1. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King!

2. 1 Samuel 8 is a pivotal passage in the history of Israel as they move from being a theocracy- with God as the head of the nation- to a monarchy with a human king as their head.

3. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! 1 Samuel 8 is a pivotal passage in the history of Israel as they move from being a theocracy- with God as the head of the nation- to a monarchy with a human king as their head. But this passage is also important in a larger, theological sense in that it speaks to the twin needs of mankind for human government and godly government. And in this way it points to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Pretext for the Demand (v1-3)

5. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Pretext for the Demand (v1-3) The people seize upon Samuel’s age and the corruption of his sons as a pretext for their request for a king.

6. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9)

7. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) The paradox in this passage is that it was both right and wrong for them to request a king.

8. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies:

9. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies: (Gen 17:6) I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.

10. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies: (Gen 17:6) I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. (Gen 35:11) And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

11. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies: (Gen 17:6) I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. (Gen 35:11) And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. (Gen 49:10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

12. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies: 2.Permission: (Deu 17:14-15) “When you come to the land that the L ORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the L ORD your God will choose.

13. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Evidences that it was right to request a King: 1.Prophecies: 2.Permission: 3.Blessing: (Judges 21:25) In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

14. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) However, it’s very clear from the context of 1 Samuel that what the people were requesting was wrong. (1 Samuel 12:17-19) And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the L ORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the L ORD, and the L ORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the L ORD and Samuel. 19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the L ORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”

15. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire They wanted to be like the other nations around them. God had called them to be unique and distinct, but they wanted to be the same.

16. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire a.that our king may judge us: They would trade the authority and completeness of God’s wisdom for the immediacy of human governance.

17. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire a.that our king may judge us: They would trade the authority and completeness of God’s wisdom for the immediacy of human governance. b.and go out before us: They would trade the glory and majesty of the King of Glory for the visibility of a human king.

18. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire a.that our king may judge us: They would trade the authority and completeness of God’s wisdom for the immediacy of human governance. b.and go out before us: They would trade the glory and majesty of the King of Glory for the visibility of a human king. c.and fight our battles: They would trade the strong arm of the Lord of Hosts for the security and convenience of a standing army and commander.

19. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire 2.Timing There are significant reasons to believe that God would have given them a king after the death of Samuel- King David.

20. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire 2.Timing There are significant reasons to believe that God would have given them a king after the death of Samuel- King David. a)Although Samuel was old, he was by no means feeble. He continued fulfilling his role throughout the reign of King Saul, even hacking an evil king to pieces later in chapter 15.

21. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire 2.Timing There are significant reasons to believe that God would have given them a king after the death of Samuel- King David. a)Although Samuel was old, he was by no means feeble. b)Samuel doesn’t fade from Israel’s history until David shows up.

22. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) Two things wrong with their request: 1.Hidden Desire 2.Timing There are significant reasons to believe that God would have given them a king after the death of Samuel- King David. a)Although Samuel was old, he was by no means feeble. b)Samuel doesn’t fade from Israel’s history until David shows up. c)Saul is said to be chosen for Israel, David for God (1 Sam 16:1)

23. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! The Demand for a King (v4-9) In our lives we must consider both the blessings and the dangers of the permissable.

24. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22)

25. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) The warning is mainly the natural results of the centralization of human government.

26. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) The warning is mainly the natural results of the centralization of human government. Cost of setting up a standing army (v11-12)

27. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) The warning is mainly the natural results of the centralization of human government. Cost of setting up a standing army (v11-12) Cost of supporting the army with food and supplies (v12)

28. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) The warning is mainly the natural results of the centralization of human government. Cost of setting up a standing army (v11-12) Cost of supporting the army with food and supplies (v12) Cost in supporting the lifestyle of the monarch and his officers (v13-17)

29. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) The warning is mainly the natural results of the centralization of human government. Cost of setting up a standing army (v11-12) Cost of supporting the army with food and supplies (v12) Cost in supporting the lifestyle of the monarch and his officers (v13-17) A self-imposed, internal slavery from which God would not deliver them (v17- 18)

30. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) Notice the word “take” here in this passage- he will take your sons, he will take your daughters, he will take the best of your fields, he will take the tenth of your grain. It is the nature of earthly government to take. There is only one kind of government that does not “take”, and it is God’s government!

31. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Results of Kingship (v10-22) Notice the word “take” here in this passage- he will take your sons, he will take your daughters, he will take the best of your fields, he will take the tenth of your grain. It is the nature of earthly government to take. There is only one kind of government that does not “take”, and it is God’s government! Romans 8:32 says 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Matthew 7:11 says 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

32. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Do You Want A King?

33. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Do You Want A King? The paradox we noted earlier foreshadows the sending of the Lord Jesus Christ to be our King. On one hand he answers the need of mankind for a king who is visible and approachable and near. And yet he also answers the need of mankind for a king who is never corrupt, never fails his people and never loses a battle.

34. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Do You Want A King? Many people don’t want any king. They do not sense any kind of need.

35. 1 Samuel 8 [p230] Give Us A King! Do You Want A King? Many people don’t want any king. They do not sense any kind of need. Many people will gladly take a king, if he is one of their own making and choosing.