53 – Israel’s Turning Point

FULL MEETING WITH MIDRASH HERE

NOTE: THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE RECORDING.

We Israelites have a 3500 year history whether we know it or not. If we don’t identify as being “Israel”, we won’t understand the continuity of the story YHVH keeps telling us nor will we understand the prophecies and the escalating repeating patterns leading us to the end of days, and with it, the Great Tribulation and the implementation of YHVH’s Kingdom on earth. Believers are Israel. Yeshua restored His nation on the cross, albeit that He began again just like He did when He began again with Noah. On the cross, Yeshua restored Israel the same way He restored the earth in Noah’s day. Yeshua’s reference to Noah’s day wasn’t just about the violence of mankind that would precede the Tribulation. His statement was also a reference to another renewal of something He had created – Israel.

When I say “Israel” in this context, I do not mean the Israeli STATE. I mean Biblical Israel. The Israeli Jewish state is only 4 of the 13 tribes. Modern Israel is not Biblical Israel in any sense of the word. The Millennium will have 13 tribes. Biblical Israel will have its physical King ruling from Jerusalem over the entire earth. Believe it or not, this account right here brings us the first glimmer of hope for the Millennium with our King Yeshua in charge. But first, Biblical Israel must go through another 3000 years of trouble which will culminate in the Great Tribulation. Right here, in this account, was Israel’s pivotal turning point.

1 Samuel 8:1  When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

Scholars do not know how old Samuel was at this time and there is no record of his sons before this.

The Masoretic text says Samuel was old (Strong’s H2204, ‘zaqen’ – “old). The Septuagint says “Samuel grew old”, meaning he was getting older (Strong’s G1095, ‘gerasko’ – “becoming old”).  

1 Samuel 8:2  Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.
1 Samuel 8:3  His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

The issue was not Samuel’s age but that he appointed his sons as judges rather than having them be appointed or elected by the people. And look, they were not appointed everywhere in Israel. Only in Beersheba. This is a key point for later on.

YHVH had commanded judges to be appointed.

Deuteronomy 16:18  You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

I have said in the past that no one truly knows the procedure the tribes used to anoint a National Judge in those days. It was not likely to have been a popular voting process like those in the world today. Rather, the procedure would have fallen on the elders of each tribe. We will see that it wasn’t the people of Israel who approached Samuel to anoint a King over them. It was the elders. It usually was the elders who spoke for the people in matters of State. In fact, twenty four Elders show up in the Book of Revelation so elders are an important body of rulers in Biblical Israel and always will be.

Now, for the first time in Israel’s history, someone bypassed that traditional process taking it upon himself to appointed successor judges. That someone was Samuel. This probably sparked a political problem when it became apparent that his sons began perverting YHVH’s legal process in Beersheba.

Let me explain something about Israel’s judicial system. It was that if you had a problem, you went to the judge in your city gates (Deuteronomy 17:8-13). If the problem was not resolved, you went to the Levites AND the National Judge (Deuteronomy 17:9). But Israel had a problem. It had a corrupt priesthood. It probably became more common for people to bypass the Priesthood for justice in Samuel’s time. Later on, there would be Jerusalem to go to if your issue could not be settled with the first two authorities, the Levites and the National Judge.

The reason I bring this up is because Israel had other judges sitting in city gates but the National Judge was Samuel. He was located in Ramah, but his 2 sons lived in Beersheba, so he appointed them there to man the city gates. And they began to take bribes. We will find that the tribal elders used these 2 judges, who could have been removed from office to become the excuse they needed to change the entire government of Israel which was to Israel’s detriment. But Israel’s detriment also had a purpose.  

One commentator wrote that these appointments of Samuel’s sons was a sin on his part but YHVH did not say Samuel sinned in this passage even though this was the first time the traditional national process, and the elders’ participation in choosing additional judges, was bypassed. YHVH had not specified how the judges were to be appointed in Deuteronomy 16:18. Only that they were to be appointed. It would have been a sin on Samuel’s part if YHVH had specified the procedure for appointing judges but such was not the case.

But you see, Beersheba was not under Samuel’s circuit authority even though he was the National Judge. His circuit was Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. He didn’t live in these cities, either. He lived in Ramah. He wasn’t even the judge in his own home town.

I doubt Samuel would have appointed his sons if they were already rebellious and perverting the Law. Samuel saw what YHVH does to fathers who have authority in Israel but who also have rebellious sons. He wasn’t about to receive that punishment! However, we all know our children do not always follow what we teach them, especially after they reach a certain age and go out on their own. It mostly likely was that Samuel’s sons became unjust after their appointments. This was not Samuel’s fault and YHVH neither scolded nor said Samuel had sinned.

The bigger problem was not Samuel’s corrupt sons. Israel had corrupt judges in the past. The problem was the already rebellious hearts of the people after only 20 years of being judged by Samuel. The Israelites had fallen back into their worship of other gods which is why Samuel made the rounds to the high places in his circuit to sacrifice to YHVH, reclaiming Israel for YHVH.

When people are righteous, the problems are less. Israel had now acquired a desire to reject YHVH as their King to be like the nations. They chose the world over YHVH’s Kingdom and His authority. Now, Israel had a perfect excuse to escape from the authority and Law of YHVH – Samuel’s sons.

1 Samuel 8:4  Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah.
1 Samuel 8:5  They said to him, “Behold, you are old [aging], and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
1 Samuel 8:6  But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

Kings were judges in those days especially in matters of treason where you had to throw yourself on his mercy. They might also judge in capital cases. Solomon judged also in civil cases which had reached from local city gates to this throne. The most famous case was two mothers fighting over a baby.

The difference between a human king and our divine King is that no human king can take care of every small detail of your life, but our divine King can! Israel’s was shortsighted, though. They didn’t believe the blessings or, if they did, they thought it would always be incumbent on YHVH to provide the blessings. What they really wanted is the same thing people want today: to escape those curses for disobedience.

1 Samuel 8:7 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.

Why didn’t YHVH say the people had rejected Samuel because of his sons? Because the Israelites had the right to appoint different judges. But that would have meant continuing with YHVH’s ways, His justice system. If those ancient Israelites were so all-fired righteous themselves that they wanted perverted judges to be removed, they could have removed them. But they were as perverted as Samuel’s sons for they wanted to be like the nations. Samuel’s sons was their excuse to get that done.

And from now on, they would have a King, a man, on the battlefield against the Philistines. The loss of the Ark was the backdrop and real raison d’etre for this change from a King that was unseen, a King that required them to have faith like the faith of Abraham, to a human male that they could see but who also would drastically change Israel in this significant turning point from which Israel has yet to recover.

They saw the loss of the Ark as the failure of YHVH to win the battle. They did not see how He continued protecting them while in His self-imposed captivity. This is the reason Samuel wrote about what happened in YHVH’s captivity sitting in Dagon’s temple. The Israelites did not view YHVH’s way of dealing with their enemy as the best way, and they were displeased with Him for not acting in accord with their will. They wanted to defeat the Philistines, not so they could continue being loyal and faithful servants to YHVH, but so they could be free to do what they wanted out from under the Philistines’ yoke which came to a head on that battlefield. On that battlefield, Israel was forced to deal with their rebellion.

Samson had been YHVH’s weapon to stir up the Philistines for such a time as this, which Israel did not appreciate because it messed with their world. As long as they behaved themselves, the Philistines largely left Israel alone. Largely, but not completely. However, the Israelites could deal with the little forays by the Philistines coming in to take away crops and other things.

You know, extortionists take money from people but as long as the status quo is maintained, then everything is fine. But Samson was interfering with their lifestyle. The extortionist Philistines became displeased with all Israel over Samson! Then, they attacked Israel causing Israel to have to deal with the problem. The problem wasn’t the Philistines. It was Israel but they couldn’t see that! And YHVH’s way of dealing with the Philistines had not happened like they thought it should which sparked their desire to get rid of YHVH as the unacknowledged King of Israel. He might be their God, but King? No.

Now, I know the scripture doesn’t expressly say this but let’s return to 1 Samuel 7:2 where “all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh”. This initially resulted in their national repentance but Israel had a pattern to keep, the one where they returned to sinning not long after repenting.  

1 Samuel 8:8  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so they also do to you.

Yeshua would later say:

John 15:18  If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

YHVH knew there would come a time when Israel would desire a human King, and He had made provision for this in Deuteronomy 17:14 when He said:

Deuteronomy 17:14: When you have come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and possess it, and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me;”
Deuteronomy 17:15  you shall surely set him king over yourselves, whom Yahweh your God chooses. You shall set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 

YHVH needed to have this provision for 2 purposes. First, for the hardness of Israel’s heart (which Moses prophesied about in Deuteronomy 32) and second, because there would one day be an eternal King within Israel ruling and reigning over the earth. His Law needed to have this provision so He could come to rule and reign. The Law of YHVH contains everything Israel needs both nationally and personally and from the foundation of the world. He never needs to add anything or take anything away. That’s why He tells us to do the same: do not add to or subtract from His Law because it is perfect the way it is.   

But there is more to this. YHVH also wanted Israel to experience what it is like to be ruled by wicked kings from that time to this (with the coming Antichrist). It was, and has been, part of Israel’s punishment because of the golden calf and Israel’s continued sin and rebellion ever since Yeshua paid the price for that.

In the ancient world, kings made their own justice systems. The reason YHVH said the King of Israel needed to write his own Torah scroll was so he would not make up his own justice system. What we find in the history of Israel is that her kings simply forgot the justice system provided to her by her founder, YHVH. Israel has now placed herself in a precarious position where she will become just like the nations and leave YHVH and His justice behind. We never read that any King of Israel wrote His Torah scroll as commanded. Not even King David.

This is why YHVH told Samuel to warn the people. He did not say to tell them ‘no’. YHVH was going to let their decision stand but He wanted them warned, and inherent in the warning was their chance to change their minds.

1 Samuel 8:9  Now therefore listen to their voice. However you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them.”
1 Samuel 8:10  Samuel told all Yahweh’s words to the people who asked him for a king.
1 Samuel 8:11  He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots.

Interestingly, YHVH sees men running before a King’s chariot as punishment but the world turned it into a great honor, didn’t they? Even today, America’s Secret Service runs alongside the Presidential limousine. And this is thought as an honor while YHVH said it was punishment.

1 Samuel 8:12  He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

YHVH had told Moses to appoint men for captains in the same manner but now these men will not be appointed to do YHVH’s will but the human King’s will, and the King’s will, will be very different than YHVH’s will.

1 Samuel 8:13  He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers.

Both sons and daughters will be forced into servitude. We will find that Solomon conscripted 30,000 Israelites at a time for years in rotation to build the Temple which was unlike YHVH when He called for volunteers, those who whom He had filled with His Spirit, to build the Tabernacle.

1 Samuel 8:14  He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

What is your will be his and what is his will be his. In the end of days, you will own nothing and you will be happy about it!

1 Samuel 8:15  He will take one tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers, and to his servants.

The taking of the “tenth” was a tax. The tax issue would split the Kingdom under Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, and Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s army officers. The Israelites would still be liable for the 3 tithes commanded in scripture (which are NOT taxes) but now they would have added an additional tax added to themselves by their human King. And he would conscript their children to national service rather than leaving them at home to help their families where they belonged.

Human kings are actually a great burden to families. They do things that start unnecessary wars which means the young men are perpetually in the King’s army rather than being at home helping on the farm and being happily married.

YHVH as King is a great blessing since He has control of everything including the natural elements of sun and rain and He can answer prayers and the needs of the people which a human King cannot. For instance, no human King can make a woman fertile when she is not or heal a sick person. Only God can do that. The Israelites’ decision had far-reaching implications which their shortsightedness did not comprehend.

1 Samuel 8:16  He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work.

Not only will the King take away your sons and daughters into his servitude, sons and daughters that should be home helping aging parents, but he will also take your servants leaving no one to help you. The world has evolved a system now to put away parents once they are past their prime and cannot contribute to the family except as loving, storoy-telling grandparents which doesn’t mean anything anymore. All of this problem in the world today lays on ancient Israel’s shoulders!

1 Samuel 8:17  He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants.

He will take a tithe, a tax, and an additional tax of your household via your flocks. The tithe of YHVH is how He funds the operation of His temple. The tithe to a King is how he funds the desires of his flesh.

“And you will be his servants” instead of YHVH’s!

1 Samuel 8:18  You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”

That was YHVH’s warning. YHVH has allowed Israel to continue suffering under the weight of Kings ever since, first in Israel and then in exile. And He has not answered Israel on this one, either. For 3,000 years, Israelites have suffered under whatever King whose nation they lived in. Our only hope is the return of our righteous King, Yeshua, because under the Kings of the world we still suffer.  

Yeshua will bring righteousness and mercy. Human kings only seek their own satisfaction, which they get through those they make to serve them and then they tell their servants that their back-breaking, relationship-breaking work, which they are required to do for the wicked and the righteous Kings alike, is an honor!

1 Samuel 8:19  But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us,
1 Samuel 8:20  that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

The underlying issue was that they wanted to be like the nations, like the Philistines whose Kings showed up on the battlefield. Israel was not satisfied with YHVH’s unseen hand in their lives. Their stony hearts wanted to follow a King’s banner into battle rather than faith in YHVH.   

1 Samuel 8:21  Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh.
1 Samuel 8:22  Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go to your own city.”

Ancient Israel’s history shows us nuances of our heritage that help us to understand how we got from there to here. Israel’s rejection of YHVH as King turned into Israel’s rejection of Yeshua.

Israel wanted a fully human, physical King and Israel will get one, a righteous and holy one, but not until the rebellious, wicked, ancient Israel has been completely destroyed and the Millennial reign has commenced under the rule of Yeshua YHVH, God and Creator of all things.

And now, Samuel waits on YHVH to reveal who will be Israel’s second King, for YHVH, the rejected King, was her first.