“Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “I brought you up out of Egypt and I delivered you form the power of Egypt and all the Kingdoms that oppressed you. But how you have rejected your God who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, “No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves as tribes and clans.”“ (1 Samuel 10:17-19 NIV)
It isn’t by happenstance that Samuel summoned the Israelites to Mizpah, a place who’s very name meant watchtower. In ancient times, stones were stacked to bear witness to emotional covenants being made (consider Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban) God called His beloved people back to Mizpah as they decided to lean on a King instead of their Lord.
It’s a strange thing to attend your own nuptials, some twenty years later via video recording. Somewhere in our cardboard boxes, Rob unearthed a copy of our rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities. Yesterday we blocked out the afternoon and traveled back to 1998; when hair was big and church affairs were still formal. So many treasured faces flashed across our flat screen, many precious participants in our special day have since passed on. Who knew how precious VHS footage would become?
I was startled by those two kids on the screen: 18 and 20, fresh-faced and only inklings of who we grew up to be. I noted all the mature and serious adults in the congregation at the start of our collective story; how they came together to commence and bless our life together. In the hindsight only afforded in having our very own twenty-year-old son, I’m flabbergasted by the love and support we received from our elders. (Everyone was our elder in those days!) I paid attention to the prayers: “Please help Rob and Anna to know the profound nature of the pledge they are making this day.” I look back with the pocked lens of maturity and life experience: maybe we’ve only made it this far because of the faith and prayers of others. Maybe we’ve only weathered two decades as man and wife by the grace of God.
By the first book of Samuel, the nation of Israel had made it a good long way – four hundred years or more since the ragtag refugees crossed the Jordan and took possession of the Promised Land. The prophet painstakingly reminded them, they did not get this far on their own. They had divine help and lots of it: getting out of Egypt, thwarting Pharaoh’s chariots, crossing deep waters, staying intact as a people group despite the oppressive nations around them. Samuel highlighted God’s assistance and then landed on – but you want to rule yourselves.
Isn’t that the endless struggle for us humans? We want to rule ourselves.
This morning the Isrealite saga is a good reminder for me as a married woman and as a God follower. We cannot forget that the Father has brought us this far. He has been our protection, our sustainer and our source. We can get a good long way into adult life and lose sight of His profound contributions. We can demand an earthly king and we typically nominate ourselves to occupy that throne. The Israelites would find out, a human king is a dangerous precedent. We can learn from their error.
I look back at our grainy wedding footage and as many loved ones were gathered in the pews to cheer us on, there was an unseen guest and His presence and blessing still matters most. Here we are, married and maturing twenty-two years later because He has supported and sustained our union every step of the way. We will not overturn His leadership of our story. We cannot thrive without Him.
“For God is King of all the earth, sing to Him a psalm of praise.”
(Psalm 47:7 NIV)
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17 NIV)
Lord, we declare You King again: over our lives and over this earth. Forgive us for forgetting Your glorious and needed contribution to our story. Forgive us for demanding our own way. We remember that this life is not about us, it’s about You. You are the King of the world and we live to honor You as such. Be the Lord of our lives and King of all forever. Amen.