Today you should read: Ezekiel 46
1st Samuel 8 recounts Samuel’s warning to Israel regarding the king the so desperately wanted. As you read, note the repetition of the word “take.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” (1 Samuel 8:10–18, ESV)
Our passage in Ezekiel 46 continues the description of the reconstruction of the Temple in the Millennial Kingdom. However, as we have learned more about the prince from Ezekiel’s visions, we understand that this prince is completely unlike the king about which Samuel warned. In fact, as we read in verse 18, it says explicitly that the prince “shall not take…”
Samuel’s warning came true under the kings of Israel starting with Saul. It is, as the 19th century historian, Lord Acton, said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” However, Psalm 2 and elsewhere show that no power on earth can compare to that of Christ when He returns in glory. When He establishes His millennial reign, we will witness the only uncorruptable power. He defeated corruption caused by sin on the cross, and everyday we draw nearer to His return.
By: Tyler Short — Connections Ministry Associate
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