The Leaders You Choose Will Make You Cry

1 Samuel 8:18 – When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day. ”

Until the post-Samuel era, leaders were chosen by God. As Samuel was retiring, the people insisted that they no longer wanted God chosen leaders, they wanted to choose their own leaders. They wanted a king like other nations.

Samuel was so disturbed and disappointed. God spoke to Samuel and encouraged him. God told him that it wasn’t him they had rejected. It is God they had rejected. Then God asked Samuel to tell them the truth about the leaders they will choose.

Samuel gives them scary but true details of how leaders that we choose treat us. Leaders in governments, work places, clubs, and even church leaders. When we become clever and choose leaders then pretend that they are God chosen, this is how they will treat us.

1 Samuel 8:11 – He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

1 Samuel 8:12 – 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 his chariots.

1 Samuel 8:13 – He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

1 Samuel 8:14 – He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.

1 Samuel 8:15 – He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.

1 Samuel 8:16 – Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.

1 Samuel 8:17 – He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

1 Samuel 8:18 – When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day. ”

The people did not want a God chosen leader. The people wanted a king. They chose a king as opposed to a person who God spoke and guided daily. God tells them that the person will come and make himself and his small group of friends rich and use your hard earned money to prosper himself at your expense. God finishes by saying that this leader you prefer, will make you cry!

1 Samuel 8:11 – He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim AS HIS RIGHTS: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

The leader will put his rights as a law something enforceable. Don’t we have laws and policies that make leaders very comfortable? Aren’t our leaders by law protected, provided for and pampered? The Bible says he will claim as his right to live a better life than those he leads. Now look at some of the rights he will claim, but remember in the end, he will make us cry.

1 Samuel 8:11 – He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

1 Samuel 8:12 – 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 his chariots.

1 Samuel 8:13 – He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

The leader will make the citizens or subjects or those under him to offer him security. The poor people will go to war that he starts. He starts the war but sends poor people to fight. He will train poor people to be security officers. He will give them great titles to keep them focused on the mirage. He will call them officers, Generals, Sergents, Inspectors, etc. They will feel they are progressing but they are actually protecting the leader and serving his interests. They do the bulk work, he enjoys without a sweat.

He will employ the citizens to serve him. They will be made to feel privileged serving him. They will have titles of service that will make them respectable in society, but all that is to sustain their service to the leader. Their benefit will be insignificant compared to what the leader gets. The negligible salary will mean these people serving this leader are actually his slaves.

Isn’t this what leaders do to people under them? They feel so privileged to serve him. Their labor is exploited to benefit the leader. Aren’t leaders using and abusing people under them for their own interest? In the end the Bible says, he will make you cry in regret.

1 Samuel 8:14 – He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.

1 Samuel 8:15 – He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.

1 Samuel 8:16 – Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.

1 Samuel 8:17 – He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

The leader will engage in stealing of property that belongs to the public and to individuals. He will take the property for himself or for his cartel that hangs around him. Those who will enjoy his leadership are those who are around him. He will steal with them and grow rich with them.

All os us under such a leader become slaves. We do things for the leader because we fear him and because we hope to get favours. We will look up to the leader as people look up to God. He will promise to help but hardly help or make very little moves to keep us hopeful. 

Aren’t many people slaves of leaders and organisations? Don’t we sometimes protect leaders and organisations and governments because we are slaves of those systems? Or we do so out of hope that we will be favoured to live a better life? Samuel tells them, you will choose the leader but eventually you will become his slaves!

1 Samuel 8:18 – When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day. ”

You will regret. You will cry. God will let you enjoy the suffering under the leaders you preferred. You will wish another election comes but it will still be far or the leader may win and get yet another term. You will cry and hope he dies or retires, but with access to so much money their security and medical care is so good, the leader won’t die nor retire. You will cry!

When you have an opportunity to choose any leader, let God guide you. Do not be guided by tribe, race and personal interest. A God chosen leader will be managed by God. The leader you choose will make you a slave and make you cry in regret.

Do not engage in mischief and scheming to ensure your preferred leader is in place. The Bible promises that you of all people will be enslaved and he will make you cry. The leaders you choose will make you cry!

Am I a leader who makes people cry? May God forgive me if I have made anyone cry. May God take over my work so that no one will cry on account of me. Leaders should examine themselves so that they do not cause anyone to cry. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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