1 Samuel 8:6-10
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 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.
8 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.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
Verse 7 shows God’s regard towards the matter; and, in verse 9, Almighty God, in His inscrutable wisdom, allows this to take place yet does not bless, but warns of immanent consequences. God allows man to pursue self-government, and we owe this conclusion to God’s grace; not to be misconceived as an endorsement.
Matthew 19:7-8
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Matthew 19:7-8 takes place as our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, arrives in Judea and a multitude follow to include the Pharisees. Our Savior answers a query put forward by the Pharisees regarding marriage.
God allows us to pursue certain objects. Clearly, however, this is not because of any intrinsic virtue in man; quite the contrary; it is because of the hardness of our hearts.
1 Corinthians 3:13
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
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