Kings are Powerless to Save Us

People have always sought to solve their problem of sin by constructing entities which they hope will institutionalize their safety, happiness, peace, and righteousness.

But in the end, such human powers and organizations cannot rescue us from the consequences of our sin. Samuel warned Israel of the danger of seeking after a king, but Israel would not listen to his warnings.

In seeking to avoid the consequences of our sin, we rebel against God's reign over us.

But God's judgment will still fall upon us, whether we have a king or not. Samuel warned Israel, that if it continued to rebel against God, He would consume both the people and their king.

This promise overthrows all the hopes of mankind for a secular solution to the problem of sin.

Kings cannot save us from the judgment of God for our sin.

Surely the most tragic example of this truth is found in the story of good King Josiah. He discovered half way through his reign that Judah had totally failed to obey God's law.

God informed him that Judah surely would not escape His judgment for its wickedness, no matter what desperate steps Josiah took toward reformation.

Josiah was recorded as the most obedient king since David. He sought mightily to save his nation and his people by purging the land of idolatry and sexual deviance and barbarous pagan practices.

His people had even ceased to celebrate the passover, by which God had redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt.

They had utterly failed to remember the passover lamb, by whose shed blood they were rescued from the divine wrath that destroyed all the first born sons.

But Josiah could not take away the sin of Israel, which God must judge.