All the Other Nations

 

       In the time of Samuel the children of Israel decided that they wanted to have king.  They had never been ruled by a king but God had appointed judges to rule over them. God was to serve as their King. However, they decided that in order to be like all the other nations they would have an earthly king.  Samuel warned them that the behavior of a king would not be favorable for them. "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 'No, but we will have a king over us, 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" (I Samuel 8:19, 20). Therefore, God allowed them to have a king.

  As the Old Testament unfolds we find that what Samuel forewarned came to pass. The children of Israel did not heed the words of God or His prophet Samuel.  Why? Because they desired to be like all the other nations. They wanted to be like everyone else. This was not a new problem nor was it the end of a problem.  Throughout the history of the world God's people have been different. This is the way God desires it; yet, so many do not want to be different.  They want to be like all the other nations. They want to fit in with everyone else. Even in the church today we see too many who want to fit in with the rest of the world.  We want to talk, dress, and behave like everyone else.  Yet God does not want us to love the things of this world, but rather He desires that we separate ourselves from worldly things.

  John said "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (I John 2:15-17). Our desire should not be to blend in with the world, our desire should be to abide in God's word.  In doing so we will be different but in doing so we will abide with Him forever.

 

--Garrett Bookout