1 Samuel 8:1-7
It’s one of the hardest things to watch — when the next generation doesn’t follow the right path. You raise your kids for the Lord, you teach them, you train them, and then somewhere down the road, they choose to go a different way. It can leave you feeling heartbroken, confused, and wondering what to do next. That’s exactly what happened in 1 Samuel 8. Samuel was a faithful man of God. He led Israel with honesty and integrity. But when he got older, he made his sons judges, and sadly, they didn’t walk in his ways. They were greedy and crooked. And because of that, the people of Israel decided they wanted something new. They asked for a king. At first glance, it might look like a reasonable request. But if you look closer, you’ll see their hearts weren’t right. They weren’t just reacting to bad leadership — they were rejecting God.
So what should we do when the next generation fails? Let’s look at five Bible truths that can help us respond the right way.
1. Don’t Use Failure as an Excuse to Reject God’s Plan
In 1 Samuel 8:5, the people said, “Thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” They saw the failure of Samuel’s sons and used it as an excuse to throw out the way God had been leading them. They wanted to be like the world — they wanted a king. But instead of going to God for help, they tried to fix it on their own. Too often, people do the same thing. A pastor fails. A parent falls. A church leader goes off course. And instead of running to the Lord, people use that as a reason to stop going to church or stop trusting God. But just because people fail doesn’t mean God’s plan fails. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” When others mess up, it’s not time to run from God — it’s time to run to Him.
2. Be Careful Not to Blame the Right People for the Wrong Problem
The people came to Samuel with their complaint. But Samuel wasn’t the problem — his sons were. And instead of asking God to raise up new judges, they asked for a king. They lumped Samuel in with the failure of his boys and made a big decision based on emotion. This happens today too. Someone gets hurt in church, and all of a sudden, they want to leave everything behind. But blaming the right person for the wrong problem only makes things worse. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Big decisions made in frustration usually don’t lead to good results. The Israelites blamed Samuel, but they should’ve been seeking the Lord.
3. God Still Sees the Heart Behind the Request
When Samuel brought the matter to God, the LORD said in 1 Samuel 8:7, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” On the surface, their request seemed reasonable. But God saw what was really going on. They didn’t just want a king — they didn’t want God ruling over them anymore. He had led them through judges for years, but now they wanted a man to take His place.
Psalm 44:21 reminds us that God “knoweth the secrets of the heart.” You can’t fool Him. It’s easy to make spiritual-sounding excuses for decisions that are really just about control. We must check our motives and be honest with God about what’s truly driving us.
4. Every Generation Must Be Taught and Held Accountable
1 Samuel 8:3 says, “And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” That’s a strong statement. Samuel was a godly man, but his sons chose another path. This is similar to Eli’s sons in 1 Samuel 2:12, where it says, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.”
The big difference is that Eli didn’t restrain his sons (1 Samuel 3:13), while Samuel’s involvement isn’t fully explained. But either way, we see a truth here: every person has to make their own choice. You can train your kids right, and they still may not follow the Lord. But that doesn’t mean we stop teaching or holding them accountable. Ephesians 6:4 tells fathers to bring up their children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Keep training, keep teaching, and keep praying. But understand — the next generation must decide for themselves.
5. Even When Man Fails, God Still Has a Plan
The people asked for a king, and they got Saul. He looked the part, but he failed. Yet God wasn’t done. In time, He raised up David — a man after His own heart. And from David’s line came Jesus Christ, the true and perfect King. Even when people make the wrong choices, God still works things out for His glory. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Don’t give up when things fall apart. God is still on the throne. Keep trusting Him. Keep doing right. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture.
When the next generation falls, it hurts. But it doesn’t have to be the end. We must respond with wisdom, not emotion. Don’t walk away from God’s plan just because others did. Don’t blame the wrong person. Trust that God sees your heart. Stay faithful in teaching and training, and believe that even in failure, God can still work. Because at the end of the day, our hope has never been in people — it’s always been in the Lord.
