God initially did not want Israel to have a king, which also made Samuel unhappy (1 Samuel 8:6, English Standard Version). God granted their wish for a king and instructed Samuel to facilitate the process but warned them of the consequences of having a king (1 Samuel 8:7-9). Samuel explained that choosing a king entailed far more than just adding one person to Israel’s circle of power. It involved the creation of a permanent, multifarious bureaucratic apparatus making use of thousands of people. Significant amounts of personal and family resources would have to be turned up to the king to underwrite this type of administration.[1]
Kingship for Israel
As narrated in 1 Samuel, the story of kingship has essential teachings regarding the interplay of divine rule and human rule. A relevant concern is the balance of God’s power and man’s need for rulers. In the passage of 1 Samuel 8:7, God states to the Israeli people that their desire for a king is a rejection of His rule and that He, in the end, holds the key to authority: He remains the supreme leader.[2]
It serves as a warning to Christians that undue dependence on human systems can result in the abandonment of faith. Moreover, the scripture also emphasizes the seriousness of the position of leadership. Though kingship is desirable under God‘s mandate, it comes with profound responsibility. They are answerable to man and God and must bear justice, humility, and obedience to the Law of God (1 Sam 12:14).[3] This underlines the ethical responsibility of power in command – to exercise justice.
The narrative also anticipates Christ’s kingship in the future when he will come as the ideal leader: one who serves and gives his life to do the will of God without the imperfections of sinful man. In this respect, earthly leaders are called to use Jesus Christ as an example of leadership, exhibiting love and righteousness (John 10:11). Additional elements in this regard are also offered by the Israelites’ wish for a king like those present in other nations which serves as a relevant method of warning against idols. Such craving might foster an unreasonable faith in the ruling structures instead of an unshakeable Faith in God.
The faithful Christians in various countries are advised to ‘lean on the Lord’ in all leadership issues and not be remiss in saying that all peace and justice come from God (Isaiah 9:6). I feel that although there is a monarchy in Israel at this time in the scriptures, it sheds light on all the aspects of governance by humanity; still it directs on the need of faith in the Lord and living in the expectation of the messianic kingdom.
Abraham vs. Kingship in 1 Samuel
In Gen. 17:6, 16, and 35:11, God speaks to Abraham about making his descendants be nations and that kings will be from him.[4] This shows how positive the institution of monarchy is since it is understood as ordained by God for Israel. The concept of a king is more developed in Deut 17:14-20, where God provides instructions concerning the role of the king. These instructions state that a king is to be selected by Yahweh, he is not to amass much assets, and he is to abide by God’s rules. This explains kingship more positively, being a viable, beneficial structure where all actions follow God’s will.
1 Samuel 8-12 is, however, more complicated regarding chronology. In this context, the most severe issue emerges for the Israelites, who start demanding a king, which Samuel and God perceive as wisdom.[5] Hence, God warns that having such a king may result in servitude and injustice. Still, God permits them to bear in mind that although kingship can be a component of His intentions, dangers can be associated with it.
In these texts, the notion of kingship encompasses contradictory aspects. On the one hand, it appears to be a God-ordained rule that advances justice and righteousness. In another sense, it also hazards optimism in that the people expect a savior who is a king and not God. The quest for a king posits misplaced notions for the children of God, which Samuel tries to oppose through exhortations that all point out that a king must always be God-centered rather than loyal to his ideas of kingship (Deut 17:19-20).
Positive and Negative Kingship of 1 Samuel
The kingship within the narrative of 1 Samuel is more multifaceted than presenting only a positive or a negative attitude towards royalty. On the one hand, the text presents the institution of kingship as God ordained, with even Saul being crowned by Samuel (1 Samuel 10:1), which suggests that though we desire a king, God still safeguards this change over and above others. In the beginning, Saul unites the nation against the invasion of the Philistines, taking on the role of defender of the people (1 Samuel 11:1-11).[6]The story, however, also notes significant weaknesses. The request for a king is depicted as engendering the people’s revolt against God’s reign, as Samuel articulates God’s words, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected God from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Such a change illustrates how the Israelites fell spiritually and opted for human kings instead of God.
Further, there is a more profound lesson to be learned from the fall of Saul, which is a caution against the perils of kingship in cases where it goes off the ordained way. That insubordination attracts the wrath of God and causes His rejection of him as king of Israel (1 Samuel 15:26), also provoking instances of not following the commanded things.[7]This line of storytelling further reinforces the notions of solid devotion towards God and the risks involved where that devotion is not rendered. The way David is introduced as an ideal upon whom God has set His heart, 1 Samuel 13:14, makes the competence of King Saul unflattering and hints at the development of a kingly rule that highlights the messianic concept as echoed within the Old Testament.
Kingship in 1 Samuel offers the beginning of knowing how complex the foundation of Monarchy in Israel is, probably without looking at other external factors. It poses crucial issues encompassing authority, fidelity, and the governance of God over His offspring. These motifs can be found in the following chronicles, such as in the case of 2 Samuel and the history of the Kings of Israel regarding the glory and downfalls of the kings. Therefore, 1 Samuel acknowledges that Israel must have the institutions of kings for the nation to be banded and even thrive within the range and forewarns on the fallibility of humanity in engaging against divinity, setting the stage for the understanding of kingship in all the Old Testament.
Bibliography
Bergen, Robert D. The New American Commentary, vol. 1 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996).
Friedrich, Carl, and Franz Delitzsch. “Commentary on the Old Testament.” Commentary on the Old Testament 2 (1996).
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther. Ada, OK: Baker Academic, 2008.
Mangum, Douglas. “Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary.” Lexham Context Commentary 3 (2020).
[1] Robert D. Bergen, 1, 2 Samuel, vol. 7, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 117.
[2] Victor P. Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 232.
[3] Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books, 241.
[4] Ibid., 229.
[5] Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books, 233.
[6] Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 437.
[7] Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), 1 Sa 13:1–15:35.