Kings of Israel Essay
Name: John Shisler
Course and Section Number: BIBL 105-D23
Kings of Israel The story of the first three kings of Israel is a story of how God will raise you up when you are obedient to him. Saul and Solomon were not obedient to God and were therefore punished because of it. While David was not always obedient, he honored God and tried to be the best man and king he could be. Because of this, he was rewarded and honored by God. We can learn from these stories that obedience to God is necessary and always something for which we should strive. During the reign of Samuel, the people of Israel requested that God and Samuel change Israel from being a country ruled by tribal judges to a kingdom ruled by kings. Samuel was considered to have had a “successful judgeship”1 and led the Israelites to a renewal of the covenant with God. Samuel wanted to appoint his sons as the next round of tribal judges to watch over and rule Israel. However, in 1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NRSV), the wishes of the people are convey to Samuel, stating “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” This displeased Samuel, but he went to the Lord, and in 1 Samuel 8:7 (NRSV) “the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” The true reason for the Israelites reasoning for wanting a king was repeated in 1 Samuel 8:19b-20 (NRSV) when “they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, 20 so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”” The Israelites saw how other kingdoms were ruled and desired to have that same type of rule.
The first king of Israel, Saul, was chosen because “he was the people’s choice, more than God’s choice for a king2.
Course and Section Number: BIBL 105-D23
Kings of Israel The story of the first three kings of Israel is a story of how God will raise you up when you are obedient to him. Saul and Solomon were not obedient to God and were therefore punished because of it. While David was not always obedient, he honored God and tried to be the best man and king he could be. Because of this, he was rewarded and honored by God. We can learn from these stories that obedience to God is necessary and always something for which we should strive. During the reign of Samuel, the people of Israel requested that God and Samuel change Israel from being a country ruled by tribal judges to a kingdom ruled by kings. Samuel was considered to have had a “successful judgeship”1 and led the Israelites to a renewal of the covenant with God. Samuel wanted to appoint his sons as the next round of tribal judges to watch over and rule Israel. However, in 1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NRSV), the wishes of the people are convey to Samuel, stating “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” This displeased Samuel, but he went to the Lord, and in 1 Samuel 8:7 (NRSV) “the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” The true reason for the Israelites reasoning for wanting a king was repeated in 1 Samuel 8:19b-20 (NRSV) when “they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, 20 so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”” The Israelites saw how other kingdoms were ruled and desired to have that same type of rule.
The first king of Israel, Saul, was chosen because “he was the people’s choice, more than God’s choice for a king2.
Bibliography: Hindson, Edward E., and Yates, Gary E. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville, Tenn.: B & H Academic, 2012.