They Have Not Rejected You But Me ....

     There is a passage of scripture which discusses God's people CHOOSING their leader. It is I Samuel 8: 1-9:

1And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
5and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”
6But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.
8“Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.
9“Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

     Until this time, Israel had been ruled by God under God's law.  Granted, that rule was applied through elders and other mixed theocratic/civic rulers but nevertheless the underlying authority was God, no earthly sovereign. But, Israel was worried.  Samuel was old and his sons weren't following in his righteous footsteps.  So, instead of asking God for a solution, they chose the world's solution ... a king.   And God gave them a King ... King Saul.

     The application is obvious. When God's  people subject themselves to the sovereignty of any earthly king without remembering their first sovereign is God Himself, they invite ruin to their nation.