1 Samuel 8:4-5 King of the Jews

 ”So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”“ ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

a. All the elders of Israel gathered: It was wise for the elders of Israel to do this. They did not have to accept leaders who were obviously ungodly and unfit to lead.

b. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations: While it was wise for the elders of Israel to reject Samuel’s sons as leaders, it was wrong for them to say this.

i. In itself, the desire to have a king was not bad. God knew one day Israel would have a king. 400 years before this God gave instructions to Israel about their future king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). A king was in God’s plan for Israel.

ii. Yet, the reason Israel wanted a king was wrong. “Like all the nations” is no reason at all. We often get into trouble by wanting to be like the world when we should instead be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2).

c. Make us a king: There was a difference between a king and a judge. A judge was a leader raised up by God, usually to meet a specific need in a time of crisis. When the crisis was over usually the judge went back to doing what he did before. A king not only held his office as king as long as he lived, he also passed his throne down to his descendants.

i. Judges did not make a “government.” They met a specific need in a time of crisis. Kings establish a standing government with a bureaucracy, which can be both a blessing and a curse to any people.

ii. In Judges 8 Gideon was offered the throne over Israel. He refused it saying, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.” (Judges 8:23) This was the heart of all the judges, and why Israel went some 400 years in the Promised Land without a king. (Guzik)

King of the Jews

Make us a king was their demand, for we want to be like other nations! 

But when God sends them a real King they rejected Him!

”The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Out of all the religions in the world there’s only one, that God has sent His Son to die for you! 

Is Jesus your king?

Blessings