The heads of families of Israel agreed to go to Samuel and make a request that had never come from the heart of the Lord. Diplomatically, they reminded the prophet that he was already old ‒ which was a reality ‒ and claimed that his sons did not walk in his ways. They respected Samuel's authority, but they thought that, after the prophet's death, having his sons as authority over the nation would not be good at all.

It was a moment of tension, as the leaders of the Israelite families had no idea what Samuel would say. The fact was that the prophet's sons behaved like those of Eli, the former judge of Israel (1 Samuel 2:12-26). When they brought this matter to Samuel, they had a request to make. Samuel said nothing, because those experienced men, who were also fathers, knew everything that was happening in the nation and would not speak falsehoods. It is sad for a father to hear about the transgressions of his descendants!

When the father fears God, he expects his children to do the same. Nothing could have been worse for Samuel than knowing that they were doing wrong things in their role as judges of Israel. Why didn't these young men follow their father’s example, who obeyed the will of the Lord? There is a well-known saying that goes: "We make heirs, but not successors." This happens nowadays. Who will succeed us in faith?

When he gathered with the heads of the families, Samuel did not know what troubled them. Here, on Earth, what natural and spiritual children do wrong always reverberate upon us. It is very sad to learn that the leader of a congregation has dishonored someone's home. This sin and so many others written in the Bible will lead its practitioners to the lake of fire and brimstone.

See the list of sins that the Holy Spirit told the apostle Paul to write, so that everyone would prepare for the Final Judgment: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,  nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God  (1 Corinthians 6.9,10).

Any sin from this list will lead those who commit it to the judgment of the Lord. However, whoever truly repents, abandoning iniquity, asks for forgiveness, and repairs the damage caused to people – spiritual, moral, and/or financial – will be forgiven and saved: And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6.11).

Here is the request of the Israelite leaders: Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Samuel must have "swallowed hard" at Israel's request and promised to ask the Lord what to do. They had a king!

         In Christ, with love,

         R. R. Soares