Bible scholar Chad Bird answers the question, “What’s so wrong with Israel wanting a king?”
Israel Wanting a King
The Bible reveals the nation of Israel wanted a king, likening themselves to the other nations, as found in 1 Samuel 8. The Israelites told Samuel to present their request to God, which displeased the prophet. But God told Samuel to listen to the people because they were not rejecting Samuel, but God Himself.
“What was wrong with it was that they were rejecting God as their king and demanding a human king so they could be like all the nations which were around them,” Chad explained.
He added, “Then God tells Samuel to tell the people what the king will do his three favorite things: take, take, take. Take their children, take their fields, take their taxes. And that’s exactly what they got.”
Giving King vs. Taking King
According to Chad, Israel rejected the King and wanted a human as their king.
“Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam.. each of these kings took in his own way from the people.”
“Fast forward to the life of Christ,” Chad shared. “[He] comes as our King. And on the day of His trial with Pontius Pilate, what do the people say? ‘We have no king but Caesar still.”
The Israelites still rejected their giving King and swore allegiance to a taking king.
Nevertheless, the giving King was unrelenting.
“Here’s the most beautiful thing about our God. In His ferocious love, He will not sit still and let that continue. He is going to be our giving king, and so, He gives Himself on the cross. He gives Himself all the way into the grave and then out of the grave again. In order that He might be our giving King, the One who gives Himself to us.”
“And in His salvation, we might live under His good and gracious reign.”
May we also give our all to the giving King!
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