Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson. Across the Era of Judges, these 12 individuals were raised by the Almighty Himself to deliver the Israelites from oppression—imposed by other nations and themselves—and direct them in military matters and spiritual subjects. Scholars suggest 300 to 350 years spanned between the death of Joshua, which ushered in the transition of judges, to the establishment of the monarchy with Saul, who was anointed and appointed by Samuel to be Israel’s first king.

After being dedicated to God, Samuel was carefully raised in the house of the Lord under Eli’s care. Eli and Samuel played significant parts in Israel’s history and shared several commonalities. Good and bad alike. One of the bad similarities is they both had disobedient sons. 1 Samuel 3 recounts how Samuel hears from the Lord for the first time as a young boy, and delivers a heart-breaking message to Eli about his family and their future.

And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

1 Samuel 3:11–14 (NIV)

Samuel’s reverence for God in addition to his experiences with Eli would have shored up his attempts to ensure Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, lived a life pleasing to Elohim. Without a doubt, Samuel would have done all he could to raise his sons in righteousness but somewhere along the lines, their hearts become soiled.

Scripture says they acted dishonestly and sought money over the Sovereign One, but there’s no specification on how they ended up with a heart that elevated mammon. Why did they choose to walk in wickedness and not follow in the footsteps of their faithful father? A more significant question is why Samuel appointed and allowed them to remain in authority when they lacked the necessary purity to operate in a place of leadership? Samuel knew from Eli’s situation that God’s holiness ought not to be held half-heartedly, especially by those in positions of power.

Ecclesiastes says there’s a time and season for everything. As the elders group and gather at Ramah to speak to the hometown priest, Israel and Samuel are standing at the end of several seasons.

Samuel has faithfully served God for all his life, but that’s coming to an end, quite literally. Samuel’s sons are distinguished from him in the wrong ways and don’t deliver a desirable succession plan. Israel needs a change as they consider their future. Age and ancestry are the cited catalysts for change, yet the Israelites soon expose themselves and indicate their true desires and intentions.

Across the Pentateuch are promises about kingship. Starting with Abraham, the grandfather of faith, who was promised in his exceeding fruitfulness that there would be nations and kings from him (Genesis 17:6; 16) through to Deuteronomy. Chapter 17 specifically foretells all that’s happening in 1 Samuel 8 and to come after Saul, the son of Kish, ushers in a new season of kingship.

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

Deuteronomy‬ ‭17‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ (NIV)

Over the last couple of centennials, all Israel has known is being led by a judge. And now Israel wants a new reign and rulership. While it isn’t surprising, it is still saddening. As a special nation under a covenantal relationship with God, Israel was to be uniquely set apart by and for Him.

A theocracy allowed Israel to be directly delivered, led both practically and spiritually, guided and protected by God alone. God alone was to be the nation’s focus of faith, source of strength and strategy with selected judges serving as His intermediaries.

God’s intention for the Twelve Tribes to be distinct also affected how they lived. Under Israel’s egalitarian society, the twelve tribes governed themselves. With a degree of equality due to there being no hierarchy or rules, no single tribe was superior to the others.

God had a plan and purpose for Israel’s theocracy, but its fruitfulness was dependent on their faith and trust in Him. Which throughout their history and in this moment wavered…

Age and ancestry allowed Israel to announce their desires yet, these two attributes didn’t awaken their desire. Israel wanted a king because all the other nations had one. Israel’s desire for a king was rooted out of insecurity. So, it’s far from ironic that their first king, Saul, was the epitome of being insecure.

The Spirit of the Lord once said to me anything that we can’t define, we can’t overcome and defeat. An insecurity is a by-product of an inaccurate revelation of one’s identity. A diminished and/or distorted revelation can be a result of a lack of understanding and/or a lack of embracing, oftentimes both.

Israel’s identity was to be set apart as a chosen nation, marked intimately and uniquely for and by God. Israel was to be God’s holy sons and daughters. Israel was designed to be different to the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Amalekites, Canaanites and all their neighbouring nations. Israel wanted to be like them yet weren’t created to be or do so.

If you don’t know who you are, you often ask for things that God doesn’t desire for you. And in His graciousness—sacrificing His sovereignty in abounding love to not impose His heart on you—and mercy, God will sometimes grant them to you as He did the kingdom of priests.

God assures the priest, prophet and judge that this isn’t about him and them. Unfortunately, the alternative is way worse; it’s about Him and them. Israel in their insecurity rejected God. Our rejection will often repel and ruin what God wants to gift us with. We can’t receive it and as we see with the Israelites, in some cases we don’t even want it.

(Something for the leaders out there — Israel’s rejection of God also meant rejecting Samuel, their leader. Something I’ve personally had to work through is the tendency to project onto leaders a stance I have with God as shadows of Him.)

Israel’s insecurity leads to rejection and that rejection, rebellion. (I’m excitedly exploring the relationship between the two more in an upcoming Summary piece.) Often, one’s rebellion is an outworking of their rejection. A heart full of rejection leads to hands full of rebellion. All throughout Israel’s history, the nation has been rebellious. Aaron’s absurd golden calf in Exodus, wilderness wanderings in Numbers and their cyclical rebellions throughout Judges amongst more, were all rebellion actions rooted in rejection of God and insecurity in their distinct identity as sons and daughters of God.

God, aware of the heart of His people, hears their ask and allows it. However, it doesn’t come without a very strong warning. We very rarely have the knowledge or wisdom to understand what our wants will cost us. And that’s serially the case when our decisions and desires are rooted in deep insecurity.

As they peer at the Philistines and other nearby nations, what is it that Israel saw? A king, judge and someone to physically lead them into battle. What about all other aspects of kingship?

Were they perceptive of the abuse of power and corruption prevalent in monarchies? Any concerns about how a king would enforce their sons into the army and their daughters would be chained to palaces and serve the affluent hand and foot? A hesitation towards how a king would be self-serving and could sacrifice the people of God if it meant securing their success? What did they think would happen in their situation after seeing kings from the pagan lands seizing their people’s best land, money and families?

As the Israelites analysed neighbouring nations, they saw some things that struck their hearts. Yet, they didn’t see it all. We often don’t either because our brokenness makes us see the lack in comparison and never our benefits. Our insecurity inverts our perspective and affects our perception and that of others.

God prepares His beloved people for what’s ahead. Unsurprisingly, Israel refuses to listen to Samuel, and more significantly, God. As I read about their response, there’s one question that rings in my mind. Why would and how can our ears be open to things our hearts are closed off to? An insecurity often insulates us in many manners. Our minds, our hearts, our bodies, our actions and more are insulated once insecurities are involved making us incapable of being the complete people God designed us to be.

Again, the nation that was divinely distinguished by God reiterates its desires. We want a king to be like all the other nations because we have let insecurity infiltrate our hearts and derail our destiny…