1Sa 8:5 | KingComments | STEP | The desire to have a king is expressed by “all the elders of Israel”. The leaders, the fathers of the people, lead the people. Wisdom is not always to be found with the older, as Elihu says: “The abundant [in years] may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice” ( ). It is a general wish. In the wickedness of Samuel’s sons, the people found an excuse to desire a king. To give a reason for their desire for a king, the people misused Samuel’s mistake in the appraisal of his sons. It is proof that they are blind to their own failure and to the fact that a king will not do better. In the LORD says what the real reason is, and this is that they no longer want to listen to Him . This is also the real reason for introducing all kinds of offices into professing Christianity. Religious man wants visible dominion. The invisible guidance of the Holy Spirit does not meet the wishes of man. Man must be able to point to a qualified pastor or a pope with his staff. The church must learn from business. The church has become a business that has to be run. There is a product that needs to be sold. Things must be recognizable to all people, to believers and unbelievers. The unseen God is too far away and must be brought closer, made tangible, perceptible to man’s senses. You must be able to smell, hear, see, and experience Him. The elders substantiate their request for a king with two arguments. The first is that Samuel is old, and the second is that his sons are bad. If these were real arguments, they should have complained earlier about Eli’s age, who was much older, and about the behavior of his sons, who were much worse. We do not hear that they have ever complained about that. Therefore, these are worthless reasons. If you want something, you will always find a reason. It has been calculated that Samuel must have been here between sixty and seventy years old. Then you are at an advanced age, but not really old. There is no evidence that he became forgetful or began to show other signs of old age. He was still powerful. This becomes clear when he later hews Agag with the sword to pieces ( ). There is a third reason why the people want a king. That will come to light later ( ). The desire to have a king is not wrong in itself. God wants to give His people a king, they may even ask for it ( ). But the people want one according to their own taste, to be able to compete with the nations. They do not want a king who reveals to them the will of God and rules according to His will. Nor do they want to wait for God’s time and God’s choice. They want a king and they want him now. Therefore their question here is wrong and not according to God’s will. It is not only about what one asks, but with what intension and in what mind. They want something visible, something for which they can prostrate. Their desire stems from what they see in the nations around them. They want to be “just like all the nations”. The nations have a king, so they also want a king. This word must have been particularly painful for the LORD because He separated them from all other nations to be His people, a people that proclaims His excellencies. It is their fame that they are not like the other nations ( ).

‏ 1 Samuel 8:5

The People Want a King

The desire to have a king is expressed by “all the elders of Israel”. The leaders, the fathers of the people, lead the people. Wisdom is not always to be found with the older, as Elihu says: “The abundant [in years] may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice” (Job 32:9). It is a general wish. In the wickedness of Samuel’s sons, the people found an excuse to desire a king. To give a reason for their desire for a king, the people misused Samuel’s mistake in the appraisal of his sons. It is proof that they are blind to their own failure and to the fact that a king will not do better. In 1Sam 8:7 the LORD says what the real reason is, and this is that they no longer want to listen to Him.

This is also the real reason for introducing all kinds of offices into professing Christianity. Religious man wants visible dominion. The invisible guidance of the Holy Spirit does not meet the wishes of man. Man must be able to point to a qualified pastor or a pope with his staff. The church must learn from business. The church has become a business that has to be run. There is a product that needs to be sold.

Things must be recognizable to all people, to believers and unbelievers. The unseen God is too far away and must be brought closer, made tangible, perceptible to man’s senses. You must be able to smell, hear, see, and experience Him.

The elders substantiate their request for a king with two arguments. The first is that Samuel is old, and the second is that his sons are bad. If these were real arguments, they should have complained earlier about Eli’s age, who was much older, and about the behavior of his sons, who were much worse. We do not hear that they have ever complained about that. Therefore, these are worthless reasons. If you want something, you will always find a reason.

It has been calculated that Samuel must have been here between sixty and seventy years old. Then you are at an advanced age, but not really old. There is no evidence that he became forgetful or began to show other signs of old age. He was still powerful. This becomes clear when he later hews Agag with the sword to pieces (1Sam 15:33). There is a third reason why the people want a king. That will come to light later (1Sam 12:12).

The desire to have a king is not wrong in itself. God wants to give His people a king, they may even ask for it (Deu 17:14-20). But the people want one according to their own taste, to be able to compete with the nations. They do not want a king who reveals to them the will of God and rules according to His will. Nor do they want to wait for God’s time and God’s choice. They want a king and they want him now. Therefore their question here is wrong and not according to God’s will. It is not only about what one asks, but with what intension and in what mind. They want something visible, something for which they can prostrate.

Their desire stems from what they see in the nations around them. They want to be “just like all the nations”. The nations have a king, so they also want a king. This word must have been particularly painful for the LORD because He separated them from all other nations to be His people, a people that proclaims His excellencies. It is their fame that they are not like the other nations (Num 23:9).