David McElroy

In the Book of I Samuel, the prophet warned the people against their demand for a king. The Hebrews were unhappy with having Samuel’s sons to judge them, because the sons were corrupt. Instead of seeking freedom from corrupt men, the people asked for a king.

According to I Samuel 8:11-18, the prophet warned the people with these words: “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The people got what they asked for. Saul became the first king of Israel. If you know the story, you know things didn’t end well. The practices of kings haven’t changed much from Saul’s day, even if we call them something other than kings now. We need to look past the day of allowing a king to rule over us, even if that’s what the majority want.