Monarchy in the Old Testament and New Testament
Israel's Request for a King 1 Samuel 8:1-9
In the Ancient Near East, the monarchy was an important institution as most nations surrounding Israel were ruled by kings. We see in 1 Samuel 8:5 when Israel asks the prophet Samuel for a king like the other nations who will judge them and in verse 20 of chapter 8 they go further by wanting a king who will go out and lead them in battle. Even though the Israelites have a legitimate request as we see that the leaders of Israel were corrupt and not godly like Samuel.
But the concern was that they wanted a king like the rest of the nations in doing so they were rejecting Yahweh’s rule as he had been their king who led them out of Egypt and into battles against the surrounding nations.
As we read in 1 Samuel 8:6-7 “But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
This does not sit well with Samuel as they are rejecting him as their judge but God points out that it is not Samuel, they are rejecting but Him as he has led them in battles against the Philistines in the previous verses.
This should also be a warning that it is possible to ask for a good thing but it should never be at the expense of replacing God which we see with the Israelites they have a genuine reason to ask for a king but their motive is wrong.
The Israelites were God’s chosen people and God was their king and they are now willing to replace a perfect king who has been with them for a human imperfect king just like the other nations around them. Them expressing a desire to depart from the special political status of a nation chosen and ruled by God to become simply one ordinary nation amongst many ordinary nations.
A King is Chosen 1 Samuel 9:1-27
1 Samuel 9:1-2 we are introduced to Kish a Benjamite and his Son Saul. Saul is presented as an impressive handsome young man, tall and a shoulder above any other man.
If physical attributes were used to choose a king Saul ticks all the boxes in the ANE physical attributes for a king were paramount as Del Franz tells us “ such a figure as this was well adapted to commend him to the people as their king, since size and beauty were highly valued in rulers as signs of manly strength”.
We are in no doubt made to believe that Saul was fit to be king and was the answer to the Israelite's request to have a king like other nations to lead them in battle in 1 Samuel 8:20. It looks like Israel has struck the lotto here with Saul just based on his physical attribute but is he fit to be king? We shall see how this plays out in the rest of the verses.
This is a problem that we encounter in this story in 1 Sam 8:3 as Kish’s donkeys go missing and Saul is given the task of locating and bringing them back to his father with the help of his servant. As impressive as Saul was physically, he turns out to be quite a disappointment as he fails in the task of finding the donkeys.
In verses 4-5, the seems to be an implied criticism against Saul as Kings were supposed to shepherd their people but Saul cannot even fulfill the menial task of locating and shepherding his father’s donkeys how will he shepherd a whole nation?
The unexpected King
Saul starts well as Israel’s king as he leads them to military victories against the Ammonites in 1 Samuel 11 and against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 13:1-7. But he ends up being a disappointing king who disobeys God and in 1 Samuel 15:26 tells us ‘’ And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel”. A king is supposed to obey God and to enforce the law and revere God, Saul does not do any of these and as a result, God rejects him as king of Israel.
We are told that in 1 Samuel 16 God instructs Samuel to go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem and to anoint one of his sons to be the future king of Israel. The first son comes who just like Saul was tall and handsome and but God rejects him this time God makes it clear to Samuel that unlike Saul's election which had in part been related to his appearance and that looks alone do not make a good leader for God’s people. and when it says in 1 Samuel 16:7” For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” it is in reference that the choice of electing Israel king was to be God’s alone not Samuel.
Jesus as the unlikely king fights what the Israelites would have thought as their unlikely enemies. The Israelites wanted a political Messiah who would free them from oppressive Roman rule, but Jesus was not the type of Messiah who would fight the Roman empire. He came to fight and defeat Satan, sin, and death the biggest enemies of man.
By him dying on the cross to redeem his people from sin, death, and the wrath of God he defeated the most unlikely enemy in the most unlikely way and became the most unlikely king he is the servant king who came to serve and serve us in dying on the cross and to give glory to the Father.
In our modern world things such as education, money, pension fund, armed response security, and private health care be essential supplements to our trust in God. Like the monarchy of Israel, these things are not wrong in themselves. Nevertheless, our dependence on them can become in reality a rejection of the Lordship of God in our lives and this can indicate a failure to understand God and his sovereignty.
They say cash is king. But we know with money it is a horrible master but a wonderful servant. Just like Saul as impressive as money is it leaves one disappointed if we put it on a pedestal that is only supposed to be occupied by Jesus the true king who his rule gives a sense of satisfaction that no other ruler can as only Jesus rule gives us this contentment.
Bibliography
Franz, D. (n.d.). Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
