The story of Israel begging for a king is an interesting one because the nation's desire for a king was clearly outside of the will of God. The Lord didn’t want a king for them because He wanted to be their king. As long as a human was king, he would control the kingdom’s wealth, and the direction of the kingdom would be determined by his faithfulness. So why did God allow it? It’s part of what is called God’s permissive will – that is, He allows it even though it comes at a cost. But just because He allows it doesn’t mean that it was a part of His original intent. One only has to continue reading through the history of the Israelites to find that Israel’s kings often led the nation astray to the worship of other gods. Rather than petitioning their own way, the Israelites should have sought God’s direction for them as a nation. Had they done so, perhaps their future wouldn’t have been so bleak.
About Seth
Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have two daughters, Madelyn and Noelle.
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