“WE WANT A KING”

In Acts 13, Paul is recounting to the men of Israel of what God in His providence had done for the nation of Israel.  He explains and reminds them of God’s divine love for Israel in verse 17, “…the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt and with an high arm brought He them out of it.”  Israel had enjoyed the divine protection and deliverance from God.  

God had heard their cries and showed mercy unto them.  God continued His caring and nurturing for them in the wilderness for forty years even as they forsook Him on numerous occasions.  In verses 18 & 19, Paul recounts “and about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness and when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. He divided their land to them by lot.”  Look how God had cared for Israel.  He took the promised land of Canaan from seven nations and gave to the children of Israel.  God truly was their leader and protector.  Israel did not lack for anything.  In verse 20, we find “…and after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet.”  The judges fought for Israel through God and delivered them from oppression by neighboring nations.  The judges not only fought for them but also ruled over them and made rulings concerning disputes between the people.  What more could they have needed...God ruling over them, fighting their battles, protecting and providing for their every need.  They should have been content and satisfied.  But in verse 21, Paul says “…and afterward they desired a king.”  Why would they even desire a king?  They had been under the period of the judges where God produced leaders who had fought and delivered them from their oppression.  The children of Israel were very short sighted.  In 1 Sam. 8:19-20, we find the reason why they were so committed to wanting a king.  “Nay but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”  They had failed to remember what God had been doing for them up to this time.  God was already judging them and going out before them and fighting their battles, giving them great victories.  Yes, they had a valid complaint concerning the sons of Samuel in their ruling, but to ignore God in taking care of this problem was very grievous.  In 1 Sam. 8:3, we find, “and his sons walked not in his ways but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.”

This was not such an injustice which was beyond God’s control that it would require a king to correct it.  In verse 4 they came together and made, not a request to Samuel but more of a demand, and in verse 5 is their decision.  “Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”  When we make decisions in our life then we must also realize that there are consequences that must be met with those decisions.  Samuel proceeded to explain and reveal these consequences to the children of Israel before they made their final decision.  If you want a king to rule over you then here are the policies of the king who would rule over you.  In verse 9 God told Samuel to listen to their voice but to “...protest solemnly unto them and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.”  And in verses 11-18, Samuel relayed to them the manner of the king who would rule.  This will be his policies, this will be what he expects and demands by rule and this is what he will extract from the people.  

Again we see the longsuffering of God giving them the foresight to see what to expect and to make the correct decision.  What would their king do; what would he demand and extract from them; what great sacrifices would be required from them?

We find in verse 11 that the king would take their sons and put them in an army to go before him to fight.  They had judges who fought for them but now their families would be torn apart and their sons will have to go to war.  The implication is that there will be no peace in the family or in the nation.  The significance of having a king is that war would be a factor.  With a king nothing has changed for the better but really for the worse.  Wars and fighting will now consume their sons.  In verse 12, we find that the king will appoint leaders over them.  The corruption that they complained about to Samuel would most likely continue or elevate to a higher degree.  Making money dishonestly, accepting bribes and perverting justice is also prevalent under kings who rule.  God knew that corruptness would enter in and that is why He set rules against it in Deuteronomy 1:12-17.  We find that under a king they would be in bondage or servitude to their dislike.  They would plow and plant for the benefit of the king and he would reap of their harvest.  They would make weapons of war and equipment for the king’s pleasure.  Their daughters would be taken to be laborers as cooks, bakers and ointment makers.  The family would be torn apart and everyone would be in servitude to the king.  Even their inheritance would be taken by the king.  God had given the land to each tribe as an inheritance and it was prized and not given to anyone outside of the lineage.  But now they would have to surrender to the king their best fields, their best vineyards and give them unto his officers and servants.  Ownership of their land would go to someone other than in their tribe or lineage.  The king would demand a tenth of their seed and produce to be given to his administration and servants.  They didn’t work for it, but demand would be made to give it to them willingly.  Their servants would be taken, thereby leaving more work for themselves to do, to produce for the king.  He would take their best cattle and donkeys for his use. He would take a tenth of all their flocks.

The final summation was that the children of Israel would be enslaved by the very king that they wanted.  The oppression from their king would be so great that it would cause them to cry out against their king to God.  Israel wanted to direct their own steps but lacked the foresight to see where their decision would lead them.  God knew this, but Israel didn’t want to be led by God anymore.  Israel had a good life with God and everything they wanted from a king, God was already providing for them.  They were not content in their life.  We must put our trust in God, let Him direct our path and be content with our life because God is in charge.  Let us not have the same mentality as Israel in “we want a king.”  We have a king and His name is the Lord God Almighty.

RDB