Israel wanted a king to be “like all the other nations.” By the time of Saul and David, kingship in the ancient Near East was nearly two thousand years old. This was especially true in the Egyptian and Babylonian empires. Even smaller nations like Philistia, Moab, and Edom had kings with permanent governments and armies. People believed kings were chosen by the gods to rule human affairs. Kings ruled either for the gods or as gods themselves.
The Israelites wanted to be like other nations and ignored the long-term effects of having a king, despite the prophet Samuel’s warnings (1 Samuel 8:10–18). Over several hundred years, having kings proved Samuel right. Bad kings led God's chosen people into foreign control and exile. Yet, God used the monarchy to achieve his plans, as he provided the Messiah (God’s chosen one) through David and his family line, creating an eternal kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7:8–16; Matthew 21:1–11; Revelation 5:5; 11:15).
Passages for Further Study
Deuteronomy 17:14–20; 33:5; Judges 17:6; 21:25; 1 Samuel 8:5–22; 10:1, 24–25; 2 Samuel 7:8–16; Psalm 89:35–37; Ecclesiastes 8:2–5; Isaiah 33:22; Matthew 21:1–11; 22:42–46; 27:11; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 2:13–14; Revelation 5:5; 11:15; 15:3