God’s People Want A King

God’s People Want a King

Q: When the Jews (Israelites) asked for a king, they were rejecting _____.

• a. God
• b. Samuel
• c. David

The Jews decided they wanted a king. Several things may have led to this desire. First of all, Samuel’s sons should have followed him as judges to guide the Israelites, but the sons were wicked. They were not fit to be leaders.

Another reason they might have wanted a king was that each tribe had its own land and its own leader. It was hard for the tribes to work together. A king would provide unity for the tribes.

One other reason the Israelites might have wanted a king was because the nations around them all had kings. They wanted to be like their neighbors.

God didn’t want them to have a king, though. He wanted to be their leader, and he knew having an earthly king would make them forget that he was in charge. The people thought a king would solve their problems, but their real problem was disobedience to God. So unless the king pointed the Jews back to God, having a king wouldn’t solve their problems.

Samuel was unhappy about the Israelites’ request for a king, but God told him the Israelites were rejecting the Lord, not Samuel. He told Samuel to listen to the people and to warn them of the bad points of having a king, but the people wouldn’t listen. They were determined to have a king, and God let them go ahead with their plans.

For You

Sometimes God allows people to go their own way and experience the consequences of their poor decisions. It’s important not to blame God when bad things happen due to our own choices. Only by following God’s plan can we avoid making mistakes that will result in unpleasant consequences.

Answer: a

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.”   1 Samuel 8:6-7

(The Whole Story: 1 Samuel 8)