1S8-2: How To Refute The False Claim That God Did Not Want A King Over Israel

So here’s the view modern Literary Critics take towards the books of Samuel and Kings.

They claim at least 2 different writers with 2 competing and opposite agendas wrote these books.

Why do they make these assertions?

Because when one reads these books you’ll come across what seems to be two contradictory God-patterns at play that cannot be reconciled with each other.

The literary scholars point to these 2 conflicting viewpoints as irrefutable evidence that some other ancient writer willy-nilly later injected himself into the Biblical text to promote his agenda.

Then they conclude we simply can’t trust the books of Samuel and Kings as being God-inspired.

Because in one instance we have the Lord despising the idea of installing a human king over Israel.

But then later on, it appears that God does a complete 180 and not only is cool with the idea of a king but He makes it the keystone of His plan of salvation for Israel.

So that’s the argument in a nutshell. 

Now I’ve already refuted this argument during our time through the book of Judges.

It’s a position that isn’t readily accepted because it goes against the typical Christian perspective on the matter.

Anyways, let me express it again here.

The main theme of Judges is all about God demonstrating to Israel their need for a king.

During Judges He was preparing His People for a king.

Got it?

I mean are we clear here?

The book of Judges demonstrates to not just Israel but the whole world that we cannot function properly without a king…

And that eventually all mankind will be ruled by a king of His choosing.

So again, it was never an issue of whether or not God wanted a king to rule over Israel…

But WHAT KIND of king He wanted for His people.

When you read the Scriptures without any doctrinal preferences or agenda, that’s the main idea that comes shining through like the rays of the sun on a clear blue-skied day.

Onward.

From a Scriptural perspective, there are only two kinds of kings.

One who is controlled by the YETSER-HARA (the evil inclination) and as a result is self-serving, pompous and amasses wealth for his own personal benefit.

Or one who is controlled by the YETSER-TOV (the good inclination) and expresses our Heavenly Father’s attributes of love, truth and has the heart of a servant…not to mention his justice system is perfect, merciful and based on the Torah.

If anyone knows anything about history, it should be obvious that most of mankind’s leaders who have come and gone were controlled by the YETSER-HARA.

They preferred political correctness to the truth of God’s Word.

Unfortunately, when we get into the books of the kings, we’ll see a lot of those kings were of this nature.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

So to close, understand the issue being kicked around in Samuel and Kings is NOT whether Israel should change from being a tribal society led by Judges and Priests to a monarchy ruled by an all-powerful king.

No, the issue at stake is if Israel persists in their lust for ruler who is like the self-serving kings of the gentiles, that is NOT the the type of king the Lord wants for His people.

Such a king will eventually fail.

So this is the big perspective we need to keep in mind as we go through Samuel and then later the book of Kings.

Ya feel me?

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Yeshua answered,
‘My kingdom is not of this world.
If my kingdom were of this world,
my servants would have been fighting,
that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.
But my kingdom is not from the world.'”
-John 18:36

“He is the radiance of the glory of God
and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe
by the word of his power.
After making purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high,
having become as much superior
to angels as the name he has inherited
is more excellent than theirs.”
-Hebrews 1:3-4

“. . . and from Yeshua the Messiah 
the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us
from our sins by his blood and
made us a kingdom,
priests to his God and Father,
to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.”
-Revelation 1:5-6

“. . . that he worked in Messiah when
he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand
in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion,
and above every name
that is named,
not only in this age
but also in the one to come.”
-Ephesians 1:20-21