Text:
1Samuel 8:4-7:
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
Theme:
Monkey See Monkey Do
Introduction:
- The books of Samuel were a part of the canon of the “The Books of the Kingdom” and then later “The Books of the Kings”. Together with 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Samuel serve as the historical record of the kings of Israel.
- Although the name leads you to believe that they correspond to either the life or writings or Samuel, they do not.
- Chronology à Only 1st Samuel corresponds to the life of Samuel and spans approximately 100 years. Second Samuel actually depicts 50 years to cover the history of the reign of David (chapters 1-24) and other various points in Israel’s regal history (chapters 25-28).
- Authorship à The authors of the books of Samuel were Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. Samuel actually only penned the first twenty-four chapters of the first book. Gad completed a bulk of the remainder while Nathan came to complete the writing and to put the books into the form that we know today.
- Although the name leads you to believe that they correspond to either the life or writings or Samuel, they do not.
- The 8th chapter of 1st Samuel finds the people of Israel as well as the Samuel himself in a precarious position à
- The sons of Samuel who were supposed to be judging the people were corrupt, chasing lucre and not Truth
- Judges governed over the affairs of the people between the time of Joshua and the ascension of Saul
- The Ammonites were threatening to take their people into bondage
- The children of Israel were afraid that their safety and freedom were in jeopardy
- The sons of Samuel who were supposed to be judging the people were corrupt, chasing lucre and not Truth
- The children of Israel act just as we do when we are backed into a corner with fear or pressure
è Turn away from God
- Why do we turn away from God?
- In this study we will see how all of our explanations and excuses, pictures and practices, perspectives and perceptions, can be summarized into one conscious motivation with people
è Doing what they see others do!
- Society has lightheartedly coined a phrase to summarize this concept è Monkey see, Monkey do
- Why is the person called a “monkey”?
- They are no longer uniquely intelligent as the human being. They have sacrificed their free will and superior intellect to become a reaction automaton. Therefore, they are symbolically call a “monkey”.
- Why “Monkey see, Monkey do”?
- The individual does whatever they see others do.
- The Bible teaches us about these situations and these people…Monkey SEE, Monkey DO!
- Why is the person called a “monkey”?
Body:
- First, let us understand the overall picture of God’s plan for mankind
- Divine Commandment à We are supposed to STAY WITH GOD!
- Joshua 1:7 explains, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
- Human Reaction à We turn away from God!
- God warns against it!
- 1 Kings 9:6-7, “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:”
- In spite of the warning, we still do it!!!
- Divine Salvation à If we do turn away, God provides another chance!
- 2Chronicles 7:14 consoles us, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
- Thank God for His Grace, Mercy, and Salvation
- Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- John 10:28-29, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
- Divine Commandment à We are supposed to STAY WITH GOD!
With all that God has done, is doing, and will do for us, WHY DO WE STILL TURN AWAY FROM HIM??
- Monkey SEE, Monkey DO!
- Problem One à The Carnal Mind
- Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
- The Carnal Mind severs the tie that we have with God and frees us to seek another “lover”
- As in the marriage of a man and a woman, the carnal mind provides the separation that allows the timely distraction that can, if pursued, destroy a divinely ordained relationship.
- The Carnal Mind severs the tie that we have with God and frees us to seek another “lover”
- Titus 1:15, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
- When the mind is carnal and, therefore, defiled, nothing is pure. Everything is messed up or will be messed up. Nothing goes right!!!!
- Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
- Problem Two à The Wicked World
- The world is contaminated with sin and evil!
- Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
- Matthew 18:7, “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
- We are always tempted by what the world has to offer!
- Satan tempted Jesus in Luke 4:5, “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.”
- No one can avoid facing the temptation and the deadly contamination of the world!
- Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
- 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
- The problem with what the world has to offer is that it is short-lived!
- Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, & Luke 21:33 all say, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
- The world is contaminated with sin and evil!
- Problem One à The Carnal Mind
Problem Three à [The Carnal Mind] + [The Wicked World] = [Monkey See, Monkey Do]
- A Carnal Mind living in the Wicked World will fall into doing whatever they see others doing.
è The Children of Israel were in this very predicament
- With the Ammonites threatening captivity and their weak, tainted leadership in Samuel’s sons, they LOOKED AROUND THEM for answers. We are to look to God in this situation and no one else!!
- The Psalmist instructs us in Psalms 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
- Then Isaiah makes it plain as he pens Gods words in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
- The children of Israel asked Samuel for a King as the other nations had. We always want what someone else has!
- Proverbs 23:17 explains, “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.”
- David even gets more aggressive with the same Word in Psalms 37:1-3, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
- Be careful, because what a Monkey SEES, a Monkey will DO!!
Conclusion:
- We have discussed the conscious choices and motives in this scenario. However, our text further impresses upon us the clarity of who the individual is dealing with and turning away from
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
- This clarity is important because we can come up with what we think are “good” excuses for not doing what God wants us to do and turning to what the world has to offer.
- Regardless of how we try to sugar-coat it, WE ARE REJECTING GOD!
- We are not turning away from the preacher – but GOD
- We are not turning away from the institutional church – but GOD
- We are not turning away from the backbiting, backstabbing members – but GOD
- We are not turning away from our fears of commitment – but GOD
- We are not turning away from an abusive marriage – but God
- We are not turning away from a life of hurt and disappointment – but GOD
- We are not turning away from a work that seems too much – but GOD
- We are not turning away from unanswered questions – but GOD
- We are not turning away from a lost love – but GOD
- We are not turning away from a lost loved on – but GOD
- We are not turning away from churches asking for too much money – but GOD
- WE ARE REJECTING GOD!!!!!!!!
- Regardless of how we try to sugar-coat it, WE ARE REJECTING GOD!
- But don’t forget, as was saidGod gives ANOTHER CHANCE, but there’s something that you have to do!
- It’s clear
- 2Chronicles 7:14 consoles us, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
- To break it down to simple terms, Micah 6:8 says, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
- The first commandment stated in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
- It’s clear
What a Monkey SEES, a Monkey DOES! What a child of God SEES in God, he is supposed to DO in the name and by the power of Jesus, the Christ!
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