When We Want What God Doesn’t Want: Israel’s Demand for a King (1 Samuel 8:6-22)
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you asked God for it again and again—only to find out later that it wasn’t what you really needed?
That’s exactly what happened in 1 Samuel 8. The people of Israel decided they wanted a king, just like all the other nations around them. They thought having a human king would make them stronger, safer, and more respected.
But in asking for a king, they were actually rejecting something much more important: God’s leadership.
Let’s walk through the story and see what we can learn from Israel’s choice—and how it speaks to our lives today.
The People Ask for a King
The people came to the prophet Samuel and said, “Give us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have.”
Samuel didn’t like this idea. He knew that God was supposed to be Israel’s true King. So, he prayed to the Lord. God told him, “Listen to the people. They’re not rejecting you—they’re rejecting Me.”
That’s a powerful moment. Sometimes, when we think we just want a change or a fix, we may actually be turning away from the One who knows us best.
God Gives a Serious Warning
Even though the people asked for a king, God didn’t stay silent. He told Samuel to warn them what having a king would be like.
Samuel told the people, “A king will take your sons to fight his battles. He’ll take your daughters to work for him. He’ll take your fields, your food, and your freedom.”
Did you notice the pattern? The king would take—not give.
Earthly leaders, even the good ones, are not perfect. They make mistakes, they have limits, and they often put their own needs first. God wanted the people to see the difference between His loving rule and the demands of human rulers.
God warns us not because He wants to scare us, but because He wants to protect us.
The People Still Say “No”
Even after all the warnings, the people said, “We still want a king. We want to be like everyone else. We want someone to lead us and fight our battles.”
They were focused on what looked good on the outside—being strong, being like other nations, feeling secure. But in doing so, they ignored the One who had already been fighting their battles all along: God.
It’s easy to look at others and think, “I want what they have.” But just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t mean it’s right for you—or what God wants for you.
God Says Yes—But It Comes with a Lesson
Samuel went back to God with the people’s answer. And God said, “Give them a king.”
Sometimes, God lets us have what we ask for—not because it’s His best, but because we need to learn from the experience.
God didn’t give up on Israel. He still guided them. He still had a plan. But their choice brought challenges they hadn’t expected.
What Can We Learn from This?
Here are a few simple takeaways:
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God’s way isn’t always the popular way—but it’s always the best way.
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Be careful what you ask for. Sometimes we’re chasing something that will only bring more stress and heartache.
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God listens, even when we don’t listen to Him.
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Wanting to “fit in” can lead us away from what really matters.
Final Thoughts
Israel wanted to be like everyone else, but they already had something better—they had God as their King.
This story invites us to pause and ask ourselves: Are we chasing something that looks good on the outside but pulls us away from God’s best?
God loves us enough to let us choose—but He also loves us enough to guide us back when we stray.
Reflect:
Is there something you’re asking for right now that might be more about your desires than God’s direction?
1 Samuel 8:6-22 (WEB)
8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.”Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 The LORD 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. 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. 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.”10 Samuel told all the LORD’s words to the people who asked him for a king. 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. 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. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work. 17 He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants. 18 You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 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.”21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22 The LORD 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.”