Israel finally gets its king. They're warned that they'll end up exchanging their slavery in Egypt for slavery to a king. "'This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth or your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.'" [1 Sam. 8:11-18]
But a king is what they want. They're more comfortable with a man leading them -- no matter his faults and the outcome than they are having the Lord of the universe lead them. Why is this? Why is it a people who have experienced the power of the Lord firsthand prefers being lead by a man? Is it fear? Is it wanting someone to have a overall responsibility for us? Is it simply the desire to fit in and be like the rest of the world? We are and do the same. We deny God in order to fit in with the rest of the world. We're afraid of a personal relationship with God and are more comfortable with someone having responsibility for us. We are called to be a special people but we don't like feeling special or different. We are the victim, more comfortable in our victim-hood, co-dependent to that which enslaves us and afraid and uncomfortable when we find ourselves free in Christ.
Chasing an ass, that's how God identifies the future ruler of Israel to Samuel. Do you think there was a little humor in that sign?
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