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The anger of the Lord is displayed in giving them the desire of their heart and their persistent and very vocal request for a monarch. Israel wanted to be like the Gentile nations surrounding them and those who lived among them. There is a parallel to be made here. Are we seeking the will of the Lord or our own will and desire? Do we pray the prayer of the Lord Jesus, and mean it, not my will but Yours be done. Luke 22:42 His will leads to a blest life. Our will is earthly and carnal and leads to death. Jesus came into this world to fulfill the explicit will of the Father. John 5:30 When we pray the prayer which He taught His disciples, do we really mean, Your will be done. Mt. 6:10 Don’t pray it if you don’t mean it. It is a prayer of dedication and surrender to His will. What we ask for is not always beneficial to us nor does it contribute to our well being.
With their request they displeased Samuel who sought the Lord for an answer to the problem. The response of the Lord was that they were not rejecting him but the object of their rejection was the Lord. 1 Sam. 8:6-7 What a foolish move on their part. The Lord had marvelously demonstrated His ability and power to deliver and protect them. They had a constant supply of food and water in a desert area. They had the best of two worlds.
When His people walk according to His will, He will withhold no good thing from them. Ps. 84:11b It just does not get any better than that. The wrath of the Lord was to be displayed in the removal of their king and their cessation as a nation and their scattering abroad.
An extremely serious statement made by the prophet. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, or kept in store, reserved for a purpose and a time. His sin is hid, put away awaiting the day of revelation and judgment of sin. Their sin is not purged from them nor forgiven of the Lord. It is kept in store against the day of judgment. Paul gave a word of warning to those whose hearts are hard and unrepentant. They are storing up wrath which will be used to judge them in the day when the works of mankind will be disclosed. Rom. 2:5-6.
Contrary wise the response of the Lord in forgiveness is to confess and forsake sin. The latter being as equally important as the former. There is no benefit to confession if we continue in unrighteousness. Prov. 28:13 The Lord gives assurance that the memory of our sins are blotted out, erased, abolished from His memory forevermore. He has declared that He will not remember them against us forever. The Lord has the best and the greatest loss of memory of all. He cannot, He will not, remember sin which has been confessed and forsaken. Heb. 8:12 A far as the Lord is concerned the person who has been obedient to the Lord is totally justified from all their sin. A full and complete pardon has been given them.