The People Demand a King

Samuel had grown up to be a great judge for Israel but the Israelites wanted to try something new. They were looking around at other nations and realized that they all had a king or queen as their leader. Those nations seemed more powerful because their leaders wore cool crowns and fancy robes. So, they decided they wanted that, too. They went to Samuel and demanded to have a king as their leader once Samuel died. Samuel prayed and asked God for wisdom. God told Samuel that he would give the people a king but he warned him of the downfalls. Having a king may look cool, but kings can get selfish and mean when they have all the power. And, here’s what the Israelites were forgetting. They already had a king-God! He’s the ruler of everything and he had been leading, protecting and providing for the Israelites all along like a good king should. But, the Israelites didn’t get that. They wanted a human king. We need to remember this, too. God is our king and he’s the best king. He loves us and will take care of us.