1 Samuel 8
Leaders Prep Section
Watch this video, read these notes, and send the pre-written email (below) to your group 2-3 days before you meet.
Notes
The concept of government is often assumed to have always existed. But it isn’t true; it was a choice we made.
Across history, government has originated only one of two ways…either by people taking control from others, or by people giving up control to others. It is not God’s idea.
Group Guide Starts Here
Context of scripture
The people have been able to see what life is like with God as their king; every generation, every century has seen it with their own eyes. There is simply nothing more that God could do to show them what he wants and what he offers, than what he has already done.
Read 1 Samuel 8: 1-9
Imagine you’re stuck on a deserted island. Which of the guys in your group would you elect to rule over the rest of you? The group has to settle on one guy.
This question is for the guy you all picked to rule over you: He needs to think about this in silence for 20 seconds before answering (time him): Do you believe that, during your rule, you will have the best interests of the others OVER your own?
These questions are meant to show you how difficult this transition can be. When God is king, everything is straightforward. We may not like it, but we don’t argue with it. However, the moment a man is king, everything is suspect. Nobody thinks they can do better than God, but everyone believes they can do as well or better than another person.
Read 1 Samuel 8: 10-18
The word govern comes from the words “to steer” and “rule over.” By definition it is simply one party controlling another. The concept of democracy does not appear in history until 507 BC in Greece, and then it was only used as a method of introducing political reforms to existing laws…in other words, changing the little stuff. The term “public servant” does not appear in any written record until 1670’s.
Now we get an opportunity to see how this shift in leadership has shaped our history:
Go back through these verses answering the question: “How have these warning’s manifested themselves throughout history?” You can choose examples from any era…from Biblical times all the way up to our current times.
Do you believe history would have been any different if men like us were in charge?
Tyranny is certainly dangerous, but how much does a democratic form of government remove the risks?
Read 1 Samuel 8: 19-22
If you could go back to that point they were choosing a king, would you stop them? If they asked why, what would you tell them?