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1 Samuel 8

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1 Und es geschah, als Samuel alt geworden war, da setzte er seine Söhne als ichter ein über Israel.

2 Und der Name seines erstgeborenen Sohnes war Joel, und der Name seines zweiten Abija; sie richteten zu Beerseba.

3 Aber seine Söhne wandelten nicht in seinen Wegen; und sie neigten sich dem Gewinne nach und nahmen Geschenke und beugten das echt.

4 Da versammelten sich alle Ältesten von Israel und kamen zu Samuel nach ama;

5 und sie sprachen zu ihm: Siehe, du bist alt geworden, und deine Söhne wandeln nicht in deinen Wegen. Nun setze einen König über uns ein, daß er uns richte, gleich allen Nationen.

6 Und das Wort war übel in den Augen Samuels, als sie sprachen: Gib uns einen König, daß er uns richte! Und Samuel betete zu Jehova.

7 Und Jehova sprach zu Samuel: Höre auf die Stimme des Volkes in allem, was sie dir sagen; denn nicht dich haben sie verworfen, sondern mich haben sie verworfen, daß ich nicht König über sie sein soll.

8 Nach allen den Taten, die sie getan von dem Tage an, da ich sie aus Ägypten heraufgeführt habe, bis auf diesen Tag, indem sie mich verlassen und anderen Göttern gedient haben, also tun sie auch dir.

9 Und nun höre auf ihre Stimme; nur zeuge ernstlich wider sie (O. verwarne sie ernstlich) und tue ihnen die Weise (O. das echt) des Königs kund, der über sie herrschen wird.

10 Und Samuel sprach alle Worte Jehovas zu dem Volke, das einen König von ihm begehrte.

11 Und er sprach: Dies wird die Weise (O. das echt) des Königs sein, der über euch regieren wird: Eure Söhne wird er nehmen und für sich bestellen auf seinen Wagen und unter seine eiter, und daß sie vor seinem Wagen herlaufen;

12 und er wird sie nehmen, um sich Oberste über tausend und Oberste über fünfzig zu machen, und daß sie seine Äcker pflügen und seine Ernte einbringen, und daß sie sein Kriegsgerät und sein Wagengerät machen.

13 Und eure Töchter wird er nehmen zu Salbenmischerinnen und zu Köchinnen und zu Bäckerinnen.

14 Und eure Felder und eure Weinberge und eure Olivengärten, die besten, wird er nehmen und sie seinen Knechten geben.

15 Und von euren Saaten und euren Weinbergen wird er den Zehnten nehmen und ihn seinen Kämmerern (O. Hofbeamten) und seinen Knechten geben.

16 Und eure Knechte und eure Mägde und eure schönsten Jünglinge und eure Esel wird er nehmen und sie zu seinen Geschäften verwenden.

17 Euer Kleinvieh wird er zehnten, und ihr, ihr werdet ihm zu Knechten sein.

18 Und ihr werdet an jenem Tage schreien wegen eures Königs, den ihr euch erwählt habt; aber Jehova wird euch an jenem Tage nicht erhören.

19 Aber das Volk weigerte sich, auf die Stimme Samuels zu hören; und sie sprachen: Nein, sondern ein König soll über uns sein,

20 damit auch wir seien wie alle Nationen, und daß unser König uns richte und vor uns her ausziehe und unsere Kriege führe.

21 Und Samuel hörte alle die eden des Volkes und redete sie vor den Ohren Jehovas.

22 Und Jehova sprach zu Samuel: Höre auf ihre Stimme und setze einen König über sie ein. Da sprach Samuel zu den Männern von Israel: Gehet hin, ein jeder in seine Stadt.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of 1 Samuel 8

Napsal(a) Garry Walsh

This chapter marks a historic turning point for the Children of Israel. Since their escape from Egypt some four hundred years earlier, the Lord Jehovah, through Moses, and Joshua, and then a series of judges, had directly ruled the people. Now, though, the people pleaded that they might instead have a king like other nations. In a sense, they wanted to be led by human nature, not by God's law and the prophets.

Samuel had grown old, and his sons, Joel and Abiah, had become judges over Israel. However, they took bribes and this influenced their judgments. This is like the corruption of the High Priest Eli’s sons, described in 1 Samuel 2, and also similar to the misbehavior of two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, in Leviticus 10. The corruption of Samuel’s sons, as judges over Israel, was what spurred the Israelites to ask for a king.

Samuel prayed to the Lord, asking what he should do about the people’s demand for a king. The Lord assured him that the request came not because he, Samuel, had been rejected. Instead, it was the Lord Himself whom the people of Israel had rejected. The Lord sent a warning through Samuel to the people about what a king would be like. Samuel told them of the personal and financial cost that would come with having a king. The king would use a substantial portion of the land’s resources, and take the best for himself. Having a king would also mean that they were rejecting the Lord’s direct leadership, so they would be unable to call on His help in the way that they had in the past. The people heard the warning, but still did not change their minds.

There are two ways the Lord judges us. One way is through love or goodness. The other is through truth. In other words, our lives can be judged according to the type of love that exists in our hearts and that we show to others. We will make mistakes, but it is our intent that matters most. Judgment according to truth, by comparison, is somewhat cold. We either obey the law or we don’t. The two, love and truth, should exist together. Intentions should be considered together with what we actually do. From this time in Israelite history, the role of priest, representing judgment from goodness or love, was separated from the role of king, representing judgment by truth. They denied themselves the opportunity to be ruled by love and left themselves to be ruled by the cold letter of the law. (See Arcana Coelestia 6148 [3, 5, 6].)

Swedenborg also discusses this concept as follows:

"In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual...." (Arcana Coelestia 1672)

This further supports the idea that they began to separate judgement by truth and judgement by love, choosing only truth, or the law, as represented by a king.

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Leviticus 10

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1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.

14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,

17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?

20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.