Kings

I sat and paid attention to the readings for Friday (1-15-2010). I didn’t recall ever hearing them before…but that shouldn’t come as a surprise… in the past I’ve really never listened too much. I found a strange parallel between today and the Old Testament, some six hundred or so years before Christ. Samuel warned the people about kings...warned them in great detail.

“The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” (1 Samuel 8, 10-19)

For some reason I got the eerie feeling that we were in the “complaining stage” of this reoccurring story.

Dear Lord Jesus;
I choose You for my King/
In order to avoid the sting.
Don’t lose me in the herd/
Keep me safe in Your Word.
Amen