MONDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 MORNING
1 Samuel 8:1-10 New International Version (NIV)
Israel Asks for a King
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a]2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.
Footnotes:
- 1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
- 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
This week we are thinking about making wise choices. The Prophet Samuel was not happy about the choice that the Israelites were making. They wanted a king to rule over them and to be like other nations. God called Israel to be a special nation. They were not supposed to be like other nations. God is their king.
May God help us to make wise choices and to stand for what is right and not just to desire to go with the crowd or take the easy way out.
JUMATATU TAREHE 24 SEPTEMBA 2018 ASUBUHI
1 SAMWELI 8:1-10
1 Hata Samweli alipokuwa mzee, aliwafanya wanawe wawe waamuzi juu ya Israeli.
2 Na jina la mwanawe mzaliwa wa kwanza aliitwa Yoeli; na jina la wa pili Abiya; walikuwa waamuzi katika Beer-sheba.
3 Ila wanawe hawakuenda katika njia zake, bali waliziacha, ili wapate faida; wakapokea rushwa, na kupotosha hukumu.
4 Ndipo wazee wote wa Israeli wakakutana pamoja, wakamwendea Samweli huko Rama;
5 wakamwambia, Angalia, wewe umekuwa mzee, na wanao hawaendi katika njia zako; basi, tufanyie mfalme atuamue, mfano wa mataifa yote.
6 Lakini neno hilo likawa baya machoni pa Samweli, waliposema, Tupe mfalme atuamue. Naye Samweli akamwomba Bwana.
7 Bwana akamwambia Samweli, Isikilize sauti ya watu hawa katika kila neno watakalokuambia; kwa maana hawakukukataa wewe, bali wamenikataa mimi, ili nisiwe mfalme juu yao.
8 Kwa kadiri ya matendo yote waliyonitenda tokea siku ile nilipowatoa katika Misri hata leo, kwa kuniacha mimi, na kwa kutumikia miungu mingine, ndivyo wanavyokutenda wewe.
9 Basi sasa, isikilize sauti yao; walakini, uwaonye sana, na kuwaonyesha desturi ya mfalme atakayewamiliki.
10 Naye Samweli akawaambia wale watu waliotaka mfalme maneno yote ya Bwana.
Wiki hii tunatafakari kuhusu Uchaguzi wa Busara. Nabii Samweli hakufurahia uchaguzi wa Waisraeli. Walitaka kuwa kama mataifa mengine na kupata Mfalme kuwatawala. Mungu alitaka taifa la Israeli liwe la pekee, watu wake. Mungu alikuwa Mfalme wao.
Mungu atusaidie kufanya uchaguzi wa busara. Tuwe na msimamo. Tusitamani kuwa kama umati wa watu au kuchagua yalio rahisi tu.