As they cried out, God showed some of the people a way to extract themselves from the new system--all except for the paying money part, which seemed to have permanently replaced the old system. A few other requirements from the new system remained as well, but many of the benefits of the old system began to return. Parents began to spend their days with their children again, and they decided what their children would accomplish each day. Head work and hand work came back into balance for the children. Play times were usually creative, cooperative activities rather than regimented, competitive activities. Children could grow up confident, creative, and competent. They usually loved to learn, although they didn't always love the "school" part of their day. Evenings were free of school work, and the whole family was free to participate in church and community events whenever they had the opportunity.
It wasn't all roses, especially in households where the father had to leave home each day to go to a job, and the mother was left with most of the work of child rearing. That piece of the old system (home-based ways of earning a living) was not easy to restore, and without a widespread vision for seeing it restored, very little help was available for accomplishing it. Returning to the old system in that regard would have to wait for another day.
God did not forsake His people during their struggle. Nudging here, encouraging there, He brought circumstances into their lives that would turn their attention to Him. For everyone who gave heed, God showed a way to move forward. The answer was not entirely in a perfect system. Many battles still remained in every system. But to those who listened, God showed that the battles were His--not the Kings, not the parents', not the classroom teachers'. In the strength of Almighty God--the Leader, Father, Teacher, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, moving forward was possible.
*********************
In the testimony time after the Sunday sermon LaVerne said that someone his age who is suffering from cancer has in Psalm 106:15 found direction for dealing with her condition. It says there that God gave Israel their request but He sent leanness into their soul. The person with cancer sees that demanding healing from God would not be worth the price of experiencing leanness of soul as a result.
In matters of health, education, and governing, a stance of humility before God accomplishes His purposes as no demanding attitude possibly could.
*********************
Today's weather forecast: sunny, calm, and a high of 70 degrees--perfect, in other words. Most of the week promises similar temperatures. Tomorrow will be windy though, so today is the day for volleyball outdoors at school.
posted by Mrs. I (Miriam Iwashige) at
5:49 AM
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