1st Samuel 8:5 And they said unto him, Behold, thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
Therefore, as we turn to the topic for today we must consider carefully, the reasons given, why the Jews in Samuel’s day asked him to “Make us a king”. The reasons are three-fold, beginning with a desire for a change in the justice system. In other words, God’s system of justice did not jive with their concepts of justice, and thus, they craved a change.
The request is very specific, for the leaders of Israel did not merely ask for a king, but they also asked for one who will judge them just like the other nations. So, how did the kings of the other nations judge the people under their jurisdiction? It is a no-brainer, for they routinely employed a two-tiered justice system which was the order of the day.
Whereas previously God was the ultimate Judge and His laws, statutes, and instructions were to form the basis of all judicial actions, Israel now requested the system used by the surrounding nations, which was a two-tiered system of justice, one in which the king would enjoy immunity from prosecution, and where he would be beyond the reach of law.
Daniel 5: 18 O thou king, the most-high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!