Give Us a King

It is a rule that Christians tend towards spiritual sloth and waywardness in times of ease and blessing more than they do in times of trials and affliction. This proved true for Israel. In 1 Samuel 8, we find the Israelites seeking to get out from under the rule of the Lord, who had graciously acted as their King for as long as they had had a corporate identity. Their insistence on being like "all the other nations," in the face of God's warning, demonstrates the stubbornness of the human heart, and the great need all believers have for the Lord to give us a teachable spirit and shape our desires according to his word. It also warns us away from pragmatic thinking in the Church and towards a life of faith and obedience.