Alien Law Systems

Trading God for a Man

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Biblical Law

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 1999-12-17

Synopsis: John Weaver expounds 1 Samuel 8 to show that Israel's demand for a human king was a rejection of God's rule and law, leading to tyranny, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased government cost. He argues that America has similarly traded God for man, replacing biblical law with humanistic law, and calls for personal repentance, obedience to God's law, and prayer for divine justice.

[John Weaver] But I do want you to open your Bibles tonight to 1 Samuel 8. I'm going to be bringing a message, trading God for a man, and I think you can find out exactly what is wrong in this country just from comparing what is going on in our land today with what happened in Israel in 1 Samuel 8. And let's take the time tonight to read the entire chapter, all 22 verses. 1 Samuel 8, verse 1, And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

[John Weaver] Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, and the name of the second, Abiah, and they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after Lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways.

[John Weaver] Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people and all that they say unto thee. For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them, according to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, So do they also unto thee. Now therefore, hearken unto their voice. Howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that ask of him a king, and he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you.

[John Weaver] He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, note, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them unto his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

[John Weaver] And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly shunned men and your asses and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king, which you shall have chosen you. And the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay, but we will have a king to reign over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us.

[John Weaver] and go out before us and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye to every man and to his city." Now let me begin by telling you that 1 Samuel chapter 8 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. Upon reading this, many people just simply view this as a historical account. But there is absolutely no way that you can understand 1 Samuel 8 and the following history of Israel, I might add, unless you understand that 1 Samuel 8 gives us a transition from one law structure to another. So what you have in 1 Samuel 8 is, in actuality, the law of God being replaced by the law of man. Now, this chapter will very quickly give you the four main consequences of rejecting the law of God.

[John Weaver] I'm going to delineate these a little bit in detail later, but let me give them to you right now. God tells us that the first consequence of rejecting His law is totalitarianism. That is, we are going to stay in tyranny. The second consequence is oppression. I'll develop this later. The third is loss of liberty. And the fourth, of course, is the increased cost of civil government.

[John Weaver] Now these four consequences have befallen Israel and befallen us today for the very same reason, because there is a rejection of God and His law. So the whole point then of chapter 8 is to show that a human king will always replace God in God's law and institute his own law, and consequently there will always be evils and injustice. Now, let me point out the fact that what has happened in 1 Samuel chapter 8 is this. Samuel himself was a godly man. He was a godly ruler. And note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 1, it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah, and they were judges. Note now, if you would please, in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after Lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. And they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways.

[John Weaver] Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Now, I want you to note the fact that Samuel had judged Israel many years. He did, in fact, make his two sons judges. However, he did not necessarily condone their wickedness. And the people were literally blowing out of proportion the jurisdiction of the boys. For instance, if you'll note carefully in verse 2, the Bible names the two sons of Samuel, and he says, and they were judges in Beersheba. Now, Beersheba is the southernmost city in the land.

[John Weaver] It is a little, small, tiny, out-of-the-way place. So it is not like These two boys had jurisdiction over all the land per se. They were there in Beersheba.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. The whole situation could have been dealt with entirely different. And let me tell you something else that was probably a personal affront to Samuel. Samuel, you'll remember, had been a godly man. He had been given to the Lord by his mother Hannah. He had been raised in the temple. He had been taught the law of God. And thus he judged Israel honestly and openly. And by the way, Samuel told the people, he said, you testify against me if I have taken from any man wrongly, if I have done anything wickedly. And they said, oh no, Samuel, you haven't done that.

[John Weaver] No, you've been honest and you've been upright. But note, if you would, when Samuel was old. So what they're basically saying is that, Samuel, we don't need you anymore. We don't think you can function now the way you used to function, and so what we're going to do is just simply reject you. May I point out the fact that that happens constantly in this land, and especially the preachers, especially the people who've been in the service of God. Isn't it strange? that here is a man that can give his life to the Lord, and his life in a ministry, and his life to a people, and then all of a sudden when he gets sick, or when he gets old, all of a sudden they no longer need him, they no longer want him. He's a burden, and they just want to get rid of him. They could have said, look Samuel, your sons are wicked. Samuel knew that. We want honest judges. We want men that's going to rule us according to the law of God.

[John Weaver] No, they did not do that. They simply came to Samuel and said, look, we are demanding a king. We want a king. I want you to note why they wanted a king. Verse 5, And they said unto him, Behold, I am old, and my sons walk not in thy ways.

[John Weaver] Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Listen, we talk about young people having peer pressure. You know, everybody around them pressures them to conform and to act like they act. It's not just teenagers that are afflicted with peer pressure. All you have to do is look at where you work normally. and the people that you associate with. And you too have the pressure to conform to this world or to conform to the political correct views of this world.

[John Weaver] And if not, you're looked on very suspiciously, I might add. But note, if you would please, first of all, it was not necessarily wrong for these people to want a king. Let me explain that statement. Look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 17. and verse 14. It was not necessarily wrong for them to want a king, but it was certainly wrong for the manner and the method that they used in order to acquire the king. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 14, or chapter 17 and verse 14, look if you would please what the Word of God says. Deuteronomy 17, verse 14, God tells the people, when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like is all the nations that are about me. Hey, God knew in advance. that they were going to ask for a king. But note what he says in verse 15,"...thou shalt set in any wise him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose.

[John Weaver] One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee who is not thy brother." And then God goes down in this passage and He outlines some of the qualifications for a civil ruler. So God understood that there would be a time that they wanted a king, but God was simply saying there are certain ways in order to get it that would be legitimate and lawful, not in the manner and not in the method that they did. Now, why did they want a king?

[John Weaver] Well, first of all, they say in verse 5 that we might be like all the nations. If you'll skip over to verse 20, they say that we also may be like all the nations That is, all these heathen nations have kings. By the way, you know, it never probably dawned on these people, when they were thinking, we want a king like all the other heathen nations, it never dawned upon them that the other heathen nations were tyrannically ruled. And the people there were basically slaves. And the king was supreme. I don't understand, is there anybody in this room that really wants to have a government like that in Russia or like that in China? I certainly don't want anything like that. Why in the world would a supposedly Christian people or a godly people want something that was so absolutely contrary to the Word of God? But they say, we want to be like all the other nations.

[John Weaver] Ah, but here's why, watch. that we also may be like all the nations, and that our King may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." In other words, here was the real motive. We don't want to take personal responsibility. You see, in Israel there was a citizen's militia. And the militia, by the way, fought. when the country was invaded or when there was a lawful, legitimate cause to fight. As long as there was a citizen's militia, the king or the ruler could not involve the country in unnecessary war. But once a king got there and he had a standing army, then he could do whatever he wanted to do. Interesting, they said, we want somebody who's going to fight our battles for us. You know, one of the sad things in this country is that we have lost a sense of responsibility. We want the government to provide for us. We want the Social Security. And we want the Medicare. And we want the Medicaid. And we want the food stamps.

[John Weaver] And we want the workman's comp. Listen, I told our people not so long ago, I know how to get rid of socialism practically overnight. I could stop a lot of this governmental bureaucracy and waste overnight. All we have to do is refuse to take their handouts. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that simple? But you know what that means? That means I've got to learn how to save for myself.

[John Weaver] I have to prepare in advance for my old age and possible sickness. I have to take care of myself if my car breaks down or if I lose my job. In other words, I have to learn personal responsibility. And these people are saying, we don't want personal responsibility. We want someone who's going to take care of us. Did you notice that? And that's exactly the mentality of the people in this country. We want, from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the tomb, security in all things. We want the government.

[John Weaver] And have you noticed that every time there's a problem, the standard line that is given is this, they ought to do something about that. Who is the they? It's the government. Let them do something about that. It's absolutely amazing. And these people said, we do not want personal responsibility.

[John Weaver] Now, when you get down to it, folks, that was the crux of the matter. They were not willing to take care of themselves. They were not willing to defend their families. They were not willing to defend their state or their nation. They wanted someone else to take care of that for them. And so they were demanding a king then, like all the other nations.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just show you the heart of 1 Samuel 8. I told you earlier, and I'm going to repeat it, because I want you to understand that you must see this chapter as a transition from one law structure to another. What was there in 1 Samuel 8 that is so pertinent and so applicable to our times today? Well, if you'll look, please, at verse 6. The Bible says, But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee. Now watch clearly. For God says, For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. The very first thing you see here is a theocratic rejection. Now, don't be afraid of the word theocratic. The word theos in the Greek is the word God. Kratos is power. So, theocratic means basically the rule of God or the power of God.

[John Weaver] You see, Israel had God as her king. It was a theocratic nation. You say, well, I don't believe that. Well, let me just show it to you in black and white. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 12. Of course, there are many other passages and many illustrations of it, but in 1 Samuel 12, notice if you would please, in verse 12, Samuel says,"...and when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your king." So God was the king of Israel. And what the people were saying is, we no longer want God to be our king. We want a man to be king over us. We don't want the rule of God. We want the rule of man. Trading God for a man.

[John Weaver] Now folks, let me tell you something. I believe David was correct when David had sinned and the prophet came to him and offered him three choices. And David said, let me fall into the hands of God and not in the hands of men. Why? Because God is far more merciful than man would ever be. And I might add that God is far more just than man would ever be.

[John Weaver] But here was a theocratic rejection. We don't want God. You remember in Luke 19 what those wicked people said? And this was in reference to Christ. They said, we will not have this man to reign over us. And isn't it absolutely amazing that in our day and time, after our country was founded and grounded upon Christian principles, even our government is based upon a biblical pattern. In Isaiah chapter 33. Turn there. Look at it. Isaiah chapter 33.

[John Weaver] Let me show this to you. Many of you probably already know it, but look at it. It's plain and simple. Isaiah chapter 33, and it's verse 22. Isaiah 33, verse 22. Look what the Bible says. For the Lord is our judge. There is the judicial part. The Lord is our lawgiver. There's the legislative part. The Lord is our king. There's the executive part. He will save us. and the executive and legislative and judicial aspects of our government was based upon this Scripture.

[John Weaver] Isn't it amazing that once our country was founded and grounded upon biblical truth, all of a sudden we turn back and say, we don't want anything Christian and we don't want anything that has reference to God. We will not have this man to reign over us. We don't have anything to do with God, except to take His name in vain, naturally. So there was a theocratic rejection. There was a rejection of the rule of God. Secondly, and this is what I want to really dwell upon tonight, there was not only a theocratic rejection, there was a theonomic rejection.

[John Weaver] Now, I've already told you that the word theos in the Greek is the word God. That's where we get theology from, the study of God. But the word nomos It's the Greek word for law. So when we talk about a theonomic rejection, we're talking about a rejection of God's law. When God said in verse seven, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them.

[John Weaver] Here's a principle that you've got to remember. A king rules by his law. Law is an expression of the will of the king. If you will look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 12. 1 Samuel chapter 12. Let's begin reading with verse 12 again. And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us. When the Lord your God was your king, now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired, and behold, the Lord had set a king over you. Now look, if you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and rebel and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God." Now look what God says. God said, alright, I'm going to let you have a human king.

[John Weaver] But I want you to understand that that king is obligated and accountable and responsible to be biblical and scriptural, just like the people are. Now, God says as long as the King obeys Me and you obey Me, everything's going to work out just fine. Look down in v. 25. Look what He says. But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your King. God says, so now when your King does wrong and you do wrong, I'll just simply nail both of you. Now, God rules by His law. And so, when there was a rejection of God personally, there necessarily followed a rejection of His law. I'm going to explain this a little bit later, hopefully.

[John Weaver] But, have you wondered why our country is so dead set against posting the Ten Commandments anywhere now? Why is so dead set against prayer and the Bible? Because, you see, whenever there is a rejection of God, there necessarily follows a rejection of His law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point something out. Law is inescapably religious. All law is inherently religious. There is no such thing as an unreligious law. There is no such thing as an unbiased or unprejudiced person. If you were to ask me tonight, well, Brother Weaver, which do you think of all these ladies in here tonight is the prettiest? I would have to say my wife. Now, let me admit something. I'm prejudiced.

[John Weaver] But I would hope that every husband in here would disagree with me. You follow me? Every husband ought to think that his wife would be the prettiest lady here tonight. But you know the reason he would think that? It's because he's prejudiced. There is no such thing as being unbiased. When the Supreme Court or when the Congress or any politician says, well now, we're just trying to be neutral in this matter and we're trying to be unbiased and we're unprejudiced, that's a bunch of hogwash. Law is inherently religious. Law is inescapably religious. How can that be?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you how. Any legislator that passes a law, when he looks at that law, he has to determine whether it is a good law or a bad law. Whether the bill is good or whether the bill is bad. Do you realize that his determination of good and bad is based upon his religion? And it doesn't matter whether it's a Christian religion or a pagan religion, it's still based upon his religion. All law is inherently and inescapably religious. Now, you may have Christian law or you may have heathenistic law, but it is still religious.

[John Weaver] You say, but now, Brother Weaver, you've got to understand That's not the way I've been taught. Whether that's the way you've been taught or not is immaterial. The truth is, all law is inherently and inescapably religious.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something else. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. When you change from God's law to man's law, you have changed from theonomy to autonomy or humanism. You've changed from God to man. When you change from Christian law to a pagan law, whatever pagan religion it is, whether it's Shintoism or Buddhism, it doesn't matter. You have a change in religion.

[John Weaver] Some of you will remember this. Some of you will not. But as far back as when Bobby Kennedy was attorney general of the United States, Bobby Kennedy said that humanism was the official religion. of America. Bobby Kennedy. Humanism, the official religion of America. You see, what most of us have never realized is this. Back when all of our seminaries were turning out liberal preachers, modernistic preachers, preachers who denied the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, oh, we were horrified How could anyone say such things? But what we did not realize, when there was a revolution going on in religion, at the same time there was a revolution going on in the legal field, in law, and we were turning from common law, from the law of the Scripture, to another religion that is basically to humanism.

[John Weaver] That's why until up until about 1950s, you will find all kind of court rulings saying that this is a Christian nation, that it was based upon Christian principles. But after that, there's an absolute total denial of those facts and that reality.

[John Weaver] Now, since law is inherently religious, And since any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change of religion, therefore, there cannot be as such any disestablishment of religion. There has been no disestablishment of religion. We still have religion in this country. It's just not Christianity. We have a new religion. The New Age religion. The religion of Greenpeace. The religion of man. Back to Mother Earth. You've seen these bumper stickers, Be Sweet to Your Mother, and there's the picture of the earth.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. Mother Earth is not my mother. And I cringe every time I even hear Weatherman talk about Mother Nature. Mother Nature is not a mother. God created the earth and God created the weather. But what we're doing is we're being prepared to accept the new religion.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something, folks. There cannot be a disestablishment of religion, you cannot. have an established church? Well, you could have. The states had that power to do so, but the federal government did not have that right to do so. The states could have made, if they so chose, the Baptist church their official religion or the Episcopal church or the Presbyterian church, etc. But the federal government had nothing to do with that. Now, let me show you something. You do not necessarily have to have a federal church like the whole country. Officially, we're the Baptist church.

[John Weaver] No, you don't have to have that. But there is no way that the federal government can say that we're unbiased. We're unprejudiced. We don't put our stamp of approval on any religion. Let me tell you, when you do not put your stamp of approval on any religion, you have just placed your stamp of approval upon irreligion or atheism. You're going to have a religion. It may not be the Christian religion, but you're going to have a religion.

[John Weaver] Now, listen to me carefully. If you want to find out who the God of a society is or the God of a civilization, then you need to study the source of one's law. An interesting thing is when archaeologists and anthropologists go into these places where they're going to be excavating the ruins of past civilizations, one of the first things they try to figure out is that civilization's source of law. Because if they can ever determine that civilization's source of law, then they know who the God of that society was. They then know the religion of that society. Do you realize if you, in reality, believe that the Supreme Court is the highest authority in this land, then the Supreme Court is your God.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. The Supreme Court is not the highest authority in this land. And I've got more news for you. The Supreme Court is not even the sole interpreter of the Constitution. We the people are to be the interpreters of the Constitution. We're the ones that says you're either right or wrong. It's kind of like Benito Mussolini. When he was told that the Pope did not like his involvement in World War II, Benito Mussolini responded, how many divisions does the Pope have? How many divisions does the Supreme Court have? The fact is the Supreme Court could do nothing if the people in this country disregarded everything that they said. They don't have enough divisions.

[John Weaver] Now, the point is, folks, whoever is your source of law is basically your God. If we derive our law from the Word of God, then God is our God. If we derive our law from Congress or the Supreme Court, then they're our gods. If we derive our law from our own minds, then we're idolaters again because we're making ourselves God. And by the way, the only reason people deny the law of God is so that they may establish their own law. Everyone has to have a law, has to have a standard, has to have an ultimate. And the only reason you deny God is so that you may establish your own.

[John Weaver] Learn another truth tonight, and that is this. There cannot be a tolerance. For another law structure or another religion. Do you realize that God is the most intolerant being there is?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. Help me out. Maybe I don't remember correctly, but I believe when the children of Israel went into the land, God said, you kill all the pagans. Overthrow their altars. Tear down their temples. destroy everything that they had that was religious. He said, if you don't, it's going to be a snare unto you. What was God saying? God was saying in essence, I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God.

[John Weaver] I will not put up with another law system. Now, listen to me very carefully. Some of you will remember the cry in the 60's and the 70's was for toleration. You remember that? You've got to be tolerant. Toleration is a device used to introduce a new law system. And once that law system is in place, then there is a new intolerance. Because the law system is not going to tolerate a competitor. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let me show you the distinction between law systems. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let's begin reading with verse 7. Here is one of the plain reasons why Israel went into captivity. Look what God says. For it was so that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Now let's just stop there for a moment. How do we know that Israel feared other gods?

[John Weaver] Let me ask that a little more personally. How do you know that you fear the one true and the living God? How do you know that you don't fear a false god? Well, let's look and find out. Let's read verse 7 again. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods. Here's how we know they feared other gods, and walked in the statutes, that is, in the laws of the heathen whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made. God said, I know that you feared other gods, and the way that I know that is you are obeying the laws of those heathenistic gods and those heathenistic kings that made those laws. Even the kings of Israel adopted those heathenistic laws, and you're obeying them. You're not obeying Me. You're not walking in My commandments.

[John Weaver] Now, if that's not plain enough, skip down, if you would please, to verse 19. Look in verse 19, and here the Bible says,"...also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made." Even Judah said, we don't want God. We won't take His law. We're going to walk in the statutes of the heathen. Let's begin with verse 15. Here it is,"...and they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them. And they followed vanity..." That is, idolatry. "...and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them. concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove and worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served Baal." And then he goes on to tell everything that children of Israel did. How do we know they did not fear God?

[John Weaver] Because they obeyed the laws of a false god. How do you know that you fear God? Because you obey His laws. If you fear God, you obey His law. There are no people who fear God that run around committing adultery and fornication and murdering. Why? Because if we fear God, we know God says, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. You follow what I'm saying? If you fear God, you obey Him.

[John Weaver] What did our Lord say in Luke 6 and verse 46? Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you? The word Lord is the Greek word kyrios. It means boss, owner, master, sovereign. If I'm your master, if I'm your sovereign, says Christ, you will obey me. If you do not obey Me, it's evidence that I'm not your boss, I'm not your sovereign. Let me tell you the significance of Acts 4 and verse 12.

[John Weaver] Many of you in here can quote that. You remember Peter said, there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And that name is the name of Jesus Christ. What was Peter doing when he said, there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved? You have to know the history of that verse. Did you know that in 30 BC, about 30 years before Christ was born, a strange star shone in the heavens, and Augustus Caesar had himself proclaimed God? And he sent his messengers around the Roman Empire with this message which they proclaimed in every village, in every city of his domain. Here's what they said. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Augustus Caesar. And when Peter said, there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ, He was declaring war on Augustus Caesar and the ones who followed him and the Roman Empire.

[John Weaver] What was Peter saying? We're instituting a new law system under a new king, and that king is King Jesus.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you how this has a practical effect. Some of you will remember this when Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United States. And I will go ahead and apologize to you folks since he was from Georgia. There was a big billboard for years that stood on Interstate 75 that said this. By the way, it was the farmers of Georgia that helped elect Jimmy Carter. And this big, huge billboard said, we, the farmers of Georgia. wished to apologize to our fellow Americans for helping to elect Jimmy Carter president of the United States.

[John Weaver] It stayed there the whole time he was in office after, you know, the first year or so. But when Jimmy Carter was running for president, he had an interview with Playboy magazine, and oh, it just shocked everybody that he would have an interview with Playboy magazine. And in that interview, he confessed that he had lusted in his heart, oh, you should have heard The good, pietistic Christians that were so upset, he said, he's lusted in his heart.

[John Weaver] Hey, I have no problem with that. I'm a sinner and you're a sinner. You've lusted in your heart. I've lusted in my heart. Be honest. That didn't upset me at all. What upset me did not upset the other Christians. Because in that same interview, he promised that if he were elected President of the United States, he would not allow his Christianity to interfere with his office.

[John Weaver] Now, he kept that promise. That was one promise he kept. What was he saying? He was saying, I'm not a real Christian because I'm not going to obey the law of my sovereign. I'm not going to obey the law of my king. There's a Roman Catholic scholar by the name of Cunelt-Ledin. And I usually apologize to people because it had to be a Roman Catholic scholar that pointed this out, but it's still the truth. Cunelt-Ledin said that there is a struggle in this country. Listen carefully. He said, there are two men that are locked in a life and death struggle. Only one will emerge victorious. Only one will live. One will die. He says those two men who are locked in a life and death struggle are John Calvin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. What did Cunet-Ledin mean? John Calvin was the famous Calvinist, the theologian, who believed and taught in God's absolute sovereignty.

[John Weaver] And he said everything revolved around God. That God was the center. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the leading humanist. And he says that everything revolves around man. Anthropocentric. Man-centered. And he, Kunelt-Ledin, said, you have these two theologies, these two philosophies, that which places God as sovereign and that which places man as sovereign, locked in mortal combat. And only one will survive. And I've got news for you folks. That's exactly the truth. But I'm here to tell you, I know which one's going to survive ultimately. For God said in Isaiah 42, I am the Lord God, and besides me there is none other, and my glory I will not share with another." What is he saying? I'm not going to tolerate another law system. I'm not going to tolerate another king. You see, folks, law is an expression of the king.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 23. Let me show you a case law that shows you the absolute distinction between God's law and man's law. In Deuteronomy 23, and before I read this passage, I'll tell you this little story. All my life, I was told and had heard people say that you shouldn't sell dogs. and that it was unbiblical to sell a dog. Now, what's so unbiblical about selling a dog? When I was a boy, every dog that I ever had was given to me. My daddy wouldn't buy a dog. Now, he couldn't tell me why. It's just that it's unbiblical. Well, here it is. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.

[John Weaver] God says, There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are abomination of the Lord thy God.

[John Weaver] Now they were right, it was unbiblical to sell a dog, but unhappily they were wrong when they suggested it was the four-legged kind. You see, the whore is the female prostitute and the male, sodomite or prostitute, God calls a dog. Now look what God says. Verse 18, thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are an abomination. It means it's a stench in God's nostrils unto the Lord thy God. Now, why in the world would God say, you're not to bring the hire of the whore or the price of a dog into the house of God? God would not accept the offerings, and God would not accept the sacrifices and the monies from a whore or a sodomite. Why?

[John Weaver] because that was an alien law system. God had said, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not. And if God then accepted that which was criminal and alien, then there would have been an air of acceptability given to it. And God says, no, their life And their law system is totally, completely alien to mine. I want nothing from them. And I will accept nothing from them.

[John Weaver] Now watch, if you would please. It was not sinners who was barred from giving, but rather the prophets of sin, which was unacceptable. A vow gives special sanctity to the gift. And to receive it would have given recognition to an alien Law order. Legitimacy, legal standing, honor and recognition cannot be given to that which is outside of God. Now, it is true that those who are outside of God may receive justice, but their gifts are unacceptable to God. God will not give legitimacy to an alien law structure.

[John Weaver] What have we done in this country? Well, we've made prostitution legal. We've made sodomy legal. We've made thievery legal, as long as you're a politician or a congressman, you see. We've made murder legal, as long as you do it before the child is born. In other words, we have given sin a legitimacy. Would you like to tell me why Al Capone got sent to prison? You remember? Taxes. What was Al Capone?

[John Weaver] He was a notorious, wicked, ungodly criminal. But he didn't pay his taxes on his crimes. And so, therefore, they sent him to prison for tax crimes, not because what he did was wrong as such, although that was true, but you didn't give us our share. When our government will take money from wicked, ungodly sins and criminal activities, it gives an air of legitimacy to it. It gives a recognition and a type of sanctity to it.

[John Weaver] God says, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to give. legitimate recognition to that which is alien and contrary to me.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point out the fact that this has real implications. You see, even the ancients recognized this. Everyone knows that Christians were executed and put to death in the Roman Empire. But you know, most labor under a false illusion. And they often think that Christians were put to death in the Roman Empire just merely because they were Christians. But that's not true. You see, in the Roman Empire, you could believe whatever you wanted to believe. If you wanted to worship Ashtaroth, have at it. If you wanted to worship Venus, go for it. If you wanted to worship Jesus Christ, wonderful, they could care less. They could care less. Christians were not put to death just for being Christians in the Roman Empire. Well, why were they put to death?

[John Weaver] Because every Roman citizen was required once a year to swear by the genius of Caesar. Once a year to say, Caesar is Lord. Caesar is boss, owner, master, sovereign. It's Caesar who gives me the liberty to believe what I want to believe and to do what I want to do. And the Christians refused to do that. Why? They would not acknowledge Caesar as Lord because they said Jesus Christ is Lord. And the Christians were put to death in the Roman Empire not just merely because they were Christians, but they were regarded now as traitors and treasonous to the state. In other words, there was an alien law structure that the Roman Empire was not willing to acknowledge. And the Roman Empire said, you're not politically correct.

[John Weaver] And so you either have to be reprogrammed or you have to be executed. You see, folks, a king rules by his law, by the way. Most people have never realized this, but do you realize that all law is a form of warfare? All law is a form of warfare. If you follow God's law, you are warring against everything that's contrary to God's law. If you follow man's law, then you're warring against everything that's contrary to man's law. Law is a form of warfare. And so consequently, If you go back to 1 Samuel chapter 8, there was not only a theocratic rejection, that is a rejection of God, there was a theonomic rejection, that is a rejection of God's law. And so consequently, as in Israel today in America, we've not only rejected God, we've rejected His law. We've traded God for a man. We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration. I'm serious, folks. Why? Because we are now at the point where we're willing to obey man rather than God.

[John Weaver] I want you to watch thirdly. There was, in verse 8, Not only a theocratic and a theonomic rejection, there was also a religious rejection, or if you want to put it this way, an idolatrous rejection. God says, according to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even in this day, where would they have forsaken Me and served other gods? You see, folks, you cannot forsake God. You cannot have a theonomic rejection. You cannot have a theocratic rejection without rejecting God.

[John Weaver] And what you do, you just merely trade religions. You trade gods. You swap. So there is indeed a religious rejection. And notice, fourthly, if you would, there is also a prophetical rejection. That is, there was rejection of God's man. He says in verse 8, in the latter part, he says,"...wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." Do you realize wherever there is rejection of God, there is always rejection of God's preachers?

[John Weaver] I've had people come up to me and say, Brother Weaver, I surely wish you could preach to Congress. You know, I just smiled and I said, well, I wish God would give me that opportunity as well. But you know what? It'd be like water off a duck's back. They wouldn't any more listen to me than they'd listen to a Junebug. No, because whenever there's rejection of God in God's law, there's always rejection of God's man. I got to preach to our state legislators in Atlanta, Georgia once. Once. Never got invited back. Well, that's all right.

[John Weaver] I preached on the truth, no king, but King Jesus. You follow what I'm saying? They don't want to hear that. They don't want to hear that they're responsible to obey God and God's law and to bring their lives in conformity to the word of God. What did Jesus Christ tell his disciples? He said, whosoever receiveth you, receiveth me. And he that receiveth Me, receiveth him that sent Me." So what is Christ saying? Christ is saying if you receive Him, you're receiving the Father who sent Him. He said if you receive My preachers, that is those I send in My name, He says you're receiving Me.

[John Weaver] But now watch, the opposite is also true. If you reject the preachers of Christ, you're rejecting Christ. And if you reject Christ, you're rejecting the Father who sent Christ. I remember when I was a boy, And that hadn't been too awfully long ago. I was raised on a farm, went to a country church, and I saw our pastor on numerous occasions walk up to three or four men, and those men were smoking. And when that pastor walked up, those men took those cigarettes out of their mouths, either held them behind their backs or dropped them to the ground and mashed them out. They were not trying to hide from the pastor.

[John Weaver] He knew that they smoked. They knew that he knew that they smoked. But the reason they were taking them out of their mouths was out of respect for him. Today, they'll only puff on them. They'll blow the smoke in your face if you are a preacher and cuss you out at the same time. Why? There's no respect for God's men. because there's no respect for God. What did he say? There is no fear of God before their eyes.

[John Weaver] Now let's try to analyze this, and I want to show you this from 1 Samuel 8. What are the consequences for a nation, for a people, for a society that rejects God and God's law and God's preachers? Well, look in verse 9. God tells Samuel, now therefore, hearken unto their voice. How be it yet protest solemnly unto them and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. You want a king, says God?

[John Weaver] I'm going to give you one. But here's what it's going to be like. Verse 11, and by the way, I want to read this and just emphasize one word, and then I'm going to come back and point some things out, OK? So just When I emphasize this with my voice, kind of underline it in your Bibles. Let's begin with verse 11. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you.

[John Weaver] He will take your sons and appoint them for himself or his chariots to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, and will set them near his ground and reap his harvest and make his instruments of war and his instruments of his chariots. And He will take your daughters to be confectionaries and to be cooks and to be bakers. And He will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to His servants. And He will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to His officers and to His servants. And He will take your men's servants and your maid's servants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to His work. And He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be His servants." Isn't that interesting? All God has ever done is give, give, give, give. God said, you want a king? I'm going to give him to you.

[John Weaver] And here's what He's going to do. He's going to take, take, take, take, take, take. Now look what He's going to take. First of all, in verse 11, there's going to be an unbiblical military conscription. This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for Himself. You see, under God's law, He couldn't do that. But under man's law, he could do that.

[John Weaver] What has happened in this country? Our sons and our daughters have been taken from us, unbiblically, and sent to fight in wars that we have no business even being in. I've got news for you. If Rockefeller wants his oil wells protected, let him hire his own mercenary forces and send them over there. But don't take my son to fight for his oil wells. Don't take my children for the United Nations. Don't take my children for some socialistic undertaking.

[John Weaver] But he says this is a consequence now of forsaking God's law. You're going to have an unbiblical military conscription. Your sons will be taken from you. Verse 12. compulsory labor battalions for state service. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, set them to ear his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his instruments of war, his instruments of chariots. And watch, he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. Verse 16, he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work. You say, I bless God, I don't work for the state. We have a constitution. Nobody is going to serve involuntarily.

[John Weaver] I got news for you. You serve involuntarily every day. And it's now in July before you can celebrate a tax-free day. You work. You're compelled to do so for the powers that be. Notice, if you would please, in verse 14, the state will expropriate property and land and livestock, and he will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

[John Weaver] Have you heard of eminent domain? I don't care if your farmer has been in the family for 250 years. If the state or the county wants to put a road right down the middle of it, they'll condemn it and take it, whether you want to sell it or not. Well, they'll pay you something for it, but that's immaterial. They will take it regardless, and that's exactly what he said. Do you realize under God's law, the king could not take anyone's property? But under man's law, he takes what he wants to take.

[John Weaver] Have you ever noticed how much land the federal government owns? There's nothing in the Constitution about the federal government owning any land anyhow, but they have thousands and thousands of acres. Nevada is practically owned by the federal government and many other states as well. Well, that's part of rejecting God. The state will expropriate the property for themselves. And then look in verses 15 and 17, because the state that plays God will demand a tithe.

[John Weaver] In Texas, verse 15, and he will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. Verse 17, he will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants. I would imagine everyone in this room tonight would be just so thankful if our government only took 10%. By the way, they shouldn't even have 10% because that's all God claims on the Levitical tithe is 10% and they're not God.

[John Weaver] But it's now over 50%. But when man wants to trade God for a man, God says, I'm going to let you have man, but you're going to suffer. And look what God says in v. 18,"...and you shall cry out in that day because of your king which shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." What's He saying? He is saying, I'm going to let you have what you wanted. until you get so sick and tired of it, you would to God you'd never have it. I don't know about you folks, but I had rather be under the ten laws of God with all of their pertinent case laws and applications. than I had under all the entire federal register, which no one could read or can read, even if he read 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he would never get through in his lifetime.

[John Weaver] And most of the laws today that men are convicted of breaking are unbiblical laws anyhow. They are what are known. That's malaprohibita, the Latin term. They're only wrong because man says don't do this or man says do. They're not violating the law of God. And I got news for you folks, if you want to get out of prison quickly or serve very little time, then you need to rob a bank or murder or rape somebody and you can get out rather quickly.

[John Weaver] But if you take a stand for righteousness against corrupt, wicked, ungodly government, they'll put you away for 20 years. What are we doing? We're reaping the consequences for trading God for a man and God's law for man's law. You're going to ask me a question and I'm going to try to answer it for you. You're going to say, but Brother Weaver, I'm sick to death. I'd rather be under God's law. I'd rather be the way things used to be than like they are now. Have you ever noticed? And I noticed this difference in my lifetime.

[John Weaver] But when I was a boy, people had time to visit with their neighbors. We had friends every Sunday come home with us from church. They would eat lunch with us. They would spend the afternoon together. They would eat supper with us and then we would go back to church on Sunday night. There had been days and nights when folks, our neighbors, would come down and sit on the porch and we would all talk and just have a good old time. When's the last time you've done something like that? And the answer is you can't remember because you don't have time. Because it takes both of you working now just to make a decent living. And when you do get home, you're too tired to do anything.

[John Weaver] That's part of the consequences for rejecting God and God's law. But you say, what can I do about it? Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. Here's one thing. Proverbs 28, verse 4. And by the way, I told you earlier that law is a form of warfare. Well, here it is plainly stated. Proverbs 28, verse 4. God says, they that forsake the law, that is God's law, they that forsake the law praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them. And the word contend means to fight against. God says, when you forsake My law, all you're doing is praising the wicked. But He said, when you keep My law, then you're fighting against the wicked.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, folks. You can't stop Bill Clinton, and you can't stop Congress, and you can't stop the Supreme Court, and the Appellate Court, and the District Court. No, you can't do that. You don't have the power or the ability. But one thing you do have, and that's power and ability to control yourself. And you can do what's right whether they do right or not.

[John Weaver] And your very righteous actions will condemn their unrighteous, unlawful and ungodly actions. If you forsake God's law, you're praising the wicked. But if you keep God's law, you're fighting against the wicked. You see, the problem is this, folks. We want an answer to our problems. that does not involve either repentance or obedience. And we will never get an answer except through repentance and obedience.

[John Weaver] Now, there's one other thing that you can do, and I'm going to show it to you. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. I like this passage. In Luke chapter 18, beginning with verse 1, And he, that is Christ, spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Saying there was in a city a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man. Note, he feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a wit in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards he thought within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this would trouble me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop there. Note this unjust judge did not fear God. He did not regard man. He had no interest in justice. He had no interest in righteousness. And he said, I'm going to avenge this woman. I'm going to give her what she wants. just to get her off my back. That's the only reason he avenged her. And look what our Lord said in v. 6. Look how He makes the application. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge saith, and shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily. You may not change Congress or the Supreme Court or the administration, but God can. And what you and I need to learn to do is to cry for justice and to cry for vengeance. And if you begin crying for justice and vengeance, it's going to do two things. Number one, it's going to make you live more godly and more holy. And number two, it's going to bring the wrath and the anger of God upon the wicked."

[John Weaver] Someone very piously says, well, Brother Weaver, I don't know whether I want to pray those imprecatory psalms or not. You ought to read some of those psalms. You ought to read Psalm 58. You ought to read Psalm 59. Do you know how David prayed concerning the wicked? Let me give you some of his prayer requests. Break their jaw, O God. Knock out their teeth, O Lord. Break their arm, O God." Wow! You see, when you break a man's arm, you've broken his power. When you break out his teeth and break his jaw bones, he can't survive. And what was David praying? David was praying, Lord, destroy them. either break their power and get rid of them or kill them. That's what David was praying. He said, Brother Weaver, I don't want to pray like that. Well, I'll tell you what you do.

[John Weaver] You just repeat what is commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer and the model prayer over and over. You just pray that prayer, okay? Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You know, you can't even pray that prayer without asking God to overthrow the wicked and to overthrow an alien law system and establish His kingdom and His righteousness. Isn't that amazing? You say, oh, Brother Weaver, I don't know if I could do that or not. Well, I tell you what, just pray for the Lord's return. You say, boy, I can do that. Great! Just pray for His return. You know what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 1, beginning with verse 7?

[John Weaver] And you who are troubled, rest with us. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for God to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom. But just remember, folks, it's got to start somewhere. And that obedience and that repentance must start with us. We must learn how to obey God personally. We must learn how to bring His law into focus in our lives and then in our families. We've got to learn to make restitution.

[John Weaver] I wish I had time to preach on that. You know, your kid breaks out your neighbor's window and the neighbor says, oh, well, that's all right. No, it's not all right. Your kid broke it out. Let him replace it. Let him pay for it. Why? Because that's biblical. That's right. That's assuming personal responsibility. We've got to bring God's law back into our lives. back into our families, back into our churches, and then finally, back into our civil government.

[John Weaver] It all depends on whether you want God or man. And I don't know about you, but personally, I'm sick to death of man. I want God. No king, but King Jesus. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank Thee for Your love, for Your mercy, and for Your grace. Give us, Lord, repentance. And may, Father, we turn from our sins and turn to Thee to serve the one true and the living God and to bring our lives into conformity and obedience. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask, Amen and Amen.

Trading God for a Man

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11150210813
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	Alien Law Systems
Genre	Sermon
Date	1999-12-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 003: Alien Law Systems: Trading God for a Man and Real Revival — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	103

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Reading of 1 Samuel 8

Weaver introduces the message and reads the entire chapter, setting the stage for understanding Israel's transition from God's rule to man's rule.

But I do want you to open your Bibles tonight to 1 Samuel 8. I'm going to be bringing a message, "Trading God for a Man," and I think you can find out exactly what is wrong in this country just from comparing what is going on in our land today with what happened in Israel in 1 Samuel 8. And let's take the time tonight to read the entire chapter, all 22 verses. 1 Samuel 8, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel." "Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, and the name of the second, Abiah, and they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways." "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Give us a king to judge us."

And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king, and he said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you." "He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them unto his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants." "And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king, which you shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Nay, but we will have a king to reign over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us."

"...and go out before us and fight our battles." And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, "Go ye to every man and to his city." Now let me begin by telling you that 1 Samuel chapter 8 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. Upon reading this, many people just simply view this as a historical account. But there is absolutely no way that you can understand 1 Samuel 8 and the following history of Israel, I might add, unless you understand that 1 Samuel 8 gives us a transition from one law structure to another. So what you have in 1 Samuel 8 is, in actuality, the law of God being replaced by the law of man. Now, this chapter will very quickly give you the four main consequences of rejecting the law of God.

The Transition from God's Law to Man's Law

1 Samuel 8 marks a shift from theonomy to autonomy, with four consequences: totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased cost of civil government.

I'm going to delineate these a little bit in detail later, but let me give them to you right now. God tells us that the first consequence of rejecting His law is totalitarianism. That is, we are going to stay in tyranny. The second consequence is oppression. I'll develop this later. The third is loss of liberty. And the fourth, of course, is the increased cost of civil government.

Now these four consequences have befallen Israel and befallen us today for the very same reason, because there is a rejection of God and His law. So the whole point then of chapter 8 is to show that a human king will always replace God and God's law and institute his own law, and consequently there will always be evils and injustice. Now, let me point out the fact that what has happened in 1 Samuel chapter 8 is this. Samuel himself was a godly man. He was a godly ruler. And note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 1, "It came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel."

The People's Demand for a King

The elders reject Samuel and his corrupt sons, demanding a king to be like other nations, revealing a desire to escape personal responsibility and conform to the world.

"Now, the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah, and they were judges." Note now, if you would please, "in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. And they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways." "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Now, I want you to note the fact that Samuel had judged Israel many years. He did, in fact, make his two sons judges. However, he did not necessarily condone their wickedness. And the people were literally blowing out of proportion the jurisdiction of the boys. For instance, if you'll note carefully in verse 2, the Bible names the two sons of Samuel, and he says, "and they were judges in Beersheba." Now, Beersheba is the southernmost city in the land.

It is a little, small, tiny, out-of-the-way place. So it is not like these two boys had jurisdiction over all the land per se. They were there in Beersheba. Now, the interesting thing is this. The whole situation could have been dealt with entirely different. And let me tell you something else that was probably a personal affront to Samuel. Samuel, you'll remember, had been a godly man. He had been given to the Lord by his mother Hannah. He had been raised in the temple. He had been taught the law of God. And thus he judged Israel honestly and openly. And by the way, Samuel told the people, he said, "You testify against me if I have taken from any man wrongly, if I have done anything wickedly." And they said, "Oh no, Samuel, you haven't done that."

"No, you've been honest and you've been upright." But note, if you would, "when Samuel was old." So what they're basically saying is that, "Samuel, we don't need you anymore. We don't think you can function now the way you used to function, and so what we're going to do is just simply reject you." May I point out the fact that that happens constantly in this land, and especially the preachers, especially the people who've been in the service of God. Isn't it strange that here is a man that can give his life to the Lord, and his life in a ministry, and his life to a people, and then all of a sudden when he gets sick, or when he gets old, all of a sudden they no longer need him, they no longer want him. He's a burden, and they just want to get rid of him. They could have said, "Look Samuel, your sons are wicked." Samuel knew that. "We want honest judges. We want men that's going to rule us according to the law of God."

No, they did not do that. They simply came to Samuel and said, "Look, we are demanding a king. We want a king." I want you to note why they wanted a king. Verse 5: "And they said unto him, Behold, I am old, and my sons walk not in thy ways." "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Listen, we talk about young people having peer pressure. You know, everybody around them pressures them to conform and to act like they act. It's not just teenagers that are afflicted with peer pressure. All you have to do is look at where you work normally and the people that you associate with. And you too have the pressure to conform to this world or to conform to the politically correct views of this world.

The Legitimacy of a King Under God's Conditions

God had permitted a king in Deuteronomy 17, but the people's motive and method were wrong; they wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security.

And if not, you're looked on very suspiciously, I might add. But note, if you would please, first of all, it was not necessarily wrong for these people to want a king. Let me explain that statement. Look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse 14. It was not necessarily wrong for them to want a king, but it was certainly wrong for the manner and the method that they used in order to acquire the king. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse 14, look if you would please what the Word of God says. Deuteronomy 17, verse 14: God tells the people, "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me." Hey, God knew in advance that they were going to ask for a king. But note what he says in verse 15: "...thou shalt set in any wise him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose."

"One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee who is not thy brother." And then God goes down in this passage and He outlines some of the qualifications for a civil ruler. So God understood that there would be a time that they wanted a king, but God was simply saying there are certain ways in order to get it that would be legitimate and lawful, not in the manner and not in the method that they did. Now, why did they want a king? Well, first of all, they say in verse 5 that we might be like all the nations. If you'll skip over to verse 20, they say "that we also may be like all the nations." That is, all these heathen nations have kings. By the way, you know, it never probably dawned on these people, when they were thinking, "We want a king like all the other heathen nations," it never dawned upon them that the other heathen nations were tyrannically ruled. And the people there were basically slaves. And the king was supreme. I don't understand, is there anybody in this room that really wants to have a government like that in Russia or like that in China? I certainly don't want anything like that. Why in the world would a supposedly Christian people or a godly people want something that was so absolutely contrary to the Word of God? But they say, "We want to be like all the other nations."

Ah, but here's why, watch: "that we also may be like all the nations, and that our King may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." In other words, here was the real motive. We don't want to take personal responsibility. You see, in Israel there was a citizen's militia. And the militia, by the way, fought when the country was invaded or when there was a lawful, legitimate cause to fight. As long as there was a citizen's militia, the king or the ruler could not involve the country in unnecessary war. But once a king got there and he had a standing army, then he could do whatever he wanted to do. Interesting, they said, "We want somebody who's going to fight our battles for us." You know, one of the sad things in this country is that we have lost a sense of responsibility. We want the government to provide for us. We want the Social Security. And we want the Medicare. And we want the Medicaid. And we want the food stamps.

And we want the workman's comp. Listen, I told our people not so long ago, I know how to get rid of socialism practically overnight. I could stop a lot of this governmental bureaucracy and waste overnight. All we have to do is refuse to take their handouts. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that simple? But you know what that means? That means I've got to learn how to save for myself.

I have to prepare in advance for my old age and possible sickness. I have to take care of myself if my car breaks down or if I lose my job. In other words, I have to learn personal responsibility. And these people are saying, "We don't want personal responsibility. We want someone who's going to take care of us." Did you notice that? And that's exactly the mentality of the people in this country. We want, from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the tomb, security in all things. We want the government.

And have you noticed that every time there's a problem, the standard line that is given is this: "They ought to do something about that." Who is the "they"? It's the government. "Let them do something about that." It's absolutely amazing. And these people said, "We do not want personal responsibility."

Now, when you get down to it, folks, that was the crux of the matter. They were not willing to take care of themselves. They were not willing to defend their families. They were not willing to defend their state or their nation. They wanted someone else to take care of that for them. And so they were demanding a king then, like all the other nations.

Theocratic Rejection: Rejecting God as King

God declares the people have rejected Him, not Samuel; Israel was a theocracy, and they traded God's merciful rule for man's tyranny.

Now, let me just show you the heart of 1 Samuel 8. I told you earlier, and I'm going to repeat it, because I want you to understand that you must see this chapter as a transition from one law structure to another. What was there in 1 Samuel 8 that is so pertinent and so applicable to our times today? Well, if you'll look, please, at verse 6. The Bible says, "But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee." Now watch clearly. For God says, "For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." The very first thing you see here is a theocratic rejection. Now, don't be afraid of the word "theocratic." The word "theos" in the Greek is the word "God." "Kratos" is "power." So, theocratic means basically the rule of God or the power of God.

You see, Israel had God as her king. It was a theocratic nation. You say, "Well, I don't believe that." Well, let me just show it to you in black and white. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 12. Of course, there are many other passages and many illustrations of it, but in 1 Samuel 12, notice if you would please, in verse 12, Samuel says, "...and when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your king." So God was the king of Israel. And what the people were saying is, "We no longer want God to be our king. We want a man to be king over us. We don't want the rule of God. We want the rule of man." Trading God for a man.

Now folks, let me tell you something. I believe David was correct when David had sinned and the prophet came to him and offered him three choices. And David said, "Let me fall into the hands of God and not in the hands of men." Why? Because God is far more merciful than man would ever be. And I might add that God is far more just than man would ever be.

But here was a theocratic rejection. We don't want God. You remember in Luke 19 what those wicked people said? And this was in reference to Christ. They said, "We will not have this man to reign over us." And isn't it absolutely amazing that in our day and time, after our country was founded and grounded upon Christian principles, even our government is based upon a biblical pattern. In Isaiah chapter 33, turn there. Look at it. Isaiah chapter 33.

Let me show this to you. Many of you probably already know it, but look at it. It's plain and simple. Isaiah chapter 33, and it's verse 22. Isaiah 33, verse 22. Look what the Bible says.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"For the Lord is our judge."

There is the judicial part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"The Lord is our lawgiver."

There's the legislative part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"The Lord is our king."

There's the executive part. "He will save us." And the executive and legislative and judicial aspects of our government was based upon this Scripture.

Theonomic Rejection: Rejecting God's Law

Rejecting God necessarily means rejecting His law; all law is religious, and America has shifted from Christian law to humanism.

Now, I've already told you that the word "theos" in the Greek is the word "God." That's where we get "theology" from, the study of God. But the word "nomos" is the Greek word for "law." So when we talk about a theonomic rejection, we're talking about a rejection of God's law. When God said in verse 7, "For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them." Here's a principle that you've got to remember. A king rules by his law. Law is an expression of the will of the king. If you will look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 12. 1 Samuel chapter 12. Let's begin reading with verse 12 again. "And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us. When the Lord your God was your king, now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired, and behold, the Lord had set a king over you. Now look, if you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and rebel not against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God." Now look what God says. God said, "Alright, I'm going to let you have a human king."

"But I want you to understand that that king is obligated and accountable and responsible to be biblical and scriptural, just like the people are." Now, God says as long as the King obeys Me and you obey Me, everything's going to work out just fine. Look down in verse 25. Look what He says. "But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your King." God says, "So now when your King does wrong and you do wrong, I'll just simply nail both of you." Now, God rules by His law. And so, when there was a rejection of God personally, there necessarily followed a rejection of His law. I'm going to explain this a little bit later, hopefully.

But, have you wondered why our country is so dead set against posting the Ten Commandments anywhere now? Why is so dead set against prayer and the Bible? Because, you see, whenever there is a rejection of God, there necessarily follows a rejection of His law. Now, let me just point something out. Law is inescapably religious. All law is inherently religious. There is no such thing as an unreligious law. There is no such thing as an unbiased or unprejudiced person. If you were to ask me tonight, "Well, Brother Weaver, which do you think of all these ladies in here tonight is the prettiest?" I would have to say my wife. Now, let me admit something. I'm prejudiced.

But I would hope that every husband in here would disagree with me. You follow me? Every husband ought to think that his wife would be the prettiest lady here tonight. But you know the reason he would think that? It's because he's prejudiced. There is no such thing as being unbiased. When the Supreme Court or when the Congress or any politician says, "Well now, we're just trying to be neutral in this matter and we're trying to be unbiased and we're unprejudiced," that's a bunch of hogwash. Law is inherently religious. Law is inescapably religious. How can that be?

Let me tell you how. Any legislator that passes a law, when he looks at that law, he has to determine whether it is a good law or a bad law. Whether the bill is good or whether the bill is bad. Do you realize that his determination of good and bad is based upon his religion? And it doesn't matter whether it's a Christian religion or a pagan religion, it's still based upon his religion. All law is inherently and inescapably religious. Now, you may have Christian law or you may have heathenistic law, but it is still religious.

You say, "But now, Brother Weaver, you've got to understand that's not the way I've been taught." Whether that's the way you've been taught or not is immaterial. The truth is, all law is inherently and inescapably religious. Now, let me tell you something else. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. When you change from God's law to man's law, you have changed from theonomy to autonomy or humanism. You've changed from God to man. When you change from Christian law to a pagan law, whatever pagan religion it is, whether it's Shintoism or Buddhism, it doesn't matter. You have a change in religion.

Some of you will remember this. Some of you will not. But as far back as when Bobby Kennedy was attorney general of the United States, Bobby Kennedy said that humanism was the official religion of America. Bobby Kennedy. Humanism, the official religion of America. You see, what most of us have never realized is this. Back when all of our seminaries were turning out liberal preachers, modernistic preachers, preachers who denied the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, oh, we were horrified. How could anyone say such things? But what we did not realize, when there was a revolution going on in religion, at the same time there was a revolution going on in the legal field, in law, and we were turning from common law, from the law of the Scripture, to another religion that is basically to humanism.

The Inescapably Religious Nature of Law

Law is inherently religious; any change in law is a change in religion. The Supreme Court and Congress impose a humanistic religion, and there is no neutrality.

That's why until up until about 1950s, you will find all kind of court rulings saying that this is a Christian nation, that it was based upon Christian principles. But after that, there's an absolute total denial of those facts and that reality. Now, since law is inherently religious, and since any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change of religion, therefore, there cannot be as such any disestablishment of religion. There has been no disestablishment of religion. We still have religion in this country. It's just not Christianity. We have a new religion. The New Age religion. The religion of Greenpeace. The religion of man. Back to Mother Earth. You've seen these bumper stickers, "Be Sweet to Your Mother," and there's the picture of the earth.

I've got news for you. Mother Earth is not my mother. And I cringe every time I even hear Weatherman talk about Mother Nature. Mother Nature is not a mother. God created the earth and God created the weather. But what we're doing is we're being prepared to accept the new religion.

Now, let me tell you something, folks. There cannot be a disestablishment of religion. You cannot have an established church? Well, you could have. The states had that power to do so, but the federal government did not have that right to do so. The states could have made, if they so chose, the Baptist church their official religion or the Episcopal church or the Presbyterian church, etc. But the federal government had nothing to do with that. Now, let me show you something. You do not necessarily have to have a federal church like the whole country. Officially, we're the Baptist church.

No, you don't have to have that. But there is no way that the federal government can say that we're unbiased. We're unprejudiced. We don't put our stamp of approval on any religion. Let me tell you, when you do not put your stamp of approval on any religion, you have just placed your stamp of approval upon irreligion or atheism. You're going to have a religion. It may not be the Christian religion, but you're going to have a religion.

Now, listen to me carefully. If you want to find out who the God of a society is or the God of a civilization, then you need to study the source of one's law. An interesting thing is when archaeologists and anthropologists go into these places where they're going to be excavating the ruins of past civilizations, one of the first things they try to figure out is that civilization's source of law. Because if they can ever determine that civilization's source of law, then they know who the God of that society was. They then know the religion of that society. Do you realize if you, in reality, believe that the Supreme Court is the highest authority in this land, then the Supreme Court is your God. I've got news for you. The Supreme Court is not the highest authority in this land. And I've got more news for you. The Supreme Court is not even the sole interpreter of the Constitution. We the people are to be the interpreters of the Constitution. We're the ones that says you're either right or wrong. It's kind of like Benito Mussolini. When he was told that the Pope did not like his involvement in World War II, Benito Mussolini responded, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" How many divisions does the Supreme Court have? The fact is the Supreme Court could do nothing if the people in this country disregarded everything that they said. They don't have enough divisions.

Now, the point is, folks, whoever is your source of law is basically your God. If we derive our law from the Word of God, then God is our God. If we derive our law from Congress or the Supreme Court, then they're our gods. If we derive our law from our own minds, then we're idolaters again because we're making ourselves God. And by the way, the only reason people deny the law of God is so that they may establish their own law. Everyone has to have a law, has to have a standard, has to have an ultimate. And the only reason you deny God is so that you may establish your own.

Intolerance of Competing Law Systems

God is intolerant of other gods and laws; toleration is a device to introduce a new law system, which then becomes intolerant. Israel's idolatry was evidenced by obeying heathen laws.

Learn another truth tonight, and that is this. There cannot be a tolerance for another law structure or another religion. Do you realize that God is the most intolerant being there is? Now, I want you to think about this. Help me out. Maybe I don't remember correctly, but I believe when the children of Israel went into the land, God said, "You kill all the pagans. Overthrow their altars. Tear down their temples. Destroy everything that they had that was religious." He said, "If you don't, it's going to be a snare unto you." What was God saying? God was saying in essence, "I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God."

"I will not put up with another law system." Now, listen to me very carefully. Some of you will remember the cry in the 60's and the 70's was for toleration. You remember that? "You've got to be tolerant." Toleration is a device used to introduce a new law system. And once that law system is in place, then there is a new intolerance. Because the law system is not going to tolerate a competitor. Let me show you.

Turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let me show you the distinction between law systems. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let's begin reading with verse 7. Here is one of the plain reasons why Israel went into captivity. Look what God says. "For it was so that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Now let's just stop there for a moment. How do we know that Israel feared other gods?

Let me ask that a little more personally. How do you know that you fear the one true and the living God? How do you know that you don't fear a false god? Well, let's look and find out. Let's read verse 7 again. "For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Here's how we know they feared other gods: "and walked in the statutes," that is, in the laws of the heathen whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made." God said, "I know that you feared other gods, and the way that I know that is you are obeying the laws of those heathenistic gods and those heathenistic kings that made those laws. Even the kings of Israel adopted those heathenistic laws, and you're obeying them. You're not obeying Me. You're not walking in My commandments."

Now, if that's not plain enough, skip down, if you would please, to verse 19. Look in verse 19, and here the Bible says, "...also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made." Even Judah said, "We don't want God. We won't take His law. We're going to walk in the statutes of the heathen." Let's begin with verse 15. Here it is: "...and they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them. And they followed vanity..." That is, idolatry. "...and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove and worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served Baal." And then he goes on to tell everything that children of Israel did. How do we know they did not fear God?

Because they obeyed the laws of a false god. How do you know that you fear God? Because you obey His laws. If you fear God, you obey His law. There are no people who fear God that run around committing adultery and fornication and murdering. Why? Because if we fear God, we know God says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal." You follow what I'm saying? If you fear God, you obey Him.

Practical Implications: Legitimizing Sin

God refuses to accept offerings from prostitutes or sodomites because it would legitimize an alien law system; America legitimizes sin through legalization and taxation.

What did our Lord say in Luke 6 and verse 46? "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" The word "Lord" is the Greek word "kyrios." It means boss, owner, master, sovereign. If I'm your master, if I'm your sovereign, says Christ, you will obey me. If you do not obey Me, it's evidence that I'm not your boss, I'm not your sovereign. Let me tell you the significance of Acts 4 and verse 12. Many of you in here can quote that. You remember Peter said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:12

"There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." And that name is the name of Jesus Christ. What was Peter doing when he said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"

? You have to know the history of that verse. Did you know that in 30 BC, about 30 years before Christ was born, a strange star shone in the heavens, and Augustus Caesar had himself proclaimed God? And he sent his messengers around the Roman Empire with this message which they proclaimed in every village, in every city of his domain. Here's what they said: "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Augustus Caesar." And when Peter said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ," He was declaring war on Augustus Caesar and the ones who followed him and the Roman Empire.

What was Peter saying? "We're instituting a new law system under a new king, and that king is King Jesus." Now, let me show you how this has a practical effect. Some of you will remember this when Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United States. And I will go ahead and apologize to you folks since he was from Georgia. There was a big billboard for years that stood on Interstate 75 that said this. By the way, it was the farmers of Georgia that helped elect Jimmy Carter. And this big, huge billboard said, "We, the farmers of Georgia, wished to apologize to our fellow Americans for helping to elect Jimmy Carter president of the United States."

It stayed there the whole time he was in office after, you know, the first year or so. But when Jimmy Carter was running for president, he had an interview with Playboy magazine, and oh, it just shocked everybody that he would have an interview with Playboy magazine. And in that interview, he confessed that he had lusted in his heart. Oh, you should have heard the good, pietistic Christians that were so upset. He said, "He's lusted in his heart." Hey, I have no problem with that. I'm a sinner and you're a sinner. You've lusted in your heart. I've lusted in my heart. Be honest. That didn't upset me at all. What upset me did not upset the other Christians. Because in that same interview, he promised that if he were elected President of the United States, he would not allow his Christianity to interfere with his office.

Now, he kept that promise. That was one promise he kept. What was he saying? He was saying, "I'm not a real Christian because I'm not going to obey the law of my sovereign. I'm not going to obey the law of my king." There's a Roman Catholic scholar by the name of Cunelt-Ledin. And I usually apologize to people because it had to be a Roman Catholic scholar that pointed this out, but it's still the truth. Cunelt-Ledin said that there is a struggle in this country. Listen carefully. He said, "There are two men that are locked in a life and death struggle. Only one will emerge victorious. Only one will live. One will die." He says those two men who are locked in a life and death struggle are John Calvin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. What did Cunelt-Ledin mean? John Calvin was the famous Calvinist, the theologian, who believed and taught in God's absolute sovereignty.

And he said everything revolved around God. That God was the center. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the leading humanist. And he says that everything revolves around man. Anthropocentric. Man-centered. And he, Kunelt-Ledin, said, "You have these two theologies, these two philosophies, that which places God as sovereign and that which places man as sovereign, locked in mortal combat. And only one will survive." And I've got news for you folks. That's exactly the truth. But I'm here to tell you, I know which one's going to survive ultimately. For God said in Isaiah 42, "I am the Lord God, and besides me there is none other, and my glory I will not share with another." What is he saying? "I'm not going to tolerate another law system. I'm not going to tolerate another king." You see, folks, law is an expression of the king.

Now, let me show you, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 23. Let me show you a case law that shows you the absolute distinction between God's law and man's law. In Deuteronomy 23, and before I read this passage, I'll tell you this little story. All my life, I was told and had heard people say that you shouldn't sell dogs and that it was unbiblical to sell a dog. Now, what's so unbiblical about selling a dog? When I was a boy, every dog that I ever had was given to me. My daddy wouldn't buy a dog. Now, he couldn't tell me why. It's just that it's unbiblical. Well, here it is. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.

God says, "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are abomination of the Lord thy God." Now they were right, it was unbiblical to sell a dog, but unhappily they were wrong when they suggested it was the four-legged kind. You see, the whore is the female prostitute and the male, sodomite or prostitute, God calls a dog. Now look what God says. Verse 18: "Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are an abomination." It means it's a stench in God's nostrils unto the Lord thy God. Now, why in the world would God say, "You're not to bring the hire of the whore or the price of a dog into the house of God"? God would not accept the offerings, and God would not accept the sacrifices and the monies from a whore or a sodomite. Why?

Because that was an alien law system. God had said, "Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not." And if God then accepted that which was criminal and alien, then there would have been an air of acceptability given to it. And God says, "No, their life and their law system is totally, completely alien to mine. I want nothing from them. And I will accept nothing from them."

Now watch, if you would please. It was not sinners who was barred from giving, but rather the prophets of sin, which was unacceptable. A vow gives special sanctity to the gift. And to receive it would have given recognition to an alien law order. Legitimacy, legal standing, honor and recognition cannot be given to that which is outside of God. Now, it is true that those who are outside of God may receive justice, but their gifts are unacceptable to God. God will not give legitimacy to an alien law structure.

What have we done in this country? Well, we've made prostitution legal. We've made sodomy legal. We've made thievery legal, as long as you're a politician or a congressman, you see. We've made murder legal, as long as you do it before the child is born. In other words, we have given sin a legitimacy. Would you like to tell me why Al Capone got sent to prison? You remember? Taxes. What was Al Capone?

He was a notorious, wicked, ungodly criminal. But he didn't pay his taxes on his crimes. And so, therefore, they sent him to prison for tax crimes, not because what he did was wrong as such, although that was true, but "you didn't give us our share." When our government will take money from wicked, ungodly sins and criminal activities, it gives an air of legitimacy to it. It gives a recognition and a type of sanctity to it. God says, "I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to give legitimate recognition to that which is alien and contrary to me."

Now, let me just point out the fact that this has real implications. You see, even the ancients recognized this. Everyone knows that Christians were executed and put to death in the Roman Empire. But you know, most labor under a false illusion. And they often think that Christians were put to death in the Roman Empire just merely because they were Christians. But that's not true. You see, in the Roman Empire, you could believe whatever you wanted to believe. If you wanted to worship Ashtaroth, have at it. If you wanted to worship Venus, go for it. If you wanted to worship Jesus Christ, wonderful, they could care less. They could care less. Christians were not put to death just for being Christians in the Roman Empire. Well, why were they put to death?

Consequences of Rejecting God's Rule

God warns through Samuel that a human king will take sons, daughters, property, and tithes, leading to oppression and unanswered cries.

"I'm going to give you one. But here's what it's going to be like." Verse 11, and by the way, I want to read this and just emphasize one word, and then I'm going to come back and point some things out, OK? So just when I emphasize this with my voice, kind of underline it in your Bibles. Let's begin with verse 11. "And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you." "He will take your sons and appoint them for himself or his chariots to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, and will set them near his ground and reap his harvest and make his instruments of war and his instruments of his chariots. And He will take your daughters to be confectionaries and to be cooks and to be bakers. And He will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to His servants. And He will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to His officers and to His servants. And He will take your men's servants and your maid's servants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to His work. And He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be His servants." Isn't that interesting? All God has ever done is give, give, give, give. God said, "You want a king? I'm going to give him to you."

"And here's what He's going to do. He's going to take, take, take, take, take, take." Now look what He's going to take. First of all, in verse 11, there's going to be an unbiblical military conscription. "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for Himself." You see, under God's law, He couldn't do that. But under man's law, he could do that. What has happened in this country? Our sons and our daughters have been taken from us, unbiblically, and sent to fight in wars that we have no business even being in. I've got news for you. If Rockefeller wants his oil wells protected, let him hire his own mercenary forces and send them over there. But don't take my son to fight for his oil wells. Don't take my children for the United Nations. Don't take my children for some socialistic undertaking.

But he says this is a consequence now of forsaking God's law. You're going to have an unbiblical military conscription. Your sons will be taken from you. Verse 12: compulsory labor battalions for state service. "And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, set them to ear his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his instruments of war, his instruments of chariots. And watch, he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers." Verse 16: "He will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work." You say, "I bless God, I don't work for the state. We have a constitution. Nobody is going to serve involuntarily."

I got news for you. You serve involuntarily every day. And it's now in July before you can celebrate a tax-free day. You work. You're compelled to do so for the powers that be. Notice, if you would please, in verse 14, the state will expropriate property and land and livestock: "And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants." Have you heard of eminent domain? I don't care if your farmer has been in the family for 250 years. If the state or the county wants to put a road right down the middle of it, they'll condemn it and take it, whether you want to sell it or not. Well, they'll pay you something for it, but that's immaterial. They will take it regardless, and that's exactly what he said. Do you realize under God's law, the king could not take anyone's property? But under man's law, he takes what he wants to take.

Have you ever noticed how much land the federal government owns? There's nothing in the Constitution about the federal government owning any land anyhow, but they have thousands and thousands of acres. Nevada is practically owned by the federal government and many other states as well. Well, that's part of rejecting God. The state will expropriate the property for themselves. And then look in verses 15 and 17, because the state that plays God will demand a tithe. In verse 15: "And he will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants." Verse 17: "He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants." I would imagine everyone in this room tonight would be just so thankful if our government only took 10%. By the way, they shouldn't even have 10% because that's all God claims on the Levitical tithe is 10% and they're not God.

But it's now over 50%. But when man wants to trade God for a man, God says, "I'm going to let you have man, but you're going to suffer." And look what God says in verse 18: "...and you shall cry out in that day because of your king which shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." What's He saying? He is saying, "I'm going to let you have what you wanted, until you get so sick and tired of it, you would to God you'd never have it." I don't know about you folks, but I had rather be under the ten laws of God with all of their pertinent case laws and applications than I had under all the entire federal register, which no one could read or can read, even if he read 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he would never get through in his lifetime.

Call to Repentance and Action

Believers must keep God's law to contend with the wicked, pray persistently for justice, and start personal obedience and restitution to restore God's order.

But when I was a boy, people had time to visit with their neighbors. We had friends every Sunday come home with us from church. They would eat lunch with us. They would spend the afternoon together. They would eat supper with us and then we would go back to church on Sunday night. There had been days and nights when folks, our neighbors, would come down and sit on the porch and we would all talk and just have a good old time. When's the last time you've done something like that? And the answer is you can't remember because you don't have time. Because it takes both of you working now just to make a decent living. And when you do get home, you're too tired to do anything.

That's part of the consequences for rejecting God and God's law. But you say, "What can I do about it?" Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. Here's one thing. Proverbs 28, verse 4. And by the way, I told you earlier that law is a form of warfare. Well, here it is plainly stated. Proverbs 28, verse 4. God says, "They that forsake the law," that is God's law, "they that forsake the law praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them." And the word "contend" means to fight against. God says, "When you forsake My law, all you're doing is praising the wicked. But He said, when you keep My law, then you're fighting against the wicked."

Let me tell you something, folks. You can't stop Bill Clinton, and you can't stop Congress, and you can't stop the Supreme Court, and the Appellate Court, and the District Court. No, you can't do that. You don't have the power or the ability. But one thing you do have, and that's power and ability to control yourself. And you can do what's right whether they do right or not. And your very righteous actions will condemn their unrighteous, unlawful and ungodly actions. If you forsake God's law, you're praising the wicked. But if you keep God's law, you're fighting against the wicked. You see, the problem is this, folks. We want an answer to our problems that does not involve either repentance or obedience. And we will never get an answer except through repentance and obedience.

Now, there's one other thing that you can do, and I'm going to show it to you. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. I like this passage. In Luke chapter 18, beginning with verse 1: "And he," that is Christ,

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Saying there was in a city a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man."

Note, he feared not God, neither regarded man.

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards he thought within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Now, let me just stop there. Note this unjust judge did not fear God. He did not regard man. He had no interest in justice. He had no interest in righteousness. And he said, "I'm going to avenge this woman. I'm going to give her what she wants, just to get her off my back." That's the only reason he avenged her. And look what our Lord said in verse 6. Look how He makes the application. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily." You may not change Congress or the Supreme Court or the administration, but God can. And what you and I need to learn to do is to cry for justice and to cry for vengeance. And if you begin crying for justice and vengeance, it's going to do two things. Number one, it's going to make you live more godly and more holy. And number two, it's going to bring the wrath and the anger of God upon the wicked.

Someone very piously says, "Well, Brother Weaver, I don't know whether I want to pray those imprecatory psalms or not." You ought to read some of those psalms. You ought to read Psalm 58. You ought to read Psalm 59. Do you know how David prayed concerning the wicked? Let me give you some of his prayer requests. "Break their jaw, O God. Knock out their teeth, O Lord. Break their arm, O God." Wow! You see, when you break a man's arm, you've broken his power. When you break out his teeth and break his jaw bones, he can't survive. And what was David praying? David was praying, "Lord, destroy them. Either break their power and get rid of them or kill them." That's what David was praying. He said, "Brother Weaver, I don't want to pray like that." Well, I'll tell you what you do.

You just repeat what is commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer and the model prayer over and over. You just pray that prayer, okay? "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You know, you can't even pray that prayer without asking God to overthrow the wicked and to overthrow an alien law system and establish His kingdom and His righteousness. Isn't that amazing? You say, "Oh, Brother Weaver, I don't know if I could do that or not." Well, I tell you what, just pray for the Lord's return. You say, "Boy, I can do that. Great! Just pray for His return." You know what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 1, beginning with verse 7?

"And you who are troubled, rest with us. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." You cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for God to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom. But just remember, folks, it's got to start somewhere. And that obedience and that repentance must start with us. We must learn how to obey God personally. We must learn how to bring His law into focus in our lives and then in our families. We've got to learn to make restitution.

I wish I had time to preach on that. You know, your kid breaks out your neighbor's window and the neighbor says, "Oh, well, that's all right." No, it's not all right. Your kid broke it out. Let him replace it. Let him pay for it. Why? Because that's biblical. That's right. That's assuming personal responsibility. We've got to bring God's law back into our lives, back into our families, back into our churches, and then finally, back into our civil government.

Conclusion: Choosing God Over Man

Weaver concludes with a prayer for repentance and a declaration of allegiance to King Jesus alone.

It all depends on whether you want God or man. And I don't know about you, but personally, I'm sick to death of man. I want God. No king, but King Jesus. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank Thee for Your love, for Your mercy, and for Your grace. Give us, Lord, repentance. And may, Father, we turn from our sins and turn to Thee to serve the one true and the living God and to bring our lives into conformity and obedience. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask, Amen and Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Rejection of God's Rule

Summary: Israel's demand for a king was a rejection of God as their sovereign, trading divine rule for human tyranny.

Evidence: Verse 7: 'they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.'

Rejection of God's Law

Summary: Rejecting God inherently means rejecting His law, leading to the adoption of man-made, humanistic law.

Evidence: God says in verse 7 that rejecting Him means rejecting His reign, which is exercised through His law.

The Religious Nature of Law

Summary: All law is inescapably religious; a change in law is a change in religion, and America has shifted from Christianity to humanism.

Evidence: Any legislator's determination of good or bad is based on his religion; law is inherently religious.

Consequences of Humanistic Government

Summary: A human king brings totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased taxation, as warned in 1 Samuel 8.

Evidence: Verses 11-17 detail the king taking sons, daughters, fields, and tithes; verse 18 says God will not hear their cry.

Personal Responsibility and Obedience

Summary: Believers must obey God's law personally, contend with the wicked, and pray for justice rather than relying on government.

Evidence: Proverbs 28:4: 'they that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.'

The Call to Repentance

Summary: The solution to national decay is repentance and obedience starting with individuals, families, and churches.

Evidence: We must learn to obey God personally and bring His law into our lives and families.

Key Arguments

1 Samuel 8 is a transition from God's law to man's law

Summary: The chapter is not just history but a pivotal shift from theonomy to autonomy, with dire consequences.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'there is absolutely no way that you can understand 1 Samuel 8... unless you understand that 1 Samuel 8 gives us a transition from one law structure to another.'

The people's motive was to escape personal responsibility

Summary: They wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security, reflecting a desire to avoid self-governance.

Evidence: They said, 'that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.'

Rejecting God means rejecting His law

Summary: A king rules by his law; rejecting God's reign necessarily entails rejecting His commandments.

Evidence: God says, 'they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.' Law is the expression of the king's will.

All law is religious and intolerant of competitors

Summary: There is no neutral law; every legal system reflects a religion, and God does not tolerate rival law systems.

Evidence: God commanded Israel to destroy pagan altars; He is a jealous God who will not share His glory.

America has traded God for man

Summary: The U.S. has rejected God's law for humanistic law, evidenced by legalized sin and unbiblical government overreach.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration... we're willing to obey man rather than God.'

Obedience to God's law is warfare against wickedness

Summary: Keeping God's law contends with the wicked; forsaking it praises them. Personal righteousness is a form of resistance.

Evidence: Proverbs 28:4: 'they that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.'

Prayer for justice is essential

Summary: Believers should persistently pray for God to avenge His elect and overthrow wicked rulers, as in the parable of the unjust judge.

Evidence: Luke 18:1-8 teaches that God will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 8:1-22

Context: The entire chapter is read and forms the basis of the sermon.

Deuteronomy 17:14-15

Context: God permitted a king but with conditions; the people's method was wrong.

1 Samuel 12:12

Context: Samuel reminds Israel that God was their king.

Isaiah 33:22

Context: The Lord is judge, lawgiver, and king; the U.S. government was based on this pattern.

1 Samuel 12:14-15, 25

Context: God holds both king and people accountable to His law.

2 Kings 17:7-19

Context: Israel's idolatry was evidenced by obeying heathen statutes.

Luke 6:46

Context: Calling Jesus Lord means obeying Him; disobedience proves He is not Lord.

Acts 4:12

Context: Peter declared Jesus as the only name for salvation, opposing Caesar's claim.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18

Context: God forbids accepting offerings from prostitutes or sodomites to avoid legitimizing an alien law system.

Proverbs 28:4

Context: Forsaking God's law praises the wicked; keeping it contends with them.

Luke 18:1-8

Context: The parable of the unjust judge teaches persistent prayer for justice.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8

Context: Praying for Christ's return is praying for vengeance on the disobedient.

Historical References

Augustus Caesar proclaimed as god

Context: Around 30 BC, Augustus had himself proclaimed god, and his messengers declared 'there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.'

Roman Empire persecution of Christians

Context: Christians were executed not merely for being Christians but for refusing to swear 'Caesar is Lord,' thus being seen as traitors.

Bobby Kennedy's statement on humanism

Context: As attorney general, Bobby Kennedy said humanism was the official religion of America.

Jimmy Carter's Playboy interview

Context: Carter promised not to let his Christianity interfere with his office, which Weaver cites as rejecting God's law.

John Calvin vs. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Context: Scholar Cunelt-Ledin described a life-and-death struggle between Calvin's God-centered theology and Rousseau's man-centered humanism.

Al Capone's imprisonment

Context: Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion, not his crimes, illustrating how government legitimizes sin by taxing it.

Important Quotes

they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Significance: God's direct statement that Israel's demand for a king was a rejection of His own kingship.

Law is inescapably religious. All law is inherently religious.

Significance: Core thesis that every legal system reflects a religious foundation, denying neutrality.

Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion.

Significance: Argues that shifting from God's law to man's law is a religious revolution.

There cannot be a tolerance for another law structure or another religion. Do you realize that God is the most intolerant being there is?

Significance: Highlights God's exclusive claim and the impossibility of religious pluralism in law.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Significance: Key application verse showing that obedience to God's law is active resistance to evil.

We've traded God for a man. We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration.

Significance: Direct application of the sermon's title to contemporary American politics.

No king, but King Jesus.

Significance: Concluding declaration of ultimate allegiance to Christ alone.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do we, like Israel, demand a 'king' to escape personal responsibility?

Context: The people wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security.

How does the statement 'all law is inherently religious' challenge the idea of a secular government?

Context: Weaver argues that every law reflects someone's religion.

What are the practical consequences of rejecting God's law in our society today?

Context: The sermon lists totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased taxation.

How should Christians respond when government legitimizes sin (e.g., legalized abortion, gambling)?

Context: God refused to accept offerings from prostitutes to avoid legitimizing their law system.

What does it mean to 'contend with the wicked' by keeping God's law in our personal lives?

Context: Proverbs 28:4 is cited as a call to active obedience as warfare.

Is it biblical to pray for God's judgment on wicked rulers? How does Luke 18 inform this?

Context: The parable of the unjust judge encourages persistent prayer for justice.

Applications

Personal obedience to God's law

Summary: Believers must learn to obey God personally and bring His law into their lives and families.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must learn how to obey God personally. We must learn how to bring His law into focus in our lives and then in our families.'

Refuse government handouts to combat socialism

Summary: By refusing to take government aid, Christians can reduce bureaucracy and learn personal responsibility.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'All we have to do is refuse to take their handouts... I have to learn personal responsibility.'

Make restitution for wrongs

Summary: When a child breaks a neighbor's window, the child should replace it, teaching biblical responsibility.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Your kid broke it out. Let him replace it. Let him pay for it. Why? Because that's biblical.'

Pray persistently for justice and God's vengeance

Summary: Christians should cry day and night for God to avenge His elect and overthrow wickedness.

Evidence: Luke 18:1-8 is applied: 'you and I need to learn to do is to cry for justice and to cry for vengeance.'

Contend with the wicked by keeping God's law

Summary: Obedience to God's law is a form of warfare against evil; personal righteousness condemns unrighteousness.

Evidence: Proverbs 28:4: 'such as keep the law contend with them.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:47:14Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:55:17Z

Clean Transcript

Trading God for a Man

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

But I do want you to open your Bibles tonight to 1 Samuel 8. I'm going to be bringing a message, "Trading God for a Man," and I think you can find out exactly what is wrong in this country just from comparing what is going on in our land today with what happened in Israel in 1 Samuel 8. And let's take the time tonight to read the entire chapter, all 22 verses. 1 Samuel 8, verse 1: "And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel."
#1 | 0:00 to 0:33 | cleaned
"Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, and the name of the second, Abiah, and they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways."
#2 | 0:33 to 0:55 | cleaned
"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, "Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them." And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king, and he said, "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you."
#3 | 0:55 to 1:45 | cleaned
"He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them unto his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants."
#4 | 1:45 to 2:21 | cleaned
"And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king, which you shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day." Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, "Nay, but we will have a king to reign over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us."
#5 | 2:22 to 2:50 | cleaned
"...and go out before us and fight our battles." And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, "Go ye to every man and to his city." Now let me begin by telling you that 1 Samuel chapter 8 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. Upon reading this, many people just simply view this as a historical account. But there is absolutely no way that you can understand 1 Samuel 8 and the following history of Israel, I might add, unless you understand that 1 Samuel 8 gives us a transition from one law structure to another. So what you have in 1 Samuel 8 is, in actuality, the law of God being replaced by the law of man. Now, this chapter will very quickly give you the four main consequences of rejecting the law of God.
#6 | 2:50 to 3:55 | cleaned
I'm going to delineate these a little bit in detail later, but let me give them to you right now. God tells us that the first consequence of rejecting His law is totalitarianism. That is, we are going to stay in tyranny. The second consequence is oppression. I'll develop this later. The third is loss of liberty. And the fourth, of course, is the increased cost of civil government.
#7 | 3:55 to 4:24 | cleaned
Now these four consequences have befallen Israel and befallen us today for the very same reason, because there is a rejection of God and His law. So the whole point then of chapter 8 is to show that a human king will always replace God and God's law and institute his own law, and consequently there will always be evils and injustice. Now, let me point out the fact that what has happened in 1 Samuel chapter 8 is this. Samuel himself was a godly man. He was a godly ruler. And note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 1, "It came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel."
#8 | 4:24 to 5:09 | cleaned
"Now, the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah, and they were judges." Note now, if you would please, "in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. And they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways."
#9 | 5:10 to 5:34 | cleaned
"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Now, I want you to note the fact that Samuel had judged Israel many years. He did, in fact, make his two sons judges. However, he did not necessarily condone their wickedness. And the people were literally blowing out of proportion the jurisdiction of the boys. For instance, if you'll note carefully in verse 2, the Bible names the two sons of Samuel, and he says, "and they were judges in Beersheba." Now, Beersheba is the southernmost city in the land.
#10 | 5:35 to 6:11 | cleaned
It is a little, small, tiny, out-of-the-way place. So it is not like these two boys had jurisdiction over all the land per se. They were there in Beersheba.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. The whole situation could have been dealt with entirely different. And let me tell you something else that was probably a personal affront to Samuel. Samuel, you'll remember, had been a godly man. He had been given to the Lord by his mother Hannah. He had been raised in the temple. He had been taught the law of God. And thus he judged Israel honestly and openly. And by the way, Samuel told the people, he said, "You testify against me if I have taken from any man wrongly, if I have done anything wickedly." And they said, "Oh no, Samuel, you haven't done that."
#12 | 6:24 to 7:00 | cleaned
"No, you've been honest and you've been upright." But note, if you would, "when Samuel was old." So what they're basically saying is that, "Samuel, we don't need you anymore. We don't think you can function now the way you used to function, and so what we're going to do is just simply reject you." May I point out the fact that that happens constantly in this land, and especially the preachers, especially the people who've been in the service of God. Isn't it strange that here is a man that can give his life to the Lord, and his life in a ministry, and his life to a people, and then all of a sudden when he gets sick, or when he gets old, all of a sudden they no longer need him, they no longer want him. He's a burden, and they just want to get rid of him. They could have said, "Look Samuel, your sons are wicked." Samuel knew that. "We want honest judges. We want men that's going to rule us according to the law of God."
#13 | 7:01 to 8:02 | cleaned
No, they did not do that. They simply came to Samuel and said, "Look, we are demanding a king. We want a king." I want you to note why they wanted a king. Verse 5: "And they said unto him, Behold, I am old, and my sons walk not in thy ways."
#14 | 8:02 to 8:19 | cleaned
"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." Listen, we talk about young people having peer pressure. You know, everybody around them pressures them to conform and to act like they act. It's not just teenagers that are afflicted with peer pressure. All you have to do is look at where you work normally and the people that you associate with. And you too have the pressure to conform to this world or to conform to the politically correct views of this world.
#15 | 8:20 to 8:50 | cleaned
And if not, you're looked on very suspiciously, I might add. But note, if you would please, first of all, it was not necessarily wrong for these people to want a king. Let me explain that statement. Look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse 14. It was not necessarily wrong for them to want a king, but it was certainly wrong for the manner and the method that they used in order to acquire the king. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse 14, look if you would please what the Word of God says. Deuteronomy 17, verse 14: God tells the people, "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me." Hey, God knew in advance that they were going to ask for a king. But note what he says in verse 15: "...thou shalt set in any wise him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose."
#16 | 8:50 to 9:58 | cleaned
"One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee who is not thy brother." And then God goes down in this passage and He outlines some of the qualifications for a civil ruler. So God understood that there would be a time that they wanted a king, but God was simply saying there are certain ways in order to get it that would be legitimate and lawful, not in the manner and not in the method that they did. Now, why did they want a king?
#17 | 9:59 to 10:26 | cleaned
Well, first of all, they say in verse 5 that we might be like all the nations. If you'll skip over to verse 20, they say "that we also may be like all the nations." That is, all these heathen nations have kings. By the way, you know, it never probably dawned on these people, when they were thinking, "We want a king like all the other heathen nations," it never dawned upon them that the other heathen nations were tyrannically ruled. And the people there were basically slaves. And the king was supreme. I don't understand, is there anybody in this room that really wants to have a government like that in Russia or like that in China? I certainly don't want anything like that. Why in the world would a supposedly Christian people or a godly people want something that was so absolutely contrary to the Word of God? But they say, "We want to be like all the other nations."
#18 | 10:26 to 11:29 | cleaned
Ah, but here's why, watch: "that we also may be like all the nations, and that our King may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." In other words, here was the real motive. We don't want to take personal responsibility. You see, in Israel there was a citizen's militia. And the militia, by the way, fought when the country was invaded or when there was a lawful, legitimate cause to fight. As long as there was a citizen's militia, the king or the ruler could not involve the country in unnecessary war. But once a king got there and he had a standing army, then he could do whatever he wanted to do. Interesting, they said, "We want somebody who's going to fight our battles for us." You know, one of the sad things in this country is that we have lost a sense of responsibility. We want the government to provide for us. We want the Social Security. And we want the Medicare. And we want the Medicaid. And we want the food stamps.
#19 | 11:30 to 12:47 | cleaned
And we want the workman's comp. Listen, I told our people not so long ago, I know how to get rid of socialism practically overnight. I could stop a lot of this governmental bureaucracy and waste overnight. All we have to do is refuse to take their handouts. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that simple? But you know what that means? That means I've got to learn how to save for myself.
#20 | 12:47 to 13:18 | cleaned
I have to prepare in advance for my old age and possible sickness. I have to take care of myself if my car breaks down or if I lose my job. In other words, I have to learn personal responsibility. And these people are saying, "We don't want personal responsibility. We want someone who's going to take care of us." Did you notice that? And that's exactly the mentality of the people in this country. We want, from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the tomb, security in all things. We want the government.
#21 | 13:19 to 13:54 | cleaned
And have you noticed that every time there's a problem, the standard line that is given is this: "They ought to do something about that." Who is the "they"? It's the government. "Let them do something about that." It's absolutely amazing. And these people said, "We do not want personal responsibility."
#22 | 13:54 to 14:18 | cleaned
Now, when you get down to it, folks, that was the crux of the matter. They were not willing to take care of themselves. They were not willing to defend their families. They were not willing to defend their state or their nation. They wanted someone else to take care of that for them. And so they were demanding a king then, like all the other nations.
#23 | 14:19 to 14:39 | cleaned
Now, let me just show you the heart of 1 Samuel 8. I told you earlier, and I'm going to repeat it, because I want you to understand that you must see this chapter as a transition from one law structure to another. What was there in 1 Samuel 8 that is so pertinent and so applicable to our times today? Well, if you'll look, please, at verse 6. The Bible says, "But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee." Now watch clearly. For God says, "For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." The very first thing you see here is a theocratic rejection. Now, don't be afraid of the word "theocratic." The word "theos" in the Greek is the word "God." "Kratos" is "power." So, theocratic means basically the rule of God or the power of God.
#24 | 14:39 to 15:53 | cleaned
You see, Israel had God as her king. It was a theocratic nation. You say, "Well, I don't believe that." Well, let me just show it to you in black and white. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 12. Of course, there are many other passages and many illustrations of it, but in 1 Samuel 12, notice if you would please, in verse 12, Samuel says, "...and when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your king." So God was the king of Israel. And what the people were saying is, "We no longer want God to be our king. We want a man to be king over us. We don't want the rule of God. We want the rule of man." Trading God for a man.
#25 | 15:53 to 16:57 | cleaned
Now folks, let me tell you something. I believe David was correct when David had sinned and the prophet came to him and offered him three choices. And David said, "Let me fall into the hands of God and not in the hands of men." Why? Because God is far more merciful than man would ever be. And I might add that God is far more just than man would ever be.
#26 | 16:57 to 17:28 | cleaned
But here was a theocratic rejection. We don't want God. You remember in Luke 19 what those wicked people said? And this was in reference to Christ. They said, "We will not have this man to reign over us." And isn't it absolutely amazing that in our day and time, after our country was founded and grounded upon Christian principles, even our government is based upon a biblical pattern. In Isaiah chapter 33, turn there. Look at it. Isaiah chapter 33.
#27 | 17:29 to 18:08 | cleaned
Let me show this to you. Many of you probably already know it, but look at it. It's plain and simple. Isaiah chapter 33, and it's verse 22. Isaiah 33, verse 22. Look what the Bible says. "For the Lord is our judge." There is the judicial part. "The Lord is our lawgiver." There's the legislative part. "The Lord is our king." There's the executive part. "He will save us." And the executive and legislative and judicial aspects of our government was based upon this Scripture.
#28 | 18:08 to 18:42 | cleaned
Isn't it amazing that once our country was founded and grounded upon biblical truth, all of a sudden we turn back and say, "We don't want anything Christian and we don't want anything that has reference to God. We will not have this man to reign over us. We don't have anything to do with God, except to take His name in vain, naturally." So there was a theocratic rejection. There was a rejection of the rule of God. Secondly, and this is what I want to really dwell upon tonight, there was not only a theocratic rejection, there was a theonomic rejection.
#29 | 18:42 to 19:24 | cleaned
Now, I've already told you that the word "theos" in the Greek is the word "God." That's where we get "theology" from, the study of God. But the word "nomos" is the Greek word for "law." So when we talk about a theonomic rejection, we're talking about a rejection of God's law. When God said in verse 7, "For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them."
#30 | 19:25 to 19:53 | cleaned
Here's a principle that you've got to remember. A king rules by his law. Law is an expression of the will of the king. If you will look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 12. 1 Samuel chapter 12. Let's begin reading with verse 12 again. "And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us. When the Lord your God was your king, now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired, and behold, the Lord had set a king over you. Now look, if you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and rebel not against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God." Now look what God says. God said, "Alright, I'm going to let you have a human king."
#31 | 19:53 to 20:54 | cleaned
"But I want you to understand that that king is obligated and accountable and responsible to be biblical and scriptural, just like the people are." Now, God says as long as the King obeys Me and you obey Me, everything's going to work out just fine. Look down in verse 25. Look what He says. "But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your King." God says, "So now when your King does wrong and you do wrong, I'll just simply nail both of you." Now, God rules by His law. And so, when there was a rejection of God personally, there necessarily followed a rejection of His law. I'm going to explain this a little bit later, hopefully.
#32 | 20:55 to 21:47 | cleaned
But, have you wondered why our country is so dead set against posting the Ten Commandments anywhere now? Why is so dead set against prayer and the Bible? Because, you see, whenever there is a rejection of God, there necessarily follows a rejection of His law.
#33 | 21:48 to 22:09 | cleaned
Now, let me just point something out. Law is inescapably religious. All law is inherently religious. There is no such thing as an unreligious law. There is no such thing as an unbiased or unprejudiced person. If you were to ask me tonight, "Well, Brother Weaver, which do you think of all these ladies in here tonight is the prettiest?" I would have to say my wife. Now, let me admit something. I'm prejudiced.
#34 | 22:10 to 22:50 | cleaned
But I would hope that every husband in here would disagree with me. You follow me? Every husband ought to think that his wife would be the prettiest lady here tonight. But you know the reason he would think that? It's because he's prejudiced. There is no such thing as being unbiased. When the Supreme Court or when the Congress or any politician says, "Well now, we're just trying to be neutral in this matter and we're trying to be unbiased and we're unprejudiced," that's a bunch of hogwash. Law is inherently religious. Law is inescapably religious. How can that be?
#35 | 22:51 to 23:33 | cleaned
Let me tell you how. Any legislator that passes a law, when he looks at that law, he has to determine whether it is a good law or a bad law. Whether the bill is good or whether the bill is bad. Do you realize that his determination of good and bad is based upon his religion? And it doesn't matter whether it's a Christian religion or a pagan religion, it's still based upon his religion. All law is inherently and inescapably religious. Now, you may have Christian law or you may have heathenistic law, but it is still religious.
#36 | 23:34 to 24:16 | cleaned
You say, "But now, Brother Weaver, you've got to understand that's not the way I've been taught." Whether that's the way you've been taught or not is immaterial. The truth is, all law is inherently and inescapably religious.
#37 | 24:17 to 24:38 | cleaned
Now, let me tell you something else. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion. When you change from God's law to man's law, you have changed from theonomy to autonomy or humanism. You've changed from God to man. When you change from Christian law to a pagan law, whatever pagan religion it is, whether it's Shintoism or Buddhism, it doesn't matter. You have a change in religion.
#38 | 24:39 to 25:37 | cleaned
Some of you will remember this. Some of you will not. But as far back as when Bobby Kennedy was attorney general of the United States, Bobby Kennedy said that humanism was the official religion of America. Bobby Kennedy. Humanism, the official religion of America. You see, what most of us have never realized is this. Back when all of our seminaries were turning out liberal preachers, modernistic preachers, preachers who denied the virgin birth, the blood atonement, the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, oh, we were horrified. How could anyone say such things? But what we did not realize, when there was a revolution going on in religion, at the same time there was a revolution going on in the legal field, in law, and we were turning from common law, from the law of the Scripture, to another religion that is basically to humanism.
#39 | 25:38 to 26:54 | cleaned
That's why until up until about 1950s, you will find all kind of court rulings saying that this is a Christian nation, that it was based upon Christian principles. But after that, there's an absolute total denial of those facts and that reality.
#40 | 26:56 to 27:17 | cleaned
Now, since law is inherently religious, and since any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change of religion, therefore, there cannot be as such any disestablishment of religion. There has been no disestablishment of religion. We still have religion in this country. It's just not Christianity. We have a new religion. The New Age religion. The religion of Greenpeace. The religion of man. Back to Mother Earth. You've seen these bumper stickers, "Be Sweet to Your Mother," and there's the picture of the earth.
#41 | 27:18 to 28:05 | cleaned
I've got news for you. Mother Earth is not my mother. And I cringe every time I even hear Weatherman talk about Mother Nature. Mother Nature is not a mother. God created the earth and God created the weather. But what we're doing is we're being prepared to accept the new religion.
#42 | 28:05 to 28:33 | cleaned
Now, let me tell you something, folks. There cannot be a disestablishment of religion. You cannot have an established church? Well, you could have. The states had that power to do so, but the federal government did not have that right to do so. The states could have made, if they so chose, the Baptist church their official religion or the Episcopal church or the Presbyterian church, etc. But the federal government had nothing to do with that. Now, let me show you something. You do not necessarily have to have a federal church like the whole country. Officially, we're the Baptist church.
#43 | 28:33 to 29:12 | cleaned
No, you don't have to have that. But there is no way that the federal government can say that we're unbiased. We're unprejudiced. We don't put our stamp of approval on any religion. Let me tell you, when you do not put your stamp of approval on any religion, you have just placed your stamp of approval upon irreligion or atheism. You're going to have a religion. It may not be the Christian religion, but you're going to have a religion.
#44 | 29:12 to 29:46 | cleaned
Now, listen to me carefully. If you want to find out who the God of a society is or the God of a civilization, then you need to study the source of one's law. An interesting thing is when archaeologists and anthropologists go into these places where they're going to be excavating the ruins of past civilizations, one of the first things they try to figure out is that civilization's source of law. Because if they can ever determine that civilization's source of law, then they know who the God of that society was. They then know the religion of that society. Do you realize if you, in reality, believe that the Supreme Court is the highest authority in this land, then the Supreme Court is your God.
#45 | 29:47 to 30:53 | cleaned
I've got news for you. The Supreme Court is not the highest authority in this land. And I've got more news for you. The Supreme Court is not even the sole interpreter of the Constitution. We the people are to be the interpreters of the Constitution. We're the ones that says you're either right or wrong. It's kind of like Benito Mussolini. When he was told that the Pope did not like his involvement in World War II, Benito Mussolini responded, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" How many divisions does the Supreme Court have? The fact is the Supreme Court could do nothing if the people in this country disregarded everything that they said. They don't have enough divisions.
#46 | 30:55 to 31:52 | cleaned
Now, the point is, folks, whoever is your source of law is basically your God. If we derive our law from the Word of God, then God is our God. If we derive our law from Congress or the Supreme Court, then they're our gods. If we derive our law from our own minds, then we're idolaters again because we're making ourselves God. And by the way, the only reason people deny the law of God is so that they may establish their own law. Everyone has to have a law, has to have a standard, has to have an ultimate. And the only reason you deny God is so that you may establish your own.
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Learn another truth tonight, and that is this. There cannot be a tolerance for another law structure or another religion. Do you realize that God is the most intolerant being there is?
#48 | 32:50 to 33:17 | cleaned
Now, I want you to think about this. Help me out. Maybe I don't remember correctly, but I believe when the children of Israel went into the land, God said, "You kill all the pagans. Overthrow their altars. Tear down their temples. Destroy everything that they had that was religious." He said, "If you don't, it's going to be a snare unto you." What was God saying? God was saying in essence, "I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God."
#49 | 33:17 to 33:56 | cleaned
"I will not put up with another law system." Now, listen to me very carefully. Some of you will remember the cry in the 60's and the 70's was for toleration. You remember that? "You've got to be tolerant." Toleration is a device used to introduce a new law system. And once that law system is in place, then there is a new intolerance. Because the law system is not going to tolerate a competitor. Let me show you.
#50 | 33:58 to 34:42 | cleaned
Turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let me show you the distinction between law systems. 2 Kings chapter 17. Let's begin reading with verse 7. Here is one of the plain reasons why Israel went into captivity. Look what God says. "For it was so that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Now let's just stop there for a moment. How do we know that Israel feared other gods?
#51 | 34:43 to 35:25 | cleaned
Let me ask that a little more personally. How do you know that you fear the one true and the living God? How do you know that you don't fear a false god? Well, let's look and find out. Let's read verse 7 again. "For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods." Here's how we know they feared other gods: "and walked in the statutes," that is, in the laws of the heathen whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made." God said, "I know that you feared other gods, and the way that I know that is you are obeying the laws of those heathenistic gods and those heathenistic kings that made those laws. Even the kings of Israel adopted those heathenistic laws, and you're obeying them. You're not obeying Me. You're not walking in My commandments."
#52 | 35:27 to 36:25 | cleaned
Now, if that's not plain enough, skip down, if you would please, to verse 19. Look in verse 19, and here the Bible says, "...also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made." Even Judah said, "We don't want God. We won't take His law. We're going to walk in the statutes of the heathen." Let's begin with verse 15. Here it is: "...and they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them. And they followed vanity..." That is, idolatry. "...and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove and worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served Baal." And then he goes on to tell everything that children of Israel did. How do we know they did not fear God?
#53 | 36:25 to 37:19 | cleaned
Because they obeyed the laws of a false god. How do you know that you fear God? Because you obey His laws. If you fear God, you obey His law. There are no people who fear God that run around committing adultery and fornication and murdering. Why? Because if we fear God, we know God says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal." You follow what I'm saying? If you fear God, you obey Him.
#54 | 37:20 to 37:58 | cleaned
What did our Lord say in Luke 6 and verse 46? "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" The word "Lord" is the Greek word "kyrios." It means boss, owner, master, sovereign. If I'm your master, if I'm your sovereign, says Christ, you will obey me. If you do not obey Me, it's evidence that I'm not your boss, I'm not your sovereign. Let me tell you the significance of Acts 4 and verse 12.
#55 | 37:58 to 38:27 | cleaned
Many of you in here can quote that. You remember Peter said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." And that name is the name of Jesus Christ. What was Peter doing when he said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"? You have to know the history of that verse. Did you know that in 30 BC, about 30 years before Christ was born, a strange star shone in the heavens, and Augustus Caesar had himself proclaimed God? And he sent his messengers around the Roman Empire with this message which they proclaimed in every village, in every city of his domain. Here's what they said: "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Augustus Caesar." And when Peter said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ," He was declaring war on Augustus Caesar and the ones who followed him and the Roman Empire.
#56 | 38:27 to 39:54 | cleaned
What was Peter saying? "We're instituting a new law system under a new king, and that king is King Jesus."
#57 | 39:54 to 40:04 | cleaned
Now, let me show you how this has a practical effect. Some of you will remember this when Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United States. And I will go ahead and apologize to you folks since he was from Georgia. There was a big billboard for years that stood on Interstate 75 that said this. By the way, it was the farmers of Georgia that helped elect Jimmy Carter. And this big, huge billboard said, "We, the farmers of Georgia, wished to apologize to our fellow Americans for helping to elect Jimmy Carter president of the United States."
#58 | 40:06 to 40:44 | cleaned
It stayed there the whole time he was in office after, you know, the first year or so. But when Jimmy Carter was running for president, he had an interview with Playboy magazine, and oh, it just shocked everybody that he would have an interview with Playboy magazine. And in that interview, he confessed that he had lusted in his heart. Oh, you should have heard the good, pietistic Christians that were so upset. He said, "He's lusted in his heart."
#59 | 40:45 to 41:13 | cleaned
Hey, I have no problem with that. I'm a sinner and you're a sinner. You've lusted in your heart. I've lusted in my heart. Be honest. That didn't upset me at all. What upset me did not upset the other Christians. Because in that same interview, he promised that if he were elected President of the United States, he would not allow his Christianity to interfere with his office.
#60 | 41:13 to 41:44 | cleaned
Now, he kept that promise. That was one promise he kept. What was he saying? He was saying, "I'm not a real Christian because I'm not going to obey the law of my sovereign. I'm not going to obey the law of my king." There's a Roman Catholic scholar by the name of Cunelt-Ledin. And I usually apologize to people because it had to be a Roman Catholic scholar that pointed this out, but it's still the truth. Cunelt-Ledin said that there is a struggle in this country. Listen carefully. He said, "There are two men that are locked in a life and death struggle. Only one will emerge victorious. Only one will live. One will die." He says those two men who are locked in a life and death struggle are John Calvin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. What did Cunelt-Ledin mean? John Calvin was the famous Calvinist, the theologian, who believed and taught in God's absolute sovereignty.
#61 | 41:45 to 43:10 | cleaned
And he said everything revolved around God. That God was the center. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the leading humanist. And he says that everything revolves around man. Anthropocentric. Man-centered. And he, Kunelt-Ledin, said, "You have these two theologies, these two philosophies, that which places God as sovereign and that which places man as sovereign, locked in mortal combat. And only one will survive." And I've got news for you folks. That's exactly the truth. But I'm here to tell you, I know which one's going to survive ultimately. For God said in Isaiah 42, "I am the Lord God, and besides me there is none other, and my glory I will not share with another." What is he saying? "I'm not going to tolerate another law system. I'm not going to tolerate another king." You see, folks, law is an expression of the king.
#62 | 43:11 to 44:20 | cleaned
Now, let me show you, and I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 23. Let me show you a case law that shows you the absolute distinction between God's law and man's law. In Deuteronomy 23, and before I read this passage, I'll tell you this little story. All my life, I was told and had heard people say that you shouldn't sell dogs and that it was unbiblical to sell a dog. Now, what's so unbiblical about selling a dog? When I was a boy, every dog that I ever had was given to me. My daddy wouldn't buy a dog. Now, he couldn't tell me why. It's just that it's unbiblical. Well, here it is. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.
#63 | 44:20 to 45:27 | cleaned
God says, "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are abomination of the Lord thy God."
#64 | 45:29 to 45:45 | cleaned
Now they were right, it was unbiblical to sell a dog, but unhappily they were wrong when they suggested it was the four-legged kind. You see, the whore is the female prostitute and the male, sodomite or prostitute, God calls a dog. Now look what God says. Verse 18: "Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow, for even both of these are an abomination." It means it's a stench in God's nostrils unto the Lord thy God. Now, why in the world would God say, "You're not to bring the hire of the whore or the price of a dog into the house of God"? God would not accept the offerings, and God would not accept the sacrifices and the monies from a whore or a sodomite. Why?
#65 | 45:46 to 46:54 | cleaned
Because that was an alien law system. God had said, "Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not." And if God then accepted that which was criminal and alien, then there would have been an air of acceptability given to it. And God says, "No, their life and their law system is totally, completely alien to mine. I want nothing from them. And I will accept nothing from them."
#66 | 46:57 to 47:32 | cleaned
Now watch, if you would please. It was not sinners who was barred from giving, but rather the prophets of sin, which was unacceptable. A vow gives special sanctity to the gift. And to receive it would have given recognition to an alien law order. Legitimacy, legal standing, honor and recognition cannot be given to that which is outside of God. Now, it is true that those who are outside of God may receive justice, but their gifts are unacceptable to God. God will not give legitimacy to an alien law structure.
#67 | 47:33 to 48:21 | cleaned
What have we done in this country? Well, we've made prostitution legal. We've made sodomy legal. We've made thievery legal, as long as you're a politician or a congressman, you see. We've made murder legal, as long as you do it before the child is born. In other words, we have given sin a legitimacy. Would you like to tell me why Al Capone got sent to prison? You remember? Taxes. What was Al Capone?
#68 | 48:21 to 49:02 | cleaned
He was a notorious, wicked, ungodly criminal. But he didn't pay his taxes on his crimes. And so, therefore, they sent him to prison for tax crimes, not because what he did was wrong as such, although that was true, but "you didn't give us our share." When our government will take money from wicked, ungodly sins and criminal activities, it gives an air of legitimacy to it. It gives a recognition and a type of sanctity to it.
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God says, "I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to give legitimate recognition to that which is alien and contrary to me."
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Now, let me just point out the fact that this has real implications. You see, even the ancients recognized this. Everyone knows that Christians were executed and put to death in the Roman Empire. But you know, most labor under a false illusion. And they often think that Christians were put to death in the Roman Empire just merely because they were Christians. But that's not true. You see, in the Roman Empire, you could believe whatever you wanted to believe. If you wanted to worship Ashtaroth, have at it. If you wanted to worship Venus, go for it. If you wanted to worship Jesus Christ, wonderful, they could care less. They could care less. Christians were not put to death just for being Christians in the Roman Empire. Well, why were they put to death?
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Because every Roman citizen was required once a year to swear by the genius of Caesar. Once a year to say, "Caesar is Lord." Caesar is boss, owner, master, sovereign. It's Caesar who gives me the liberty to believe what I want to believe and to do what I want to do. And the Christians refused to do that. Why? They would not acknowledge Caesar as Lord because they said Jesus Christ is Lord. And the Christians were put to death in the Roman Empire not just merely because they were Christians, but they were regarded now as traitors and treasonous to the state. In other words, there was an alien law structure that the Roman Empire was not willing to acknowledge. And the Roman Empire said, "You're not politically correct."
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And so you either have to be reprogrammed or you have to be executed. You see, folks, a king rules by his law, by the way. Most people have never realized this, but do you realize that all law is a form of warfare? All law is a form of warfare. If you follow God's law, you are warring against everything that's contrary to God's law. If you follow man's law, then you're warring against everything that's contrary to man's law. Law is a form of warfare. And so consequently, if you go back to 1 Samuel chapter 8, there was not only a theocratic rejection, that is a rejection of God, there was a theonomic rejection, that is a rejection of God's law. And so consequently, as in Israel today in America, we've not only rejected God, we've rejected His law. We've traded God for a man. We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration. I'm serious, folks. Why? Because we are now at the point where we're willing to obey man rather than God.
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I want you to watch thirdly. There was, in verse 8, not only a theocratic and a theonomic rejection, there was also a religious rejection, or if you want to put it this way, an idolatrous rejection. God says, "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even in this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me and served other gods." You see, folks, you cannot forsake God. You cannot have a theonomic rejection. You cannot have a theocratic rejection without rejecting God.
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And what you do, you just merely trade religions. You trade gods. You swap. So there is indeed a religious rejection. And notice, fourthly, if you would, there is also a prophetical rejection. That is, there was rejection of God's man. He says in verse 8, in the latter part, he says, "...wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." Do you realize wherever there is rejection of God, there is always rejection of God's preachers?
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I've had people come up to me and say, "Brother Weaver, I surely wish you could preach to Congress." You know, I just smiled and I said, "Well, I wish God would give me that opportunity as well." But you know what? It'd be like water off a duck's back. They wouldn't any more listen to me than they'd listen to a Junebug. No, because whenever there's rejection of God and God's law, there's always rejection of God's man. I got to preach to our state legislators in Atlanta, Georgia once. Once. Never got invited back. Well, that's all right.
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I preached on the truth, "No king, but King Jesus." You follow what I'm saying? They don't want to hear that. They don't want to hear that they're responsible to obey God and God's law and to bring their lives in conformity to the word of God. What did Jesus Christ tell his disciples? He said, "Whosoever receiveth you, receiveth me. And he that receiveth Me, receiveth him that sent Me." So what is Christ saying? Christ is saying if you receive Him, you're receiving the Father who sent Him. He said if you receive My preachers, that is those I send in My name, He says you're receiving Me.
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But now watch, the opposite is also true. If you reject the preachers of Christ, you're rejecting Christ. And if you reject Christ, you're rejecting the Father who sent Christ. I remember when I was a boy, and that hadn't been too awfully long ago. I was raised on a farm, went to a country church, and I saw our pastor on numerous occasions walk up to three or four men, and those men were smoking. And when that pastor walked up, those men took those cigarettes out of their mouths, either held them behind their backs or dropped them to the ground and mashed them out. They were not trying to hide from the pastor.
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He knew that they smoked. They knew that he knew that they smoked. But the reason they were taking them out of their mouths was out of respect for him. Today, they'll only puff on them. They'll blow the smoke in your face if you are a preacher and cuss you out at the same time. Why? There's no respect for God's men, because there's no respect for God. What did he say? "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
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Now let's try to analyze this, and I want to show you this from 1 Samuel 8. What are the consequences for a nation, for a people, for a society that rejects God and God's law and God's preachers? Well, look in verse 9. God tells Samuel, "Now therefore, hearken unto their voice. Howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them." You want a king, says God?
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"I'm going to give you one. But here's what it's going to be like." Verse 11, and by the way, I want to read this and just emphasize one word, and then I'm going to come back and point some things out, OK? So just when I emphasize this with my voice, kind of underline it in your Bibles. Let's begin with verse 11. "And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you."
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"He will take your sons and appoint them for himself or his chariots to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, and will set them near his ground and reap his harvest and make his instruments of war and his instruments of his chariots. And He will take your daughters to be confectionaries and to be cooks and to be bakers. And He will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to His servants. And He will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to His officers and to His servants. And He will take your men's servants and your maid's servants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to His work. And He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be His servants." Isn't that interesting? All God has ever done is give, give, give, give. God said, "You want a king? I'm going to give him to you."
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"And here's what He's going to do. He's going to take, take, take, take, take, take." Now look what He's going to take. First of all, in verse 11, there's going to be an unbiblical military conscription. "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for Himself." You see, under God's law, He couldn't do that. But under man's law, he could do that.
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What has happened in this country? Our sons and our daughters have been taken from us, unbiblically, and sent to fight in wars that we have no business even being in. I've got news for you. If Rockefeller wants his oil wells protected, let him hire his own mercenary forces and send them over there. But don't take my son to fight for his oil wells. Don't take my children for the United Nations. Don't take my children for some socialistic undertaking.
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But he says this is a consequence now of forsaking God's law. You're going to have an unbiblical military conscription. Your sons will be taken from you. Verse 12: compulsory labor battalions for state service. "And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, set them to ear his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his instruments of war, his instruments of chariots. And watch, he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers." Verse 16: "He will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work." You say, "I bless God, I don't work for the state. We have a constitution. Nobody is going to serve involuntarily."
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I got news for you. You serve involuntarily every day. And it's now in July before you can celebrate a tax-free day. You work. You're compelled to do so for the powers that be. Notice, if you would please, in verse 14, the state will expropriate property and land and livestock: "And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants."
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Have you heard of eminent domain? I don't care if your farmer has been in the family for 250 years. If the state or the county wants to put a road right down the middle of it, they'll condemn it and take it, whether you want to sell it or not. Well, they'll pay you something for it, but that's immaterial. They will take it regardless, and that's exactly what he said. Do you realize under God's law, the king could not take anyone's property? But under man's law, he takes what he wants to take.
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Have you ever noticed how much land the federal government owns? There's nothing in the Constitution about the federal government owning any land anyhow, but they have thousands and thousands of acres. Nevada is practically owned by the federal government and many other states as well. Well, that's part of rejecting God. The state will expropriate the property for themselves. And then look in verses 15 and 17, because the state that plays God will demand a tithe.
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In verse 15: "And he will take the tenth of your seed in your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants." Verse 17: "He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants." I would imagine everyone in this room tonight would be just so thankful if our government only took 10%. By the way, they shouldn't even have 10% because that's all God claims on the Levitical tithe is 10% and they're not God.
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But it's now over 50%. But when man wants to trade God for a man, God says, "I'm going to let you have man, but you're going to suffer." And look what God says in verse 18: "...and you shall cry out in that day because of your king which shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." What's He saying? He is saying, "I'm going to let you have what you wanted, until you get so sick and tired of it, you would to God you'd never have it." I don't know about you folks, but I had rather be under the ten laws of God with all of their pertinent case laws and applications than I had under all the entire federal register, which no one could read or can read, even if he read 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he would never get through in his lifetime.
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And most of the laws today that men are convicted of breaking are unbiblical laws anyhow. They are what are known as malaprohibita, the Latin term. They're only wrong because man says don't do this or man says do. They're not violating the law of God. And I got news for you folks, if you want to get out of prison quickly or serve very little time, then you need to rob a bank or murder or rape somebody and you can get out rather quickly.
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But if you take a stand for righteousness against corrupt, wicked, ungodly government, they'll put you away for 20 years. What are we doing? We're reaping the consequences for trading God for a man and God's law for man's law. You're going to ask me a question and I'm going to try to answer it for you. You're going to say, "But Brother Weaver, I'm sick to death. I'd rather be under God's law. I'd rather be the way things used to be than like they are now." Have you ever noticed? And I noticed this difference in my lifetime.
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But when I was a boy, people had time to visit with their neighbors. We had friends every Sunday come home with us from church. They would eat lunch with us. They would spend the afternoon together. They would eat supper with us and then we would go back to church on Sunday night. There had been days and nights when folks, our neighbors, would come down and sit on the porch and we would all talk and just have a good old time. When's the last time you've done something like that? And the answer is you can't remember because you don't have time. Because it takes both of you working now just to make a decent living. And when you do get home, you're too tired to do anything.
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That's part of the consequences for rejecting God and God's law. But you say, "What can I do about it?" Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. Here's one thing. Proverbs 28, verse 4. And by the way, I told you earlier that law is a form of warfare. Well, here it is plainly stated. Proverbs 28, verse 4. God says, "They that forsake the law," that is God's law, "they that forsake the law praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them." And the word "contend" means to fight against. God says, "When you forsake My law, all you're doing is praising the wicked. But He said, when you keep My law, then you're fighting against the wicked."
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Let me tell you something, folks. You can't stop Bill Clinton, and you can't stop Congress, and you can't stop the Supreme Court, and the Appellate Court, and the District Court. No, you can't do that. You don't have the power or the ability. But one thing you do have, and that's power and ability to control yourself. And you can do what's right whether they do right or not.
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And your very righteous actions will condemn their unrighteous, unlawful and ungodly actions. If you forsake God's law, you're praising the wicked. But if you keep God's law, you're fighting against the wicked. You see, the problem is this, folks. We want an answer to our problems that does not involve either repentance or obedience. And we will never get an answer except through repentance and obedience.
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Now, there's one other thing that you can do, and I'm going to show it to you. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. I like this passage. In Luke chapter 18, beginning with verse 1: "And he," that is Christ, "spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Saying there was in a city a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man." Note, he feared not God, neither regarded man. "And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards he thought within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."
#97 | 1:08:59 to 1:09:47 | cleaned
Now, let me just stop there. Note this unjust judge did not fear God. He did not regard man. He had no interest in justice. He had no interest in righteousness. And he said, "I'm going to avenge this woman. I'm going to give her what she wants, just to get her off my back." That's the only reason he avenged her. And look what our Lord said in verse 6. Look how He makes the application. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily." You may not change Congress or the Supreme Court or the administration, but God can. And what you and I need to learn to do is to cry for justice and to cry for vengeance. And if you begin crying for justice and vengeance, it's going to do two things. Number one, it's going to make you live more godly and more holy. And number two, it's going to bring the wrath and the anger of God upon the wicked.
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Someone very piously says, "Well, Brother Weaver, I don't know whether I want to pray those imprecatory psalms or not." You ought to read some of those psalms. You ought to read Psalm 58. You ought to read Psalm 59. Do you know how David prayed concerning the wicked? Let me give you some of his prayer requests. "Break their jaw, O God. Knock out their teeth, O Lord. Break their arm, O God." Wow! You see, when you break a man's arm, you've broken his power. When you break out his teeth and break his jaw bones, he can't survive. And what was David praying? David was praying, "Lord, destroy them. Either break their power and get rid of them or kill them." That's what David was praying. He said, "Brother Weaver, I don't want to pray like that." Well, I'll tell you what you do.
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You just repeat what is commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer and the model prayer over and over. You just pray that prayer, okay? "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You know, you can't even pray that prayer without asking God to overthrow the wicked and to overthrow an alien law system and establish His kingdom and His righteousness. Isn't that amazing? You say, "Oh, Brother Weaver, I don't know if I could do that or not." Well, I tell you what, just pray for the Lord's return. You say, "Boy, I can do that. Great! Just pray for His return." You know what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 1, beginning with verse 7?
#100 | 1:12:11 to 1:13:03 | cleaned
"And you who are troubled, rest with us. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." You cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for God to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom. But just remember, folks, it's got to start somewhere. And that obedience and that repentance must start with us. We must learn how to obey God personally. We must learn how to bring His law into focus in our lives and then in our families. We've got to learn to make restitution.
#101 | 1:13:03 to 1:13:52 | cleaned
I wish I had time to preach on that. You know, your kid breaks out your neighbor's window and the neighbor says, "Oh, well, that's all right." No, it's not all right. Your kid broke it out. Let him replace it. Let him pay for it. Why? Because that's biblical. That's right. That's assuming personal responsibility. We've got to bring God's law back into our lives, back into our families, back into our churches, and then finally, back into our civil government.
#102 | 1:13:52 to 1:14:37 | cleaned
It all depends on whether you want God or man. And I don't know about you, but personally, I'm sick to death of man. I want God. No king, but King Jesus. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night. We thank Thee for Your love, for Your mercy, and for Your grace. Give us, Lord, repentance. And may, Father, we turn from our sins and turn to Thee to serve the one true and the living God and to bring our lives into conformity and obedience. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask, Amen and Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T04:47:14Z

Trading God for a Man

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver expounds 1 Samuel 8 to show that Israel's demand for a human king was a rejection of God's rule and law, leading to tyranny, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased government cost. He argues that America has similarly traded God for man, replacing biblical law with humanistic law, and calls for personal repentance, obedience to God's law, and prayer for divine justice.

Introduction and Reading of 1 Samuel 8

Weaver introduces the message and reads the entire chapter, setting the stage for understanding Israel's transition from God's rule to man's rule.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel." "Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, and the name of the second, Abiah, and they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways." "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Give us a king to judge us."

And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king, and he said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you." "He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them unto his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants." "And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your goodly young men and your asses and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep and you shall be his servants. And you shall cry out in that day because of your king, which you shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day."

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 8:1-22

"Nay, but we will have a king to reign over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us."

The Transition from God's Law to Man's Law

1 Samuel 8 marks a shift from theonomy to autonomy, with four consequences: totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased cost of civil government.

The People's Demand for a King

The elders reject Samuel and his corrupt sons, demanding a king to be like other nations, revealing a desire to escape personal responsibility and conform to the world.

The Legitimacy of a King Under God's Conditions

God had permitted a king in Deuteronomy 17, but the people's motive and method were wrong; they wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security.

Theocratic Rejection: Rejecting God as King

God declares the people have rejected Him, not Samuel; Israel was a theocracy, and they traded God's merciful rule for man's tyranny.

Let me show this to you. Many of you probably already know it, but look at it. It's plain and simple. Isaiah chapter 33, and it's verse 22. Isaiah 33, verse 22. Look what the Bible says.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"For the Lord is our judge."

There is the judicial part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"The Lord is our lawgiver."

There's the legislative part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 33:22

"The Lord is our king."

There's the executive part. "He will save us." And the executive and legislative and judicial aspects of our government was based upon this Scripture.

Theonomic Rejection: Rejecting God's Law

Rejecting God necessarily means rejecting His law; all law is religious, and America has shifted from Christian law to humanism.

The Inescapably Religious Nature of Law

Law is inherently religious; any change in law is a change in religion. The Supreme Court and Congress impose a humanistic religion, and there is no neutrality.

Intolerance of Competing Law Systems

God is intolerant of other gods and laws; toleration is a device to introduce a new law system, which then becomes intolerant. Israel's idolatry was evidenced by obeying heathen laws.

Practical Implications: Legitimizing Sin

God refuses to accept offerings from prostitutes or sodomites because it would legitimize an alien law system; America legitimizes sin through legalization and taxation.

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:12

"There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." And that name is the name of Jesus Christ. What was Peter doing when he said, "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"

Consequences of Rejecting God's Rule

God warns through Samuel that a human king will take sons, daughters, property, and tithes, leading to oppression and unanswered cries.

Call to Repentance and Action

Believers must keep God's law to contend with the wicked, pray persistently for justice, and start personal obedience and restitution to restore God's order.

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Saying there was in a city a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man."

Note, he feared not God, neither regarded man.

Scripture Reading — Luke 18:1-8

"And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards he thought within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Conclusion: Choosing God Over Man

Weaver concludes with a prayer for repentance and a declaration of allegiance to King Jesus alone.

Trading God for a Man

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11150210813
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	Alien Law Systems
Genre	Sermon
Date	1999-12-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 003: Alien Law Systems: Trading God for a Man and Real Revival — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	103

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Reading of 1 Samuel 8: Weaver introduces the message and reads the entire chapter, setting the stage for understanding Israel's transition from God's rule to man's rule.
The Transition from God's Law to Man's Law: 1 Samuel 8 marks a shift from theonomy to autonomy, with four consequences: totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased cost of civil government.
The People's Demand for a King: The elders reject Samuel and his corrupt sons, demanding a king to be like other nations, revealing a desire to escape personal responsibility and conform to the world.
The Legitimacy of a King Under God's Conditions: God had permitted a king in Deuteronomy 17, but the people's motive and method were wrong; they wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security.
Theocratic Rejection: Rejecting God as King: God declares the people have rejected Him, not Samuel; Israel was a theocracy, and they traded God's merciful rule for man's tyranny.
Theonomic Rejection: Rejecting God's Law: Rejecting God necessarily means rejecting His law; all law is religious, and America has shifted from Christian law to humanism.
The Inescapably Religious Nature of Law: Law is inherently religious; any change in law is a change in religion. The Supreme Court and Congress impose a humanistic religion, and there is no neutrality.
Intolerance of Competing Law Systems: God is intolerant of other gods and laws; toleration is a device to introduce a new law system, which then becomes intolerant. Israel's idolatry was evidenced by obeying heathen laws.
Practical Implications: Legitimizing Sin: God refuses to accept offerings from prostitutes or sodomites because it would legitimize an alien law system; America legitimizes sin through legalization and taxation.
Consequences of Rejecting God's Rule: God warns through Samuel that a human king will take sons, daughters, property, and tithes, leading to oppression and unanswered cries.
Call to Repentance and Action: Believers must keep God's law to contend with the wicked, pray persistently for justice, and start personal obedience and restitution to restore God's order.
Conclusion: Choosing God Over Man: Weaver concludes with a prayer for repentance and a declaration of allegiance to King Jesus alone.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

1 Samuel 8 is a transition from God's law to man's law

The chapter is not just history but a pivotal shift from theonomy to autonomy, with dire consequences.

Weaver states, 'there is absolutely no way that you can understand 1 Samuel 8... unless you understand that 1 Samuel 8 gives us a transition from one law structure to another.'

The people's motive was to escape personal responsibility

They wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security, reflecting a desire to avoid self-governance.

They said, 'that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.'

Rejecting God means rejecting His law

A king rules by his law; rejecting God's reign necessarily entails rejecting His commandments.

God says, 'they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.' Law is the expression of the king's will.

All law is religious and intolerant of competitors

There is no neutral law; every legal system reflects a religion, and God does not tolerate rival law systems.

God commanded Israel to destroy pagan altars; He is a jealous God who will not share His glory.

America has traded God for man

The U.S. has rejected God's law for humanistic law, evidenced by legalized sin and unbiblical government overreach.

Weaver says, 'We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration... we're willing to obey man rather than God.'

Obedience to God's law is warfare against wickedness

Keeping God's law contends with the wicked; forsaking it praises them. Personal righteousness is a form of resistance.

Proverbs 28:4: 'they that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.'

Prayer for justice is essential

Believers should persistently pray for God to avenge His elect and overthrow wicked rulers, as in the parable of the unjust judge.

Luke 18:1-8 teaches that God will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 8:1-22: The entire chapter is read and forms the basis of the sermon.
Deuteronomy 17:14-15: God permitted a king but with conditions; the people's method was wrong.
1 Samuel 12:12: Samuel reminds Israel that God was their king.
Isaiah 33:22: The Lord is judge, lawgiver, and king; the U.S. government was based on this pattern.
1 Samuel 12:14-15, 25: God holds both king and people accountable to His law.
2 Kings 17:7-19: Israel's idolatry was evidenced by obeying heathen statutes.
Luke 6:46: Calling Jesus Lord means obeying Him; disobedience proves He is not Lord.
Acts 4:12: Peter declared Jesus as the only name for salvation, opposing Caesar's claim.
Deuteronomy 23:17-18: God forbids accepting offerings from prostitutes or sodomites to avoid legitimizing an alien law system.
Proverbs 28:4: Forsaking God's law praises the wicked; keeping it contends with them.
Luke 18:1-8: The parable of the unjust judge teaches persistent prayer for justice.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: Praying for Christ's return is praying for vengeance on the disobedient.

Historical References

Augustus Caesar proclaimed as god: Around 30 BC, Augustus had himself proclaimed god, and his messengers declared 'there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.'
Roman Empire persecution of Christians: Christians were executed not merely for being Christians but for refusing to swear 'Caesar is Lord,' thus being seen as traitors.
Bobby Kennedy's statement on humanism: As attorney general, Bobby Kennedy said humanism was the official religion of America.
Jimmy Carter's Playboy interview: Carter promised not to let his Christianity interfere with his office, which Weaver cites as rejecting God's law.
John Calvin vs. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Scholar Cunelt-Ledin described a life-and-death struggle between Calvin's God-centered theology and Rousseau's man-centered humanism.
Al Capone's imprisonment: Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion, not his crimes, illustrating how government legitimizes sin by taxing it.

Important Quotes

they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

God's direct statement that Israel's demand for a king was a rejection of His own kingship.

Law is inescapably religious. All law is inherently religious.

Core thesis that every legal system reflects a religious foundation, denying neutrality.

Any change in law is either explicitly or implicitly a change in religion.

Argues that shifting from God's law to man's law is a religious revolution.

There cannot be a tolerance for another law structure or another religion. Do you realize that God is the most intolerant being there is?

Highlights God's exclusive claim and the impossibility of religious pluralism in law.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Key application verse showing that obedience to God's law is active resistance to evil.

We've traded God for a man. We've traded God for Bill Clinton and his administration.

Direct application of the sermon's title to contemporary American politics.

No king, but King Jesus.

Concluding declaration of ultimate allegiance to Christ alone.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do we, like Israel, demand a 'king' to escape personal responsibility?

[Context]

The people wanted a king to fight their battles and provide security.

[Question]

How does the statement 'all law is inherently religious' challenge the idea of a secular government?

[Context]

Weaver argues that every law reflects someone's religion.

[Question]

What are the practical consequences of rejecting God's law in our society today?

[Context]

The sermon lists totalitarianism, oppression, loss of liberty, and increased taxation.

[Question]

How should Christians respond when government legitimizes sin (e.g., legalized abortion, gambling)?

[Context]

God refused to accept offerings from prostitutes to avoid legitimizing their law system.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'contend with the wicked' by keeping God's law in our personal lives?

[Context]

Proverbs 28:4 is cited as a call to active obedience as warfare.

[Question]

Is it biblical to pray for God's judgment on wicked rulers? How does Luke 18 inform this?

[Context]

The parable of the unjust judge encourages persistent prayer for justice.

Applications

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