1 Samuel 8: Israel Demands a King like their Neighbors

The Rev. Ross Shaver, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church and School in Nampa, Idaho, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Samuel 8.

The people of Israel have had enough of Samuel's sons, who twist justice and take bribes. They want a king to lead them, just like the other nations. But they are blind to the fact that they already have a King: YHWH himself! God commands Samuel to reveal to them the bitter reality of having a human king, who will oppress them and conscript their sons into perpetual battles. Samuel’s warnings go unheeded: the people demand a king.

The Book of 1 Samuel beings with the unique birth of Samuel, the last judge of Israel. Soon, the people of Israel begin to press upon the aging prophet Samuel to anoint a king over them like the other nations. YHWH assures Samuel that the people are rejecting their God, not Samuel. He advises Samuel to give the people what they want. What follows is the rise and fall of King Saul, the eventual anointing and coronation of David as king, the forerunner of Jesus. It’s a true story of political intrigue and warfare, but it’s also more than that. 1 Samuel shows us God working to save his people from their enemies and even from themselves.