The Request for a King
First Samuel 8: 1-22
Probably twenty or twenty-five years elapsed between the events recorded in Chapter 7 and those in Chapter 8. Samuel was now an old man, about to walk off the pages of the Bible, and a new generation had emerged in Isra’el with new leaders and new ideas. Life goes on, and circumstances change, but God’s people must have the wisdom to adapt to new challenges without abandoning old convictions. Like other great leaders, Samuel in his old age faced some painful situations and had to make some difficult decisions. Unfortunately, he left the scene convinced that he had been rejected by the very people he had served so faithfully. Samuel had obeyed ADONAI, but he was a man with a broken heart.
God had chosen Moshe to lead the nation of Isra’el and Joshua to succeed him (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Fu – The Tent of Meeting), but Joshua wasn’t commanded to lay hands on any successor.182 Ha’Shem then raised up judges to lead, and the people tried to make at least one of them king. Gideon, however, rejected this offer, reminding them of the privilege of having the LORD as their only king when he said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. ADONAI will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). As a result, unfortunately, during the period of the judges, the people followed the idols of the land (see the commentary on Judges As – Cycles of Disobedience and Deliverance). In those days there was no king in Isra’el; everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25, see 17:6,18:1, and 19:1). It seems that the Kingship of the invisible God strained the people’s faith, so through Samuel, YHVH provided a human king, by which He ultimately established His sovereign rule over His people.
Today, the congregations of God often suffer from a crisis of leadership, especially during times of transition. Like the Israelites of old, believers must learn that ADONAI has appointed the means of governing His people and He provides the leaders to do His will. In addition, relying on the Lord’s provision may inspire us to take biblical qualifications more seriously and devote more effort and energy to prayer.183
The eight speeches in Chapter Eight constitute a remarkable chiasm in which the second element in each pair reverses the roles of the speaker and recipient:
A The people to Samuel (8:5)
B Samuel to ADONAI (8:6)
C ADONAI to Samuel (8:7-9)
D Samuel to the people (8:10-18)
D The people to Samuel (8:19-20)
C Samuel to ADONAI (8:21)
B ADONAI to Samuel (8:22a)
A Samuel to the people (8:22b)
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