First, it was Moses (see yesterday’s post), then Joshua, Moses’ successor. Later, once they were more established and moving up in the world, it was a king they wanted.
Adapted from 1 Samuel 8.
Jewish leadership representatives: “Give us a king to lead us!”
Samuel the prophet: “Wait, what? God leads us.”
God to Samuel: “Give the people what they want. It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
God tells Samuel to warn them about the consequences of what will happen if they go the human king route, including: “He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants… He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you, yourselves, will become his slaves.”
No matter. The Israelites still demand a king. “Then we will be like all the other nations,” they say, “with a king to lead us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
Enter the era of kings and leaders operating between the rest of us and “God.” We love our leaders, until we hate them. We follow our leaders, until they stumble—then we destroy them. Meanwhile, power corrupts, and we see it everywhere.
Meanwhile,
God: “Why do you keep replacing me and putting others on pedestals. I’ve always been right here.”
What might God say to you about whoever it is you’re following?