Give us a King
When we read in 1 Samuel about Israel’s desire for a king, it was to be like the other nations. This is quite ironic since God had called Israel to be set apart from the other nations. God knew that kings would almost always tend toward tyranny, which was not how He desired His people to be ruled. We see this kind of leadership fulfilled in Saul, who, not long after becoming Israel’s first king, displayed the very flaws God had warned about.
Israel wanted someone other nations could look at and think, “We shouldn’t mess with Israel.” Ironically, that had been God’s role repeatedly, but now that wasn’t enough for them. So, God gave Israel the desire of her heart, and Saul was selected as king. He was handsome, tall, charismatic, and appeared to be exactly what they wanted. He even started out humble and gracious, but as God had foreseen, that did not last.
You would think we would have learned from these lessons so clearly laid out for us—that it never pays to go against God’s decreed commands. Yet, we do it all the time. What lessons from King Saul and Israel can we take away and apply to our lives this weekend? Well, that’s what Sunday’s message will be about. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Peace,
Nathan Bentley