"You said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king. … the Lord has set a king over you.”
… “We have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” (12:12,13,19)
God reigns over His people, regardless of whether a judge or a king is there. Election after election, it seems we have a choice of “the lesser of two evils” or as one stated it, “the evil of two ‘lessers’.” In a good and godly society, a democracy will elect good and godly leaders. However, societies are rarely, if ever, good and godly.
The solution?
Samuel’s solution is found in 1 Samuel 12:23, “…far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”
A pattern emerges in the lives of believers who seek the Lord.
1. 1. Recognize the sin. The people had asked for a king, contrary to what the Lord said. We must remember that sometimes God will answer our prayers even if they are contrary to His perfect will. We must confess what we have done wrong. The Greek word for confess is “homo-logeo” which means “same words” or “same profession”. If you prayed for something and actually received your request from the Lord to your own regret, first of all recognize your sin. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:8, was to "convict the world of sin".
2. 2. Remorse. Truly grieve over what grieves the Lord. Worldly sorrow produces death. Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Learn from your mistakes. If God allows something to happen, like the anointing of a king, against His perfect will, it is part of His permissive will. Learn from what has happened, then pray that God will still be glorified in what has occurred. Peter was grieved when Jesus asked him three times "do you love Me", the same number of times Peter had denied his Lord (John 21:17).
3. 3. Repent. For sins of commission, stop doing what is wrong; for sins of omission, start doing what is right. Proverbs 28:13 says we must confess and forsake our sins. Even if there are sins which have led you down the broken road, God always accomplishes His purposeful will. In the case of Israel, they needed to repent, but their sins did not thwart God's sovereignty. God's purpose is to reveal His glory, regardless of our actions. When we spot the error of our ways or even our prayers, admit it to God (recognize), express your sorry (remorse) and resolve to not do it again, or to not omit doing it again (repent). Jesus used the word "repent" eight times to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.
4. 4. Restore. Sins can never be undone. Only Jesus is the “Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets” (Isaiah 58:12). In some cases, though, we can make restitution. The sons of Israel could not undo the damage of selling Joseph to slavery, but they were given an opportunity to restore themselves in the eyes of Joseph (see Genesis 41-50). This is God's prescribed will. Zacchaeus restored fourfold what he had wrongfully taken (Luke 19:8, prescribed in 2 Samuel 12:6).
5. 5. Reconcile. When we practice all five “R”s, we are exemplifying Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We were enemies of God, but Christ brings us together; we are to do the same (Romans 5:10-12).Through Christ, we are reconciled with God, despite our sins. After wrongfully asking for a king and God grudgingly granting them a king, Israel needed to reconcile with God. When we and God are on the same side of obedience, we will discern God's perceived will. Proverbs 1:2 says that through prayerful study of His wisdom, instruction, and understanding, His Holy Spirit will allow us to perceive his will. "To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding." That is why it is important to be reconciled to God, so that He can grant us a perception of what He is up to. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (ESV, CSB="discern", NIV="test and approve") what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The woman at the well perceived Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19).
Seek God’s guidance today to follow this pattern.
